A Caregiver to Family and Friends
At Bennett, Cathy Harbin is known for going out of her way to help people, inside and outside the company.
“She is the mother hen of bus drivers,” says Tom Woodall, vice president of operations for Bennett DriveAway. “She tries to help drivers find new fuel stops, where they can safely park their vehicles. She donates her time to numerous organizations. She cares for personal friends. She takes it upon herself to look for ways to help others.”
Cathy, who has driven for Bennett for 20 years, is thrilled with being selected by Bennett DriveAway to receive the 2016 Driver of Excellence Award for the division. “It was so nice to feel recognized for some of the things that I have done, basically to try and help,” she says. Cathy also became a Million Mile Driver in 2016.
Cathy’s first job with Bennett was driving buses for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, GA. She transported buses donated by various companies from locations in North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and New York to Atlanta and then back again when the event was over. During the Olympics, Cathy transported journalists from all over the world to and from athletic events. “I got a lot of pens,” she says jokingly, adding that the experience was “unique and different.”
Since then, Cathy has developed a reputation for going out of her way to assist drivers and for being a pioneer for developing new and safe routes for drivers to help reduce their stress. “She took this task on her own, and by doing so, drivers are more free to focus on the road and being safe,” says fellow driver Gloria Holmes. “She shares her knowledge with her fellow workers, which has saved a lot of time and money for the company, as well as the workers.”
