The 34th National Community Transportation Roadeo Winning Drivers
The 2025 Roadeo brought skilled public transit bus drivers to San Diego, California
[Washington, D.C., June 9, 2025]
The 34th National Community Transportation Roadeo, celebrating and testing the skills of rural and community transit bus operators, was hosted by the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) on June 1 in San Diego, Calif. This event is the premier national venue promoting and honoring the contributions of community transit bus operators, bringing competitors from across the United States to showcase their driving expertise and commitment to safe and sensitive passenger transportation.
This year’s National Roadeo in San Diego, California, included a cutaway or “body on chassis” course and a 35’ bus course. Both courses were designed to test the drivers’ abilities in pre-trip inspections, wheelchair securement, passenger sensitivity, and safe and accurate driving skills in a variety of challenging obstacles.
“This year’s National Roadeo was an exciting showcase of talent from across the country. Many individuals came together to make this event a success. We extend our gratitude to the CTAA Roadeo Committee, judges, volunteers, and CTAA staff for their hard work. A heartfelt thank you goes out to all the supportive colleagues, family, and friends who traveled sometimes great distances to cheer for the drivers,” said Andrew Carpenter, Roadeo Coordinator. “We also have to thank our partners at North County Transit District (NCTD) for being our 2025 vehicle partner. Their support and collaboration was invaluable, and we would not have had such a successful event without them.”
The competition includes the obstacle course, pre-trip inspection, wheelchair securement, and a written exam. All of these aspects contribute to the drivers’ overall score. CTAA is thrilled to announce the winners of the 2025 National Community Transportation Roadeo:
Body On Chassis (BOC/Cutaway):
- First Place: Joseph Paugh, Garrett Transit Service, Oakland, Md.
- Second Place: Moises Garcia, VIA Metropolitan Transit, San Antonio, Texas
- Third Place: Wally Acosta, CapMetro/MTM, Austin, Texas
- Fourth Place: Johnathan Taylor, Whatcom Transportation Authority, Bellingham, Wash.
- Fifth Place: Jeremy Fetterolf, Gladwin City County Transit, Gladwin, Mich.
35-foot Bus:
- First Place: Valerie Quill, Kitsap Transit, Bremerton, Wash.
- Second Place: Joseph Granahan, Luzerne County Transportation Authority, Kingston, Penn.
- Third Place: Joseph Sandefur, Great Falls Transit District, Great Falls, Mont.
Most Spirited Driver Award: Jackie Pickle, Southwest Human Resource Agency, Henderson, Tenn.
Otis Reed, Jr Driver of the Year: Joseph Paugh, Garrett Transit Service, Oakland, Md.
These exceptional drivers have showcased outstanding skill and professionalism, embodying the spirit of community transportation. All driver rankings can be found here: https://ctaa.org/roadeo-2025/.
“Every driver who went out there should be proud of what they accomplished on the course and what they accomplish every day in their communities,” shared CTAA Executive Director Scott Bogren. “We are proud to give drivers and systems this annual opportunity to compete, yes, but also collaborate and network with their rural, tribal, and small city counterparts from across the country. Celebrating drivers is so important. They are on the front lines every day providing passenger care and essential trips to health care, education, employment, and much more.
