Each year the Florida Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged recognizes individuals and
organizations within the community that has exhibited exceptional service, personal excellence and
dedication towards serving persons who are transportation
disadvantaged. These elected officials, organizations, agencies and individuals are the ones who reach for excellence in serving our communities with superb dedication and spirit in assisting people with transportation services by ensuring they have
transportation to medical facilities, educational facilities, nutritional and life-sustaining treatments.
2018 CTD Award Group and Individual Photos
| Award Category | 2018 Recipient | Nomination Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Dispatcher-Scheduler | Susan Smeltzer | To honor an individual or a team, who is either a scheduler or dispatcher for the CTC or for a transportation operator under contract with the CTC, who has performed in an outstanding manner and has shown care and concern for transportation disadvantaged passengers. |
| Driver | Charles Murphy | To honor an individual, who is either a driver for the CTC or for a transportation operator under contract with the CTC, who has performed in an outstanding manner and has shown care and concern for transportation disadvantaged passengers. |
| Elected Official | The Honorable Carol Whitmore | This award was created to recognize an elected official who has demonstrated support to those who are transportation disadvantaged. |
| Innovation | Manatee County Area Transit Manatee County CTC | To recognize a CTC, an individual, or a team that has used innovative approaches to coordinate transportation, improve customer service, enhance the safety of the system and/or increase efficiencies. |
| Operator | Positive Medical Transport Hardee,Highlands, Okeechobee Counties | To recognize an operator who contract with the CTC who has delivered services to the transportation disadvantaged in a safe, cost effective and efficient and quality service manner. |
| Planning Agency | Indian River County MPO | To recognize a planning agency that went beyond the scope of their work to implement coordinated transportation. |
| Rural CTC | Suwannee Valley Transit Association Columbia, Hamilton, Suwannee Counties CTC | To recognize a rural CTC who has performed in an outstanding manner as part of the fully coordinated system for the community and the transportation disadvantaged population. |
| Safety | Votran Volusia County CTC | To recognize a system that has demonstrated an outstanding safety record or initiated new or improved safety programs. |
| Sheila Winitzer Shining Star | Edie Biro | This award was created to recognize Ms. Sheila Winitzer who spent her career creating programs to improve transportation disadvantaged services. She was an enthusiastic, passionate partner who tirelessly advocated for the transportation disadvantaged program. |
| Urban CTC | Senior Resource Association Indian River County CTC | To recognize an urban CTC who has performed in an outstanding manner as part of the fully coordinated system for the community and the transportation disadvantaged population. |
| Volunteer | Robert Slaven James East | To recognize a volunteer who has provided service to the transportation disadvantaged citizens of their community. |
| William G. and Budd Bell Lifetime Achievement | Ed Griffin | This award was created in honor of Dr. William (Bill) and Budd Bell. Dr. Bell had a vision in the 1970's of coordinated transportation and was instrumental in the early development of the Florida program. His wife, Budd, who shared his vision, continued to advocate and support transportation disadvantaged into the next decade. |
