NSTA honors contractors for service excellence
Members convene in Tulsa, Okla., this week for the association’s 49th Annual Meeting and Convention, and they are honored during an awards ceremony in such areas as environmentally friendly efforts, and safe and longtime service.
TULSA, Okla. — School bus contracting professionals convened here this week for the National School Transportation Association’s (NSTA) 49th Annual Meeting and Convention, and on Tuesday, they were recognized during the association’s awards ceremony.
The banquet included honors for such areas as environmentally friendly efforts and excellence in service and safety.
Here is the full list of award winners:
Golden Merit
Kitty Anderson — Durham School Services, Overland Park, Kan.
Gail Bergstrom — Durham School Services, Racine, Wis.
Frank Luciano — First Student Inc., Boonton, N.J.
Susan Moorehead — First Student Inc., Industry, Calif.
Dale Duley — GO Riteway Transportation Group, Brown Deer, Wis.
Greg Stock — Stock Transportation Ltd., Barrie, Ontario
Thomas Built Buses Continuing Education and Professional Growth Grant
Dave Hietpas — Kobussen Buses Ltd., Kimberly, Wis.
Meritorious Service
Gabe Rozsa — Prime Policy Group, Washington, D.C.
Outstanding Driver of the Year
Ford Thompson — First Student Inc., Minnetonka, Minn.
Theo Hurkes — GO Riteway Transportation Group, Milwaukee
American School Bus Council Champion
Dale Krapf — Krapf Bus Companies, Philadelphia
Green School Bus Fleet Certification
Platinum: Durham School Services — Aurora, Ill.; Bridge Creek, Okla.; Burnsville, Minn.; Central Dauphin, Pa.; Framingham, Mass.; Lakewood, N.J.; Louisburg, Kan.; Milwaukee; Norwalk, Conn.; San Bernardino, Calif.
(New for 2013, the platinum level recognizes achievements in the highest level of fleet reduction in particulate matter.)
Gold: GO Riteway Transportation Group — nationwide; and Durham School Services — Jacksonville, Fla.; Memphis, Tenn.
Go Yellow, Go Green
GO Riteway Transportation Group — Germantown, Wis.
Distinguished Service
Todd Monteferrario — First Student Inc., Cincinnati
Hall of Fame
Magda Dimmendaal — Dousman Transport Co. Inc., Oconomowoc, Wis.
(Also during the convention, Dimmendaal ended her term as president of NSTA, handing over the reins to Timothy Flood of The Trans Group LLC. See story here for more details.)
SCHOOL BUS FLEET's Contractor of the Year
David Duke — National Express Corp., Warrenville, Ill. (see story here for more details)
More Management

Have School Districts Adapted to Bus Driver Shortages or Simply Accepted Less Service?
According to a recent report from HopSkipDrive, many districts appear to have recalibrated what "normal" transportation service looks like.
Read More →
Reliable Transportation Linked to Better Student Outcomes, New EverDriven Study Finds
See why new research suggests transportation consistency improves student outcomes while influencing attendance, funding, IEP compliance, and family trust.
Read More →
Switzer-CARTY Enters the U.S. with New Acquisition
The Canadian contractor’s acquisition of Minnesota-based Agnes Corporation marks its first cross-border expansion into the United States and adds 350 vehicles.
Read More →BusRight Adds New Rider Tracking Technology
Safety Pass is an NFC-based student ridership tracking solution that provides real-time boarding and drop-off data to improve school bus safety and family communication.
Read More →
EverDriven Launches RideAware App With Real-Time Student Ride Visibility
The updated platform’s new features improve communication among caregivers, districts, and drivers while streamlining trip updates.
Read More →
How School Transportation Departments Can Help Acclimate New Riders to the Bus
Here's how transportation departments can turn first-day jitters into confidence for students and parents alike.
Read More →
Neighbors Helping Neighbors: Nearly 90 Years of Safely Transporting Wisconsin Students
From one farmer's act of service to a fourth-generation family business, Kobussen Buses reflects on nearly 90 years of earning the trust of Wisconsin families.
Read More →
Changing Lanes: AMF Bruns, Pro-Vision, CALSTART, HopSkipDrive, & Kooner
Check out who's been hired, promoted, and appointed to leadership positions at various school transportation industry suppliers and nonprofits.
Read More →
NCST Announces 18th Congress Event Dates, New Committees
The National Congress on School Transportation moves to St. Louis in May 2029, convening delegates and industry representatives to discuss new best practice recommendations. Now, the new committee chairs have been named.
Read More →
Key Moments from the 2026 NSTA Annual Meeting in the Mile High City
From federal policy updates and OEM presentations to speed networking and industry awards, see photos and highlights from the contractor association’s summer conference in Denver.
Read More →
