News Releases
April Employee of the Month: Bob Streicher, Shop Foreman, Transportation Department
Next fall, Bob will begin his 32nd year with District 15 as foreman of the Transportation Department maintenance and repair shop. “His continued loyalty and service are amazing, and his experience and dedication helps keep the Transportation Department at the top of the class,” said his nominator. “He will stay late until the buses are repaired and ready to go for the next day, and he will come by on weekends to make sure the Saturday field trip buses are on their way. You can always count on Bob for any transportation problems, even in the middle of the night.”
Bob came to District 15 in 1974 to take over the garage. At that time, he recalls, there were just 60 buses, three mechanics, and three bays. Today, Bob and his staff of ten maintain a fleet of 170 vehicles, including 138 buses, in a six-bay garage. “I’ve seen the fleet grow and a lot of changes,” Bob notes, “from gasoline buses to diesel buses so we get double the fuel mileage, from hydraulic brakes to air brakes and back to hydraulic again, and installation of cameras in most of our buses.” He’s proud of the district’s Space Shuttle, which he and his crew built, even if it does have to be parked inside every night. And he’s happy to report that each time the Department of Transportation does one of its every-two-year unannounced inspections, the shop passes with flying colors and the District 15 Transportation Department is often cited as being “one of the better fleets.” The reason for this, he believes, is the great caution the shop staff exercises in making sure all vehicles are in the best condition. “Nothing goes out of this garage if we even think there’s a problem,” he notes.
Bob was reared in Chicago in the Rogers Park area. In high school, he worked for Jewel Tea Company, and after graduation, at age 18, he went to work in a factory owned by American Photocopy Equipment Co., where he worked until he was drafted into the Army. He served in Vietnam for 11 months in a headquarters company. Because he was in an antitank division and the enemy was not using many tanks, Bob was tapped to serve as a general’s driver, which found him frequently at the center of the action. After he got out of the Army, Bob returned to Chicago and to his previous employer, where he went to work in the engineering department’s machine shop. When the District 15 position was offered, he found an opportunity to make use of not only his experience but also his passion—working on vehicles.
Bob’s hobby is converting old vehicles to three-wheelers and building street rods. He has a machine shop in his garage at home, where he can usually be found working on some mechanical project—currently a 1939 Oldsmobile. He and wife Marilou both ride Harley Davidson motorcycles. They also enjoy traveling and spending time with their 3-year-old bassett hound, Maggie.
Bob will be recognized at the April 13, 2005, Board of Education meeting, to be held at Walter R. Sundling Junior High School, at 7 p.m.
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