Albert Gastine has been named MV Transportation’s (MV) national Katherine McClary Operator of the Year award winner.
Established to honor the memory of Katherine McClary, who was tragically killed in a bus accident in 2004, MV’s annual award recognizes the safest transit operators at the company. Award recipients are chosen from approximately 15,000 MV operators across North America.
Gastine has worked in transit as a member of the MV family since 2014. He is currently a paratransit operator supporting Los Angeles Access Services and has a perfect driving record with no preventable accidents or passenger complaints during his seven-year transit career.
Gastine was nominated by Tom Irvin, the MV general manager who oversees the company’s Access Services operations.
“Albert demonstrates a rare ‘Platinum Standard’ for exceptional service and performance,” said Irvin. “He comes to work with a positive attitude and is quick to help other drivers with their work. His attendance, quality of work and initiative are beyond comparison.”
With service levels reduced in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gastine often helped deliver meals to high-risk homebound residents of L.A. County during his shift and soon became the top meal delivery driver, often adding meals to his route when other drivers were absent from work. As another example of Gastine's character, he supported patients at local medical facilities throughout the pandemic in his personal time.
A formal presentation was held July 21, at the Access Services Northern Region facility, where MV Transportation President Mark Collins and Access Services Executive Director Andre Colaiace jointly presented Gastine with his award. Also attending the event were Gastine’s MV Transportation colleagues, friends and family members.
“We are extremely proud to recognize Albert and the exceptional passenger experience he brings to the Los Angeles community,” said Collins. “He personifies the high standards for safety and customer service which MV was founded on over 45 years ago.”
