Tracy Miller was named the Transportation Employee of the Year for Owensboro Public Schools on Thursday for her dedication to her job and love for the students she serves.
Chris Gaddis, who will officially retire from his role as OPD Director of Transportation in a few days, made the announcement during the Board of Education meeting. He said the award was originally developed to recognize a driver that goes above and beyond in their duties.
“I can tell you over my years of being in transportation, this year Tracy Miller is the most well-deserving person I’ve ever been around,” Gaddis said.
Gaddis also credited Miller’s bus monitor Andy Gamblin, saying they have a great partnership. Miller has been driving for 17 years, while Gamblin has served numerous roles at OPS for more than two decades.
“They are an outstanding team,” Gaddis said. “Oftentimes when we have a route come up and drivers like to shift around. You couldn’t pry Tracy and Andy off of their bus. They love what they do.”
Miller was selected by her constituents in the transportation department, which totals almost 50 employees.
“I can’t describe it,” MIller said of what the honor means to her. “I love what I do. I love working with the kids I work with. We connect and get a special bond with them, and they’re like one of your own.
In other action, board members were excited to announce that Owensboro Public Schools will observe Juneteenth on the employee work calendar after it was made a federal holiday, with officials saying it could be a chance to further educate students about the meaning behind the day.
Celebrated each year on June 19, the holiday marks the day when the last black slaves learned of their freedom.
They received the news roughly two months after the end of the Civil War, when Union Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, to inform the slaves of their freedom. It was also more than two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863.
