Such industry veterans as Mike Connors of Brevard Public Schools in Cocoa, Fla., and Peter Lawrence of Fairport (N.Y.) Central School District are honored during the awards banquet, while sessions cover alternative fuel use and bullying, among other topics. The trade show features products from nearly 130 industry suppliers.
NAPT Summit 2011
During an alternative-fuel technology forum, moderator Frank Di Giacomo, SBF's publisher, took a question for the manufacturer panel from consultant George Horne.
Jessica Brookshire, founder of Kids Against Ridicule, Meanness and Aggression, spoke to conferees about what led her to form the nonprofit organization, as well as ways adults can help victims of bullying.
Mary Ellen Buning, Ph.D., OTR/L, ATP, of the University of Louisville in Kentucky, spoke to attendees about the preliminary findings and data from a Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center study on wheelchair use and safety in school transportation.
The two-day trade show featured booths from nearly 130 exhibitors.
NAPT awards banquet host Mike Martin, who is the association's executive director, got the evening off to an amusing start by hosting lying down. He's pictured with NAPT communications consultant Barry McCahill. They're dressed in jumpsuits similar to those worn by 1980s crash test dummies Vince and Larry. The campaign was developed by McCahill when he worked for NHTSA.
SBF Publisher Frank Di Giacomo (left) and Mike Connors, director of transportation at Brevard Public Schools in Cocoa, Fla., chatted on stage with Mike Martin after Connors was presented with SBF's 38th Annual Administrator of the Year award.
Peter Lawrence, director of transportation at Fairport (N.Y.) Central School District, was honored with NAPT's Distinguished Service award for his dedication to the industry.
Also on Sunday evening, school bus manufacturer Trans Tech Bus unveiled its new all-electric Type A unit, the eTrans. The first bus is scheduled to be delivered at Kings Canyon Unified School District in Reedley, Calif., after the first of the year.
During a transportation technology session, manufacturer and supplier representatives discussed developments that are impacting the school bus industry, or will in the future.
Among the new buses on display was a Type C unit from Lion Bus Inc. Officials said the 102-inch body increases the aisle width inside the bus by 50 percent.
A view of the driver's compartment in Lion Bus' Type C unit.
Attendees take in the offerings at IC Bus' booth.
Blue Bird Corp. had several buses at its booth, including the Next Generation Propane-Powered Vision.
Pictured are several NAPT Poster Contest entries. The theme for this year's contest was "I See the Driver — The Driver Sees Me!"
Among the buses on view at Thomas Built Buses' booth was the newly redesigned Type D unit, the Saf-T-Liner EFX, as well as the Saf-T-Liner C2e hybrid school bus.
There were many new products launching during the trade show, including Seon Design's upgraded video and fleet management solution, vMaxLive+.