Roy Wierenga is returning to the Student Transportation Services of Central Ontario as its leader after helping create the organization nearly two decades ago.
On Tuesday, STSCO announced Wieregna as its new chief administrative officer for the consortium, which works with private transportation providers to serve three school boards in Peterborough city and county, Northumberland County and Clarington.
The contractors bus more than 26,000 students to and from schools for the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board, Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board and Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir school board.
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Wieregna brings 35 years of student transportation experience to the role, which he begins on May 8. He replaces Joel Sloggett, who will be retiring from STSCO after 18 years.
Wierenga began his career in Peterborough with Trentway-Wagar Bus Lines and then became manager of transportation for the KPR school board. He was also involved in the establishment of STSCO in 2005 before moving on to become general manager with the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority.
Over the last decade he has worked with Student Transportation of Peel Region.
“I am thrilled that my journey in student transportation has now brought me back home to Peterborough where my career started many years ago,” Wierenga said. “I look forward to working with the team at STSCO, our member school boards and bus operators, to find solutions that will ensure a safe and sustainable transportation network for our students and school communities going into the future.”
Student safety has been a major focus throughout Wierenga’s career. Over the last decade, he has worked closely with industry and government committees that examined changes for improving student transportation across Ontario.
One of these key changes included the introduction of the new amber warning light system for school buses that came into effect across Ontario this past year.
STSCO says Wieregna is an instrumental part of the Ontario Association of School Business Officials and currently serves on its provincial Safety Committee, Communications and Advocacy Committee and Electric School Bus Working Group.
In 2019, Wierenga was appointed by the OASBO to the Canadian Standards Association’s (CSA) School Bus Technical Committee (D250) — a national committee that examines school bus safety and compliance and sets manufacturing standards for school buses that operate in Canada.
“I have always felt so fortunate and blessed to be able to work in a profession that supports students and education,” Wierenga said. “When we do our jobs well in transportation, and students arrive safely and on time at school, this has such a positive impact on student success.”
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