Transdev Mobility Change Makers consistently dare to go the extra mile to provide excellent service and ensure safety for themselves and others. They demonstrate our values in their daily work.
These employees distinguish themselves by their exceptional passenger care, safety performance or heroic actions.
We celebrate these exemplary employees who make us great. Get to know some of our Mobility Change Makers:
Transdev Mobility Change Makers consistently dare to go the extra mile to provide excellent service and ensure safety for themselves and others. They demonstrate our values in their daily work.
These employees distinguish themselves by their exceptional passenger care, safety performance or heroic actions.
We celebrate these exemplary employees who make us great. Get to know some of our Mobility Change Makers:
Ahmad Ali
Mechanic in
Fairfax, VA
Angela Carson
Chief Supervisor in
Fairfax, VA
Oscar Matamoros
Mechanic in
Fairfax, VA
Recognized for Heroic Action
One evening, Fairfax Connector mechanics Ali and Oscar noticed a young boy wandering alone and looking distressed. They approached the boy and asked if he needed help, but the boy was not able to answer easily. Ali and Oscar were eventually able to gain the boy’s trust and escorted him into the facility. Once inside, Angela made him comfortable, turned on the TV for him and immediately contacted the authorities. When the police arrived, they informed our team that the boy had wandered away from a nearby hotel where he and his father were staying. Thanks to their keen observation and quick thinking, the father’s worries were put at ease and he and his son were safely reunited.
Jessica Barnes
Bus Operator at Hudson Link
Recognized for Customer Service Excellence
During a routine vehicle inspection, Jessica realized that one of her passengers inadvertently left behind a bank envelope containing a considerable amount of money. Jessica knew that losing personal items can change a good trip into a frustrating experience, so she made it her mission to ensure that the envelope and its contents were returned to its rightful owner.
Jessica followed protocol and alerted dispatch immediately then returned to the depot, where the management team took custody of the envelope. Using information from the withdrawal receipt, the team was able to work with the bank to identify the owner and return the funds.
Jessica is known for her outstanding commitment to her riders. According to her supervisors, “Jessica understands that creating that neighborhood atmosphere helps us to better serve our riders. We call this connected group Jessica’s Bus Club!”
Margaret Betham
Network Coordinator at IntelliRide Hawaii
Recognized for Customer Service Excellence
When Maggie joined the IntelliRide team her bright attitude and eagerness to help made an instant impression on our riders, our client, and her fellow team members. Voted “Most Valuable Employee” by her peers, Maggie is the embodiment of the “Aloha Spirit” of compassion and mutual respect. She oversees numerous essential operational needs, including training our sub-contractors, ensuring they are incompliance with our high standards of passenger care.
Maggie has a keen understanding of the culture of the Hawaiian people. Her strong respect for her community is evident in the kind way she interacts with both her peers and our passengers. Maggie feels that all our riders should be treated like we would treat our own families.
Chris Bundy
Maintenance Manager at Cincinnati Streetcar
Joe Albach
Working Wayside Foreman at Cincinnati Streetcar
Recognized for Heroic Action
Early one morning while performing their daily track maintenance, Chris and Joe observed a group of young people who looked out of place and too young to be without supervision. As they watched for a few minutes, they felt that one of the girls looked familiar. Chris checked his social media feed on his phone and realized that the girl matched the description of a child reported missing earlier by her mother.
Chris and Joe kept the group in sight and followed protocol by alerting their management team and the authorities. When the authorities arrived, they were able to reunite the girl with her mother. Our GM at the location said, “Chris and Joe are two upstanding, exemplary employees. They truly care about this community and go out of their way to maintain strong relationships – with the people they encounter every day.”
Rebecca Darr
Bus Operator for the Fairfax Connector in Lorton, VA
Recognized for Safety Excellence
In January 2020, Rebecca was operating her regular route with 10 passengers onboard. All of a sudden, a tractor-trailer, which was travelling along an adjacent highway, crashed through the guardrail onto the road where she was driving. The tractor-trailer managed to go between two cars, which had just passed in front of her bus. Despite the sudden dangerous situation, Rebecca remained focused and was able to maintain control of the vehicle she was driving. Her training and exceptional skills kicked in to save her life and the lives of her 10 passengers on her transit bus, not to mention avoiding injuring anyone in the surrounding area of the accident.
Rebecca Darr
Bus Operator for the Fairfax Connector in Lorton, VA
Recognized for Safety Excellence
In January 2020, Rebecca was operating her regular route with 10 passengers onboard. All of a sudden, a tractor-trailer, which was travelling along an adjacent highway, crashed through the guardrail onto the road where she was driving. The tractor-trailer managed to go between two cars, which had just passed in front of her bus. Despite the sudden dangerous situation, Rebecca remained focused and was able to maintain control of the vehicle she was driving. Her training and exceptional skills kicked in to save her life and the lives of her 10 passengers on her transit bus, not to mention avoiding injuring anyone in the surrounding area of the accident.
Jean Derisma
Bus Operator
at TOR
Claude Joseph
Bus Operator
at TOR
Recognized for Heroic Action
On a recent evening, Jean and Claude were operating separate buses, traveling in the same direction on the same busy route when they came upon an accident involving a motorcycle and an SUV.
The rider of the motorcycle had been thrown from his bike and was trapped under the SUV. Jean and Claude saw that the SUV needed to be lifted off the injured rider. They safely pulled their buses over, secured them and advised their passengers of the situation and alerted dispatch. Jean and Claude exited their vehicles, along with several of their passengers and joined a group of motorists who had stopped to assist. After confirming that 911 had been called, the group worked together to lift the SUV off the rider as EMS arrived.
Their calm and focused response helped to avert what could have been a tragic outcome.
Tonia Edwards
Dispatcher at Napa Valley Transit
Recognized for Customer Service Excellence
Our management team at the Napa location received a detailed voicemail singing Tonia’s praises for how she helped the mother of a passenger with disabilities arrange transportation that involved multiple agencies. The task proved to be so confusing that the mother almost gave up until Tonia stepped in.
Tonia was able to patiently explain to the mother what steps needed to be done to secure eligibility for her son. Tonia then reached out to all the agencies involved to inform them of the special circumstances, and confirm respective meeting times, pick-up locations, and alternate plans (should they be needed).
After the son’s initial trip, Tonia circled back with the mother to make sure that all went as planned. The mother was so relieved at how easy Tonia made the process and couldn’t believe that someone was so personally invested in their needs. She, in turn, took the time to provide her positive feedback to Napa’s management team.
Enrique Loza-Borja
Bus Operator at MTS San Diego
Recognized for Safety Excellence
On what seemed to be an uneventful night, Enrique was traveling his regular route in the high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane at 65 mph. As he scanned the road ahead, he noticed headlights in his lane heading toward his 60-foot articulated bus. Realizing he needed to act quickly, Enrique calmly evaluated the situation. He smoothly repositioned the vehicle in the next lane, avoiding what could have been a tragic outcome for himself, his passengers, and the occupants of the oncoming car.
The location’s safety director said of Jorge, “Despite such a sudden and dangerous situation, Enrique remained focused, calm and maintained control of his vehicle while performing a very difficult maneuver. He used all of his training and experience to prevent the situation from becoming a tragedy.”
Roosevelt Riles
Bus Operator at GoRaleigh in Raleigh, NC
Recognized for Customer Service Excellence
Roosevelt is a consummate professional. He had a previous career in law enforcement – spent three years with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and 31 years with the State Bureau of Investigation. After retiring from the Bureau in 2006, he was bored so he decided to start another career driving school buses for two years and then moved on to GoRaleigh, where he’s been for 10 years. During his time at GoRaleigh, he’s found new friends in both his co-workers and his passengers. One day, one of his regular passengers had fallen asleep when he reached her stop. After he woke her up, she expressed how appreciative she was and then sent a letter to GoRaleigh expressing her gratitude. To this day, the letter is still in his personnel folder. “I not only enjoy driving the bus, I also enjoy practicing great customer service.”
Roosevelt Riles
Bus Operator at GoRaleigh in Raleigh, NC
Recognized for Customer Service Excellence
Roosevelt is a consummate professional. He had a previous career in law enforcement – spent three years with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and 31 years with the State Bureau of Investigation. After retiring from the Bureau in 2006, he was bored so he decided to start another career driving school buses for two years and then moved on to GoRaleigh, where he’s been for 10 years. During his time at GoRaleigh, he’s found new friends in both his co-workers and his passengers. One day, one of his regular passengers had fallen asleep when he reached her stop. After he woke her up, she expressed how appreciative she was and then sent a letter to GoRaleigh expressing her gratitude. To this day, the letter is still in his personnel folder. “I not only enjoy driving the bus, I also enjoy practicing great customer service.”
Kenny Schwarzbach
Maintenance Manager at Napa Valley Transit
Recognized for Safety Excellence
Every trip we make starts with a safe, well-maintained vehicle. This may be a detail taken for granted by some, but not by Kenny and his team. Kenny has been a member of the Transdev team for over 25 years, and he understands the tremendous responsibility associated with our commitment to safety.
Kenny is very involved and engaged with his team and can always be found working side-by-side with them in the maintenance shop or bus yard. Having a smaller shop, the safety of his team is always at the forefront. As a company we celebrate every day without an accident or injury. Kenny and his team recently celebrated more than 6000 Perfect Safety Days without any lost time due to accidents or injuries. That’s more than 16 years and a Transdev record!
Leonard Sims
Bus Operator at Phoenix Transit
Recognized for Customer Service Excellence
Leonard sees it as his mission to make a difference in each passenger’s day. According to his supervisors, “kindness is a way of life for Leonard. He has such a gentle spirit and an sense of helpfulness.”
Leonard also understands the responsibility that comes with transporting passengers who require an added level of care. On a recent trip, a visually impaired rider was taking Leonard’s bus to her connection on Phoenix’s light rail. He heard the passenger ask other riders for their assistance to cross the busy depot area. Leonard knew he was running slightly ahead of schedule and took the opportunity to personally escort the passenger safely to the next leg of her trip. The passenger was so impressed with Leonard’s level of care that she submitted a commendation to the Phoenix management team. The passenger stated, “he actually got off the bus to help me. I’ve been riding the bus a long time and I thought this was so kind. He made my day!”
Deosha Smalls
Bus Operator in Charleston, SC
Recognized for Safety Excellence
In December 2019, Deosha was operating his route and noticed that a passenger on the bus appeared to possibly be intoxicated. He carefully watched the passenger as he exited the bus and saw him fall back onto the bus but remained standing. Then, the passenger moved away from the bus, but obviously wasn’t stable. Deosha did not move his bus, as he was concerned the passenger may fall back into the unit. He watched his mirror as the passenger not only fell back into the bus, but actually fell under the bus, in front of the rear wheels. Deosha quickly set the parking brake securing the vehicle, notified dispatch and had EMS called to assist the passenger. He then exited the bus, retrieved the passenger from under the bus and helped the him to safety on a nearby bench until help arrived. Deosha’s special attention prevented an almost certain fatality.
Deosha Smalls
Bus Operator in Charleston, SC
Recognized for Safety Excellence
In December 2019, Deosha was operating his route and noticed that a passenger on the bus appeared to possibly be intoxicated. He carefully watched the passenger as he exited the bus and saw him fall back onto the bus but remained standing. Then, the passenger moved away from the bus, but obviously wasn’t stable. Deosha did not move his bus, as he was concerned the passenger may fall back into the unit. He watched his mirror as the passenger not only fell back into the bus, but actually fell under the bus, in front of the rear wheels. Deosha quickly set the parking brake securing the vehicle, notified dispatch and had EMS called to assist the passenger. He then exited the bus, retrieved the passenger from under the bus and helped the him to safety on a nearby bench until help arrived. Deosha’s special attention prevented an almost certain fatality.