UCS office manager earns top state award for driving transportation

A typical day for Kathy Chodnicki starts with dozens of phone calls, quickly filling morning routes based on changes to driver availability, answering questions from staff, and ensuring any needed spare buses are well maintained and equipped for the road.

And that is long before most others even start their workday or have had their first cup of coffee.

“Dispatching is very rewarding to me because I love the communication with the drivers, office staff and the community,” the Utica Community Schools Transportation Dispatcher said. “I make sure every bus driver knows what they should be doing that day. It’s like a puzzle that needs to be solved every day, and every day it is different.”

Her commitment to keeping UCS transportation on the road has earned her the “Office Professional of the Year” by the Michigan Association for Pupil Transportation.

Utica Community Schools has the largest public pupil transportation fleet with 175 drivers, 15,000 eligible students, 150 daily routes plus extracurricular and athletic runs in a community that is comprised of 66,000 square miles.

“(Chodnicki) excels in her ability to prioritize work, multi-task and manage her time efficiently, and handles the many pressures and challenges she faces each day with grace, compassion and razor-sharp focus,” UCS nominators wrote in her application.

Chodnicki has been with UCS transportation for nearly 12 years, starting as a driver before becoming the dispatcher five years ago.

“This award means a lot to me knowing the office and bus drivers acknowledge how hard I work every day to make every student gets where they need to go, whether it’s to school, a field trip or an athletic sport,” she said. “Just being nominated was rewarding enough, but to win…that’s just icing on the cake.”

Source: Utica Community Schools

Superintendent Robert Monroe

Http://www.uticak12.org