Michael Miller’s first day of his new job as Transportation Supervisor at the Newark Central School District Bus Garage December 8th wasn’t exactly typical.
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That’s because he’s not new to the Newark Bus Garage, having worked as Head Mechanic there since 2017 after being hired as a mechanic two years earlier.
Appointed Transportation Supervisor Dec. 4th by the Board of Education, Miller’s last day as Head Mechanic was Dec. 6th.
Interviewed in his office adjacent to the huge garage area Dec. 8th, Miller said he’s ready for a new challenge.
Indeed. The duties on his new job are considerable and include routing, training, scheduling, answering tons of phone calls, being a substitute bus driver when needed and oversight of 43 employees _ 29 bus drivers, 8 monitors, 4 substitute drivers and 2 mechanics.
Miller is replacing Sheila Dittmar who has been serving as Interim Transportation Supervisor since September. She retired in July of 2023 after 9 years as Director of Transportation for the NCSD.
She’s temporarily helping Miller get acclimated to his new role.
But she’s confident Miller will excel.
“Mike has worked for seven years as our Head Mechanic after beginning in 2015 as a mechanic and he has done a great job. I believe he will do an outstanding job as Transportation Supervisor,” Dittmar said.
Superintendent Susan Hasenauer agrees.
"I am so excited to have Mike Miller on board as our new Transportation Supervisor. Not only does he have the skill set to do the job, but he also possesses the people skills to work collaboratively with the team and enhance the culture and climate of the department. He is highly respected by his colleagues and community members, and I have no doubt that he will do an exceptional job in his new role.”
A Newark native and 2000 Newark High School graduate, Miller said working in transportation is in his blood.
His dad, Michael Miller Sr. drove his tractor trailer for Superior Truck Lines in Port Gibson until it was recently sold. “I wanted to be a mechanic when I was young,’’ he said.
Mike Miller began working after school and weekends at Superior when he was a junior at NHS, switching to full time as a mechanic a year later after graduation. He was eventually promoted to Head Mechanic. His 16-year-stint there included sometimes driving great distances out-of-state to repair one of Superior’s trucks when it broke down.
Wife Staci, a pharmacist at Wegmans in Newark urged him to apply for the job as a mechanic at the Newark Central School District. He was hired 9 years ago this month and he’s glad he made the switch because he’s not only enjoyed working here but would have been looking for a job like his dad did after Superior’s closure.
A Newark native, Mike Miller and Staci have two children attending Newark schools. Maylee is a junior at NHS and Cole is a sixth grader at Newark Middle School.