One of the best aspects of NSTA are the committees. NSTA Committees are the driving force behind all of the Association's initiatives and activities. Committees are made up of members with staff and consultant liaisons. There are a 14 committees:
Association and Industry Development Committee: The Association and Industry Development Committee is responsible for most association activities pertaining to the promotion and health of the Association as well as the promotion of the school bus contracting industry. The committee is chaired by Tim Flood of the Trans Group. There are 5 sub-committees you can join:
- Membership Committee: The membership committee is focused on the growth and retention of the NSTA membership and developing new member benefits that will provide additional value to the association. This committee is chaired by Blake Krapf of Krapf Bus and works closely with Danielle Abe, NSTA’s Director of Marketing & Operations.
- Marketing & Communications: The Committee keeps members up-to-date on association activities, industry news, and important legislative activities, foster peer-to-peer communications between members, enhances communications between committees to improve efficiency and create cohesiveness and develops a standard operating procedure for internal and external communications. This committee is chaired by Carina Noble of Durham School Services and works closely with Danielle Abe and other NSTA Central Office staff.
- Business Development: The 2007 – 2010 Strategic Plan approved by the membership and NSTA Board of Directors includes a strong focus on increasing the school bus contracting industry’s market share. The Business Development Committee’s mandate is to help contractors grow market share and to develop opportunities to get more children on the yellow bus. This committee is chaired by Kellie Dean of Dean Transportation and works closely with Danielle Abe and NSTA's Industry Specialist, Robin Leeds.
- Awards & Meeting Planning: The Awards and Meeting Planning Committee is responsible for NSTA’s Awards program and developing the program for NSTA’s Annual Meeting and Convention, Mid-Winter Meetings and all other NSTA meetings. The committee is chaired by Magda Dimmendaal of Dousman Transport and works closely with NSTA’s Meeting Planner, Jennifer Carroll and the NSTA Central Office Staff.
- Strategic Planning: This committee works to develop the NSTA Strategic Plan and then assists the committees in implementing the plan. The committee just finished its work on the 2007 – 2010 Strategic Plan and will spend the next three years working to see the plan succeed. This committee is chaired by Steve Hey of School Bus Inc. and works closely with Danielle Abe, NSTA’s Director of Marketing and Operations.
Government Relations Committee: This committee is one of the Association’s two overriding committees and is focused on working with legislators, regulatory agencies, on all levels to promote the interest of the school bus contractor industry. There are two sub-committees:
- Legislative: This committee focuses on federal and state legislation, lobbying efforts, and education of legislators and their staff. The committee co-chairs are Kevin Clifford of Huntington Coach and Steve Hey of School Bus Inc. This committee works closely with NSTA’s lobbying group, BKSH.
- Regulatory: This committee works with regulatory agencies such as the Federal Transit Administration and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on issues concerning the school bus industry. The committee co-chairs are Bill Beck of Beck Bus and Paul Losos of Sunrise Transportation. The committee works closely with NSTA’s Industry Specialist, Robin Leeds.
Manufacturers, Suppliers, and Technology: This committee has a two-fold purpose. First, it provides the Association with regular updates on research, new product development, services, innovations on equipment and operations as well as best practices to guide the policy making of the Board of Directors. Secondly, the committee focuses on the needs of NSTA’s supplier and manufacturer members to incorporate their needs into NSTA’s agenda and find new ways to foster meaningful interactions between supplier and manufacturer members and the contractor members. This committee is chaired by Bob Pudlewski and works closely with NSTA’s Central Office staff.
Safety and Security: This committee oversees the planning and execution of the School Bus Driver International Safety Competition, gets involved with any safety and security issues that need to be addressed, and advises the Regulatory and Legislative Committees on safety and security issues. This committee is chaired by Gary Catapano of First Student and works closely with NSTA’s Central Office staff and Meeting Planner.
Site Selection: The Site Selection Committee is an ad hoc committee pursuing the location of future conventions and meetings.
Standing Committees
Finance: The Finance Committee oversees the finances of the Association including the creation of an annual operating budget and provides oversight on all financial matters.
Bylaws: The Bylaws Committee periodically reviews the bylaws and presents changes to the NSTA Board of Directors.
Nominating Committee: The key roled of the Nominating Committee is to identify current members to serve on the Board of Directors and as officers of the Board. A slate of officers is presented every other year to the members at the Annual Meeting.
Executive Committee: The Executive Committee acts in place and instead of the Board of Directors between Board meetings on matters including setting Association policies, except those specifically reserved exclusively to the Board by the NSTA Bylaws. The Executive Committee consists of the President, President-elect, Secretary/Treasurer, and Immediate Past President.
Structure
View the
NSTA Operational Chart to understand NSTA's working order and processes.