Steve Addison Jr. is Georgia School Bus Technician of the Year
July 9 | Posted by editor | Habersham, News Tags: North GA Technical College
Clarkesville, GA - On June 25-29, the Georgia Department of Education-Pupil Transportation Division held their fiftieth annual “Workshop for School Bus Technicians” at North Georgia Technical College in Clarkesville, Georgia. The first day of this week long event is spent testing the skills and knowledge of experienced technicians from around the state in the “Georgia School Bus Technician of the Year” competition.
Two participants are selected from each of the RESA districts, judged on a written test and parts identification. The state contest also has two segments: a written test, and a timed diagnosis of problems which could be found on three ailing buses. Out of the 30 competitors, Steve Addison, Jr. from Coweta County Schools won the title of “Technician of the Year” and a $500 check from Hydrotex, a leading provider of lubrication products for the pupil transportation industry.
“It is a great honor just to be in a room with all of these guys,” said Addison after the event. “These are the best of the best in Georgia. They have a great perspective on how to find and fix problems. The best part of this competition has been getting to know them and learning from them.”
Addison, who has been working at Coweta Schools for seven years, has competed for the last four years. “The hands-on diagnostics portion is the hardest,” he stated. “They always throw in a few surprises that are really hard to track down and fix.”
“We are proud that so many of our school systems are able to send their technicians to this training event every year,” said Carlton Allen, Director of Pupil Transportation Division for the Georgia Department of Education. “This competition is a wonderful way for our technicians to ensure their skills are the best they can be so we can be sure to keep our children safe on the roads.”
Mr. Addison will now advance to the National competition which will be hosted by Cummins Engine at their location in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, September 25-28.
The National Association for Pupil Transportation sponsors the event, clearly stating their goal: To be part of the Safety process that the School Bus Industry provides, so that the safest School Buses are utilized to transport precious cargo.
Steve is a technician for the Coweta County School system. He and his wife, Bethany, live in Newnan with their beautiful two-year-old daughter.
Photo: Steve Addison, Jr. is the Georgia representative to the America’s Best Tech competition in September.
