UMA Members were among those recognized by the National School Transportation Association (NSTA) for excellence in the private school transportation industry.
The awards were presented during a July 27 ceremony at the association’s annual meeting and convention in Milwaukee. The honorees represent all facets of private school transportation, and they were honored for their continued excellence in supporting industry efforts.
Among those recognized were UMA Members Blake Krapf of Krapf Coaches, Christopher Angell of Kobussen Buses, and Fred Doelker of Dean Transportation.
Krapf was inducted into the NSTA Hall of Fame in recognition for excellence in long-term efforts on behalf of the student transportation industry. Krapf is the President and CEO of Krapf School Bus in West Chester, Pennsylvania, overseeing all daily operations and strategic direction of all divisions of Krapf Group.
Over the years, he has served many roles in NSTA, including President from 2017-19.
“Blake continues to be a strong advocate for private student transportation on issues affecting the industry being debated on Capitol Hill,” wrote John Benish Jr., outgoing NSTA President and Chief Operating Officer of Cook-Illinois Corp.
Induction into the NSTA Hall of Fame is a bit of a family tradition for Krapf. His dad, Dale, and uncle Dallas also received the award.
“We’ve always been very associated oriented. We feel as though we’re all in this together. We’ve gotten a tremendous amount of camaraderie, exchange of ideas and so on through our involvement with national organizations,” said Dale Krapf, who served as President of NSTA and UMA. “We’ve gotten a lot out of it. It’s been a tradition for our company.”
Dale’s parents started the family transportation business in 1942. In addition to Blake, the third generation includes Brad Krapf, who is on the NSTA board, and Gary Krapf, who is immediate past president of IMG. The family’s fourth generation is working at the company.
Dale Krapf praised his son for his leadership role in NSTA, which required a commitment of more than eight years.
“It’s a long run and it’s a lot of dedication and a lot of travel time. But it’s needed to keep an association like that healthy,” he said.
Angell and Doelker received Golden Merit Awards for excellence in the industry in service, safety and community responsibility.
As the Regional Safety Director of Kobussen Buses Ltd. in Verona, Wisconsin, Angell has built a reputation for his professionalism and passion for safe special needs transportation.
“He is well respected in the company and is the go-to person for anything safety related, especially when it relates to special needs transportation,” wrote Dan Kobussen, Vice President of Kobussen Buses, in his nomination letter.
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