Dean Wm. Carson, president of Transit Sales International Inc. of Riverside, Calif., has been named 2005 Regional Exporter of the Year by the U. S. Small Business Administration. The region includes California, Hawaii, Arizona, Nevada and Guam.

"Transit Sales International is an excellent example of how a small business can grow through international sales and thus have a bigger impact on our nation's economy," said SBA District Director Sandy Sutton in announcing the award.

Carson was nominated by the U.S. Department of Commerce Inland Empire Export Assistance Center for his leadership and creativity in increasing export sales and entering new foreign markets. TSI recently began exporting to Mexico and Africa, while continuing exports to Canada and other countries.

Four years ago, TSI was recognized by the U.S. Commercial Service in Ontario, Calif., and the Inland Empire International Business Association as Exporter of the Year.

Carson was appointed by then-Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans as a member of the California Inland Empire District Export Council.

TSI specializes in supplying used transit buses. Its inventory of 1,000 buses is believed to be one of the world's largest selections of transit vehicles. The family-owned company has been serving the bus industry for more than 50 years.

Carson will be honored at an awards luncheon next month. For more information, call the Inland Empire Small Business Development Center at (951) 781-2345.

The National Transportation Safety Board has key executive appointments, including a new executive director and managing director. Dan Campbell, who has served as the agency's managing director for five years has been named executive director, with responsibilities involving planning, policy and transition issues. Joseph Osterman, director of the board's Office of Highway Safety, has been promoted to managing director.

Campbell joined the agency as general counsel in 1990 after 20 years with the Civil Aeronautics Board and the Interstate Commerce Commission.

Osterman, as head of the highway safety office, became widely known in the bus industry. He has been with the NTSB for 19 years. He began his agency career as a field highway accident investigator and also has served as investigator-in-charge, major investigation branch chief and highway division chief.

In his new job, Osterman will focus on the primary management needs of the agency.

In other appointments, Bruce Magladry has been named acting director of the Office of Highway Safety. Magladry joined the board in 1988 as a human performance investigator, working on accidents in all modes of transportation. He became chief of the investigations division of the Office of Highway Safety in 1997. He has most recently been deputy director of that office.