Colleen Murphy-Penk, 2018 William Rice Award Winner, with Youngstown City School District CEO/Superintendent Krish Mohip.
MURPHY-PENK WINS RICE AWARD
Colleen Murphy-Penk has won the 2018 William Rice Award, denoting her as Ohio’s Transportation Supervisor of the Year. Nominated by her Superintendent Krish Mohip, and Past President Jeff Vrabel Sr., she has essentially rebuilt the district’s entire transportation department.
“I have a passion, and that passion is pupil transportation,” Colleen told the crowd on Monday, March 12, 2018.
CEO/Superintendent Mohip stated, “Her likeability matched with her no-nonsense approach and sense of urgency has transformed her department, from one of the worst in the state to arguably one of the best, in 18 short months.”
Murphy-Penk oversaw the retraining of every bus driver in the district, and saw that every school bus in the fleet was certified. She put together a plan to replace every bus in the fleet, as well as revamp technology tools. She has overseen the rerouting of the entire district, and implemented the MyStop app to enhance communication with parents in the district.
The William Rice Award of Excellence is named for deceased OAPT President William Rice, and is the most prestigious award granted by the association. Murphy-Penk joins the ranks of 27 previous winners for the dedication to professionalism, student safety, and contributions to the pupil transportation industry.
OAPT GEAR
Members of OAPT can now order embroidered shirts and apparel with our organization logo! Log into myOAPT and look for the “OAPT Gear” menu item. Follow the instructions for our vendor and you’ll be showing your style in no time!
This is a benefit exclusive to members. Not a member? Join now!
OAPT LICENSE PLATE PROJECT: NOW AVAILABLE!
OAPT is proud to announce that our school transportation license plate was approved, signed into law, and we have received a sample plate produced by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Visit the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicle’s website for details on purchasing this plate to support student safety programs in Ohio!
OAPT MEMBERSHIP
OAPT is as strong as its membership, and we need you to continue our tradition of excellence!
Memberships are due for renewal by July 1st — but we strongly encourage you to renew at the time of conference registration each year.
Existing members should have received an automatic invoice, which you can pay securely online with a major credit card. Simply log into myOAPT and pay online. (REMEMBER: Dues are no longer included in the conference registration.)
As we transition to this online payment system, we are aware of a couple of instances were payment was made, but not properly recorded. If you believe you have already paid, but still received an invoice, please forward details on the payment including check number, or Paypal confirmation number to treasurer@oapt.org so we can ensure the issue is resolved quickly.
If you attended our Annual Conference & Trade Show, but did not renew your dues, your membership will expire on July 1st. Current dues are required to receive the “Member Rate” on future conferences.
We value your investment in OAPT, and look forward to working with you!
