One word to describe yourself: Inquisitive
Alma Mater: University of Massachusetts Amherst
Fast fact about yourself: From time to time, I will still drive routes alongside our bus operators, whether I am driving solo to help with coverage or asking an operator to let me drive their next run while they are riding along. I started doing this to stay better connected to the reality of daily service delivery and the experiences of our frontline staff. Coincidently, it became an effective way for me to connect with bus operators, dispatchers and supervisors in a way that made our working relationship much stronger.
What’s your best experience on transit and what made it memorable?
There is nothing more interesting or rewarding in transit than our experiences with the people we serve. During my first couple years in transit, I encountered a passenger along a route waiting at a bus stop wearing a blanket as a cape and holding a stick. When I stopped and opened the doors to let the passenger board, she raised her stick and challenged me to a wizarding duel. Thinking quickly, I told her that I had forgotten my wand at home and asked for a rain check. She agreed and boarded the bus, riding contentedly to her destination. Public transit is an incredible space where you can meet and learn from so many different people in a way that few other industries can claim. One thing I can promise to anyone new in the industry is that their work in transit will never be boring.
Jasmin Curtis entered the transit industry as an operator before advancing to dispatcher and driving instructor before moving to management. During her more than 17-year career, Curtis has developed into a visionary, resourceful and compassionate leader. She currently serves as safety and training manager and interim operations manager at Greenville Transit Authority (Greenlink). Curtis developed Greenlink’s Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan and earned the World Safety Organization’s Certified Safety Manager Certification in 2021, making her the most decorated safety-focused manager at Greenlink.
In 2020, she addressed the challenge of hiring new bus operators by creating an in-house CDL program. The training was offered free of cost and trainees are paid $19 per hour to empower potential new hires to choose a career in transit. This initiative has trained 26 employees and enabled a 20 percent service increase in weekday routes and plans for extended Saturday service.
Curtis, who is a certified third-party CDL trainer and examiner with the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles, also provides CDL testing services to other city and county departments. Outside work, she volunteers with the Greenville Literacy Association, teaching a CDL permit preparation course that helps students qualify for workforce development scholarships and Greenlink’s training program. Her efforts have significantly impacted workforce development and community engagement.
As the Education Committee lead for the Transportation Association of South Carolina, Curtis manages curriculum development and speaker selection. Her efforts ensure the conference offers valuable insights and networking opportunities, catering to the diverse needs of transit professionals across the state.
Is there a specific experience that led you to where you are today?
It still amazes me how a split-second decision in a single moment can change the course of someone’s life. During my first week of my undergraduate degree program at the University of Massachusetts (UMass), Amherst, I was riding the bus on campus for the second time ever. I just happened to look up and saw a sign posted behind the driver that read, “Do you want to drive the bus?” This job advertisement was for UMass Transit, a division of the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) providing service to the university and surrounding areas. I immediately thought “Yes, I want to drive a bus. How cool is that?” I applied that night. I had no idea that when I submitted that application that it would be the first step down a path that would lead me to a 17-year career in public transportation.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Teaching has always been a passion of mine. I enjoy helping others learn new skills and grow in their professional roles. The most rewarding moments are seeing the impact of that learning, especially when those individuals become mentors themselves and pass on their knowledge to others.
What’s the most challenging part of your job?
Many factors influence our ability to provide effective transportation services to the public. It can be challenging to help both the public and frontline employees understand how complex seemingly "simple" requests can be to execute, such as installing new bus stops, purchasing new buses or adding new fixed routes.
One aspect I appreciate about the current leadership team is their commitment to education as a service model. We have dedicated time to help employees and the public understand the intricacies of these activities, significantly enhancing employee engagement, customer satisfaction and community support for our work.
Accomplishment you’re most proud of and why?
As an educator at heart, I take pride in knowing that the knowledge I have shared has contributed to the success of others, even if my involvement was minimal. Witnessing colleagues advance to bigger and better opportunities as their careers flourish is incredibly rewarding.
Since the implementation of our in-house CDL training program, I have had the privilege of guiding new employees through their CDL training, witnessing their pride upon successfully obtaining their commercial licenses and mentoring them through the operator onboarding process. It has been very rewarding to witness so many operators embrace their new careers with enthusiasm and thrive, some even pursuing career advancement by transitioning to other operational roles at Greenlink.
What is an accomplishment you would like to work towards in your career?
I have spent my career working for bus-only agencies but someday I would like to delve into rail transit. I know that rail transit is completely different in many ways from bus operations, which makes it an exciting learning opportunity. I believe that gaining expertise in both modes of transportation will enhance my ability to support others in their professional careers while also diversifying my own skillset.
Best advice/tip/best practice to share from your area of expertise?
The story of how my career in transit began is not a unique one; many of us start out as bus operators and work our way up through the years to other roles. Nevertheless, I am asked often how I did it. What I tell folks is this: Professional growth involves commitment, not just to a long-term goal, but commitment to the present moment and the experiences in which you find yourself. If you blind yourself to what is right in front of you by staring fixatedly ahead at a future that does not yet exist – and one that is not guaranteed – you will never learn what the present has to teach you. Letting the present and the knowledge it offers pass you by for the hope that something better will manifest in the future is a disservice to your future self.
The best piece of advice I could give others as they pursue their passions or careers is to embrace the moment and role in which you find yourself with full commitment and intention to learn everything that experience can offer you, embrace your role and the experience it provides with open arms and an open mind. When you commit wholeheartedly to the present, the path to your future will open one door at a time; walk the path with patience and one day you will achieve your goals.
Mischa Wanek-Libman | Group Editorial Director
Mischa Wanek-Libman is director of communications with Transdev North America. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the transportation industry covering construction projects, engineering challenges, transit and rail operations and best practices.
Wanek-Libman has held top editorial positions at freight rail and public transportation business-to-business publications including as editor-in-chief and editorial director of Mass Transit from 2018-2024. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.
She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and served 14 years as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.
She is a graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.
