Our Expert Management Team

Driving Success through Leadership and Experience

Team Members

Jason Walker

Chief Executive 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.

Erik Klepp

Chief Financial 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.

John Prendergast

President at Sharp

John has over 25 years of Senior level management experience serving the students and school boards of Ontario, Canada. Previous experience includes managing location and regional school bus operations across the province. His education in finance and management, combined with 30 years of school bus industry experience have enabled him to build a dynamic team leading our Canadian operations.

David Schrantz

President at Rohrer

David Schrantz joined Rohrer Bus full-time in 2008 after growing up around the family school bus business. With a passion for customer service, continuous improvement, and problem solving, he has played a key role in enhancing the customer and employee experience. A proud participant in the Pennsylvania School Bus Association, David is also an advocate for safety and transportation efficiency throughout the Commonwealth. He earned a Bachelor’s in Business Marketing from West Chester University and an MBA from York College of PA.

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.

Matthew Bushland

Director of Enterprise Strategy

Matt joined NACSB in 2022, bringing a depth of experience in mergers and acquisitions, financial management, and strategic projects. Matt previously worked at Wind Point Partners, a middle-market private equity firm based in Chicago, where he successfully completed multiple transactions and implemented value creation plans across numerous portfolio companies. Prior to Wind Point Partners, he worked in Investment Banking at BMO Capital Markets in their Industrials and Transportation & Logistics group. Matt received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance from the University of Notre Dame, graduating magna cum laude.

Aaron Kolesar

Director of Information Technology

Aaron Kolesar joined North America Central School Bus in 2023, bringing over 22 years of experience in Information Technology leadership within the manufacturing and transportation industries. With 14 years of proven leadership, Aaron has successfully driven numerous enterprise-wide initiatives, delivering innovative technology solutions that solve complex business challenges. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Telecommunications Management from DeVry University.

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.

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.

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.

Travis Ellwanger

Director of Safety

Travis joined NACSB in 2025 bringing over 20 years of leadership experience in operations and logistics management. In his role, Travis leads the company’s safety strategy, including driver training, risk mitigation, and compliance initiatives across the organization’s multi-state and province footprint.
Prior to joining NACSB, Travis was Director of Operations at Estes Logistics, where he managed fleet performance, personnel development, and safety programs for large-scale logistics operations.
Travis received his bachelor’s degree from Hampden-Sydney College.

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.

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