Michigan Awards School Bus Technician of the Year
The winner works for Traverse City Public Schools, with more than 27 years of experience.
The Michigan Association for Pupil Transportation (MAPT) has named Dean Councilor, lead bus mechanic for Traverse City Public Schools (TCAPS), as School Bus Technician of the Year.
Councilor, who has more than 27 years of experience, has been with Traverse City since 2007. He has participated in MAPT mechanic troubleshooting competitions, earning several first- and second-place finishes. He also holds 17 National Institute for Automative Service Excellence (ASE) Mechanics certifications. He's currently president of the Kingsley Sportsman Club, and once raised $500 for the Ronald McDonald House by selling tickets for people to watch him shave off his long beard.
"Dean's years of experience as a school bus technician has served our students and district well," said Doug Partlo, Traverse City's assistant director of transportation. "His troubleshooting abilities and dedication to his trade have contributed to keeping TCAPS' fleet of 100 buses well-maintained, safe, and on the road."
MAPT also recognized other award recipients, including:
Katrina Morris (West Shore Educational Service District) - Supervisor of the Year
Diane Miklusicak (Allegan Area Educational Service Agency) - School Bus Driver of the Year
Brenda Stein (Caro Community School) - Office Professional of the Year
More Management
EverDriven Expands TripCentral Transportation Management Platform to All Partner Districts
The platform provides school districts with real-time trip tracking, student transportation scheduling tools, and pickup and drop-off management capabilities.
Read More →
6 School Transportation Trends to Watch: 2026 District Survey Results
School bus buying is up, fuel choices are shifting, and driver shortages persist. This and more in the latest K-12 public school survey, plus the largest fleets in the U.S.
Read More →
The 100 Largest School Bus Fleets in America: 2026 Rankings
Which public K-12 school districts are the largest in the nation in terms of bus fleet size? Here are the new standings of the top 100 district fleets.
Read More →
EverDriven Launches Route Consolidation Calculator to Estimate Diesel Savings
As diesel prices hit record highs, the largest alternative transportation provider says a 10% route consolidation could save a 120-route district more than $78,000 a year in fuel alone.
Read More →
Zum Secures Continued Financing Support for School Bus Expansion
Generate Private Credit has financed approximately $75 million in school bus deployments across three states, supporting more than 500 buses as Zum expands across the county.
Read More →
Beyond Discipline: A Different Approach to Student Behavior on the Bus
After implementing a dean of students program in Oregon, North Clackamas is seeing positive improvements. Here’s how it worked. The Route is brought to you by IC Bus.
Read More →
A Dean of Transportation's Different Approach to Student Behavior on the School Bus
After implementing a dean of students program in Oregon, North Clackamas is seeing positive improvements on the bus. Here’s how it worked.
Read More →
Inside NAPT ACTS 2026: Highlights from Louisville
From federal updates and student behavior strategies to new school bus technology and industry awards, see highlights from NAPT ACTS 2026 in Louisville.
Read More →
Meet the 2025 School Bus Driver Hero Winner: Annette Brown
We caught up with Wa-Nee Community Schools' Annette Brown on site at SBFX, where she was named the 2026 School Bus Driver Hero Award winner. Hear about her reaction, what she loves most about being a school bus driver, and more!
Read More →
Predictability Is Like Ketchup (According to 6-Year-Olds)
To students, a different school bus can feel like a full-blown crisis. One driver reflects on why familiar routines, showing up on time, and being reliably boring matter more than we think.
Read More →