We’re excited to announce that Mike Martin, former Executive Director and CEO of the National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT), has joined HopSkipDrive as Senior Strategic Advisor. Based on decades of leadership experience in student transportation, public policy-making, government relations and business management, Mike’s insights and guidance will serve to help us continue to design products, policies and standards that put the needs of all students — and school transportation leaders — first, ensuring that every student can get where they need to go, safely and reliably.
“We are thrilled to welcome Mike as a senior strategic advisor to our team,” said HopSkipDrive Co-founder and CEO, Joanna McFarland. “His wealth of experience and extensive industry knowledge make him an invaluable addition to our company. In his nearly 27 years leading NAPT, Mike demonstrated a unique ability to think strategically, adapt quickly and communicate effectively, particularly to school transportation directors and their staff. With his guidance and expertise, we’ll be able to continue building our offerings, specifically addressing the needs of students, parents, school districts and more.”
Says Martin: “There are aspects of student transportation that will hopefully never change, like a steadfast commitment to student safety, security and operational efficiency. However, I believe that several aspects of student transportation are going to be significantly different in the next five to seven years than they are today. I’m excited to work with Joanna, and the other leaders of HopSkipDrive, to envision, create and deploy products and services that will shape the future of the supplemental school transportation market space.”
While working at NAPT, Mike initiated numerous partnerships and opportunities aimed at facilitating creative problem solving and collaboration between public and private school transportation providers and suppliers. As a champion of professional development for all school transportation personnel, he established innovative education and training opportunities, including a certification program with five different categories that has become the industry benchmark. He continues to believe in the importance of education, collaboration and the exploration of new ideas, and remains devoted to the core values of student transportation.
HopSkipDrive was founded in 2014 by three moms who had firsthand experience of the kind of transportation support kids and families need. Since then, we’ve continued to seek out expertise and insights from those who know student transportation best, leveraging that knowledge as we work toward fulfilling our mission of creating opportunity for all through mobility.
In consultation with caregivers and parents, school administrators and superintendents, CareDrivers, and school transportation staff, we’ve set a new standard for school transportation safety and transparency — one that is based on the modern world we live in. We aim to be an effective student transportation partner by complementing existing transportation options, and giving districts the data, technology and support they need to fulfill the evolving transportation requirements of their students and communities.
Mike joins HopSkipDrive’s accomplished team of experts, including recent additions to its executive team and Safety Advisory Board, who are all dedicated to working together to help school districts meet the needs of every student.
