The Bus Stop

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...

This week at NSTA: The Bus Stop - Executive Director Curt Macysyn welcomes back returning guest Spencer Schiefelbein, Director of Channel Development at REI, a gracious sponsor and strong supporter of NSTA. Spencer starts by giving listeners an overview of REI, its mission, and its evolving role in the student transportation industry. He then shares his personal background, highlighting his journe...

This week at NSTA: The Bus Stop - Executive Director Curt Macysyn welcomes first-time guest John Barrington, Executive Director of School Bus Sales for IMMI/SafeGuard, NSTA Podcast Sponsor. John kicks things off by sharing his background in transportation and safety, offering listeners a glimpse into his career path and what led him to his current role at IMMI/SafeGuard. John dives into what spark...

This week at NSTA: The Bus Stop - Executive Director Curt Macysyn welcomes Doug Campbell, Director of Sales and first-time guest Kevin Smith, President and CEO of First Light Safety Products. First Light Safety is a School Bus Driver International Safety Competition and Annual Meeting & Convention sponsor. The trio have in-depth conversation about their backgrounds, professional journeys, and...

This week at NSTA: The Bus Stop - Executive Director Curt Macysyn welcomes back incoming NSTA President Patrick Dean, who also serves as president of Dean Transportation. Patrick warms up by celebrating the recent victory of Dean Transportation’s own Betty Nelson, who earned first place in the Conventional Bus (Type C) category at the 2025 School Bus Driver International Safety Competition. He the...

This week at NSTA: The Bus Stop - Executive Director Curt Macysyn welcomes back NSTA President Dan Kobussen, Owner of Kobussen Buses, for his final podcast as president. Dan takes us through the early days of Kobussen Buses and reflects on his earliest memories in the school bus industry. He then recaps his two-year tenure as NSTA President, highlighting key moments such as the return of the Schoo...

This week at NSTA: The Bus Stop - Executive Director Curt Macysyn welcomes back returning guest Martin Staples, CEO of Transportant. Martin gives a brief overview of Transportant and walks through his early career and military service that led him to his position as CEO of Transportant. He then shares pivotal lessons he's learned while being CEO, and the importance of listening to customers....

This week at NSTA: The Bus Stop - Executive Director Curt Macysyn welcomes back Rudd Lowry, who now serves as CEO of Downtime Subrogation. Rudd shares his professional journey and the path that led him to this step in his career, and he outlines pivotal challenges and opportunities he encountered in launching the company. Curt and Rudd provide an overview of Downtime Subrogation’s mission and serv...

This week at NSTA: The Bus Stop - Executive Director Curt Macysyn welcomes first-time guest Patrick Girardin, Co-President of Q'Straint. Patrick shares a brief overview of his career and background in student transportation. He offers insight into Q'Straint’s mission, their work with WC19 wheelchairs, and the critical role they address in school transportation. The discussion moves on to...

This week at  NSTA: The Bus Stop  - Executive Director Curt Macysyn is joined by returning guest Tim Weaverling, Partner at RWR Insurers Group. Initially, Tim shares his background, noting his 22 years of experience with RWR Insurers Group. He then provides an overview of the Keystone-RWR School Transportation Program, highlighting their longstanding strong partnership with NSTA. Tim then gives hi...