Paratransit Services Names 26th Annual “Bill Dane Award” Recipient

Longview, Washington – September 28, 2021. Paratransit Services has given the 2020 Bill Dane Award, its highest annual professional performance appreciation award, to Joanne Brockway, Administrative Assistant for the company’s RiverCities Lift operation in Longview, Washington. RiverCities LIFT is the ADA public transit complement to RiverCities Transit, the fixed route system operated by the City of Longview serving the cities of Longview and Kelso

Ms. Brockway retired in 2008 as Paratransit Services’ Operations Supervisor in Longview, but she was rehired in 2010 as Administrative Assistant to help during a difficult staffing shortage. In 2012 she attempted to retire once again, but answered our call again two years later. As remarked by Paratransit Services Longview General Manager, Betsy DeSpain, “We’ve been able to keep Joanne out of official retirement now for seven, yes, that’s 7 years! I call that good fortune for Paratransit Services!”

During the recognition ceremony at the operations facility in Longview, Ms. Brockway was presented with the “Crystal Flame” award and a framed certificate to commemorate the Bill Dane Award. In attendance for the presentation were Paratransit Services Board of Directors Chairman Bill Mahan, Paratransit Services President/CEO David Baker, Paratransit Services Vice President/Chief Operating Officer Christie Scheffer, and Paratransit Services Longview General Manager Betsy DeSpain.

The Bill Dane Award is named for the late William R. “Bill” Dane, a former Paratransit Services driver who exemplified the spirit of customer service (and who came to be affectionately known by his passengers as “the singing bus driver”). The 2020 Award to Joanne Brockway marks the 26th anniversary of this employee recognition honor.