Dutchess County Public Transit Employee Receives Recognition for Dedication, Leadership in Industry

Dutchess County Public Transit Employee Receives
Recognition for Dedication, Leadership in Industry

Poughkeepsie, NY… New York Public Transit Association (NYPTA) honored Amanda Sammon, Assistant Director of Dutchess County Public Transit (DCPT), with its 2022 Joe Boardman Award at the association’s fall conference and Transit Industry Luncheon held this week in Albany.

Having worked for DCPT for 11 years, Ms. Sammon currently oversees its day-to-day operations, assists with customer support and ridership building efforts as well as driver recruitment, and maintains relationships with contractors and regulatory agencies to help ensure safe, effective, quality service is provided to both fixed-route and on-demand riders. Ms. Sammon has been instrumental in helping lead the team through the COVID-19 pandemic as well as numerous union negotiations during her tenure. She also assisted with the recent transition of DCPT from a management contract to a County-operated system, helping transition 95 individuals into Dutchess County Government positions.

County Executive Marc Molinaro said, “Amanda’s dedication, leadership, industry knowledge, and work ethic have been invaluable assets to our Public Transit system, helping us build and maintain a safe, reliable service for the riders who rely on it. Her rapport with the drivers and her fellow operations staff have helped ensure as seamless a transition as possible for riders and staff alike and we applaud her for this well-deserved recognition of her hard work.”

Ms. Sammon’s leadership and dedication are exemplified in an anecdote included in her nomination for the award from Transit Director Michael Grattini. In 2012, shortly after being promoted to a supervisory role, Ms. Sammon was the only staff member who could make it to the DCPT facility during a freak October snowstorm. Without power and a severe lack of workforce, Ms. Sammon took charge and organized getting drivers and buses on the roads.

Ms. Sammon said, “I am grateful to the New York Public Transit Association for recognizing our Dutchess County Public Transit team’s commitment to providing safe, quality, and efficient public transit to residents and visitors of Dutchess County. Under the guidance of County Executive Molinaro and Public Transit Director Michael Grattini, our division has improved ridership, maintained excellent retention of our dedicated drivers, and has continued its exemplary safety record. We will continue our hard work and dedication towards the shared goal of providing amazing service.”

The Joe Boardman Award was started in 2019 by NYPTA leaders in recognition of Joseph Boardman’s dedication and leadership in the transit industry. A founding member of the association and past president, Mr. Boardman was also an inaugural member of the New York Public Transit Hall of Fame in 1999 for his contributions to the industry. He was devoted to mentorship and cultivating future transportation professionals, serving as head of Amtrak from 2008-2016 and was the longest-serving Commissioner of New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) from 1997-2005. The award is given to transit employees in recognition of their outstanding accomplishments, leadership, and commitment to the industry.

Director Grattini said, “During her tenure with Dutchess County Public Transit, Amanda Sammon has developed an incredible support system for the smooth operation of our transit system. Her dedication and leadership skills are impressive. So many Dutchess County residents rely on our transit system, both fixed-routes and on-demand service, to reach doctors’ appointments, workplace, grocery stores, and more. We are grateful to Amanda for the integral role she plays in providing efficient, quality service to our riders.”

To learn more about DCPT, visit DutchessNY.gov/publictransit. DCPT also offers a mobile app with real-time bus tracking, schedules, rider alerts, and more. The DCPT app is available for IOS and Android on Google Play and Apple App Store from DoubleMap.