The Bus Stop

This week at NSTA: The Bus Stop - Executive Director Curt Macysyn welcomes Phil Purcell, CEO and President of the Marine Industries Association of South Florida (MIASF) and our featured speaker at the Yacht Capital of the World Luncheon at the 2026 NSTA Midwinter Meeting. Phil shares his interesting and diverse professional background and path into the marine industry before discussing the mission...

This week at NSTA: The Bus Stop - Executive Director Curt Macysyn welcomes first-time guest George Lekas, Chief Operating Officer of BusesForSale.com and NSTA Vendor Partner. George shares his background and how he first became involved in the school bus industry before walking listeners through the origin and growth of BusesForSale.com. The duo highlight the company’s global reach in the school b...

Raise a glass, countdown the seconds, and ring in the New Year with this week’s episode of NSTA: The Bus Stop - Executive Director Curt Macysyn welcomes Tony Corpin, Publisher of School Transportation News (STN), for a special New Year’s episode of NSTA: The Bus Stop. Tony recounts student transportation events of 2025 with STN and discusses the most rewarding conversations of the year. Curt and T...

Hang the ornaments, trim the tree, and gather around, for this week's episode of NSTA: The Bus Stop - Executive Director Curt Macysyn welcomes back Frank Girardot, Senior Communication Director at BYD | RIDE, for a special Christmas episode of NSTA: The Bus Stop. The duo revisit Frank’s background and his work with BYD | RIDE, discuss key 2026 student transportation conferences, including the...

This week at NSTA: The Bus Stop -Executive Director Curt Macysyn welcomes first-time guest Sam Fensterstock, Senior Vice President of Business Development at Cadex Insurance Recovery and a 2026 Midwinter Meeting Sponsor. Sam shares his background and path into the school transportation industry before outlining Cadex’s specialized services, including a clear explanation of “Loss of Use” damages an...

This week at NSTA: The Bus Stop - Executive Director Curt Macysyn welcomes first-time guest Lee Edwards, Vice President and Territory Manager for Wells Fargo Equipment Finance, Co-Chair of NSTA’s Manufacturers, Suppliers and Technology (MST) Committee. Lee and Wells Fargo Equipment Finance won the 2025 NSTA Vendor Partner of the Year at the NSTA Annual Meeting & Convention in Boston this past...

This week at NSTA: The Bus Stop -Executive Director Curt Macysyn welcomes back returning guest Jenna Fromm, CEO of Palmer Bus Service in Minnesota for a wide-ranging conversation that explores her journey from earning her school bus license in high school to leading a family-owned company serving communities across the state. Jenna reflects on the dynamics of multigenerational leadership, the qual...

Carve up the turkey, pass the mashed potatoes, stuffing, and gravy, for this week's episode of NSTA: The Bus Stop - Executive Director Curt Macysyn welcomes Frank Girardot, Senior Communications Director for BYD| RIDE, for a their traditional Thanksgiving podcast. First, Frank shares some updates on BYD | RIDE’s work, including insights from the company’s Pasadena headquarters, his role guidi...

This week at NSTA: The Bus Stop - Executive Director Curt Macysyn welcomes a special returning guest Tim DeFoor, Auditor General of Pennsylvania and 2023 AMC Speaker, back to NSTA: The Bus Stop. Curt and Tim discuss his personal and political backgrounds, as well as his path to becoming Pennsylvania’s Auditor General. The duo provide updates on Pennsylvania's financial literacy initiatives, i...

This week at NSTA: The Bus Stop -Executive Director Curt Macysyn welcomes NSTA Board Member Chloe Williams, President of B.R. Williams, and returning guest to NSTA: The Bus Stop . The duo discuss the rich history of her family-owned company and Chloe’s unique journey back to the student transportation industry. Together, they explore B.R. Williams’ guiding philosophy that “drivers are this industr...

This week at NSTA: The Bus Stop -Executive Director Curt Macysyn welcomes back Robert Friedman, Managing Director at Ingevity and returning guest to NSTA: The Bus Stop . The duo discuss Ingevity’s innovative DEMI-NeuFuel system and how it’s transforming the student transportation industry through cleaner, more sustainable fuel solutions. Curt and Robert dive into the origins and marketing success...

This week at NSTA: The Bus Stop - This week at NSTA: The Bus Stop - Executive Director Curt Macysyn welcomes first-time guests Jai Kozar Lewis , President of Spectrum Consulting Group and Senior in the Honors College at Michigan State University, and Gavin Bjork , Junior at Michigan State and Director of Business Development for Spectrum Consulting Group. Jai and Gavin discuss their academic paths...

This week at NSTA: The Bus Stop - Executive Director Curt Macysyn welcomes U.S. House of Representatives member Pete Stauber (R-MN-08). Congressman Stauber shares insights into his remarkable journey from serving as a local elected official and police officer to representing Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District—becoming only the second Republican to hold the seat since 1947. He discusses what in...

This week at NSTA: The Bus Stop - Executive Director Curt Macysyn welcomes back longtime industry leader Ken Hedgecock. Ken shares insights from his remarkable career in student transportation, which has spanned roles as an educator, many years with Thomas Built Buses, and later with USSC Group. As he enters retirement, Ken reflects on the evolution of the industry, the innovations in safety techn...

This week at NSTA: The Bus Stop - Executive Director Curt Macysyn welcomes first-time guest Jason Walker, CEO of North America Central School Bus. Jason brings 28 years of experience in transportation logistics, including time with UPS and United Road Services, and he shares his professional background and what led him to the school transportation industry. Curt and Jason talk about his stepping i...

This week at NSTA: The Bus Stop - Executive Director Curt Macysyn welcomes first-time guest Casie Daugherty, managing director at the Prime Policy Group and Keynote Speaker at the 2025 NSTA Annual Meeting & Convention in Boston. Casie shares her professional background, and what led her to become an expert in tax and trade practices. She talks about what attracted her to the complex world of t...

In this Back-to-School episode of NSTA: The Bus Stop, Executive Director, Curt Macysyn welcomes a brand-new guest to the podcast – Betty Nelson, School Bus Driver at Dean Transportation, and Champion in the Type C (Conventional School Bus) Event at the School Bus Driver International Safety Competition. Betty shares her career journey, how she first started driving a school bus, and what she enjoy...

In this Back-to-School episode of NSTA: The Bus Stop, Executive Director, Curt Macysyn welcomes back Kim Worster, Senior Vice President at First Student Inc., NSTA's largest Contractor Member, and recently installed NSTA President-Elect. Kim takes listeners through her career journey in student transportation and reflects upon her service as an NSTA Board Member. Curt and Kim discuss the less...

In this Back-to-School edition of NSTA: The Bus Stop , this week Executive Director, Curt Macysyn welcomes two guests to the podcast - Martin Staples, CEO of Transportant, and Patrick Mulick, Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Director of Student Engagement for the Auburn School District in Washington state. Together, they explore why student behavior has become such a pressing issue in 2025, an...

It's September, and that means the Back-to-School series of NSTA: The Bus Stop has begun. This week NSTA Executive Director Curt Macysyn welcomes back Patrick Dean, President of Dean Transportation and newly installed NSTA President. Patrick shares his recollections about growing up in student transportation and reflects on the influence of his father, Kellie Dean, and the guidance he receive...

As NSTA: The Bus Stop winds down its 6th Anniversary month, Executive Director Curt Macysyn welcomes a returning guest, Shane Johnson, Chief Operating Officer of Palmer Bus Service, Co-Chair of the Government Relations Committee. He also serves as a member of the NSTA Board of Directors. Shane shares insight from his journey into the student transportation industry and his path to a leadership pos...

As we celebrate the 6th Anniversary of NSTA: The Bus Stop - Executive Director Curt Macysyn welcomes back Daoud Chaaya, Vice President of Sales, Aftermarket, and Marketing at Thomas Built Buses (TBB). As the school year kicks off across the country, Daoud shares his insight in student transportation, as we as his own background, updates from Thomas Built Buses, and his observations from NSTA’s Ann...

This week at NSTA: The Bus Stop - Executive Director Curt Macysyn welcomes Brian Rickmann, the Grand Champion of the 2025 NSTA School Bus Driver International Safety Competition. Brian shares his unique journey into school bus driving and offers a glimpse into what it takes to compete — and win — at the highest level. Brian shares what drives his passion behind the wheel, the preparation involved...

This week at NSTA: The Bus Stop - Executive Director Curt Macysyn welcomes first-time guest Charles Chilton, Vice President and General Manager of IC Bus, to the podcast. Charles joins Curt for a wide-ranging conversation about stepping into a leadership role at one of the most recognized names in the school bus industry. He then reflects on his transition into his new position in January and shar...

This week at NSTA: The Bus Stop - Executive Director Curt Macysyn welcomes returning guest Rich Kelly, Founder and President of RC Kelly Law Associates and NSTA Legal Counsel to the podcast to spotlight the Legal Update session at AMC. Rich and Curt discuss the recent 2025 NSTA Annual Meeting & Convention (AMC) schedule and landscape, and they cover the highlights of the event that was recentl...