SBF 70 years logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

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.

July 25, 2013
2 min to read


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.

Ad Loading...

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

Ad Loading...

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

Ad Loading...

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

An orange and white graphic with HopSkipDrive's logo and text reading "Districts Adjusts to Persistent Driver Shortages."
Managementby Elora HaynesAugust 12, 2026

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 →
A blue and white graphic with text reading "The Ripple Effect of a Reliable Ride."
Managementby Elora HaynesAugust 12, 2026

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 →
A close-up side view of a yellow Switzer-CARTY school bus parked in a bus yard, with the contractor's name displayed on the side panel and additional school buses visible in the background.
Managementby News/Media ReleaseAugust 7, 2026

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 →
Ad Loading...
Students wearing backpacks line up to board a yellow school bus, each holding an NFC-enabled student ID card to scan as they enter. The image illustrates student ridership tracking technology that records boarding activity in real time.
Managementby News/Media ReleaseAugust 6, 2026

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 →
A red and white image of someone holding a cell phone with text reading "EverDriven Launches RideAware App With Student Ride Visibility."
Managementby Staff and News ReportsAugust 5, 2026

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 →
Students boarding a school bus with text reading "New Riders, Strong Starts. Help every student feel confident on day one."
Managementby Elora HaynesAugust 5, 2026

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 →
Ad Loading...
Multiple generations of the Kobussen family posing in front of a school bus.
ManagementAugust 3, 2026

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 →
Graphic for School Bus Fleet's "Changing Lanes" July 2026 personnel roundup featuring headshots of six industry professionals: Jamie Smith (AMF Buns), Dan Strock (Pro-Vision), Kyndra Webb (HopSkipDrive Council), Jared Schnader (CALSTART), Alycia Gilde (CALSTART), and Micah Enterz (Kooner Fleet Management Solutions), displayed on an orange geometric background.
Managementby StaffJuly 31, 2026

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 →
Promo graphic for the 18th National Congress on School Transportation, featuring a conference audience background and text reading “May 4–6, 2029, St. Louis, Missouri,” alongside the NCST logo.
Managementby Staff and News ReportsJuly 29, 2026

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 →
Ad Loading...
Two school buses parked in front of the Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum in Denver.
Managementby Amanda HuggettJuly 28, 2026

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 →