Five Southeast Missouri Transportation Service (SMTS) employees were each recently presented with a 2023 Missouri Transit Operator Champions award by the Missouri Public Transit Association (MPTA), the statewide transit association representing all 34 transit providers in Missouri. The honorees include SMTS Iron County coordinator Terry Benoist, SMTS Oregon County operator Donna Mooningham, SMTS Perry County operator Ken Whited, SMTS Washington County operator Jimmy Gilliam and SMTS Madison County operator David McCutheon. The award was designed to honor transit operators across the state for their selfless dedication and heroism. The Southeast Missouri operators were among a total of 20 recently recognized with this award by the MPTA at the 2023 Midwest Transit Conference held in Kansas City.
All five transit employees recognized at the event were nominated by SMTS for going above and beyond the call of duty to serve their communities and care for riders.
Benoist, of Ironton, MO has been an SMTS coordinator in Iron County for nine years and also acts as an operator, where he goes out of his way to make sure customers are having a good day. The service area he oversees is mountainous and sparsely populated, making for long rides to reach customers. Benoist consistently does whatever it takes to meet the needs of those he serves, without complaint, and enjoys getting his rural riders where they need to go.
Mooningham has been an operator for SMTS’s Oregon County service for 10 years. Described as a team player, Mooningham – who lives in Birch Tree, MO has taken it upon herself to become familiar with every single route in SMTS Oregon County’s service area so that she can fill in when her fellow operators have a last-minute or planned schedule change. Mooningham also spreads the word about SMTS to everyone she knows, making sure they are aware of the benefits of taking transit and how impactful it is to have public transit service in rural Missouri.
Whited, who is adored by the Perry County riders he serves, is an expert when it comes to maintenance. He consistently goes above and beyond to inspect the vehicles and ensure they remain in good condition, often noting or fixing little things that might otherwise be overlooked. This includes using WD-40 to fix a squeak or tightening a screw that has come loose on a door hinge. His attention to detail has also made him one of SMTS Perry County’s “go-tos” when it comes time to train new operators. Whited resides in Perryville and has been with SMTS for eight years.
If compassion had a name, it would be Jimmy Gilliam. His conviction to make every rider’s day the best it can be makes him a hero to the customers he serves in Washington County. Gilliam has been an operator with SMTS for 14 years.
As a sheltered workshop operator with SMTS in Madison County, McCutheon is known for bringing joy to riders he serves through his positivity and cheerfulness. He has been an operator with SMTS for four years and always encourages his riders to “be the best they can be.” A total team player, he also makes a special effort to assist in other transit operations where needed when he is not driving the workshop route.
“Transit operators work tirelessly to provide a vital service to their customers who rely on transit to get them where they need to go,” said Kimberly Cella, executive director of the Missouri Public Transit Association. “Those named as 2023 Missouri Transit Operator Champions go above and beyond to assist their riders, but their efforts often go unnoticed by those outside of their community. We are proud to share their stories and highlight their dedication and willingness to go the extra mile through this award.”
To learn more about the Missouri Public Transit Association and its work, visit www.mopublictransit.org.
Missouri Public Transit Association (MPTA) was established in 1980 as a Missouri non-profit corporation. It was formed to provide a unified voice for public and specialized transportation providers in Missouri and to work toward elevating the status of public transit as a national priority.
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For more information, contact:
Kelly Harris
(314)436-9090