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Jan Opie receives award
from Golden State Cellular
Golden
State Cellular’s Product Development Manager Jan Opie was recognized
at last months CalCom (California Communication Association)
conference as a recipient of their prestigious Safety Leadership
Award. Ms. Opie was selected for her “exceptional contributions” in
the field of safety including facilitating GSC’s Defensive Driving and
First Aid classes for employees. Ms. Opie is a lifelong
Tuolumne
County resident and graduate of Sonora
Elementary, Sonora High School and Columbia College.
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James A. Means is new
ARTS Transit Manager
The
Amador Regional Transit System has a new
manager, a transportation professional with
nearly 40 years of experience in the field,
including top administration assignments at
some of the largest public and school
transportation systems in the country. James
A. Means wants to make ARTS live up to its
name, “In my vision, we will make this
system a truly regional transportation
source committed to serving all the citizens
in the county.” Means took the wheel of ARTS
on July 1. He comes to the system following
two years as director of the Washoe County
School District transportation department.
At Washoe County, Means was in charge of 400
employees and 700 vehicles, including 400
buses. “I decided to take this position
because of the area – it’s really a great
place to live – and I’m basically a
turn-around kind of guy,” he said. “My
professional heritage is centered around
rebuilding stagnant entities.” - more He
looked down the road recently and said the
transit system he wants to develop for
Amador County will be equal to or better
than any system in the area – even at the
large cities. “I’ll be happy when ARTS
riders use a transit system in any one of
the cities in Northern California and say to
themselves, ‘You know, our Amador County
public transportation system is better than
this.’” Means said that providing safe,
clean and comfortable local transportation
to everyone – including seniors, veterans,
students and commuters – is basic. He also
wants to establish a park-and-ride system
that will make it more feasible for
commuters to take the bus for work, shopping
and pleasure in Sacramento. “When a
park-and-ride system is working right,
public transportation becomes your primary
source of transportation. The average cost
reduction is the reason why you should take
the bus,” said Means. Gasoline and oil costs
go down, parking is no longer a problem or a
cost, and for commuters, many auto insurance
companies will cut rates if yearly car miles
are reduced. And then there is the health
factor. ARTS is one of the safest public
transit systems in the nation and riding the
bus reduces the stress of fighting traffic.
ARTS riders arrive at their destination
refreshed and relaxed. “When you put all
that together, it benefits you to take
public transportation,” said Means.
Increased service, more attention to each
segment of the ridership, and a regional
approach to system management are key to
Means’ plans for building ARTS into growing
public transportation center. “We’ve already
added another bus and I’m planning for more.
I’d also like to start limited Saturday
service. Not having Saturday service doesn’t
make sense to me,” he said. With Means
behind the wheel, ARTS will become a strong
motivator for people to get out of their
cars and enjoy the benefits of public
transportation. Means’ background includes
service in the U.S. Air Force. He holds the
rank of captain and served for many years in
Europe, including two years as a NATO
Aircraft Accident Investigative Officer.
After service in the Air Force, he stayed in
Europe to become CEO of European Import
Motors for eight years. 223-2877 •
www.amadortransit.com - more James A. Means
New Transit Manager, Amador Regional Transit
System -2-2-2- 223-2877 •
www.amadortransit.com Thanks to his years in
Europe, particularly in Germany, Means is
fluent in the German language. Over the
years, he has administered operation budgets
in excess of $20 million, supervised 650
military personnel as Assistant Commander,
Aircraft Maintenance, and managed
transportation systems from his immediate
past posting in Reno to a public transit
system in South Carolina with more than
1,800 vehicles. Means holds a Bachelor’s
degree in economics and business
administration from Chapman University, in
Orange, California. He graduated from the
Air Force Officer Academy at Lackland AFB in
Texas. He also completed the Advanced
Hazardous Waste Management (HASMAT)
Certificate. Means is also a FEMA Incident
Commander.
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