Sharon Harris has spent the better part of three decades serving in the Aiken County Public Schools Transportation Department, and she is ready for her biggest assignment yet.
Harris, who has worked as the Transportation Supervisor for Area 1 schools in Aiken County for the past 12 years, is the District’s new Executive Manager for Transportation following a selection committee recommendation and unanimous approval Tuesday from Board of Education members. Prior to that position, Harris also served as Transportation Supervisor for Area 3 schools. She follows longtime ACPSD transportation manager Maria McClure, who recently accepted a position as Director of Transportation in Beaufort County.
Ms. Harris says rather than anticipating retirement, she is looking forward to serving as an innovative force for improvement in the District’s transportation department.
“Working here in Aiken County, you feel like you are a member of the family, and this is really your home away from home. It just feels like family,” Harris stated. “I started out here as a bus driver and back then I never really thought that something like this might be possible, but over the years I look back on my time as a supervisor in Area 3 and then in Area 1, and those times gave me the confidence I needed.
“Before I even applied for the position, I thought about it and prayed about it because I wanted to make sure that I could be that person for the District who could move things forward and see things improve. I also understand that you never go into anything like this alone. I know there are many people who are behind me, helping me, so I know that together we are ready. If I am going to do something, I am going to give it 110-percent of what I have. I am ready to take what I have learned in Area 3 and Area 1 and apply it across the district.”
Chief Officer of Operations and Student Services Dr. Shawn Foster says Harris has a proven record in transportation, and is someone who has earned and kept the trust of her colleagues.
“Ms. Harris has really been a cornerstone of our Transportation Department for many years,” Dr. Foster stated. “She has worked under some of the most difficult circumstances and performed well. She has the overwhelming respect of her colleagues and the other area supervisors; the selection committee felt like she was the best choice for this position.
“I am excited to see what she is going to do, not only in maintaining the forward progress we have had in transportation, but also in bringing new and innovative ideas to tackle some of the problems we face while continuing to ensure that we transport our students to school on time and safely each day.”
Two areas Ms. Harris wants to address very early in her tenure as the District’s new transportation leader are increasing and stabilizing the number of professional bus drivers and selecting a new bus routing program for the District that will work to identify the best-available roadways and turn-by-turn directions for drivers.
“I want to really focus on hiring drivers and working hard to have a full staff,” Ms. Harris commented. “I also want to continue our work to implement a new bus routing program that will help us to increase efficiency. That is something we have already been working on so I am looking forward to that. I think it will be a great asset.”
LINK TO DISTRICT PRESS RELEASE: 2017 PR SHARON HARRIS NAMED EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR TRANSPORTATION