Garland Independent School District was named one of six winners of the first Top Transportation Teams award, with the winners coming from four states: Indiana, Michigan, New York and Texas. Recipients of the award were divided into two categories, departments with more than 100 employees and departments 100 employees or less.
The winners in the over 100 employees in Texas were Klein ISD and Garland ISD.
“In the year that I have been with Garland ISD, the focus was to change the culture and dynamic of the transportation department,” said Anna Banner, GISD’s director of Transportation. “Working in a place where you actually feel empowered, acknowledged and motivated makes all the difference. Winning this award makes us feel like we are achieving our goals of better student transportation and making us a family!”
Dr. Shelley Garrett, assistant superintendent of safety and operations, praised Banner and her team for the work that has been done that led to receiving the award.
“We knew at the interview that Anna Banner was the director who would take Garland ISD’s Transportation Department to the next level,” Garrett said. “She has secured the best team and the best technology, but most importantly, she daily brings a spirit of excellence and camaraderie that has changed us all for the better.”
Transfinder, the leader in school transportation management software, in partnership with School Transportation News, will present the winners with their Top Transportation Teams awards at the STN Expo in Reno, Nevada on July 17. STN is providing a full scholarship to attend the STN Expo to one representative from each of the winning teams. Transfinder is covering travel and hotel costs for the winners.
The winners were selected on anonymous survey responses of their teams, with districts scoring the highest in employee satisfaction receiving the Top Transportation Teams designation. Teams were comprised of transportation supervisors, routers, dispatchers, drivers and others considered core to the transportation department. Survey questions covered a variety of areas, including morale within the department, leadership, safety and benefits.
Representatives from each of the winning teams will be featured on a leadership panel discussion at the STN Expo. They will discuss what makes a Top Transportation Team. The discussion will be moderated by Transfinder President and CEO Antonio Civitella. Transfinder created the Top Transportation Teams award in response to the inspiring leadership schools demonstrated dealing with the challenges created by the pandemic.
“When we speak with transportation leaders, visit with them at tradeshows or on their campuses, and read about them in publications like School Transportation News, we constantly see the amazing work they do in extremely challenging conditions,” Civitella said. “Transportation departments deal with safety issues such as illegal passing. They are dealing with a nationwide driver shortage. They’re facing more demands from their communities. They are coping with tighter budgets as well. And yet we see these leaders smile, do their jobs and remain passionate about the safe transportation of schoolchildren. I just felt these heroes needed more recognition.”
To learn more visit www.toptransportationteams.com.