Lisle, Il – The National School Transportation Association (NSTA) awarded Durham School Services Vice President of Operations, Rick Klaus and Area General Manager, Rhonda McKown the Golden Merit Award for their work in safety, advocacy and customer service. NSTA’s Golden Merit Award was established in 1969 to recognize school bus employees for their achievements in safety, driver training, business practice, vehicle maintenance and superior service to their school district, community and the student transportation industry.
“Having worked closely with Rick over the past eight years and with Rhonda over the past twenty, I have seen firsthand their efforts to support and promote the student transportation industry,” said Bob Ramsdell, Chief Safety Officer for National Express LLC. “They are passionate about safety and advocates for bus drivers, recognizing the important role they play in safely transporting students. They are dedicated to meeting the needs of our customers, ensuring they continue to view contracting as the best choice for their transportation needs.”
Rick joined Durham School Services in 2011 as Vice President of Sales serving in that capacity until 2016. In his sales role, Rick actively promoted the contracting of student transportation services, convincing twelve districts that outsourcing their student transportation needs was the right choice while also working to ensure our existing customers received high-quality service.
In 2016, Rick was named to his current role as Vice President of Operations, where he oversees an operating region providing student transportation services to over fifteen districts in eight states. In his role, Rick provides leadership and support to local Customer Service Center management teams and interacts with District personnel to ensure that our customers receive the highest levels of safety and service.
Rhonda joined Durham School Services twenty years ago as a General Manager in Kansas City, working her way up through the organization to his current position of Area General Manager of our Missouri Customer Service Centers where she oversees nine school districts, ensuring over 25,000 children get to school safely, on-time and ready to learn each day.