School Bus Fleet

November 2014

A management & maintenance magazine for school transportation fleets

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40 S C H O O L B U S F L E E T • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4 Patrick Willi Director, School Training Solutions Smart Horizons — School Training Solutions Pensacola, Florida How did you get your start in the school bus industry? I started as a technical writer and was assigned to a new proj- ect to develop online school bus driver training in 2004. I've been involved in the creation, sales and marketing of online school bus driver training since. The product grew and expanded into multiple states. We added courses, and the product demand for our type of training kept growing. Over the years I moved up the ranks from writer to instructional designer, holding positions at every part of the development process. Toward the end of 2011, I was promoted to director when my predecessor retired. Current job duties? I oversee all customer interactions for School Training Solu- tions (STS). I work with our customer service, media develop- ment and training development departments on all aspects of our STS online training. I also coordinate sales and marketing efforts, attend conferences, perform site visits for new custom- ers and lead workshops when necessary. Outside interests? It is hard to talk about interests outside of work without men- tioning my wife, Teresa. We have a lot of hobbies. We enjoy the Gulf of Mexico and Pensacola beaches. We are both certifed SCUBA divers and enthusiastic triathletes. Whenever we trav- el, we try to fnd a local athletic event to support (5K, 10K, mara- thon, triathlon, etc.) or a SCUBA adventure to experience. Most interesting place you've been? As cliché as it sounds, my wife and I cultivate an adventure wherever we travel. These are some highlights in no particular order: SCUBA diving the USS Oriskany 30 miles off the coast of Pensacola; exploring haunted Fort Gaines in Alabama; bicy- cling across Iowa; SCUBA diving in Roatan, Honduras; swim- ming with dolphins in Jamaica; seeing the Mayan ruins of Tu- lum in Mexico. Something people would be surprised to learn about you? I'm a home brewer of wine, beer, sodas and liqueurs. Patrick Willi and his wife, Teresa, enjoy taking on tri- athlons, among many other challenging pursuits. Born: Pensacola, Florida Home: Pensacola, Florida Years in industry: 10 Fascinating Personalities

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