Rebecca Hendry
Director of Grants & Business
Florence Unified School District
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Director of Grants & Business
Florence Unified School District
Sandy Brown
Transportation Supervisor
Stanfield Unified School District
Sandy began her career at the Bullhead City Elementary District in 1991 when her kindergarten-age son was lost for over three hours on the first day of school. After learning that the district was short on bus drivers, she decided she could drive a bus and began training the very next day. Sandy later moved to Oklahoma, where she drove for five years. Ultimately, she returned to Arizona, working for several Phoenix-area districts. She currently serves as the operations manager for the Stanfield School District.
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Transportation Supervisor
Stanfield Unified School District
Sandy Cooper
Assistant Superintendent of HR
Retired from Chandler Unified School District
Sandy recently retired as the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources for the Chandler USD and served the school community for more than 30 years. Sandy received a BA in Sociology from New Mexico State University and a MA in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University. She was part of the Arizona School Personnel Administrator's executive board (ASPAA) for several years, including serving as the state-wide President, and was awarded Administrator of the Year in 2003. She received the inaugural Arizona School Personnel Administrator's Association legacy award in 2016.
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Assistant Superintendent of HR
Retired from Chandler Unified School District
Josh Crosby
Director of Transportation
Higley Unified School District
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Director of Transportation
Higley Unified School District
Cathy Erwin
Former Transportation Director
TAA Lifetime Member
I’m a retired Transportation Director with over 40 years of Pupil Transportation experience. I started in 1979 as a school bus driver and over the years gained vast knowledge and experience resulting in many professional growth opportunities.
I went from a Driver to a Trainer and finally to a Transportation Director in January of 2000. As a school Bus Driver and Trainer I was also an active member of our local School Association, the AEA and the NEA. I was the VP for several years of the local School Association, co-chaired the Meet and Confer Committee (negotiation body for wages and benefits) and was the PAC (Political Action Committee) chair.
Over the years I worked closely with the Department of Public Safety Student Transportation Division on the State Training Manual for School Bus Drivers. I have also attended the Transportation Congress in Missouri in 2010 as one of 9 Arizona delegates, appointed by the DPS.
I was appointed by Governor Napolitano in 2003 to sit on the School Bus Advisory Council which I did until I retired in 2018. Serving for 15 years under 3 different Governors i.e. Janet Napolitano, Janice Brewer and Doug Ducey.
I am a Lifetime Member of the Transportation Administrators of AZ (TAA), serving as their Vice President for one term and a board member for several terms. I am also a lifetime member of the Arizona Association for Pupil Transportation (AAPT). In 1994 I won the AAPT Bus Road-eo and represented AZ at the International Competition in Boston. I was the first Bus Driver to hold the position of President for the AAPT (years later becoming a Director) and I am currently the AAPT Historian. I’ve served as a board member of the AAPT for 35+ years.
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Former Transportation Director
TAA Lifetime Member
Jerry Goodman
Transportation Supervisor
Chandler Unified School District
Jerry has worked in transportation for 15 years, beginning his career as a bus driver to help put himself through college. He eventually became a classroom and behind-the-wheel trainer, training newly hired employees. He went on to become a third-party tester with ADOT. Currently, Jerry serves as a supervisor for the Chandler Unified School District. He is a graduate of Arizona State University and bleeds maroon and gold. Go, Devils!
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Transportation Supervisor
Chandler Unified School District
Hilma Gustafson
Administrator of Transportation
Glendale Union High School District
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Administrator of Transportation
Glendale Union High School District
Denice Hall
Director of Transportation
Blue Ridge Unified School District
Denice has had a class A CDL for decades and drove commercial trucks cross-country with her husband, to whom she’s been happily married for 31 years. She has the privilege of being a mother to 5 wonderful children and a grandmother to 10 and counting. As a lifelong resident of Lakeside, AZ. She embarked on her professional journey two decades ago as a bus driver. She has been a bus driver instructor for 11 years and is immensely enthusiastic to be a part of the LIT team with the Trust.
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Director of Transportation
Blue Ridge Unified School District
Coral Henry
Administrative Assistant
Glendale Union High School District
Coral Henry has been in school bus transportation since 2007. She brings with her knowledge, experience, and drive. She started as a special needs bus driver, and as her knowledge of the industry grew, she became a trainer, dispatcher, and transportation secretary. Coral is also a Transportation of Arizona Administrator (TAA) board member and works closely with some of the best pioneers in the transportation industry. Coral is dedicated to the ongoing education of school bus transportation.
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Administrative Assistant
Glendale Union High School District
Brian Lockery
Director of Business Services
Kyrene Elementary School District
Brian has been in the education field for over 25 years, serving in different capacities between the Arizona House of Representatives, the Arizona Department of Education and most recently as the Director of Finance for Kyrene School District for the last six years. He has been providing training on transportation finance and state reporting for over 10 years to transportation departments across Arizona. Brian is a proud husband and father of three, as well as a diehard Arizona Wildcat!
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Director of Business Services
Kyrene Elementary School District
Jason Nelson
Transportation Program Manager
Arizona School Risk and Retention Trust, Inc
Jason is currently a transportation program manager with the Trust. With over 13 years in the transportation industry, Jason has driven a bus, held positions of dispatch and routing, and supervised a transportation department of more than 100 workers. He demonstrates his passion for pupil transportation, having served as a board member for the Arizona Association of Pupil Transportation (AAPT) and the Transportation Administrators of Arizona (TAA) presidency. Jason has a "can-do" attitude and is passionate about enhancing school bus transportation in the state of Arizona.
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Transportation Program Manager
Arizona School Risk and Retention Trust, Inc
Keith Oarde
Unemployment Insurance Program Manager
AZ School Risk Retention Trust, Inc
Keith has served as the Trust’s UI Program Manager since 2019. He’s overseen the program through the pandemic and has established success with its members throughout this period. With his knowledge of all things UI in Arizona, Keith has helped members and claimants alike navigate the UI claims process to ensure a fair outcome for both parties.
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Unemployment Insurance Program Manager
AZ School Risk Retention Trust, Inc
Sara Sims
Special Populations Coordinator
Phoenix Elementary School District
Sara has been an employee with Phoenix Elementary School District for 24 years. Some of that time, she served as a school-based social worker and now serves at the district office, coordinating programs for a variety of special populations. Sara is a passionate advocate for students who are newcomers to the US educational system, experiencing homelessness, or are involved in the foster care system. Sara was honored at the Homeless Liaison of the Year in 2015 by ADE and the Arizona Housing Coalition.
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Special Populations Coordinator
Phoenix Elementary School District
Jeff Walker
Owner and Operator
Southern Express Bus Services
Jeff Walker has been in student transportation for nearly 25 years. He has worked with school districts and private bus companies all over the United States. He currently owns and operates Northern Express Bus Service in Wisconsin and Southern Express Bus Service in Arizona. He has a passion for student transportation and loves sharing it with others!
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Owner and Operator
Southern Express Bus Services
Shannon Weber
Director of Transportation
Florence Unified School District
I have served 12 years on the TAA Board and 21 years in Arizona student transportation. I love this work, and believe it takes a village to be the best we can be. Student transportation is already a difficult job -add student conduct challenges and it can be what makes or breaks our best! I believe that kids don’t care what we know unless they know that we care. With consistent expectations, quality tools, creative solutions and the right perspective we can WIN with bus conduct. Join me as I share some tools from my experience and as we learn from others who may share from theirs.
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Director of Transportation
Florence Unified School District
TAA Board
Executive Board Members
TAA
https://taa-online.org/
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Executive Board Members
TAA
Arizona DPS
Student Transportation Unit
Arizona DPS
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Student Transportation Unit
Arizona DPS