A Ride with public transitAn Internship at Mountain Line Transit Authority

ABSTRACTThis internship was at Mountain Line Transit Authority, a nonprofit public transit system in Morgantown, West Virginia and was completed in Spring 2019. I interned part-time in the Finance Department for fifteen weeks, from January 2019 to May 2019.

Sarah AlwayECON 491

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Table of Contents

Preface………………………………………………….. ….……………………………………..2

Introduction to Mountain Line Transit Authority…..……………………………………………..4

Role at Mountain Line and Intentions….…………….………………………………………...…6

Learning Objective Information……………………………………….………………………….8

How this Experience Relates to Major and Goals……………………………………………….10

Overview of Projects……………………………………………………………………………..12

Personal Significance of Public Transit…………....…………………………………………….15

The Economics Impact of Public Transportation………………………………………………..16

Driven to Freedom: How Investment in Public Transportation Would Stimulate the Economy..18

Board Meetings………………..…………………………………………………………………21

Informative Interview with David Bruffy, CEO…………………………………………………22

Self-Evaluation………………………………………………………….……………………….26

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………….28

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Preface

When asked where I intern, I often receive some confused looks when I answer. People

expect that interning at a bus line means that I must be learning how to drive the buses. This

assumption seems quite silly to me, as it is far from the truth. Behind every bus door, customer

service desk, and bus shelter is a hidden office world that makes the bus run. Most people do not

realize how much effort, organization, and planning is required to maintain a successful bus

operation in a large college town.

This internship was at Mountain Line Transit Authority, a nonprofit public transit system

in Morgantown, West Virginia and was completed in Spring 2019. I interned part-time in the

Finance Department for fifteen weeks, from January 2019 to May 2019. My main responsibility

was posting vendor invoices. This task is important because it makes it possible to pay owed

payments, as well as keep track of them. I used QuickBooks, a software program that is popular

among small or medium businesses, to enter these invoices. This program makes it easy to pay

invoices, pull information for audits, counteract a false vendor claim of an overdue payment, and

review payment history.

Financial management is an incredibly important aspect of any organization. Without

proper budgeting and planning, an organization cannot function. Mountain Line Transit

Authority receives the majority of its funding from the city of Morgantown. I find it amazing that

this finance and accounting work, in addition to CEO, David Bruffy, is managed by only two

people in the entire organization. Tracy DeBardi is the accounting clerk, and Loring Danielson is

the finance officer.

Throughout the months, I realized that seemingly-small tasks can have a large, influential

impact to the organization. When I first started the internship in January, I did not think that

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posting invoices was significantly beneficial. However, it is these records that provide a good

illustration to the federal government for funding purposes and to companies wishing to bid for

the bus line’s business.

A large part of financial management is organization. Many times, I was asked to

organize or reorganize invoices or payroll information. Though this can be frustrating at times, it

is essential to learn to do the tedious, unattractive tasks. Again, this is a task that seems small and

unimportant when doing it but actually largely affects the organization. I had to constantly

remind myself of this fact during the internship. Proper organization ensures a more efficient and

productive workplace. When I pulled information for the federal audit, for example, I noticed

that there were a lot of papers misplaced. This meant people had to halt their daily tasks to search

for these lost documents.

Overall, I believe that this internship was incredibly successful. I mostly learned how to

interact in a professional workplace setting. I had my own office space (as shown below) and

was able to organize it to create the most productive environment for myself. I learned that all

organizations have behind-the-scenes occurrences that dictate how it runs. A bus line is not just

sending buses out into the town, but it is a series of events that must happen prior and

continuously.

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Introduction to Mountain Line Transit Authority

Mountain Line's longest standing partners, the City of Morgantown and the

Monongalia County Commission, operated separate transit systems in 1996. In an effort to

consolidate efficiencies of operation, reduce redundancy and increase overall service, the City

and County combined their two bus lines with humble beginnings offering just over 2,500 hours

of revenue service to the community. In 2008, Mountain Line operated more than 5,800 hours of

service, including its Intercity Service, the Grey Line, connecting Clarksburg, Fairmont and

Morgantown, WV with Waynesburg and Pittsburgh, PA.

Mountain Line Transit Authority is the primary public transportation system in

Morgantown, West Virginia and the surrounding area. It also provides bus service to the West

Virginia University campus. The bus fare for local routes is $0.75. The Grey Line, which

connects Clarksburg, WV and Pittsburgh International Airport, costs $30 for a single person.

With over 70 employees, an average of 1,500 riders are proudly served each month.

The majority of riders are residents of Morgantown. Mountain Line strives to create a

transportation system that is accessible and efficient for all riders. Since walking accessibility is

not prominent in the city, many residents without personal vehicles or in hopes of saving money

rely on the transit system. As a non-profit, funding is primarily received from the city and the

federal government. Because of budget reduction, the city has decided to release Mountain Line

of its contract. Thus, Mountain Line receives only a fraction of the money it has received in

previous years.

In October 2017, Mountain Line learned that the city of Morgantown wanted to close

the Garrett Street depot. This depot was the hub of activity and was easily accessible due to its

location downtown. However, this location was a victim of vandalism and loitering. So,

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Mountain Line agreed to transition to a new depot by undergoing a $4 million project. The move

was successful and officially completed in August 2018 to Westover. Now, the aesthetic and

professionalism of the depot is visible. Due to the depot change, there were many bus routes that

also changed. Mountain Line carefully considered the opinions of the public when changing

routes.

Former depot on Garrett Street

New depot on DuPont Road

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Role at Mountain Line and Intentions

The position I accepted at Mountain Line Transit Authority was Finance/Accounting

Intern. The following is a recap of the job description for this role:

Goal: The Mountain Line Transit Authority (the Monongalia County Urban Mass Transit Authority) is

seeking a motivated intern to assist the Finance Officer to gain experience with a variety of duties

related to local public transportation services. 

Duties: Projects will include statistical data compilation, attending administrative staff meetings,

analyzing and organizing National Transit Database information, assist with posting accounts

payable, credit cards, assist with the perpetual inventory system and organizing system files. The

intern may assist with the Triennial Review, which is a Federal procedural review in connection with

receiving Federal awards. Additional projects may be added through the duration of the internship.

Skills: The student should have junior or senior student status in Finance, Accounting, Economics or

Public Administration and must have excellent time management, communication and organizational

skills. Applicants must be proficient in Microsoft Office Suite. The student should be able to work

independently and with others, follow directions and meet deadlines.

This Internship offers a reasonably flexible schedule, and will be worked out according to the

student’s academic schedule, approximately 10 hours a week. Duties will mostly be performed in the

Westover office but may require some offsite work as well.

As a Finance/Accounting Intern, I have worked directly and indirectly with the two

members of the Finance Department: Tracy DeBardi and Loring Danielson. Tracy DeBardi is the

accounting clerk, and Loring Danielson is the finance officer. Together, they financially manage

the nonprofit. They must take into consideration the budget and funding.

In addition to earning college credit, my intentions for this internship were the following:

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Gain professional skills I can use in a workplace setting

Gain valuable experience that will help me land a job and get accepted into

competitive MBA programs

Learn more about public transportation that will help me appreciate it more and so

that I can educate others

I believe that my main intentions for this internship were fulfilled. Additionally, this

internship has encouraged me to do more research on public transportation. I created my own

website, encouraging public transportation use. This website also includes a Public Service

Announcement video I created. This can be found at the following web address:

https://transportationnation.home.blog/.

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Learning Objective Information

At the beginning of my internship, I set many goals for myself. I hoped to learn more

about analyzing and organizing important statistical and financial information for a company

while gaining/enhancing my computer program skills, such as Microsoft Excel and QuickBooks.

I also hoped to learn more about the public transit system in general, especially in Morgantown,

where public transportation is vital because of the great distance between buildings/businesses,

and the lack of sidewalks. I was also interested in learning about how the city buses both

alleviate and encourage the pollution in Morgantown.

I worked one-on-one with Tracy DeBardi, who was able to answer all my questions. I

took notes, review information with her, and then practice hands-on before taking on big tasks

independently. She checked my work and reviewed errors with me. Repetition certainly helped

me retain information efficiently. With the QuickBooks program, repetition was vital

I showed what I learned through my work hours, weekly journal, self-evaluation, and this

final paper/project. A weekly journal helped me review what I learned each week and how I built

up my knowledge over the months. I used and enhanced my critical thinking/problem solving,

oral/written communications, understanding/adhering to organizational systems, acquiring and

integrating information skills.

My desired future career will likely consist of a professional setting, most likely in

offices. So, this internship perfectly encompassed the professional world. I had my own office

space, worse business attire each day, and conducted myself in a professional manner. Board

meetings, especially, showed me how professional businesses conduct themselves amongst

employees. This was a great experience in order to learn and further develop my professional

skills.

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Overall, internship at Mountain Line was successful. I was introduced to the QuickBooks

software, which is used in a variety of different small/medium-sized businesses. I learned how to

enter purchase orders, contract services accounts, credit transactions, and payroll information.

Knowledge of the QuickBooks software enhanced my overall technological skills, as well as the

general financial information needed to run a business. As an economics major, I also found the

types of vendors Mountain Line uses (such as different auto services and gas companies), and the

frequency of visits incredibly interesting.

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How this Experience Relates to my Major and Goals

As a driven student concerned with obtaining relevant professional experience while in

college, I firmly believe that my internship at Mountain Line taught me many valuable aspects

about public transportation and professional environments. I am currently pursuing a Bachelor of

Arts degree in economics at West Virginia University. I am also double-minoring in English and

leadership studies. My professional goal is to become a successful nonprofit manager or play a

role in corporate social responsibility. Academically, this internship has strengthened my

knowledge of economics and how it relates to public transit systems.

For example, I learned how important public transit is to the local economy. Accessibility

is key to the success of a bus line and the support of the economy. Based on a recent Mountain

Line survey, most Mountain Line riders use the bus lines to travel to their workplaces. Many

riders, with or without the ownership of personal vehicles, depend solely on the buses to reach

their jobs. Without the bus, they would have a more difficult time contributing to the labor force

and earning money.

The buses also support local businesses that are located on or near bus routes. With

businesses located closely to routes, riders are more likely to notice and shop at them. Students,

seniors, and low-income residents are most likely to benefit from Mountain Line. College

students, high school students, and seniors are able to ride buses for free when they have their ID

card. Low-income residents benefit because they are able to travel with no or low use of personal

vehicles, which are expensive to upkeep. The buses, being only $0.75 per ride, are very

affordable.

The financial management aspect of this internship also relates to my major. Economics,

most generally, is the study of how resources are allocated to meet human needs. Since Mountain

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Line has limited funding from the city, they must carefully choose how to allocate the funding

each year. As I entered invoices in QuickBooks I was able to understand how money is used for

purchasing services or items from vendors. For example, I learned that much of the money is

spent on fuel for the buses- most likely the costliest expense each month. Orders of paper and

office supplies and employee uniforms are frequent expenses. Luckily, Mountain Line, as well as

other nonprofits, do not pay sales taxes.

My professional goals include pursuing an MBA and taking a role in nonprofit

management or corporate social responsibility. For this program and my career, learning

professional skills are vital to success. At my internship, I showed up to work wearing business

casual clothing each day. I greeted many employees in the morning and acted polite to them all. I

even had my own office space, which made me feel very professional. Wearing professional

attire and having an office space encouraged me to be more productive and confident because of

how professional I felt. The saying “dress for success” is certainly true.

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Overview of Projects

As the finance/accounting intern, I had the opportunity to work on many important projects for the business. Here is an overview of projects completed during my time at this internship:

Title of Project

Description Role

Posting vendor invoices

Posting vendor invoices to the QuickBooks program is one of the most necessary and abundant tasks in the finance department. Posting invoices consists of marking certain aspects (total price, date, and PO number if applicable) and writing the account number on the paper. Then, the invoice amount if entered on the program, which prepares it to be paid. The QuickBooks software is used in a variety of different small/medium-sized businesses.

I entered the invoices on QuickBooks and stamped each invoice after entering it. I learned how to enter purchase orders, contracted services accounts, credit transactions, and payroll information. Knowledge of the QuickBooks software will enhance my overall technological skills, as well as the general financial information needed to run a business. As an economics major, I also found the types of vendors Mountain Line uses (such as different auto services and gas companies), and the frequency of services incredibly interesting.

Fuel bid RFP Since the current fuel provider has not been delivering fuel according to the contract, Mountain Line called for new fuel bidders for the upcoming fiscal year.

I located, collected, copied, scanned, and emailed fuel information from several different vendors. This information would allow the potential fuel bidders to see how much fuel and at what prices Mountain Line consumes fuel. Then, the bidders would make bids in consideration to this information.

Review and edit tire RFP

The RFP (request for proposal) assignment consisted of indicating a need for tire bid proposals, as well as including correct FTA (Federal Transit Administration) rules and regulations. The tire RFP was released for bidding, and many tire companies had the opportunity to bid for a chance to sign a contract with Mountain Line for the upcoming fiscal year.

I was very excited to learn more about how the finance department writes requests for proposals (RFP). Using the fuel bid RFP as a model, I read, reviewed, made suggestions, and edited the tires RFP. Since Mountain Line's contract with a tire company is nearly complete, the bus line was looking for new bids. Of all the received bids, the finance department chose the one bid that met the certain criteria listed in the

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RFP. The business with the chosen bid signs a contract with Mountain Line to do tire delivery and services for the next fiscal year.

Payroll deduction audits

These audits consider the deduction of various insurance plans (such as an Aflac insurance plan) from employees’ pay.

I worked with Microsoft Excel to create and organize accurate payroll deduction spreadsheets. I completed two spreadsheets: one for each type of insurance. I used payroll information, invoice information, and previous Excel knowledge (including various Excel formulas) to complete the audits. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed working with this data.

Federal audit The government occasionally asks for specific samples, chosen by the government, of payroll information. This ensures that Mountain Line still qualifies for funding. If not all samples are found, alternative samples may be requested.

I located, made copies, and organized a sample stack for the audit. I utilized QuickBooks, payroll binders, and the paperwork file cabinets for this task. I was excited to help with such an important audit.

Memos These memos needed to be sent out to all existing employees to inform them about their current sick and vacation hours. This is because of a recent mistake in the hours.

I created memos, detailed for each of the 70+ employees, concerning their current sick and vacation hours. First, I adjusted the sick and vacation hours sheets to determine the current, accurate hours. I think this was a very good experience to enhance my correspondence-writing skills, and I was glad that I was able to put my writing skills to use.

2018 payroll information organization

The 2018 payroll information included the collection and organization of information included deductions, hourly rate, and time off from work on vacation hours. This is important

I collected and organized this information into file folders by months. Time sheets, payroll sheets, and time off were the main components. It was important to organize them a specific way so that information could be easily

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because it makes information easily accessible and available for future audits.

located in the future.

Board Meetings

Board meetings, open to the public, discuss important information regarding news, updates, and concerns of Mountain Line.

Attending board meetings was a great opportunity to learn more about how professional organizations conduct professional meetings. Board meetings cover how ridership levels increased or decreased, concerns (such as a barely-visible stop sign), budget, and other aspects.

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Personal Significance of Public Transit

I have been a frequent rider of Mountain Line buses for over one year. While

transitioning from high school to college, public transportation was vital to my success as a

college student and employee of Goodwill. The most use occurred during the Fall 2017, Spring

2018, and Summer 2018 semesters. I was unable to afford a car, so I took the West Run bus from

the West Run Complex to the downtown West Virginia University campus during the week.

As a student, I was able to ride for free, which was a large factor in my decision to ride

on Mountain Line. Alternative transportation options, such as riding a bike or taking taxis, were

not doable with the road conditions and my budget. Like many riders, I used the bus to primarily

get to work; this helps support the economy by allowing me to contribute to the labor force.

Also, riding the bus made me a more responsible and punctual person. Since the bus

comes and leaves at specific times, it was important to keep track of these times. I grew

accustom to remembering bus schedules and viewing the exact location of buses from the

Mountain Line bus tracker app. Instead of going by my own personal schedule, I learned how to

be punctual.

Riding the bus turned out to be incredibly efficient and beneficial for me. I think that this

is why I decided to intern at Mountain Line and why public transportation is so important to me.

Since I personally understand why so many people place reliance on the buses, I understood how

the finance department was important. Also, I was excited to engage in active learning by

researching more about public transit and asking several questions.

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The Economic Impact of Public Transportation and Globalization

The existence of public transportation affects the lives of many people, even those who

do not use these systems. In New York City, the subway is essential and widely used for getting

to work. In Morgantown, public transportation is especially important because it allows college

students, seniors, low-income residents, and others to get to their destinations with ease. Overall,

it makes Morgantown, a town with poor road conditions and few sidewalks, a more accessible

area. It also increases economic growth because of the cumulative impact on economic

productivity.

Since 1995, ridership on public transit has increased by 37%, according to APTA

(American Public Transportation Association) data. This may partially be a result of rising costs

of personal vehicles and increased physical distances between businesses. This represents the

growing importance of public transportation in the United States. With so much reliance on

public transit systems, it is not surprising that it impacts the economy in so many ways.

Public transportation provides mobility, creates jobs, encourages economic growth, and

supports environmental policies. Increased investment in public transportation leads to increased

economic growth in Morgantown. After conducting a survey of frequent riders with the

marketing intern, we learned that most riders take the buses to get to and from their jobs. This

means that, without Mountain Line, they would have to find a difficult way to work. Thus,

Mountain Line supports jobs and the economy in Morgantown.

Public transportation is greatly impacted and impacted by globalization. Globalization

describes how countries and people of the world interact and integrate. It describes the spread of

products, technology, information, and jobs across borders. As different people come into

contact, the world becomes more globalized. Transportation is one of the most critical, but least

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visible, aspects of globalization. Public transportation systems must adapt and abide by the

requirements set by the globalizing economy. It is the industry that connects many other

industries. Public transit plays a part in globalization by transporting people, thus transporting

ideas, as well.

Also, globalization encourages the demand and growth of public transportation. In fact,

changes in transportation technology have decreased the costs of public transportation.

A more unfortunate effect of globalization is the increasing isolation of cities.

Considering this phenomenon of modern-day globalization, many cities would rather build

routes to big cities than the town right next door. For example, big cities, such as Indianapolis,

Pittsburgh, New York City, and Los Angeles, have immense populations and a large number of

commuters from outside cities. These cities are largely influenced by globalization. The

surrounding cities to these prosperous cities certainly benefit from the growth of the big cities.

However, they also suffer from poor transportation routes. For example, the Mountain Line bus

itself takes the most direct route from Morgantown, WV to Pittsburgh, PA. Pittsburgh is the only

Pennsylvanian city that Mountain Line stops. Mountain Line connects Morgantown, a fairly

large college town, and Pittsburgh, a big city; it does not, however, connect bedroom

communities or other surrounding cities to each other.

Surrounding cities, which may very well be bedroom communities, see less

employment opportunities. The Weirton Area of West Virginia, for example, has low

employment rates; this is largely because many residents commute to Pittsburgh or Ohio. These

struggling places that surround prosperous communities may not be interested in seeing those

successful towns improve any further.

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Public transportation could certainly help this issue that these struggling cities are

facing. Routes should expand to connect smaller towns to other smaller towns, so that people can

visit these small cities with ease; this, in turn, would provide greater support for small businesses

of these struggling cities.

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Driven to Freedom: How Investment in Public Transportation Would Stimulate

the Economy

A personal vehicle is viewed as a basic necessity for the American social, cultural, and

economic society. Driving a personal vehicle signals freedom and independence. 16-year-olds

dream of receiving cars on their birthdays, parents carefully budget a new car for their growing

family, and adventurers long for durable cars that will last several hundreds of thousands of

miles for travel. Many people, however, live in areas with poor transportation options; many

poor families cannot afford to buy a car. Without a car, these people often cannot find a job and

arrive to work on time, which contributes to their financial disparity. It is a never-ending cycle.

Even people with cars can spend a fortune on insurance, car loans, fuel, fixes, and maintenance.

In this way, does both the ownership and lack of personal vehicles actually take away our

freedoms?

In America, it is virtually impossible to survive without a car. Even the poor must invest

in a car in order to get to work. In order to increase accessibility in cities and throughout the

country, there needs to be better, more accessible public transportation options. This would

include city buses, subways, trolleys, trains, and metros, for example. People without cars would

be able to easily access their jobs, and people with cars would be able to save money by driving

their cars less.

The expensive costs of car ownership do not stop at maintenance costs. People are bad

drivers. That is why nearly 12.5 million people in the world die in road crashes each year, which

averages 3,287 deaths a day. Road crashes even cost $518 billion globally, costing individual

countries about 1-2% of their GDP. In fact, according to the World Health Organization, road

traffic injuries are predicted to become the fifth leading cause of death by 2030. So, a reduced

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reliance on automobiles would improve the environment, safety, and many aspects of American

life.

In addition to benefits of the riders, many unemployed people could find jobs in the

transportation sector. Mistakenly, a common assumption is that more roads will alleviate traffic;

actually, this would cause more people to drive on the roads, which would cause traffic levels to

return to the regular level. There are more jobs created in public transportation than the creation

and maintenance of roads. Smart Growth America predicted it would create twice as much as

work as highway creation does. Overall, an investment in public transportation would create job

access and job creation. In fact, adding public transportation options in areas with high

unemployment creates 2.5 times more jobs than putting public transportation in areas with low

unemployment.

Alternative transportation options would reduce the need for cars, thus improving the

American economy and preventing devastating environmental and safety effects. Government

investment in alternative transportation options would increase jobs. Public transportation is

probably the most widely used today, though it is not very accessible. City buses are often cheap,

but not always convenient. Investment in city bus transit, for example, would help these bus lines

make the frequency of their stops more convenient and create more routes. As a result, more bus

drivers and staff would need to be hired. According to the American Public Transportation

Association, every $1 billion invested in public transportation creates and supports 36,000

American jobs. Direct investment into transit operations also means lower fares and an increase

in convenience for riders. In turn, these lower fares will help businesses because people will have

more money to spend. The Transportation Equity Network report suggests that investment in

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transit creates jobs that allow people without a college education to earn higher than minimum

wage.

Increased public transportation options would do more than just increase convenience

and improve environmental conditions. Public transportation options would stimulate the

economy by increasing jobs and supporting local businesses located on the routes. So, as the

world becomes more globalized and personal vehicles become more intrinsic to society, perhaps

the government and advocacy groups should focus more on investment in public transportation.

The investment in public transportation is an opportunity to drive the American economy to

freedom.

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Board Meetings

During my time at Mountain Line I had the opportunity to attend two board meetings.

These board meetings are open to the general public. The board sits in designated seats facing

the audience. David Bruffy, the CEO, is one of the members on the board. I found the board

meetings to be incredibly interesting because of the real-world value they hold. They update

people on what is happening in the organization, and they allow the public to watch, ask

questions, and comment. The board meetings helped me better understand the business world on

an intimate level. The board meetings were very professional in manner, but informal enough so

that anyone could comfortably comment. Tracy DeBardi takes the minutes at board meetings.

Maria Smith was in charge of creating and distributing the meeting agendas. Both meetings

followed their individual agendas very well and were careful not to get off topic.

Both meetings focused on the declining ridership of the bus system. WVU ridership, in

fact, is decreasing. During the second meeting, ideas were brainstormed as to why this is

happening. Also, ridership across all other demographics, including high school students and

seniors, are also declining. January and February made it easy to believe that this was due to the

cold weather, but March and April do not have this excuse.

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Informational Interview with David Bruffy, CEO

After nine weeks as working as a finance intern at Mountain Line Transit Authority, I

have learned a lot about financial management, public transportation economics, the importance

of organization, and simple accounting duties. The skills I have learned so far can be applied to

many different occupations. Mountain Line Transit Authority is the primary public transportation

system in Morgantown, West Virginia. With over 70 employees, over 1,500 riders are proudly

served each month. The majority of riders are residents of Morgantown. Mountain Line strives to

create a transportation system that is accessible and efficient for all riders.

I decided to conduct an informative interview with the CEO, David Bruffy, to learn

more about managerial roles in nonprofit organizations. David Bruffy has been the CEO of

Mountain Line Transit Authority for over 21 years. In fact, he is one of the original founders of

the nonprofit bus line. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science and a Master of Public

Administration. Before becoming CEO, he was an assistant city manager in Morgantown for ten

years; he worked 60-70 hours per week. Mr. Bruffy was attracted by the opportunity to take an

organization in its infancy and create a well-known public transportation system in the city of

Morgantown. He likes working with a nonprofit because of the larger community benefit by

creating accessible transportation. Most Mountain Line riders use the transit system to go to

work, which helps the economy.

Mr. Bruffy noted that financial management, human resource experience, and

organizational management are necessary for this line of work. He believes that an advanced

degree, such as a Master of Public Administration (MPA) or Master of Business Administration

(MBA), is needed to earn a managerial role. Though an MBA is a great pathway, an MPA is

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preferable in the nonprofit world because it teaches ethics and law. The MBA is less focused on

government and is more suited for the for-profit world.

If Mr. Bruffy had to choose something he wished he had known or done before his

current role, he would have wished someone told him that law school was not expensive. He was

not accepted into the law school at West Virginia University; therefore, he did not think he

would get scholarships or financial aid at an institution that was far from home. However, he

regrets not going to law school because it would have been worth it in the long-run. When

running a nonprofit, it is very important to stay updated and informed about ethics, laws, and

current events in public transportation.

Curious about the specifics of the position, I asked David Bruffy to explain his

everyday tasks. When he first comes into the building, he greets all of the employees. Then, he

deals with employee troubleshooting and crisis management. He does long-range planning and

financial management. Also, it is important for him to keep up with current events because

public transportation laws and news are always changing.

Concerned about how to balance work and life in my own future managerial career, I

asked about Mr. Bruffy’s work-life balance. Mr. Bruffy admitted that his work-life balance was

not ideal. However, he chose a line of work that he personally enjoys and cares about. He knows

that his work is important to many people, which motivates him to do his best work. With

organizational and prioritization skills, it is very possible to maintain a good work-life balance.

Stress is often an issue in any organization. Managers, especially, are prone to stress

because they are held accountable for their subordinates’ actions and desire perfected results.

Employing effective management skills are the key to identifying, preventing, and handling

occupational stress. When Mr. Bruffy experiences high amounts of stress, he says he has to stand

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back from the situation and separate emotions from logic. In a high-stress environment, it is too

easy to combine emotions with logic. Problems need to be solved analytically and realistically to

yield appropriate results. Developing strategies and creating plans will reduce stress

dramatically.

The most rewarding aspect of the job is the success of the bus line. In this sense,

success is not the equivalence to profit. Mr. Bruffy knows that the bus line is successful because

he sees so many riders using it each day. After conducting a rider survey, Mr. Bruffy realized

that most riders use the bus line to go to their jobs. Without Mountain Line, these people would

not be able to get to their jobs. Therefore, the bus line promotes the Morgantown economy. The

most difficult aspect of managing a nonprofit is acting as the communication hub. Since there are

so many employees and different departments, communication can be very difficult. It is

important to have effective communication in order to maintain a successful organization. Mr.

Bruffy emphasized the importance of communication throughout the interview.

In the next 10 years, Mr. Bruffy sees changes coming to both public transportation and

management roles. There is pressure for reorganization in workforce platforms. Transit is always

changing with the advancement of technology. However, Mr. Bruffy does see people, not

technology, being the main part of transit. He does not think automation will become more

important than real drivers. In the future, there will be fewer baby boomers and more millennials

in the workforce than ever before. This is important because millennials work differently than

other generations.

The best entry-level jobs for management work within public transit are bus drivers. In

fact, according to Mr. Bruffy, three-fourths of transit managers were once bus drivers. It is

important for managers of any industry to understand the industry in which they are managing.

Alway 26

Managers who understand their industry are more likely to succeed. There is no specific way to

become a manager because they come from diverse backgrounds. In fact, Mr. Bruffy knows of a

receptionist who later become a transit manager. It is more important to find what you like to do

and to gain as much experience in that field as possible.

In conclusion, there is no direct path to becoming a manager. It is more important to

focus on the present and what I am most interested in. Eventually, my interests should lead me to

a managerial role that is a correct fit. Though advanced education is very important, experience

and skills are also important. The most important skills to managerial success are organization,

perseverance, adaptability, and ability to separate ego from position.

Self-Evaluation

Alway 27

5=Outstanding 4=Good 3=Average 2=Mediocre 1=Poor N=No Opinion

Traits 5 4 3 2 1 NPromptness [ ] [4] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

Dependability [5] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

Professional Appearance [5] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

Initiative [5] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

Maturity [5] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

Self-Confidence [5] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

Time Management [ ] [4] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

Written Communication Skills [5] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

Oral Communication Skills [5] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

Ability to Work with Others [5] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

Acceptance of Criticism [5] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

Overall Performance (average of traits) 4.8/5 = 96%

Explanation of Weaknesses

I believe that I excelled at all of these traits and enhanced my skills. Promptness, self-confidence,

and time management skills were good, but they could have been improved. At times, I was up

to 5 minutes late depending on the unpredictability of traffic. If I left my house at the same time

every day, I could be 5 minutes early, 5 minutes late, or right on time because of the traffic. I live

at an area that is usually very congested with traffic. Also, I missed one day because of the

inclement weather. To battle this issue, I should focus on leaving my house very early to account

for potential traffic issues. My other weakness was time management skills. Because of the

important nature of work, I double-checked (and sometimes triple-checked) my invoices and

Alway 28

other work to lessen the opportunity for mistakes. Of course, I think double-checking is a good

habit for work. My supervisor told me that it was more important to do some work correctly than

to do a lot of work inaccurately. So, this trait was not necessarily an issue at Mountain Line.

Explanation of Strengths

Of these traits, I think dependability, initiative, professional appearance, and maturity were my

strongest traits. I had the initiative to ask for more tasks, and I was always to get work done

before the deadline. For example, I stayed longer than my usual time on many instances in order

to finish a task or locate a missing document I worse business casual attire each day, and had

positive, professional interactions with all of my coworkers.

Conclusion

Alway 29

This internship was certainly a unique experience of my Spring 2019 semester at West

Virginia University, and I will take the skills I learned from this internship to future programs

and jobs. In conclusion, I think this internship was a great experience that enhanced my

leadership and professional skills, as well as strengthened my understanding of how economics

relates to public transportation. Not only did I gain practical skills, but I also had the opportunity

to meet many great people in Morgantown’s premier bus system.

The atmosphere always felt welcoming and professional; I never felt like I was regarded

with inferiority. Especially, Tracy DeBardi, my main supervisor, went out of her way to ensure I

felt comfortable in this new environment. She was always available to answer my questions or

give me further direction. She also gave me great advice about how to stay focused and reduce

errors in the workplace. My second supervisor, Loring Danielson, always showed sincere

kindness and entrusted me with many difficult, tedious tasks.

By the end of the internship, I felt satisfied with my contributions to Mountain Line. I

was given a good mixture of both small tasks and big tasks; this taught me that small tasks are

not necessarily nominal tasks. Instead, small tasks are the bricks of big-picture goals. For

example, without organizing paperwork, a seemingly-nominal task, federal audits and RFP bids

could not be conducted. I am grateful that I was able to help the finance department meet their

goals. It was incredibly interesting to learn the behind-the-scenes work of a public transportation

system. The general public only gets to see green buses driving about town; however, I now have

a unique insight to the innerworkings of public transportation.

During my studies during this Spring 2019 semester, I took the opportunity to further

research public transportation. I created a PSA video, advocating for increased use of public

transportation, in my English 303: Multimedia Writing course; I also created an entire website

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dedicated to the exploration of alternative transportation options:

transportationnation.home.blog. For my English 304: Business/Professional Writing course, I

wrote a mock grant proposal, acting as an executive of Mountain Line asking for funding for a

new app.

During my time at Mountain Line, I learned about financial management, which is an

important aspect of nonprofit management, a field I am considering after completion of my

MBA. I also learned how important organization is in the workplace, especially at a workplace

that keeps all physical copies of paperwork.

Overall, I am incredibly thankful for this internship. I was able to gain practical skills,

learn more about public transportation economics, and gain a growing network base. I applied

my knowledge of public transportation to my Spring 2019 courses, as well as took the

opportunity to further research the subject.