Joseph is in the driver’s seat at Metro. He moved from the Chicago area to the Quad Cities to take the job as an operator for Metro. Six years later, he says being behind the wheel has given him opportunities he never saw coming.

“Seeing how much Metro does for the community has been eye-opening,” Joseph said. “Every day I see how essential it is to people's lives. That makes my job worthwhile.”

Joseph was just promoted to a new position as a Lead Operator/Behind-the-Wheel Trainer. Metro created this new mentoring role working closely with the training department to ensure drivers receive top-notch instruction throughout the course of their career, from technical help to customer service.

In his new role, Joseph’s routes and schedules change daily. That puts him in touch with some of his favorite passengers, people with fascinating life stories and backgrounds.

“There are great people on the bus. They have interesting life stories and have done a lot of things,” he said. “I enjoy talking to all of them.”

It’s easy to focus on customer service as an operator when everything else is taken care of. Joseph appreciates the investments in electric buses, charging stations and transfer stations. He says there is a clear difference in the level of service compared to other public transportation.

Off the bus, Joseph is hitting the streets of Europe. Most recently he’s been in Italy, Morocco and the south of Spain. He and his wife of 15 years appreciate opportunities to see the world because of the generous benefits at Metro. For Joseph and the Quad Cities, Metro is a community asset worth celebrating.

“You have no idea what an essential service this is until you need it,” he said.

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