CINCINNATI – Rick Armstrong, of Milford, and Robert Waters, of Carthage, have been named Metro’s 2011 Operators of the Year. Brian Colliflower, of Middletown, and Dave Jones, of Lawrenceburg, Ind., were named Metro’s 2011 Maintenance Employee of the Year.

“Metro’s awards program allows us to recognize and honor those who have served the public as drivers and working behind-the-scenes as mechanics,” said Metro CEO & General Manager Terry Garcia Crews. “This is a great opportunity to show our appreciation for those who take great care of our customers and our buses.”

This year, 31 Metro employees qualified as finalists for 2011 Employee Awards Program.

Finalists for the Operator of Year Award must meet the following criteria for the year:

No negative customer service reports or discipline
No preventable accidents
At least 88% or better on-time performance
2% or less unexpected absenteeism

Finalists for the Maintenance Employee of the Year Award are selected from each of the five areas of Metro’s maintenance department to qualify for the title, and must meet the following criteria for the year:

No preventable accidents or discipline
No times when employees were out of uniform
No more than eight excused absences
No more than three non-excused absences
Must work 90% of their regularly scheduled work days/hours

Metro is a non-profit, tax-funded public service of the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority, providing about 17 million rides per year.

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Metro Honors Top Performers with Employee of the Year Awards