Our Expert Management Team
Driving Success through Leadership and Experience
Team Members
Steve Hemmerlein
President & Chief Executive Officer
Steve has more than 30-years of experience in the student transportation industry. Prior to joining NACSB, he served as Senior Vice President at First Student. Previously, at Laidlaw, Steve held various roles from contract manager to Senior Vice President, responsible for company operations in the Midwest and West regions. Steve is a lifelong Chicagoan and graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC).
Jason Walker
Chief Operations Officer
Jason joins North America Central School Bus with 28 years of experience in transportation logistics, including 22 years at UPS. Jason most recently served as COO of United Road Services. He is a lifelong learner and developer of talent, passionately mentoring and fostering a culture of innovation and resilience. Jason earned his Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and his MBA from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Melissa Peterson
Director of Human Resources
While leading various company human resources initiatives, Melissa serves as our Recruiting and Hiring guru. In addition to school busing, her over 20 years of experience in HR, recruiting and training includes industries such as restaurant, retail and distribution. She earned her Masters of Science in Human Resources Management from the University of St. Francis. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in HR Management from Lewis University.
Cafria Hart
Vice President of Operations
Cafria holds a degree in Industrial & Systems Engineering from Georgia Tech and excels in financial modeling and efficiency. Most recently, as a Solution Owner at Mastery Logistics Systems, she drove new revenue through innovative transportation management software solutions. During her 17-year tenure at UPS, she managed a portfolio encompassing over 60 freight transportation clients, leading cross-functional teams and implementing impactful strategies to enhance client satisfaction.
Keith Lane
Vice President of Human Resources
Keith joined NACSB in 2016 and has over 30 years of Human Resource and Labor Relations experience in the manufacturing and transportation industries, including Laidlaw Education Services. He has worked in both union and non-union environments. He is a Millwright by trade and gained his undergraduate degree in human resources from Purdue University, MALS from Indiana University, and Law Degree from IU McKinney School of Law.
Erik Klepp
Chief Finacial Officer
Erik joined NACSB in 2007 as a Financial Analyst, assuming the role of Controller in 2010. In 2023 he was named CFO. Prior to joining NACSB Erik served as an Auditor in public accounting. He earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is a licensed CPA in the State of Illinois.
Matthew Bushland
Director of Mergers & Acquisitions
Matt joined NACSB as the Director of Mergers & Acquisitions in 2022. He oversees the entire M&A process, including sourcing, diligence, execution, and integration of new businesses. Prior to NACSB, Matt was an Associate at Wind Point Partners, a middle-market private equity firm based in Chicago. Prior to Wind Point Partners, he was an Investment Banking Associate and Analyst at BMO Capital Markets in their Industrials group. Matt received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance from the University of Notre Dame, graduating magna cum laude.
Richard Price
Director of Safety, Training, & Risk Management
Richard joined NACSB in 2019 as the Regional Safety Manager and was quickly promoted to Director. He gained his safety experience at UPS and in the airline industry with more than 15 years of experience in various safety and operational roles. Richard earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Columbia College of Missouri.
Joe Faessler
Director of Business Development
Joe has 30 years’ experience in the school bus industry, transitioning over 100 school districts totaling over 5,000 buses. Prior to joining NACSB he worked for Petermann/Durham School Services and Laidlaw Education Services where he led conversion, bid growth and contract retention for the company. Joe earned his MBA from Pepperdine University, and his undergraduate degree from Ohio University.
Dan O’Brien
Director of Contracts & Revenue Management
Dan joined NACSB from First Student in 2008. He had been with First Student since 2001 in roles of increasing responsibility. In his last position at First Student, he was Contract Manager serving eight school districts. Dan has a bachelor’s degree from Illinois State University where he majored in Social Sciences. He is currently pursuing an MBA with a concentration in Finance at the University of St. Francis.
Greg Miller
Director of Fleet Management
Greg has over 20 years of Director level management experience in fleet maintenance including serving as the Senior Vice President of Fleet Operations and Procurement for a US based fleet of 17,000 vehicles. Previous experience includes managing international fleet operations across US, Mexico, Canada, Central and South America. Most recently, Greg led a specialized fleet consultancy firm for 10 years.
