Veteran Transportation Leader Joins Richland School District

Patricia Thomas, who brings nearly two decades of experience working in school transportation from a bus driver to an administrator, will now lead Richland School District’s transportation department.

Thomas joined the district in mid-June after serving most recently as a manager of transportation for the Pasco School District. District leaders are excited for her to work with bus drivers and other school transportation staff to ensure the district can meet the needs of a growing community.

“We were very impressed by Patricia’s entire skill set, from her ability to build relationships with employees and understand the challenges of their work to her valuing of customer service and deep knowledge of transportation management,” says Richard Krasner, Executive Director of Operations. “She’s really going to raise the bar when it comes to serving our students and families.”

Thomas began working as a transportation secretary and routing specialist in 2004. She has since worked as a substitute and contracted bus driver, driver trainer and assistant dispatcher/router in several school districts before joining Pasco in May 2017. She has completed the Pupil Transportation Management program at Central Washington University in 2019 and became an OSPI Certified Driver Instructor in 2014.

She replaces former transportation director Dave Conrad, who retired during the 2020-21 school year.