Peter Pan Bus Lines announces next generation of leaders

Peter Pan Bus Lines is planning for the future and creating a new generation of leaders to drive the 90-year-old bus company to new levels.

Peter Pan
Frank Dougherty

CEO Peter A. Picknelly recently announced five major promotions in management, including the promotion of an employee who started as a bus driver 18 years ago to Chief Operating Officer. 

“We’re planning for the next generation of leaders at Peter Pan,” Picknelly said. “These are very well-deserved promotions.”

Don Soja

Headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts, Peter Pan Bus Lines is one of the largest privately owned motor coach companies in the United States, serving over 75 communities throughout the Northeast. Peter Pan offers daily express service in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, and beyond. The company holds the highest safety rating from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Defense.

Frank Dougherty, of Greenville, Rhode Island, who started as a bus driver, has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer. According to Picknelly, Dougherty sent him a letter about improvements that needed to be made at Peter Pan Bus Lines more than 18 years ago. Picknelly asked him to join the team to help correct the situation.

Peter Pan
Timothy Grabowski

Don Soja, of East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, has been named Vice President of Operations. He has been with Peter Pan for more than 20 years. According to Picknelly, Soja knows all aspects of the company, including charters, line runs, finance, and technology. 

Timothy Grabowski, of Simsbury, Connecticut, has been promoted to Vice President of Planning and Revenue Management. Picknelly says Grabowski brings a skill set that allows Peter Pan to continue strategic growth.

Danielle Veronesi

Danielle Veronesi, of West Springfield, Massachusetts, has been promoted to Senior Director of Marketing. Picknelly said that if there’s a special project, Veronesi is the one to rely on.

Joseph Picknally, of East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, has been named Senior Director of Maintenance. Picknally was cited for his work in realigning the maintenance department. His father, Thomas, was the company’s vice president of maintenance for decades until his death in 2021.

Peter Pan
Joseph Picknally

Peter Pan Bus Lines also recognized several other employees for outstanding achievements at the company’s annual S.T.A.R. Awards in February in Worcester, Massachusetts, and in Mount Laurel Township, New Jersey.

In 2018, Peter Pan moved its corporate headquarters and bus operations to the newly renovated and historic Union Station in Springfield, MA. To celebrate this move, as well as Peter Pan’s 85th Anniversary, the City of Springfield named the bus entrance way into Union Station 1 Peter Pan Way.

The family-owned company operates the largest privately owned bus transportation network in the United States with over 1,000 daily departures to over 100 destinations in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states. Peter Pan coaches travel over 25 million miles every year, or the equivalent of nearly 100 trips to the moon annually, according to the company’s website. 

Related:

Fourth generation takes the wheel at Peter Pan Bus Lines

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