Tiger Transit driver wins Focus on Safety award and $20,000 prize
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Auburn Tiger Transit driver Willie Frank Smith was presented with First Transit's Focus on Safety award on Wednesday, May 6. The award came with a choice of a 2015 Ford Focus or $20,000 from First Transit, the Tiger Transit provider.
"I never had a thought that I would win this," Smith said. "It means a whole lot to me."
The corporation-wide safety campaign had more than 5,000 employees competing to win. Operators took surveys, online quizzes and attended safety meetings to earn keys. At the end of the competition, Smith was randomly selected as the winner from a stack of the keys.
"This is a great opportunity to award an employee for his outstanding safety practices," said Tim McCann, senior vice president of First Transit. "He displays a constant focus on safety."
Smith said he chose to receive the money, but was still shocked to be chosen as the winner. Rex Huffman, manager of Tiger Transit services, planned the announcement as a surprise for Smith.
"Wow. That's all I can say is, wow!" said Smith.
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Auburn University is a nationally ranked land grant institution recognized for its commitment to world-class scholarship, interdisciplinary research with an elite, top-tier Carnegie R1 classification, life-changing outreach with Carnegie’s Community Engagement designation and an undergraduate education experience second to none. Auburn is home to more than 30,000 students, and its faculty and research partners collaborate to develop and deliver meaningful scholarship, science and technology-based advancements that meet pressing regional, national and global needs. Auburn’s commitment to active student engagement, professional success and public/private partnership drives a growing reputation for outreach and extension that delivers broad economic, health and societal impact.