Did You See: California District Receives Blue Bird’s 1,500th Electric School Bus
Van Harpen Rejoins Blue Bird as Fleet Sales Leader
She returns to school bus manufacturer after nearly three years managing sales at Gillig, a maker of transit buses.

From 2014-2020, Van Harpen held roles of increasing responsibility with Blue Bird in the areas of fleet and chassis sales, as well as alternative fuels.
Image: Canva/Blue Bird
Blue Bird Corporation has announced the appointment of Jenna Van Harpen to lead the school bus manufacturer’s strategic fleet sales operations.
Blue Bird expands its fleet sales as it continues to grow in electric, propane, and gasoline-powered student transportation.
Van Harpen returns to Blue Bird as executive director of fleet sales following a nearly three-year stint working as a sales manager for transit bus manufacturer Gillig, where she specialized in clean energy vehicle sales.
From 2014-2020, she held roles of increasing responsibility with Blue Bird in the areas of fleet and chassis sales, as well as alternative fuels. After her first appointment to executive director of fleet sales in 2018, Van Harpen oversaw a high-performing sales team generating exceptional sales and revenue growth. Prior to joining Blue Bird, she held various sales roles at Carter Machinery, Allstate Peterbilt Group, and Truck Country for six years.
“I am thrilled to welcome back top-performing sales executive Jenna Van Harpen to the Blue Bird team,” said Britton Smith, president of Blue Bird Corporation. “Jenna and her team will continue to meet and exceed the expectations of our valued fleet customers in North America. Fleet customers remain a corner stone of Blue Bird’s continued industry leadership and success.”
Van Harpen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the Minnesota School of Business.
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