METRO Magazine, in conjunction with BusCon and the Transit Maintenance Forum (TMF), is launching the Maintenance Director of the Year Award, which will be presented at BusCon 2018. The event takes place Oct. 1 to 3 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.

The award has been designed to honor two maintenance directors — one with a fleet of over 501 vehicles, and one with a fleet under 500 vehicles (includes paratransit operators) — who have gone above and beyond to create a well-run maintenance shop.

Criteria for the award includes the implementation of innovative best practices that have resulted in cost savings, increased vehicle uptime, efficiencies in the shop, the recruiting/hiring/retaining staff, and/or an impact on safety; improvements made through the better management of people, processes/assets, and/or financing/funding; the agency’s recent Triennial Reviews; and more.

The winners will be selected by an elite group of former and current maintenance professionals, as well as the METRO staff.

The call for nomination deadline is May 31. To apply, click here.

“This award is long overdue, since it is the vital work done in maintenance shops that keeps fleets running on-time and on-schedule every day,” said James Blue, GM for METRO Magazine. “We hope to not only honor the best-of-the-best, but also provide the winners with the opportunity to also take part in our now annual Transit Maintenance Forum.”  

TMF gives senior transit maintenance professionals the chance to learn about some of the latest trends they are facing in their shops. Holding this event at BusCon also affords transit professionals the unique opportunity to network and share challenges with peers and keep up-to-date with the newest vehicles, technologies, and products on the market today. 

Content for TMF will again be created by a steering committee that includes Bus Maintenance Consultant and well-known Industry Expert Halsey King; Rick Streiff, Manager, Fleet Design and Maintenance, at Southern California’s Access Services; Gary Glasscock, former VP, Fleet & Facilities, for San Antonio’s VIA Metropolitan Transit; and Vicki Learn, Director of Maintenance at Indianapolis’ IndyGo.

In addition, long-time industry veteran John Maddox, principal at Transit Bus Technical Advisors (TBTA), is joining the TMF board. Before launching TBTA, Maddox spent the previous 10 years at BAE Systems and was involved with overall plans for deliveries of over 7,000 hybrid-electric propulsion systems, electrically-powered accessories along supporting projects, including all-electric and fuel-cell programs.

For an economical $115, attendees have the opportunity to not only attend TMF, but also all of BusCon’s networking events and the Keynote Address.

For more information on the award, contact Managing Editor Alex Roman at alex.roman@bobit.com, or call (310) 533-2589.