Committed to Going the Extra Mile
Beacon Mobility is a growing family of companies committed to serving the diverse needs of our customers. Experienced, compassionate, and inspired, we take pride in our ability to create customized, mobility-based solutions that empower people to get where they need to go.
Our Purpose
MOBILITY WITHOUT LIMITS: Transporting people to live, learn, and achieve
Our Core Values
Core Values do more than define who we are right now; our Core Values act as a beacon to guide us toward who we want to become. Our Beacon Values are simple yet meaningful, reflecting the importance we put on taking care of people: our Beacon team, our passengers, our customers, and our communities.
We care
Treat people with kindness
Offer help when you can
Keep everyone safe
We do the right thing
Act in good faith
Do what you say
Hold each other accountable
We collaborate
Ask for input
Be a great listener
Find solutions together
We have fun
Be yourself
Create connections
Celebrate success together
Leadership
Judith Crawford
Courtenay Casaccio
David A. Duke
Sam Hayes
Cara Duke
Kevin Kilner
Westley Richters
Cor Van Dyk
Judith Crawford
Judith joined Beacon Mobility as the CEO in 2021. Formerly, Judith was the Chief Executive Officer of National Express Transit Corporation (a division of National Express LLC), where she was responsible for all transit operations in the United States and Canada, as well as the continued growth of the division through organic wins and acquisitions. At National Express Transit, Judith built and drove the vision of a customer-centric program that used the most innovative technologies to provide superior safety protocols, an exemplary customer experience, and exceptional operational performance.
Prior to National Express Transit, Judith served as Chief Financial Officer for National Express LLC, overseeing the financial direction of both the established student transportation business and the newly created transit operation. Before beginning her career with National Express, Judith worked as a chartered accountant for KPMG in the United Kingdom.
When not working, Judith enjoys outdoor activities including hiking and biking, and will sign up for any sporting challenge if it comes with a t-shirt.
Favorite Leadership Quote:
“Only surround yourself with people who will lift you higher.”
- Oprah Winfrey
Courtenay Casaccio
Before joining us at Beacon Mobility, Courtenay led the People Experience function for Midtown Athletic Clubs, where she was instrumental in fast-tracking a Workday implementation as a new Human Capital Management system across the company.
Prior to Midtown, Courtenay spent almost 20 years at Stericycle, a global compliance company operating in over 20 countries with over 20,000 employees. During her tenure at Stericycle she was actively involved in over 90 acquisitions. She also held many top leadership positions including the SVP HR, SVP Country Manager Canada, Corporate VP of IT, and VP of Inside Sales. As SVP HR she was also responsible for the global culture and employee engagement strategy.
Courtenay has a strong background in both IT and HR and focuses on driving business results, but she always has a strong people lens to ensure a results-driven and fun environment.
Outside of work, Courtenay loves traveling, spending time with her family, watching her kids' sporting events, and spoiling their new Golden Doodle puppy, Violet.
Favorite leadership quote:
“The responsibility of leadership is not to come up with all the ideas. The responsibility of leadership is to create an environment in which great ideas can thrive.”
– Simon Sinek
David A. Duke
David brings more than 30 years' experience in passenger transportation, having held various leadership positions with national companies that included financial, operations, and business development. Prior to becoming Chief Development Officer, he served as Beacon's Chief Commercial Officer, and before that as CEO (and in an advisory role as CEO Emeritus) of National Express.
In his downtime, David likes to be outdoors hiking and cycling.
Favorite Leadership Quote:
“First know yourself.”
-adapted from Sun Tzu
Sam Hayes
Sam joined Beacon Mobility in 2020 as the VP of Strategy & Project Management, followed by the role of Chief of Staff, and most recently he moved into the role of Chief Commercial Officer. He will be responsible for managing the commercial team, driving our growth agenda and our EV program. Sam is passionate about Beacon’s mission of providing mobility solutions, particularly to children with special needs.
Prior to joining Beacon, Sam was a consultant at Bain & Co. and served as an Intelligence Officer in the United States Navy.
Outside of work, you can find Sam enjoying the outdoors with his wife, Leslie, and their daughter, Riley.
Favorite leadership quote:
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”
– John Quincy Adams
Cara Duke
Cara joined Beacon Mobility in February 2023, to work with the Commercial team to support the Beacon growth strategy. She recently transitioned to the role of Chief of Staff.
Before joining Beacon Mobility, Cara built her career as a mergers and acquisitions (M&A) consultant focusing on risk and insurance. Most recently, Cara led the M&A Insurance Diligence function at Alliant Insurance Services, where she developed best practices, created measurable deliverable standards, and established processes for the growing team.
Prior to Alliant, Cara spent ten years as a buy-side consultant to Private Equity deal teams.
When she isn’t working, Cara is usually outside. She is often travelling – either to Colorado (visiting family and the Rocky Mountains) or to Northern Ireland (visiting her husband’s family and the beautiful Irish Sea). When Cara is at home in New York City, Saturday mornings are dedicated to volunteering at Pegasus Therapeutic Riding, a facility that provides the experience and benefits of horse-riding to people with cognitive and physical disabilities as well as to members of the military veteran community.
Favorite Leadership Quote:
“Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right!”
-Henry Ford
Kevin Kilner
Before joining Beacon, Kevin served as the Vice President of Safety at National Express North America, where he was responsible for the performance of the safety program at all transit and school bus operations in the United States. At National Express, Kevin drove significant improvements by leveraging innovative “on-vehicle” technologies with comprehensive data-management processes, positioning operations to deliver an excellent customer experience.
Prior to the Vice President of Safety role, Kevin served as Vice President of Safety for National Express Transit, Area Director of Safety for the East Coast of National Express School Bus, and location manager of school bus and transit operations for National Express and regional transportation companies from Charleston, SC to Buffalo, NY where he began his career as a driver in the paratransit market.
In his free time, Kevin is a self-proclaimed recovering musician who also enjoys time with his wife, children, and grandchildren…. and squeezing in the occasional motorcycle ride.
Favorite leadership quote:
“Effort and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.”
- John F. Kennedy
Westley Richters
After almost two decades in the transportation and logistics industry, Wes joined Beacon Mobility in 2019 as Chief Operating Officer. Prior to joining Beacon, Wes was divisional COO at National Express with responsibility for the eastern United States operations, and later a start-up division that served charter schools nationwide. Wes began his career at Hertz, working his way up from a management trainee role to Vice President of Zone Operations, providing leadership to more than 1,000 employees in multiple locations across the southeast.
Wes enjoys collaborating with others across the organization to provide the best service to the people that Beacon transports. When away from work, Wes enjoys time with family and friends and being focused on health and fitness. He and his wife enjoy their fur family and love to travel to new places near and far.
Favorite leadership quote:
“Leadership is not about titles, positions, or flowcharts. It is about one life influencing another.”
- John C. Maxwell
Cor Van Dyk
With 20+ years of financial leadership experience, Cor joined Beacon Mobility in 2019. Cor has a track record of partnering directly with operational leadership to deliver improved financial performance and enhanced operating productivity by focusing on sound commercial principles, efficient and accurate reporting, and clear communication.
Prior to joining Beacon, Cor began his career with PricewaterhouseCoopers. He later joined CEVA Logistics and held several financial leadership roles with increasing responsibilities. Cor brings an extensive array of skills in both business leadership and finance.
While Cor is originally Canadian, he has lived in the US for 19 years and recently became a US citizen. Cor lived in Florida and Texas prior to moving to Massachusetts and is a loyal Houston Astros fan.
Favorite leadership quote:
“The point of financial leadership is to change the numbers, not simply report them."
- Rubin McDougal
Margret Davis
Jonah Crespo
Mike Rorison
Jason Saunders
Margret Davis
Margret joined Beacon Mobility as the VP Fleet Management in April 2022. She brings over 23 years of fleet management, leadership, and operational experience spanning across diverse industries including distribution, communications, and utility.
Prior to joining Beacon, Margret was the Director of Fleet and Compliance at Centuri Group, Inc. where she was responsible for DOT/FMCSA compliance for multiple businesses throughout the enterprise, management of all national fleet programs, key stakeholder in various acquisitions, diligence and integrations, and most recently completed the implementation and roll out of a new telematics platform to ~10,000 assets across the US in ~6 months. Margret also led the inaugural DEI employee resource group, WELD (Women Engaged in Leadership Development), where she was able to create a community for employees (male and females) to discuss challenges of a diverse workforce in the construction industry, share ideas and feedback, engage with others throughout the enterprise, and offer professional and personal development.
In her free time, Margret enjoys traveling, hiking, golf, craft beer, live music, and spending time with her 4 kids and 2 grandsons.
Favorite Leadership Quote:
“Leadership is not a rank or a position, it is a choice – a choice to look after the person to the left of us and the person to the right of us.”
- Simon Sinek
Jonah Crespo
Before joining Beacon in November 2023, Jonah was a director for Heliox, leading several departments of engineers and project managers. Prior to his experience at a charger OEM, Jonah was a founding member of New Flyer’s Infrastructure Solutions department. Prior to his experience in mobility, Jonah was an engineer for Corning, leading global electrical projects for critical manufacturing pilots such as pharmaceutical glass vials and Gorilla glass.
With a foundation in engineering and a commitment to redefining the future of transportation, Jonah’s played a pivotal role in the evolution of cutting-edge mobility technologies including directing the largest electric charging project in the U.S., as well as launching the first electric BRT route in North America.
In his free time, Jonah spends time with his wife and newborn son, Alexander. Jonah is also an MBA candidate at Georgia Tech, graduating this year.
Favorite Leadership Quote:
“A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. They do not set out to be a leader but becomes one by the equality of their actions and the integrity of their intent.”
-Douglas MacArthur
Mike Rorison
Mike joined Beacon Mobility in 2023 as the Vice President of Maintenance. He is an experienced fleet maintenance specialist with a decade of successful leadership positions. His background includes managing maintenance on helicopters, buses, garbage trucks and utility vehicles. He recently worked with Eversource Energy as the director of fleet managing a fleet of 8,500 vehicles. Mike is also a veteran of the United States Army.
In his spare time, Mike is a woodworker and still enjoys working on vehicles. As a strong believer in the power of people and allowing leaders to lead, Mike will be working with the fleet shops.
Favorite Leadership Quote:
“The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.”
- John Maxwell
Jason Saunders
Jason joined Beacon Mobility as the Chief Asset Management Officer in September 2023. He brings over 25 years of asset & operations management experience.
Before joining Beacon, Jason held executive fleet & procurement leadership roles in the municipal solid waste & refuse industry with companies that were private equity owned. He is a member of multiple customer advisory & technology councils for chassis & body OEMs as well as heavy equipment OEMs. Jason began his career in the copper mining industry in various fleet operations, maintenance, procurement & engineering leadership roles and has traveled extensively to some fascinating and remote locations, including the Atacama Desert in Chile and Peru, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the island of Papua Indonesia.
In his free time, Jason loves building high performance cars, motorcycles and dune buggies. He also loves being outdoors; hiking, hunting and camping as well as spending time with family.
Favorite Leadership Quote:
“Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.”
-Theodore Roosevelt
David A. Duke
Sam Hayes
Manu Agarwal
Pete Delani
Justin Grygiel
Kim Koven
Alyzah Mohammed
Kim Presutti
Justin Rakestraw
David A. Duke
David brings more than 30 years' experience in passenger transportation, having held various leadership positions with national companies that included financial, operations, and business development. Prior to becoming Chief Development Officer, he served as Beacon's Chief Commercial Officer, and before that as CEO (and in an advisory role as CEO Emeritus) of National Express.
In his downtime, David likes to be outdoors hiking and cycling, spending time at home with his wife Maryanne, his youngest daughter, Kendall, and their dog, Casey.
Favorite Leadership Quote:
“First know yourself.”
-adapted from Sun Tzu
Sam Hayes
Sam joined Beacon Mobility in 2020 as the VP of Strategy & Project Management, followed by the role of Chief of Staff, and most recently moving into the role of Chief Commercial Officer. He will be responsible for managing the commercial team, driving our growth agenda and our EV program. Sam is passionate about Beacon’s mission of providing mobility solutions, particularly to children with special needs.
Prior to joining Beacon, Sam was a consultant at Bain & Co. and served as an Intelligence Officer in the United States Navy.
Outside of work, you can find Sam enjoying the outdoors with his wife, Leslie, and their daughter, Riley.
Favorite leadership quote:
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”
– John Quincy Adams
Manu Agarwal
Manu joined Beacon Mobility in August 2023 as Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategy supporting growth efforts through acquisitions, assisting with commercial analysis for organic wins and driving Beacon’s long-term strategy plan.
Prior to Beacon, Manu worked for KPMG in their Deal Advisory & Strategy practice. Before joining KPMG, Manu spent majority of her career at Deloitte in their audit practice in Boston and India.
Outside of work, Manu loves going on long walks, watching sunsets and spending time outdoors with a book in hand and music playing in her ears. When she is not working, you will find her either hiking a trail or at home binge watching documentaries.
Favorite Leadership Quote:
“The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.”
-John Maxwell
Pete Delani
Pete joined Beacon Mobility in July of 2021, after serving as Principal of Masconomet Regional High School.
Prior to his principalship, he worked in a variety of roles in education, including assistant principal, athletic director, teacher, and district bus coordinator.
Pete wrote A Walk with Daimon: Where Fate and Free Will Collide; penned the sports column, By the Numbers for the Lawrence Eagle Tribune; and presented locally and nationally to different education, coaching and business groups on topics including Teaching & Learning, Coaching, and Leadership Strategies.
Additionally, Pete was a pro scout for the Colorado Rockies and Cincinnati Reds, and was the general manager of the North Shore Navigators.
Pete enjoys time with his family, sports, reading books, and what life has in store for us by going out and getting lost in the world.
Favorite Leadership Quote:
“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”
- Marcus Aurelius
Justin Grygiel
Justin joined Beacon Mobility as a Vice President of Commercial Development in February 2021. Justin comes to Beacon with over 20 years of progressive experience in transportation, and has held roles in operations leadership, customer service, and sales with other transportation companies including Laidlaw, First Student, and Durham School Services.
Justin has experience overseeing, developing leadership teams, and nurturing relationships with complex special education transportation customers and cooperatives that translates well with the growth initiatives at Beacon. He has spent a considerable amount of time planning the setup of locations to be outfitted to deliver high levels of customer satisfaction. Justin’s experience in business development includes fostering new partnerships with school districts, collaborating to establish win-win contracts, transitioning school systems from self-operated to contracted transportation services, and opening new locations for new customers. Justin enjoys helping people and is dedicated to finding ways to add value to our partnerships with customers.
Favorite Leadership Quote:
“To handle yourself, use your head; To handle others, use your heart.”
-Eleanor Roosevelt
Kim Koven
Kim joined Beacon Mobility in 2021 as the Director of Commercial Support. She assists with all functions of the commercial team, including proposals, tradeshows, and marketing materials to promote our Beacon family of brands. Kim comes to Beacon with nearly 25 years of experience in marketing and proposal management. She has held progressive roles in these functions including leading the proposal process for consulting firms, highly technical companies designing locomotives and industrial conveyer systems, and two other school bus companies.
Kim graduated with her A.S. in Accounting from Danville Area Community College, B.S. in Marketing from Illinois State University, and MBA in Management/Finance from North Central College.
Outside of work, Kim is heavily involved in her boys’ busy baseball and school lives. She and her family are avid Chicago Cubs fans, and their second home is on the ballfields. Kim enjoys traveling, interior decorating, gardening and is always looking for that perfect shot with her camera!
Favorite Leadership Quote:
“Never allow the circumstances of your life to become an excuse. People will allow you to do it. But I believe we have a personal obligation to make the most of the abilities we have.”
-Jim Abbott
Alyzah Mohammed
Alyzah joined Beacon Mobility as the Director of Strategy in September 2023. After pursuing her MBA at Chicago Booth School of Business, Alyzah worked as a consultant at Bain & Company, focusing on growth strategy and operating model projects. Prior to her MBA, Alyzah was a Sales Manager at Flexport, and worked in the sales and trading division at JP Morgan Chase.
Alyzah lives in Atlanta with her fiancé, Asif, and their two dogs, Dexter and Olly. She loves all things travel and wine and is a passionate (read: obsessive) supporter of Arsenal FC and the Pakistani cricket team.
Favorite leadership quote:
“Earn your leadership every day.”
-Michael Jordan
Kim Presutti
Kim joined NRT Bus in 2000 as a consultant supporting the charter program during the early days of the business. Less than a year later, she became a full-time employee, joining NRT when it had about 100 vehicles and three locations. Kim ran the charter department and took on various management responsibilities as the company grew to 10 locations and more than 1,700 vehicles. In 2012, Kim was promoted to Vice President and expanded her responsibilities to manage the bid process and support the CEO’s growth plan. Upon the NRT merger with Van Pool, Kim took on expanded commercial responsibilities for Beacon Mobility.
Kim enjoys the team atmosphere at work and considers many of her colleagues to be family. Kim also enjoys time with her husband on their boat in Boston Harbor and cruising around the cape.
Favorite leadership quote:
“The most remarkable thing in life is that we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.”
-Charles R. Swindoll
Justin Rakestraw
Justin Rakestraw serves as Vice President of Business Development, Transit for Beacon Mobility. He has more than 15 years of experience in the field of paratransit. He has worked at SCR Medical Transportation in various positions with his parents, Stanley and Pamela Rakestraw, the company's founders. Justin's most recent position at SCR was Vice President of Operations, where he contributed to expanding the customer base and developing operating procedures.
Justin earned his Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was a student-athlete for the Butler football team, where he played quarterback, and he continues to be a passionate follower of the sport. The most important thing about him is that he is the father of three lovely daughters and has been married to his wife, Angela, for ten years.
Favorite Leadership Quote:
“You can't just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they'll want something new.”
-Steve Jobs
Cor Van Dyk
Scott Barta
Candy Bush
Brandon Ebeling
Karim Jules
Dave Stephens
Cor Van Dyk
With 20+ years of financial leadership experience, Cor joined Beacon Mobility in 2019. Cor has a track record of partnering directly with operational leadership to deliver improved financial performance and enhanced operating productivity by focusing on sound commercial principles, efficient and accurate reporting, and clear communication.
Prior to joining Beacon, Cor began his career with PricewaterhouseCoopers. He later joined CEVA Logistics and held several financial leadership roles with increasing responsibilities. Cor brings an extensive array of skills in both business leadership and finance.
While Cor is originally Canadian, he has lived in the US for 19 years and recently became a US citizen. Cor lived in Florida and Texas prior to moving to Massachusetts and is a loyal Houston Astros fan.
Favorite leadership quote:
“The point of financial leadership is to change the numbers, not simply report them."
- Rubin McDougal
Scott Barta
Scott joined Beacon Mobility as VP Finance, Controller in August of 2023. Formerly, Scott was the Corporate Controller of Leaf Home, LLC, a direct-to-consumer home improvement company. At Leaf Home, Scott led an IPO-readiness project to enhance the company’s accounting function and financial reporting.
Throughout his career, Scott has always gravitated to software and how it directly interacts between accounting and the operation of the business.
Outside of work, he loves spending time with family and friends, traveling to warmer climates and routinely exercising.
Favorite Leadership Quote:
“Always do right. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest.”
- Mark Twain
Candy Bush
Candy joined Beacon Mobility as the Corporate Controller in March 2020. Since then, Candy has been involved in the redesign and reorganization of the Finance department, developed month end closing processes, and helped lead integration on newly acquired companies. Having a strong, extensive knowledge of accounting and tax matters, Candy assists the financial team with all matters throughout the Company.
Candy graduated from Bentley University with a Bachelor of Science in Corporate Finance and Accounting and a Master of Science in Accountancy. She obtained her licensure in Massachusetts as a Certified Public Accountant.
Prior to joining Beacon Mobility, Candy served as a Senior Accountant in a public accounting firm providing audit, tax and consulting services to privately owned businesses. Outside of work, Candy is a food connoisseur who enjoys finding different cuisines to explore. Candy also enjoys traveling to a vast array of places, exploring distinct cultures throughout the world.
Favorite Leadership Quote:
“Leadership is not about titles, positions, or work hours. It’s about relationships.”
- Jim Kouzes
Brandon Ebeling
Brandon joined Beacon Mobility as the VP of Finance in October 2022. Previous to Beacon, Brandon worked in PriceWaterhouseCooper’s Audit Practice division for three years before moving to its Deals Practice division, which specializes in due diligence and accounting advisory for capital market transactions.
After two years in the Deals group, Brandon joined QualTek Wireless, a telecom construction company, as VP of Finance, helping to grow the company and take it public through in February 2022.
Outside of work, Brandon likes to travel, spending time enjoying the outdoors, particularly when visiting Philadelphia and attending Penn State sporting events with his wife, Elsie and son, Theo.
Favorite Leadership Quote:
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.”
- John Quincy Adams
Karim Jules
Karim joined Beacon’s team in December 2022 as the VP Treasurer. Since then, Karim has transformed banking across the platform. With over 20 years of diverse experience in treasury transformation, Karim’s treasury background spans public and private sector companies of varying sizes and across multiple industries. These industries include retail, real estate, logistics, transportation, and hospitality services.
Karim enjoys all Caribbean festivities and road tripping with his wife, Gen, and two boys, Kaleb and Josh.
Favorite Leadership Quote:
“Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate, and doubt to offer a solution everybody can understand.”
- General Colin Powell
Dave Stephens
Dave joined Beacon Mobility in July 2022, having accrued over a decade of transportation experience in all parts of the business (recruiting, maintenance, operations, etc.).
Prior to joining Beacon, Dave spent the past 11 years as the Start-Up Program Manager for National Express. Previous to that role, Dave spent his career in the oil and gas industry, managing pipeline infrastructure projects in Canada and the U.S.
When he's not working, Dave enjoys being outside, grilling and smoking, hiking in the mountains, relaxing on a beach, or working on projects in their backyard.
Favorite leadership quote:
“You never get a second chance to make a good first impression."
- Will Rogers
Westley Richters
Gaurav Sharda
David Batchelor
Daniel Hernandez
Jim Ring
Emran Saidan
Tim Sheehan
Scott Sheridan
Westley Richters
After almost two decades in the transportation and logistics industry, Wes joined Beacon Mobility in 2019 as Chief Operating Officer. Prior to joining Beacon, Wes was divisional COO at National Express with responsibility for the eastern United States operations, and later a start-up division that served charter schools nationwide. Wes began his career at Hertz, working his way up from a management trainee role to Vice President of Zone Operations, providing leadership to more than 1,000 employees in multiple locations across the southeast.
Wes enjoys collaborating with others across the organization to provide the best service to the people that Beacon transports. When away from work, Wes enjoys time with family and friends and being focused on health and fitness. He and his wife enjoy their fur family and love to travel to new places near and far.
Favorite leadership quote:
“Leadership is not about titles, positions, or flowcharts. It is about one life influencing another.”
- John C. Maxwell
Gaurav Sharda
Gaurav joined Beacon Mobility as the Vice President of HR Technology in Oct 2021. Gaurav is a passionate and optimistic technology and people leader who strives to create a positive impact on the society and the businesses using technology. Formerly, Gaurav was the Sr. Director of Technology at Life Time Inc., where he led digital transformation across HR, Finance, Sales and Marketing functions to accelerate growth of Life Time and provide best employee and customer experiences. At Life Time, Gaurav built high performing teams and grew leaders who continued to provide best employee and customer experiences through the people-first mindset.
Prior to Life Time, Gaurav served as Sr. Consultant at General Mills leading HR Process & Technology Transformation for 30+ countries in an effort to provide excellent employee experiences and operational efficiencies. Prior to General Mills, he served as a Consultant for companies such as Microsoft, Comcast, St. Jude Medical providing technical and functional expertise in HR technology. Before beginning his work career with Consulting in the US, Gaurav did his Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics & Communications Engineering in India and Master of Science in Computer Engineering at University of Iowa.
When not working, Gaurav enjoys traveling with his wife, playing, and watching cricket, spending time with family and friends and watching thriller shows on Netflix or other streaming platforms.
Favorite Leadership Quote:
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
-Maya Angelou
David Batchelor
Dave joined Easton Coach Company in 2010 as the company’s Vice President of Operations, eventually stepping into the role of President and Chief Operating Officer. In this role he oversaw all ECC's Operations, Safety and Maintenance functions. Dave has over 25 years of experience in the transportation industry, and is well versed in fixed route, paratransit, international airport shuttle, broker transportation systems and fleet maintenance solutions.
In 2023, Dave transitioned from his role as COO of Easton Coach Company to the Senior Vice President of Operations for Beacon Mobility’s Mid-Atlantic region, where he will have full P&L responsibility for Tri County Transportation, Health Ride Plus, Palmeri Transportation and Easton Coach Company.
Dave is an avid equestrian and lover of all animals. Although he lives in New Jersey, he grew up in Massachusetts and is a die-hard Boston sports fan.
Favorite Leadership Quote:
“The ability to help the people around me self-actualize their goals underlines the single aspect of my abilities and the label that I value most — teacher.”
-Bill Walsh
Daniel Hernandez
Daniel's profound dedication to the industry has not only influenced the culture at ADROIT but has also significantly impacted the lives of students and their families. As a parent of a special needs child, he personally understands and values the transformative power of exceptional service in Special Education transportation. His unwavering commitment to excellence sets him apart and ensures a positive experience for all stakeholders involved.
Favorite leadership quote:
“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”
– Lucius Annaeus Seneca
Jim Ring
Jim joined Beacon Mobility in October 2023 bringing with him over 30 years in the transportation business. The last 12 years have been spent in pupil transportation, where he served as General Manager, Region Manager, and his latest assignment since 2021 as Senior Vice President of the western United States at National Express. Before his time in the pupil transportation space, he held various roles of increasing responsibility, including over 20 years at United Parcel Service.
Jim enjoys the responsibility and privilege of leading large organizations to success and looks forward to providing support and leadership to members of the Beacon team.
In Jim’s free time, he enjoys spending time in the gym and with his family.
Favorite leadership quote:
“Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge.”
– Simon Sinek
Emran Saidan
Emran is the Co-Founder and CEO of Adroit, an innovative student alternative and supplemental transportation company. He joined Beacon Mobility as a Senior Vice President in 2021, to help revolutionize the student transportation industry. On Sept. 25, 2023, Emran took the role of CEO Emeritus, ADROIT. Prior to joining Beacon, Emran is originally a serial entrepreneur who’s all about disrupting markets through innovative technologies and products.
Emran comes to Beacon with over seven years of alternative student transportation experience, from companies he founded and companies he previously worked for. He started his career as a small logistics contractor for the U.S. Military in the Middle East, and due to his ambitions, he moved up the ranks to become one of the main contacts for U.S. Military in the Middle East.
His ambitions did not stop there so he immigrated to the U.S. in search of other challenges to solve while pursuing his education. He joined venture with seasoned student transportation veterans to help solve the challenges school districts and families of kids with special needs face every day with a broken transportation system – all by introducing new innovative alternative and supplemental solutions.
Emran built a reputation of being a problem solver, product creator and thinker. He enjoys innovating new solutions to address and revolutionize markets and industries. When not working, he enjoys spending his time with his wife, children, relatives, and friends over feasts.
Favorite leadership quote:
“The ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
- Rob Siltanen (Attributed to Steve Jobs)
Tim Sheehan
Tim Sheehan is the SVP of Operations for the Northeast for Beacon Mobility. Reporting to COO Westley Richters, Tim oversees the operations for all of our Massachusetts business, working closely with the VPs and Ops Managers in providing our New England customers with the first-rate service they have come to expect.
Before joining Beacon, Tim was the Regional Vice President for the Northeast Healthcare Division at Sodexo, where he was responsible for strategic accounts within the Northeast Region. Tim excels at leading complex technical and operational problem-solving teams and has a proven track record of success as a strategic business partner, change agent, and process improvement leader.
He has led a balanced team approach to managing his portfolio of business, resulting in six years of 100% client retention and significant new growth for the business.
Tim resides in Boston with his wife and two boys. Some fun facts about Tim:
- His family has a place in the mountains where they enjoy rafting on the river and snow machines in the winter.
- They also love to travel and enjoy the islands when they can.
· Tim spent years in the Army and currently coaches his kids sports (baseball, football).
Favorite Leadership Quote:
“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.”
-Benjamin Franklin
Scott Sheridan
While originally from Massachusetts, Scott joined the U.S. Army at a young age and made it a 22-year career which enabled him to live in many wonderful places. Scott served in several distinguished units to include the 82nd Airborne, the 101st Airborne (Air Assault), the Berlin Brigade, where he was stationed in 1989, when the Berlin Wall was taken down, and the Army’s recruiting command, to mention a few. Scott spent most of his career in the Infantry as a combat arms leader. Additionally, he spent quite a few years as a recruiter and later as a Station Commander within the Army’s recruiting command.
In 2006, the Vice President of Van Pool Transportation, Kevin Hinkamper, recruited Scott to join Van Pool as a Regional Manager. At that time, Van Pool had a total of 225 employees. When Van Pool was acquired by Audax 12-plus years later, that number was well over 2,000 employees.
Scott's leadership and logistics experience in the military required a level of adjustment to become applicable in special needs school transportation. However, he has always been highly adaptable and soon began to study, and later master, the greater aspects of school transportation.
In 2023, Beacon chief operating officer Westley Richters asked Scott if he would be interested in heading up a team of highly motivated professionals in Chicago, Illinois. Scott now finds himself working with the great people of SCR Medical Transportation, Alltown Bus Service, and all the companies that are included in the Central region. Scott is proud to be a member of the Central team, a former member of the New England team, and is especially proud to be a part of Beacon Mobility.
Favorite Leadership Quote:
“My two basic responsibilities will always be uppermost in my mind — accomplishment of my mission and the welfare of my soldiers (people).”
-United States Army, Non-Commissioned Officer's Creed.
Courtenay Casaccio
Lauren Gonzalez
Jessica Knell
Alice Marks
Jignesh Patel
Jeff Rainey
Edith Yambo
Courtenay Casaccio
Before joining us at Beacon Mobility, Courtenay led the People Experience function for Midtown Athletic Clubs, where she was instrumental in fast-tracking a Workday implementation as a new Human Capital Management system across the company.
Prior to Midtown, Courtenay spent almost 20 years at Stericycle, a global compliance company operating in over 20 countries with over 20,000 employees. During her tenure at Stericycle she was actively involved in over 90 acquisitions. She also held many top leadership positions including the SVP HR, SVP Country Manager Canada, Corporate VP of IT, and VP of Inside Sales. As SVP HR she was also responsible for the global culture and employee engagement strategy.
Courtenay has a strong background in both IT and HR and focuses on driving business results, but she always has a strong people lens to ensure a results-driven and fun environment.
Outside of work, Courtenay loves traveling, spending time with her family, watching her kids' sporting events, and spoiling their new Golden Doodle puppy, Violet.
Favorite leadership quote:
“The responsibility of leadership is not to come up with all the ideas. The responsibility of leadership is to create an environment in which great ideas can thrive.”
– Simon Sinek
Lauren Gonzalez
Lauren joined Beacon Mobility in January 2021 as a Director of Human Resources for the New England region. Her background in the hospitality industry helped her approach her role in the transportation industry with a customer service mindset. Her career in the restaurant industry spanned different roles in operations, talent acquisition, talent development, training, and general human resources. She has been part of small start-ups and larger corporations including The Cheesecake Factory, Bertucci’s Restaurant Corporation, Flik Hospitality and Delaware North.
Lauren’s career has grown with Beacon Mobility from the New England region supporting 4,500 employees, to Director of Human Resources across all Beacon companies. In her current role, her people-first philosophy helps guide decisions and initiatives across the Beacon platform. She is devoted to developing an impactful, effective, passionate HR team, who lead through the lens of the core company values. Especially her favorite value, “We Have Fun”!
In her personal time, Lauren loves to travel, explore, and try new things. Next on her list is Portugal and learning golf. She enjoys spending time with her children Justin and Sonya, and her adorable yellow lab, Daisy. She also enjoys many adventures and laughs with her close group of friends.
Favorite leadership quote:
“Be humble. Be hungry. And always be the hardest worker in the room.”
-Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
Jessica Knell
Before joining Beacon, Jessica had accumulated over 15 years of experience in the healthcare industry including Tufts University, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Steward Medical, where she specialized in Human Resources, Operations, and Performance Management. Jessica lead multiple initiatives around business transformation, process improvement, and employee experience. Known for her "can-do" attitude, integrity, and consultative style, she guided organization-wide changes, fostered cross-functional collaborations, and effectively utilized both internal and external resources to embed best practices throughout her previous organizations.
Jessica's journey with Beacon started in 2019 when she came on board as a Human Resources Business Partner for the New England region. Within a short time, Jessica was promoted to Director of HR for Strategic Projects. In this role, she was instrumental in supporting several Workday implementations and system integrations. Taking her impact to the next level, Jessica currently serves as the Director of HR for M&A Integration. Her primary responsibilities include optimizing the integration process for both teams and newly acquired companies. She works to ensure that these transitions are smooth and consistent with our organization's core values. Jessica's operational experience, coupled with her people-first approach, uniquely positions her to drive both efficiency and employee satisfaction in her role.
Outside of work, Jessica loves spending time with her twins Michael and Madison, golden retrievers Bauer and Breck, and husband Josh. She also loves riding horses, traveling, golfing, and hiking.
Favorite leadership quote:
“Each person holds so much power within themselves that needs to be let out. Sometimes they just need a little nudge, a little direction, a little support, a little coaching, and the greatest things can happen.”
-Pete Carroll
Alice Marks
Alice joined Beacon Mobility as the Director of Communications in October of 2020. Throughout her career she has held positions in business management and marketing, but helping people communicate by bringing clarity and relatability through empathetic messaging is her true passion.
Alice has built marketing and communications programs for a variety of clients, both external and internal. She was the founder and owner of a baby products company where she created and grew her own proprietary juvenile gear brands, while also building and implementing marketing plans for other domestic and international clients. In addition to communications and marketing, Alice is also actively involved in change management initiatives, focusing on bridging the gap between data-driven metrics and messaging for demographic relatability.
In her free time, Alice likes to spend as much time as possible outdoors and enjoys hiking, cycling, camping, traveling, and spending time with her three kids.
Favorite leadership quote:
“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Jignesh Patel
Jignesh Patel joined Beacon Mobility as Senior Director of HR Technology in April 2022. Prior to joining Beacon, Jignesh held the Director of Technology position at Life Time, where he led HR and Finance transformation and increased adoption of technology, providing a better employee experience, saving time for employees/managers that ultimately resulted in a better customer experience.
Prior to Life Time, Jignesh worked as a senior analyst at General Mills, leading the effort of rolling out Workday payroll across 30+ counties. Prior to General Mills, Jignesh worked as SAP Consultant for companies such as BNSF Railways and T-Mobile. Jignesh earned a Master of Science degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington.
In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, especially with newborn daughter, Sanvi.
Favorite leadership quote:
“If you want to walk fast, walk alone. But if you want to walk far, walk together.”
-Ratan Tata
Jeff Rainey
Jeff joined Beacon Mobility as the Director of Employee & Labor Relations in August 2022. Prior to joining Beacon, Jeff has worked in a variety of Human Resources leadership roles within the transportation industry. Jeff brings over 30 years of experience in Employee and Labor Relations from such companies as FedEx, Republic Services, Consolidated Freightways, and Keolis Transit America.
Throughout his career, he has maintained a “people first” philosophy and he understands that there is a direct relationship with putting people first and the success of the organization. He is excited to be a part of a team that understands this basic principle.
In his spare time, Jeff enjoys family time, anything beach, fitness and nutrition, and grillin’ & chillin.’
Favorite leadership quote:
“If you are expected to change who you are to become a leader - then you should ask yourself if this is the right role and if you’re in the right organization.”
– Anonymous
Edith Yambo
Edith joined Beacon Mobility as the Vice President of Talent Management in July 2021. Throughout her 15+ HR career, she has held several leadership positions for companies like Bloomberg, Pitney Bowes, and Stericycle. Before joining Beacon, she was the Global Director of Talent Management, Culture, and DEI for Stericycle.
Edith has developed and implemented various projects and programs, including talent management plans, performance management systems, training, and development, onboarding, recruiting, diversity, inclusion, and culture transformation. As a woman and Latina, her role in talent management is especially close to her passion for creating a work culture that embraces diversity, inclusion, and provides opportunities for all employees to reach their full potential. Edith is devoted to employee development and firmly believes that leadership is a journey and not a destination and that journey should consist of constant learning.
Edith enjoys time with family traveling, outdoor activities, and downtime reading a good book when not working.
Favorite leadership quote:
“The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world.”
– Inspired by Plato
Mathy Sales
Anthony Brunshtein
Martin Kennedy
John Sullivan
Mathy Sales
Mathy joined Beacon Mobility as the SVP of Program Management Office Operations in 2021. She brings over thirty years of experience in technology development, large scale deployments and program management from various industries including retail, medical, manufacturing, and transportation. She has worked with organizational leadership teams as a consultant to establish Program Management Offices and set up optimized practices for operational efficiencies. Prior to joining Beacon, she held the VP of Performance Excellence position at National Express where she was instrumental in building and rolling out programs for standardizing Dispatch and Maintenance processes and driving efficiency improvements. Of preeminence to her is building collaborative partnerships to deliver strategic goals.
Away from work, Mathy enjoys spending time with family and friends, participating in a range of fitness and outdoor activities which has increased since her recent move to Florida.
Favorite leadership quote:
“The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.”
- Vince Lombardi
Anthony Brunshtein
Anthony ascended to the role of Senior Director of Business Transformation (PMO) at Beacon Mobility in 2022. Previously, he was the Senior Manager of Enterprise Continuous Improvement at Tomo Mortgage. There, Anthony made an indelible mark by designing a state-of-the-art quality assurance program and championing crucial process enhancements, leading to substantial cycle time reductions and enhanced customer service benchmarks.
Before Tomo Mortgage, Anthony worked for Southwest Airlines, operating as Manager for Enterprise Continuous Improvement in Corporate Strategy and Innovation. At Southwest, he pioneered the launch of 15 new stations in 2021, steered continuous improvement tools, and delivered a substantial value through strategic insights and leadership.
Anthony holds a Finance degree from the University of South Florida and a Master’s in Organizational Development and Professional Coaching from the University of Texas at Dallas.
Outside of professional commitments, Anthony cherishes quality time with his family and friends. He also enjoys reading, public speaking, and combat sports.
Favorite leadership quote:
“Tell less and ask more. Your advice is not as good as you think it is.”
- Michael Bungay Stanier
Martin Kennedy
Martin joined Beacon Mobility in his current role of Senior Director of Technology Delivery and Sustainment in early 2022. In this capacity, Martin is responsible for leading a team of technology deployment specialists in the implementation of core operational routing, scheduling, and dispatching software.
He comes to Beacon with over 16 years of professional experience as a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt; providing business process improvement support for companies such as Domino’s Pizza, Caesars Entertainment, USAA, Hertz, as well as for the United States Army and Marine Corps.
Martin is a proud veteran of the United States Marine Corps and is a member of the Beacon veterans impact group, HONOR. Martin lives in Michigan, and he is an avid college football fan, “Go Blue!”
Favorite leadership quote:
“It’s hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.”
- Theodore Roosevelt
John Sullivan
John joined Beacon Mobility as Director of Program Management in 2022. John joins the Beacon team from Royal Caribbean Group where he spent 6 years supporting various parts of the organization, including Royal Caribbean’s Transformation Management Office and Product Development group. John was responsible for program managing strategic organizational initiatives - providing milestone planning and oversight for strategic projects related to Private Destinations, Newbuild, and Fleet Modernization.
Prior to Royal, John worked for Komatsu Mining traveling across the globe as a Process Improvement Engineer, responsible for developing and implementing change management protocols supporting a 5-year enterprise digital transformation, upgrading inventory management systems, warehouses, and logistical infrastructure.
John is also a proud veteran, having served in the US Air Force as a Firefighter.
When not working, John can be found touring various part of the country on his motorcycle, hanging out on a cruise ship, or lounging at the beach.
Favorite leadership quote:
“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”
- Helen Adams Keller
Kevin Kilner
Ryan Devlin
Tim Tibbs
Eric White
Kevin Kilner
Before joining Beacon, Kevin served as the Vice President of Safety at National Express North America, where he was responsible for the performance of the safety program at all transit and school bus operations in the United States. At National Express, Kevin drove significant improvements by leveraging innovative “on-vehicle” technologies with comprehensive data-management processes, positioning operations to deliver an excellent customer experience.
Prior to the Vice President of Safety role, Kevin served as Vice President of Safety for National Express Transit, Area Director of Safety for the East Coast of National Express School Bus, and location manager of school bus and transit operations for National Express and regional transportation companies from Charleston, SC to Buffalo, NY where he began his career as a driver in the paratransit market.
In his free time, Kevin is a self-proclaimed recovering musician who also enjoys time with his wife, children, and grandchildren…. and squeezing in the occasional motorcycle ride.
Favorite leadership quote:
“Effort and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.”
- John F. Kennedy
Ryan Devlin
Ryan has overseen the safety function in a director role for people transportation for six years, spanning over 20 states, and has implemented safety standards, programs, and procedures across North America. Prior to joining the transit industry, Ryan obtained his BSBA and MBA from Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri.
Like many members of the team, Ryan is a dog lover and often spends time with his two Aussiedoodles when he is not working on initiatives to ensure our employees and passengers get home safely everyday!
Favorite Leadership Quote:
“Nothing has ever been accomplished in any walk of life without enthusiasm, without motivation, and without perseverance.”
- Jim Valvano
Tim Tibbs
Tim comes to Beacon with a myriad of experience within the transportation industry. With over 45 years of specialized experience, Tim started his career as a driver who achieved over 2-million-mile award by 1999 from the National Safety Council. Tim went on to progress through the ranks – working his way up by being first becoming a driver/trainer, followed thereafter by being a fleet trainer, dispatcher, operations manager, regional safety manager, and then director of safety.
Working in his role as VP of Safety Operations for Beacon, Tim tirelessly leads teams with a people-focused approach. He specializes in executing strategies that improve business productivity while simultaneously executing initiatives centered around employee engagement and recognition.
In his free time, Tim enjoys spending time with his family – his wife Pam of 44-plus years, their son, daughter, and their two grandchildren. One of Tim’s other passions is spending time fishing and time outdoors.
Favorite Leadership Quote:
“Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.”
- Jack Welch
Eric White
Eric joined Beacon Mobility as VP of Safety, Claims & Risk Management in 2022. Prior to joining Beacon Mobility, Eric worked in the Office of General Counsel for one of the largest insurance intermediaries globally, where he managed claims litigation and advised technology and human resources.
Earlier in his legal career, Eric developed skills as a trial lawyer, representing injured persons, individuals charged with crime, property owners having property taken via eminent domain, and commercial entities with business litigation issues.
In his spare time, Eric enjoys spending time outdoors with family and pets – and a smoky BBQ grill always nearby.
Favorite Leadership Quote:
“Leaders who don’t listen will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing to say.”
- Andy Stanley