AWARDS

The Community Transportation Association of America seeks nominations for our membership awards. These awards provide a unique opportunity to recognize excellence in the community
transportation industry. The person or organization must be a member of our Association. 

2026 WINNERS
  • Frontline Heroes Award: Steve Herrington, Southwest Iowa Transit Agency (SWITA)
  • Rising Star Award: Felicia Trujillo, Rabbittransit (Harrisburg, Pa.)
  • Outstanding Community Partner Award: Delta Rides Regional Coordination Group (Cleveland, Miss.)
  • State Leadership Award: CALACT and Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)
  • Small Transportation System of the Year: Vincennes Trolley (Vincennes, Ind.) and Prairie Hills Transit (Spearfish, S.D.)
  • Large Community Transportation System of the Year; Mountain Line (Missoula, Mont.)
List of system of the year winners
List of state partner winners
CATEGORIES

Community Transportation System of the Year - Large System

Defined as providing service in an urban area of more than 50,000 population AND/OR the agency receives 5307 funds. Typical CTAA membership demographics that would apply for this award include our small-urban and tribal transit members. Recognizes a community transportation system for:

  • Innovative and creative services in the community;
  • Being responsive to its customers' and community needs;
  • Actively coordinating and collaborating with other public and special services transportation;
  • Effectively helps the community accomplish their goals;
  • Creates partnerships with a wide-range of organizations, both public and private;
  • Providing accessible transportation service;
  • Building transportation alternatives that are intended to meet a wide range of the communities' needs.

Community Transportation System of the Year - Small System

Defined as providing service in areas and places of a rural setting where the population is 50,000 and below AND/OR the agency receives 5310 or 5311 funding. Typical CTAA membership demographics that would apply for this award include: NEMT/specialized transportation services, rural and tribal transit systems. Recognizes a community transportation system for:

  • Innovative and creative services in the community;
  • Being responsive to its customers' and community needs;
  • Actively coordinating and collaborating with other public and special services transportation;
  • Effectively helps the community accomplish their goals;
  • Creates partnerships with a wide-range of organizations, both public and private;
  • Providing accessible transportation service;
  • Building transportation alternatives that are intended to meet a wide range of the communities' needs.

Outstanding Community Partner

The Outstanding Community Partner Award will recognize a business, organization or person that has deeply enhanced its community's mobility options and strives to innovative the delivery of its public transit services. The recipient of this award will have demonstrated an extensive history of community engagement, as well as have created long-standing partnerships with other stakeholders that allow its residents to flourish.

State Leadership

Recognizes the entire organization whether a state association or state agencies that are effective in:

  • Providing creative, effective and continuing training and technical assistance programs;
  • Using new concepts, strategies, procedures and policies to provide support to local transit systems;
  • Communicating local transit systems' concerns and issues at the state and national level;
  • Advocating for public and community transportation at the state and local level.

Rising Star

The Rising Star Award is intended to recognize an emerging leader in community transportation whose record reflects ongoing and exceptional growth in contribution to the profession and increased levels of leadership, responsibility, and sphere of impact. While eligible nominees will have not yet reached a senior- or chief-level position, their recent track-record in the transit field reflects a strong career trajectory with the possibility of forward advancement and potential for appointment at the highest levels of the profession.

Frontline Heroes

The Frontline Heroes Award aims to shine a light on the unsung individuals that go that extra mile time and time again, encapsulating the spirit and professionalism of the workplace and the community transportation industry. Our winner will exude the spirit and professionalism of community transportation at its best. This award can include nominations from any of a transit agency's frontline positions (examples include drivers, dispatchers, etc.)

2025 Winners
  • Frontline Heroes: Valerie Ross, SPORTRAN, Shreveport, La.
  • Rising Star: Elizabeth Wheling, Operations Manager, Mountain Line, Missoula, Mont.
  • Outstanding Community Partner: Dave Kelis, St. Cloud Metro Bus, St. Cloud, Minn.
  • State Leadership: Michigan Department of Transportation
  • Small Transportation System of the Year: Commonwealth Office of Transit Authority, Saipan MP and Ketchikan Gateway Borough Transit Department, Ketchikan, Alaska
  • Large Transportation System of the Year: Santa Maria Regional Transit, Santa Maria, California and SporTran, Shreveport, Louisiana

2024 Winners

  • Community Transportation System of the Year – Large System: Transit Services Of Frederick County Maryland
  • Community Transportation System of the Year – Small System: North Central Regional Transit District, serving North Central New Mexico including
    Taos, Rio Arriba / Española, Santa Fe, Los Alamos, and Northern Pueblos
  • State Leadership Award: Missouri Public Transit Association
  • Outstanding Community Partner Award: Mayor Chelsea Reed, serving Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
  • Rising Star Award: Kristy Grestini, Mobility Manager at Battle Creek Transit serving the City of Battle
    Creek, Michigan
  • Frontline Heroes Award: Antonio Joseph, Bus Operator at Palm Tran serving Palm Beach County, Florida.
2023 Winners
  • Community Transportation System of the Year – Large System: EMBARK, Oklahoma City, Okla.
  • Community Transportation System of the Year – Small System: Perry County Transit, New Lexington, Ohio
  • State Leadership Award: Washington State Transit Association
  • Outstanding Community Partner Award: Dallas County Health Department, Dallas, Texas
  • Outstanding Community Partner Award: PATH Foundation
  • Rising Star Award: Jodi Glock
  • Rising Star Award: James Turner
  • Frontline Heroes Award: Laura Figueroa
  • Frontline Heroes Award: Kirk Rayner
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The Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) and its members believe that mobility is a basic human right. From work and education to life-sustaining health care and human services programs to shopping and visiting with family and friends, mobility directly impacts quality of life.

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