MENU
SEARCHChad Barksdale is appointed transitional executive director for California’s West County Transportation Agency in advance of Mike Rea’s retirement.
Chad Barksdale (left) has been appointed transitional executive director for California’s West County Transportation Agency in advance of Mike Rea’s retirement.
SANTA ROSA, Calif. — Changes are afoot at West County Transportation Agency, with a new leader coming on board and a fleet that will soon grow by nearly a third.
The agency is a public cooperative that provides transportation service for 16 school districts in Northern California's Sonoma County, known for its bountiful vineyards, towering redwoods and sweeping Russian River.
West County Transportation Agency's board announced this week that Chad Barksdale has been named transitional executive director. The appointment comes as the agency's longtime executive director, Mike Rea, prepares to retire next year.
Barksdale, a native of Southern California, has served as a school transportation official in Colorado Springs, Colorado, for the past 14 years. Most recently, he was transportation director for Widefield School District 3.
Rea told SBF that he and Barksdale will have a year of overlap and transition before Rea's retirement at the end of February 2017.
"Chad is a talented individual, and I am so pleased that our board has allowed this full-year transition to occur," Rea said.
Another development on the horizon for West County Transportation Agency is the addition of a new member district, Santa Rosa City Schools, beginning July 1. That change means big growth for the agency's fleet, which will expand from 160 school buses to about 210. Also, the agency's number of routes will essentially double.
Rea has served as executive director of West County Transportation Agency since it was formed in 1988. Then, there were seven member school districts; now, there are 16.
"That growth is a testament to our reputation of quality service and cost containment," Rea said. "Economy of scale has helped us create efficiencies in purchasing, vehicle maintenance, but mostly in cooperative routing."
In 2011, West County Transportation Agency won an award for its efforts to reduce emissions, which have included adopting alternative fuels and retrofitting older diesel buses with particulate traps. The agency was also named one of SBF's "Great Fleets Across America" in 2001.
Stop bidding everything and try a simpler way. Here's how cooperative purchasing can streamline purchases while maintaining compliance. Sourcewell breaks down the process in this episode of The Route, sponsored by IC Bus.
Read More →
The alternative transportation company expands its services to traditional yellow buses with the launch of a new division focused on helping school districts optimize their routes.
Read More →
Roberts, 35, serves as the lead IT application engineer for vehicle electrification at First Student, where he helps shape scalable, real-world EV infrastructure to support student transportation.
Read More →
Swazer, 29, serves as director of transportation at Puyallup School District, where he champions student wellbeing and inspires the next generation of industry leaders.
Read More →
Dubas, 38, serves as sales manager and safety advocate at IMMI, where she advances school bus occupant protection through industry education, OEM collaboration, and proactive safety policy efforts.
Read More →
Kramlick, 30, runs operations for TransPar in Hawaii, where he also showed dedication while helping Maui recover from the recent wildfires.
Read More →
Moore, 32, grew up around the school bus, leading him to the classroom and eventually inspiring high-performing teams while bringing operations in house (twice).
Read More →
Baran, 38, serves as transportation supervisor at Odyssey Charter School in Delaware, where he leads daily operations with a focus on safety and professional growth.
Read More →
Maybee, 36, leads transportation operations for Denver Public Schools, where he is advancing equity, efficiency, and cross-department collaboration to improve student access.
Read More →
Higgins, 38, serves as director of industry engagement at TAT (Truckers Against Trafficking), where she equips school transportation professionals with the tools to recognize and report human trafficking.
Read More →
