Transportation Worker is Named Employee of the Month

Greensboro, N.C. – With school back in session, there are a lot of moving parts to ensure that students are prepared and ready for instruction when the bell rings. One key piece of this puzzle is transportation. While some kids may get dropped off in the car rider line and others wait at the bus stop, the GCS transportation department offers a unique service for students of a specific population.  

For students that are in-between homes or are without secure housing, we provide van transportation. This restores dignity back to these students and allows for quicker rerouting in the event housing shifts. One of these compassionate van drivers is none other than Valerie Graves, an employee of the transportation department for six years.  

“Transportation is very fortunate to have Valerie Graves on their team of excellence,” wrote Faye Crowder-Phillips, executive director of transportation. “She is flexible, willing to go over and beyond and a true team player. During the school year, she drives our students served by the McKinney-Vento act in a van and cleans our transportation building in between runs.  During the summer, she continued cleaning our transportation garage and helped supervise our paint project in the garage. Valerie approaches every task with a positive attitude, a jovial spirit and brings sunshine to every cloudy day. Valerie has been such a wonderful influence on our students that she transports. She has sponsored them on field trips, purchased them clothes when they needed clean clothes, purchased coats when they did not have one, provided for their Christmas, surprised them with Easter baskets and even bought them summer clothes for the summer months. Valerie is our all-star on every level!” 

Graves’ care, compassion and dedication to providing our students with safe transport and emotional support earned her the nomination for Employee of the Month for September. She was surprised with the news at a cookout celebrating the work completed by the transportation team over the summer.  

Graves received a $50 gift card courtesy of the Greensboro Jaycees. During the month of September, her photo will be displayed at the district’s central offices and in the Greensboro Jaycees office.   

Nominations for Employee of the Month can be made using this form.