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2007 Operator of the Year: Two for the price
of one
 Watch
this video clip (Real Media) Length: (3:38)
Watch this video clip (Windows Media) Length:
(3:38)
<<Sounds of event applause>>
Narrator Says:
Every year, King County Metro Transit honors an operator it considers to
be the ‘Best of the Best’, and this year it’s two for the price of one.
Nate Chappelle and Richard Boehmer will both take the award home.
To determine the honoree, Metro’s 84 operators of the month vote for who
they think should win.
This year, a strange thing happened, an exact tie in the voting.
Bellevue Base Supervisor Jeff Wamsley Says:
And fortunately here we're not into run-offs, or final elections or
anything of that nature. If there's two people that deserve and award,
they get the award. And that's what's happened this year. And Richard
and Nate, I just want you to know while you hear the term co-operators
of the year, you're not half an operator of the year and you're not half
an operator of the year, you're the full thing, you're the real deal.
Narrator Says:
Nate Chappelle has been with Metro since 1978, and currently drives on
all of the trolley routes.
He’s noted for all the extra work he puts in behind the scenes serving
as chief shop steward at Atlantic Base, as well as serving on the
security committee, public safety partnership and other special transit
projects.
He also went out of his way one day when he saw a man that appeared to
be in danger.
Atlantic Base Chief Pam Davis Says:
Well, he received a commendation from Ron Sims, Kevin Desmond, Harold
Taniguchi, and Jim O’Rourke for stopping when he saw this guy straddling
a bridge over the freeway, he stopped his bus and distracted him enough
until help could get there and they could get this guy off the bridge.
Narrator Says:
Richard Boehmer has been with Metro for almost 30 years, and jokingly
tells the story of originally taking the position for extra money while
looking for a quote ‘real job’.
He currently drives Metro route 222 through Bellevue, and says he has
always enjoyed interacting with the customers on his buses.
Richard also goes above and beyond to make sure every rider is taken
care of.
Bellevue Base Chief Yvonne Greenwood Says:
Richard, the big guy here, began working at Metro in 1979. he has 29
years of exceptional service, 26 years of safe driving and numerous
commendations. He was selected as operator of the month in may 2000 at
East Base, and was honored again in December 2007 while working at
Bellevue Base. He received the George Turner Award for the second
quarter of 2007. This award recognizes operators who best exemplify a
positive attitude and keen awareness of the elderly and disabled in our
communities.
Narrator Says:
Metro employs more than 2,600 operators who all do what they can to
ensure riders get where they’re going safely and on-time.
Managers at Metro say that’s part of what makes it so special to be part
of this club.
Metro Deputy General Manager Jim Jacobson Says:
To give you an idea of how selective it is, Harvard thinks they're
selective, but they only accept one out of every 10 people that apply
there. Or maybe you're the American League Most Valuable Player, you're
one out of 350. If you took all our operators and lined them up shoulder
to shoulder it would stretch for about a mile. And two of the people get
to step forward this year out of that line a mile long of people. And
it's a terrific honor, and I’m very proud of what you guys have done.
And you guys ought to be proud of it too.
Metro Customer Service and Sales Manager Darwin Campbell Says:
True professionalism is when you take something that's very, very
difficult and make it look very, very easy. and all of you do that every
day on a daily basis. and I say that to all of you, all you operators in
general and particularly Richard and Nate, keep doing what you're doing
because you're making us all look good.
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