Gerald Ford of Select Ride named Paratransit and Contracting Driver of the Year by NTA

The Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association in October named Gerald Ford, a driver with Select Ride Inc. in Ann Arbor, the 2012 Paratransit and Contracting Driver of the Year.

TLPA officials said Ford's focus on safety coupled with his willingness to go above and beyond what is expected of him as a driver is why the TLPA selected him as this year’s award recipient.

Ford has an unblemished driving record at Select Ride Inc., where he has been a driver for more than five years.

"Gerald is one of those individuals who truly stops and thinks about how he can best serve his passengers," said Alfred LaGasse, CEO of the TLPA. "He's been known to do things like shovel a client's walkway if the snow has made the path difficult for that person to navigate."

Ford previously worked as a driver for Pfizer and was the owner, president and CEO of his own business. He also served in the United States Air Force. Ford accepted the award Oct. 28 in front of nearly 1,000 industry leaders at the TLPA's annual convention.

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