On Thursday, Daviess County Public Schools (DCPS) announced Grady Cooper as the district's new Director of Transporation.
According to DCPS, Cooper will assume his new responsibilities on July 1, replacing Downy Ward, who is retiring after serving in the role since 2018.
Currently, Cooper serves as DCPS's Transportation Area Coordinator.
His background includes experience as a youth counselor, which DCPS says has yielded valuable insight in the area of resolving student behavior issues on school buses.
Following his time as a youth care specialist at Valley Institute of Psychiatry, Cooper joined the DCPS Transportation Department in 1998 as a substitute driver, joining DCPS as a full-time bus driver for students with special needs one year later.
Cooper served the district as a driver trainer for eight years and was promoted to his current position of transportation area coordinator in 2011.
Cooper was named Driver Trainer of the Year by the Kentucky Association of Pupil Transportation in 2011. He has been a member of KAPT for more than 15 years.
“I am looking forward to this opportunity to uphold the well-established reputation of the DCPS Transportation Department by leading an amazing team of dedicated transportation professionals who go the extra mile daily,” Cooper said.
DCPS director of student services Damon Fleming said Cooper’s experience, positive attitude, and work ethic made him the ideal candidate for the position.
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