RALEIGH, N.C. — Many might remember Bob Riley as the state director for Wyoming in the mid 1970s through the early 1980s. Others have worked with him or know his name as a local school district transportation director.

But now, following a Nov. 29 announcement, Riley becomes one of the most recognizable names and faced to the entire industry and to national media as well.

NASDPTS announced the selection of Riley as the association’s new executive director, completing an exhaustive search to replace Charlie Gauthier, a former NHTSA administrator who stepped down from the NASDPTS post last January.

“I am excited about the future of our organization as Bob joins our team of dedicated professionals,” said Derek Graham, NASDPTS president and the state director for North Carolina. “His varied experience will be a tremendous asset to NASDPTS.”

Riley began on a part-time basis on Dec. 1, and he will assume full-time duties on March 1.

Following his stint as Wyoming state director, Riley served as the director of transportation for the Laramie County school district in Cheyenne, Wyo. For the past 21 years, he has worked for the Palm Beach County School District in Florida, and he has been the director of transportation there since 1994.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Towson State College in Maryland and completed graduate work in traffic safety and transportation at the University of Maryland. He as presented at a variety of conferences including Transporting Students with Disabilities & Preschoolers, NAPT, the American Driver and Traffic Safety Association, the Wyoming Governor’s Traffic Safety Conference, and numerous state conferences.

“We went through a very deliberate, methodical process to ensure that we ended up with the right match between our organization and the new executive director,” said Deborah Lincoln, a former NASDPTS president and the Oregon state director who coordinated the recruitment and hiring effort. “We are confident that the process worked and are convinced that Bob Riley will has the skills to effectively fill this critical role.”

Lincoln added that the interview process consisted of three parts with specific written scoring criteria for each step. The scoring and interview team changed in makeup during each phase. Additionally applicants were evaluated on writing skills and on verbal skills both over-the-phone and face-to-face.