CINCINNATI – First Student, the industry leader in school bus transportation in North America, announces the appointment of Kevin L. Matthews as the head of school bus electrification. In this newly created position, Matthews will have responsibility for First Student’s vision and strategy that will drive the development and deployment of all electrification initiatives and technologies.
“First Student is committed to lowering emissions and reducing our carbon footprint for the future of the five million children we transport every school day,” said First Student President Paul G. Osland. “Kevin’s extensive experience in electrification will help school districts modernize their fleets and ensure communities have cleaner transportation options.”
Matthews has more than 30 years of diverse sustainability experience, including policy development at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He served as director of governmental relations for the environmental insurance division of AIG. Most recently, he was a managing director at National Strategies, overseeing the first vehicle-to-grid integration using electric school buses.
Matthews earned a bachelor of arts in history from Hendrix College and a master’s degree in public policy from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, Austin.
First Student is leading the way in school bus electrification. The company is actively pursuing the electrification of tens of thousands of vehicles in its fleet, making it the largest operator of zero-emission school buses in North America.
About First Student:
As the leading school transportation solutions provider in North America, First Student strives to provide the best start and finish to every school day. First Student completes five million student journeys each day, moving more passengers than all U.S. airlines combined. With a team of highly- trained drivers and the industry’s strongest safety record, First Student delivers reliable, quality services including full-service transportation and management, special-needs transportation, route optimization and scheduling, maintenance, and charter services with a fleet of about 40,000 buses. For more information, please visit firststudentinc.com.