Angela Williams
Angela Williams
Angela Williams, Area General Manager, has been with the Student Transportation of America (STA) family for 27 years and oversees six locations in California. Originally a school bus driver with a local transportation provider named Santa Barbara Transportation, which was acquired by STA in 1997, Angela steadily began advancing in her transportation career. As a young wife and mother, she sought a job that allowed her to balance work and family life, making her decision to join STA both a practical and transformative one. Over the years, she has described her experience with the company as life-changing while reflecting on her personal growth and the impact of her role in the company.
Angela’s career with STA is marked by her many milestones and promotions. Starting as a trainee in 1994, she became a school bus driver by 1995. Just two years later, Angela moved to the training department, eventually becoming a behind-the-wheel trainer in 2002. Her journey then continued upward with many promotions — from operations supervisor to operations manager, regional operations manager, and now, Area General Manager. These milestones in Angela’s career with STA reflect her dedication to the company over the years. Despite opportunities from other organizations, Angela has always known that STA is home for her.
“We look at safety, we look at our people and you’re not just a number. You have a voice.”
Angela understands the importance of recognizing everyone’s potential and embracing new ideas. She always tells her operation managers that they may have a diamond in the rough with their employees. Deemed as the “fun aunt,” Angela takes time to connect with everyone and treats others as she’d want to be treated, having been in their shoes at one point. It has come as a shock to many employees how hands-on she is during terminal visits, but she emphasizes that her approach allows for growth and earned respect, as she wouldn’t ask anyone to do something she wouldn’t do herself.
Having been in the position of many of her workers, Angela’s approach to managing her locations starts with implementing procedures and workflows that she desired or noticed needed extra attention during her time as a school bus driver. By listening to the drivers, operations supervisors, dispatchers, and others within her region, Angela maintains an open communication style that helps her keep in touch with their everyday needs on the job. Though our family of companies continues to grow, she appreciates the small family-style mentality held by other leaders in the organization.
Angela’s drivers love the fact that they can share ideas and build a network amongst many terminals. Even in a large company, suggestions and feedback are welcomed and acted upon, rather than being ignored.
“Everybody is important. You don’t know how important your pinky toe is until you drop something on it. Every single person counts.”
Vice presidents and other notable leaders at STA have been big advocates for Angela as she moved up in her roles and responsibilities, continuously encouraging her to try new things and to challenge herself. She recalled a time when she was called in to take over a division in Palmdale, CA, where the terminal needed quite a bit of help getting back on track. In just two pay periods, Angela had turned everything around so much that a very highly respected member of the leadership team flew out to personally recognize this major accomplishment. Receiving that kind of recognition from someone so impactful at STA was a significant moment for Angela. She attributes being hands-on and out in the field with other employees as a reason to why she has been able to make such a huge difference. It reinforced our company’s culture, where hard work is acknowledged, and credit is given where it’s deserved.
Angela’s journey with STA exemplifies the potential for growth and personal fulfillment available to many others in the organization and those in the future. From her early days as a driver to her current role as Area General Manager, Angela’s passion, hands-on approach, and commitment to motivating her team continue to make a lasting impact at STA. Her success proves the value of hard work and mutual respect between employees. As she continues to inspire others, Angela represents the supportive and family-oriented culture that STA was built on, proving that leadership and teamwork can thrive in an environment where everyone’s voice matters.