Three OCTA employees were selected for their outstanding service during 2020, a year in which they helped overcome major obstacles due to COVID-19
ORANGE – The Orange County Transportation Authority recently announced the top three employees of the year – a year in which they helped OCTA continue to thrive despite the unprecedented challenges of the coronavirus (COVID-19) public health crisis.
The 2020 Employees of the Year are selected from the main divisions, including coach operators, maintenance and administration. They are:
- Ricardo Serna, a Santa Ana resident, is OCTA’s Coach Operator of the Year
- Travis Corey, a Westminster resident, is OCTA’s Maintenance Employee of the Year
- Barry Reynolds, a Riverside resident, is OCTA’s Administrative Employee of the Year
“OCTA’s ranks are filled with employees dedicated to keeping Orange County moving. This past year, especially, our Employees of the Year should be commended for rising above the challenges and for their commitment to helping improve transportation for all who travel through our county,” said OCTA Chairman Andrew Do, also the county First District Supervisor.
Ricardo Serna has been at OCTA since 1993 when he was hired as a service worker and a year later became a coach operator. He has achieved 25 years of safe driving and has an excellent attendance record. He is a trainer for other drivers and is known for his customer service, advising drivers to be patient, wait for elderly passengers to be seated and to show up for work every day.
Travis Corey joined OCTA as a coach operator in 2013 and decided to become a journeyman mechanic in 2019. Since making the transition, he has attained six Automotive Service Excellence certifications and is awaiting his certification as a master transit bus technician. Corey continues to greatly contribute to the productivity and excellence of the maintenance team.
Barry Reynolds was hired in 1988 at the Orange County Transit District, which would later become part of OCTA. He oversees the agency’s technology infrastructure and environment. In recent years, he helped move OCTA toward more cloud computing, which paid huge dividends when more than 500 administrative employees were required to transition to remote working because of the pandemic. He is admired by his coworkers for his compassionate and results-oriented approach to his job.
The three Employees of the Year were selected from among 36 employees who were chosen earlier as employees of the month. They were honored by the board of directors at a meeting and during a virtual celebration with fellow employees earlier this month.
