MASHANTUCKET, Conn. The rebirth of the New England Bus Association, now three years along, produced a meaningful, well-attended annual meeting here.

Under the leadership of President Carl Lajeunesse, NEBA membership has grown to 50 operator members and 87 associate members.

A significant number of those members found their way to the 2008 annual meeting, attending panel discussions on bus safety, trends in motorcoach manufacturing, and legislative initiatives and pitfalls.

Keynote speaker for the event was Congressman Richard Neal, a Democrat from Massachusetts.

Panel discussion participants included executives from four major coach manufacturers; the United Motorcoach and America Bus associations; the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration; the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, which oversees bus safety in the Bay State, and CEOs from four New England coach companies. Long-time industry attorney Ted Knappen moderated the discussions.

Lt. Donald Bridge, coordinator of the motor-carrier safety assistance program for the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles, demonstrated a "Level One Destination Inspection."

Both Rep. Neal and members of the CEO panel stressed in their remarks that government agencies are looking for fresh sources of revenue and eyeing new regulations. No matter the results of Novembers elections, all said it was critical for the motorcoach industry to remain vigilant and active in its relationship with local and national government.

Three years ago, faced with a long, slow decline in NEBA membership, Lajeunesse and the groups board made the decision to add substantial educational content to the association annual meeting agenda. They felt operators would be more willing to spend time and money attending a meeting that offered insight into industry trends and issues.

In prior years, the meeting had been more social than substantive.

The changes paid off and the association rebounded. The success has led leadership to add a maintenance forum to the agenda of next years meeting, which will be in Boston.

NEBA board members voted to ask Lajeunesse to serve another year as president, as well as extending the term of Secretary/Treasurer Darril King.

Lajeunesse is Peter Pan Bus Lines general manager of charter sales, and King is regional sales manager for Daimler Commercial Buses.