Avery County Transportation Has 2024 State Driver of The Year and Wins State Roadeo Transit Van Competition

By Tim Gardner

Avery County Transportation helps to provide safe, quality and low-cost transportation to the county’s citizens as a demand response, general public transportation service.  This agency provides transportation, not only within the county, but also to the other areas. And Avery County Transportation has earned many milestone accolades with two of its most prestigious happening this year.  One came during the 2024 North Carolina Public Transportation Association’s Roadeo Transit Operator Driving Competition held on April 6 at the world-renown ZMAX Dragway in Concord and the other was officially announced there.  

Every year, the competition determines who is the best in two driving team competitions–35-Foot Bus and Ford Transit Van– and the State Transportation Association announces then what four drivers are recognized as an individual State Driver of The Year.  Avery County Transportation earned team and individual awards this year.

Approximately 80 drivers from across the state competed at the event this year.  Associate Transit System members had 40 drivers participating in the Transit Van competition, that also included six teams consisting of three members each. 

Avery County Transportation’s team of drivers Chris Brewer, Jr., Tonia Cable, and Homer (Jack) McClean captured first place in the Transit Van competition, earning the agency a huge and impressive trophy, along with bragging rights for the next year.

“These are our team championship drivers who competed, and I extend congratulations to Chris, Tonia, and Jack. And all our drivers also deserve a winning trophy for the magnificent work they do daily for the citizens of our county who use our transportation services.  They all make me proud to be their supervisor,” said Avery County Transportation Director Debbie Smith. 

The North Carolina Public Transportation Association also honors four Drivers of The Year with a pair each from the Large Market or Urban Areas and the Small Market or Rural regions, the latter of which Avery County is located. 

Avery County Transportation driver Jeff Raimo, who has logged more than a whopping 500,000 miles while working for the agency, was chosen as a Small Market (Rural Region) Driver of The Year. 

Transportation systems nominate their drivers who they consider most deserving of the award that year, with the selections made by the State Association. That award honors a public transit driver who best exemplifies and champions the goals, services, and mission of public transportation in each of the state’s 100 counties through their contributions to their communities through their local transit system work. Drivers of The Year are chosen by North Carolina Public Transportation Association Executive Director David Rhew.

The Director gave high words of commendation to Raimo, Brewer, Jr., Cable, and McLean as well as the rest of the Avery County Transportation staff.

Rhew stated:  “I am most proud of the tremendously awesome work Jeff Raimo does and he is certainly a Driver of The Year of the first order.  Chris Brewer, Jr., Tonia Cable, and Jeff McLean are also great drivers as is evidenced by them jointly winning the Transit Van team championship. The entire Avery County Transportation staff can always be counted on to deliver first rate services.  They can all take great pride in their individual and collective team honors.”

Smith offered these comments about her Driver of The Year: “Jeff  treats all our riders with the highest respect and has much compassion for them.   He truly cares about those who ride the vans he drives.  Many of our clients repeatedly request him to drive them.

“Jeff is also considered a respected leader and exemplary employee to his fellow-drivers. He possesses phenomenal driving skills and has avoided several accidents because of his calm demeanor and quick, evasive driving actions.”

Raimo, the longevity leader among Avery Transportation employees with nearly 27 years working for the agency, expressed deep appreciation for being named as a State Driver of The Year and to get to work for the County.  “I’m happy to be considered for the distinction and to receive it was a big surprise and a great honor.  I’m most thankful to be a State Driver of The Year as it’s a true blessing.  And I’m so happy to have the opportunity to give back to my fellow-Avery Countians through my work with Avery Transportation.  The people I for work for and with and the county’s citizens I help are among the best anywhere.  I also want to congratulate Chris, Tonia, and Jack for their team competition championship,” he said.

Brewer, Jr., Cable, and McClean gave the following quotes about their State Roadeo Transit Van team title:

“I’m proud I could be part of the championship team victory and the most positive notoriety it gives Avery Transportation.  I also commend Jeff for being a State Driver of The Year.  We’ve always had good drivers and this is yet another example of such,” Brewer, Jr. proclaimed.

“I’m glad to have had the opportunity to take part in the Transit Van  competition and I’m honored to have helped win the championship, which happened because of a total team effort,” Cable declared, then added: “And kudos to Jeff for being chosen as a State Driver of The Year.  We had a great showing for Avery County Transportation.”

“It’s awesome to win this Transit Van Championship that displays and highlights the good driving skills of our Avery team—Chris, Tonia, and myself—and which our other staff drivers also have.  I’m very proud to be on the championship team and I’m happy for Jeff for being named a State Driver of The Year,” McClean commented.

Avery County Manager Phillip Barrier, Jr. gave a glowing tribute to the championship team and Driver of The Year and Avery Transportation in general:  “Avery Countians are all so proud of the achievements and awards recently earned by Avery County Transportation. Congratulations to Jeff Raimo, Chris Brewer, Jr., Tonia Cable, and Jeff McClean.  Avery County Transportation always takes its county service to a whole new level. The department goes over and beyond serving the transportation needs of our county.  We have come to expect nothing but the best from Avery Transportation.”

Smith said the 2024 State Transit Van Team Championship and the Driver of The Year honor are dedicated to the memory of a former, long-time, and beloved Avery County Transportation driver, Thomas (Tommy) Huskins, Jr., who passed away on April 21.

“Tommy Huskins was one of the best drivers Avery Transportation has ever had as well as one of the county’s most well-liked, talented, and kind-hearted individuals of all-time,” she declared.  “Tommy was a true Christian and will be greatly missed for his work and the good life he lived in Avery County, as well as by his friends in the county and elsewhere.  We’re happy to dedicate the team championship and having the Driver of The Year to his memory.”