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Our People

Moving people to do great things.

We Go the Extra Mile

The GO Riteway Leadership Team

From the very beginning, GO Riteway has been driven by family values and is rooted in delivering the best experiences possible to every passenger. It all starts with the great people at GO Riteway.

GO Riteway is led by a dedicated and innovative team that strives to deliver the best experiences possible to every passenger and partner.

Read more about our family and company history.

GO Riteway Story
Left to Right: HR Generalist Kaylee Bast, Co-Owner & Vice Chair RJ Bast, Chairman Ron Bast, Co-Owner & Vice Chair Rochelle Bast, Co-Owner & Vice Chair Wendy Bast and President/CEO Bob Zanotti

Congrats to GO Riteway’s Diamond Club Members!

For 65 years, GO Riteway has provided reliable transportation services across the Midwest with the help of our team of committed employees, and today we celebrate them for their years of dedication and hard work. Congratulations to our Diamond Club members!

2023 Diamond Club Awards

Meet the Team

Bob Zanotti - President & CEO of GO Riteway
President & CEO

Bob Zanotti
Joshua Smith - Chief Financial Officer - GO Riteway
Chief Financial Officer

Joshua Smith
Jim Christian - VP of Finance & Accounting - GO Riteway
Vice President of Finance & Accounting

James O. Christian
Nate Hamilton, VP of Operations, School Bus Division - GO Riteway
VP of Operations, School Bus Division

Nate Hamilton
Dave Pape, VP of Operations, School Bus Division - GO Riteway
VP of Operations, School Bus Division

Dave Pape
Mick Howen, VP of Operations, School Bus Division - GO Riteway
VP of Operations, School Bus Division

Mick Howen
Steve Fazlovic, VP of Operations, Commercial Services - GO Riteway
VP of Operations, Commercial Services

Steve Fazlovic
Kathi Kaestner, VP of Sales, Commercial Services - GO Riteway
VP of Sales, Commercial Services

Kathi Kaestner
Vice President of Fleet, Technology & Systems

Adam Ludovic
Director of Safety

Dan Becher
Daphne James, Senior Account Manager at GO Riteway
Director of Human Resources

Daphne James
Bob Zanotti - President & CEO of GO Riteway

President & CEO

Bob Zanotti

Bob Zanotti joined GO Riteway Transportation Group in 2017 as the first non-family president in the 60-year history of the Bast family business. Bob credits his early management career experiences at Federal Express Corporation with his leadership approach believing that treating employees with consideration and respect is not only the right thing to do but the best way to deliver outstanding customer service. A seasoned general manager and leader, Bob has a passion for employee engagement and a strong background in strategic planning, operations planning, and sales management. Since leaving FedEx and prior to joining GO Riteway, Bob was the president of Process Retail Group in New Berlin and Everbrite in Greenfield. Bob holds a BA from Illinois Wesleyan University and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin – Madison School of Business. He is a native of Kenosha, Wisconsin, and a United States Army veteran. Bob and his wife Laurie have four sons and reside in Hartland, Wisconsin. Next to spending time with his family in Door County, Bob is writing a novel and passionately follows the Badgers and Packers. He also enjoys being very active working in his yard, trail running, lifting weights, playing tennis, and trying to lower is golf handicap.

Joshua Smith - Chief Financial Officer - GO Riteway

Chief Financial Officer

Joshua Smith

Josh joined GO Riteway in April 2011 as Operations Controller with a hands-on finance and accounting leadership role in both our Commercial Services and School Bus divisions. He brings over 22 years of finance, accounting, and general business experience and oversees day-to-day finance and accounting functions, while also providing guidance and leadership to the overall growth and direction of the Company. As GO Riteway experiences tremendous growth, Josh’s contributions are many as the company has won many new contracts in both our School Bus and Commercial Services divisions, as well as several new acquisitions. Josh grew up in Iowa and graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting. Upon graduation, he joined PricewaterhouseCoopers in Milwaukee as a staff auditor, where he acquired his CPA designation. He continued to hone his accounting and business acumen at several large, well-known companies in the Milwaukee area including Kohl’s and Milwaukee Tool. Josh has served his community in the Rotary Club of Milwaukee North Shore, helping to raise money through the coordination of several fundraising events, and served many years on the Board of the Glendale Little League. When he’s not spending time with his family or coaching youth baseball, football, or wrestling, you might find Josh on the golf course.

Jim Christian - VP of Finance & Accounting - GO Riteway

Vice President of Finance & Accounting

James O. Christian

Jim graduated from UW-Stevens Point in 1972, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and from UW-Madison with a Master of Science in Accounting. He’s worked as the Senior Accountant for Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co., as the Assistant Controller for the Bradley Corporation, and as Vice President and Finance & Treasurer of the Tower Insurance Company, Inc. Today, Jim is the Vice President of Finance and Accounting for GO Riteway Transportation Group. He is currently an active member of the American, and Wisconsin, Institutes of Certified Public Accountants, Wisconsin Motorcoach Association, and has been a Menomonee Falls Scholarship and Education Foundation volunteer.

Nate Hamilton, VP of Operations, School Bus Division - GO Riteway

VP of Operations, School Bus Division

Nate Hamilton

Nate joined GO Riteway in 2013 as an Operations Supervisor at our Oak Creek location and progressed to becoming the Operations Manager shortly after starting with the company. After spending time as the Director of Operations for our central and western Wisconsin locations, he began his new role as Vice President of Operations for the School Bus Division. During his 5 years in this role, Nate has had the opportunity to work with nearly all of our locations and districts we serve. In that time, he has been able to form strong relationships with districts and make sure we provide reliable transportation for all students. Prior to joining GO Riteway, Nate spent time in school administration serving as a Teacher, Technology Coordinator, and Business Manager for a charter school system in Milwaukee, WI. During his time with the school, he gained knowledge of school operational needs. Nate has a strong background in customer service, communication with schools and districts, and developing solutions to logistical challenges. Nate earned a BA in Business and Education from Wisconsin Lutheran College and a master’s degree in School Business Administration from Concordia University Wisconsin. When he is not at work, Nate enjoys spending time with his dogs and traveling.

Dave Pape, VP of Operations, School Bus Division - GO Riteway

VP of Operations, School Bus Division

Dave Pape

Dave joined GO Riteway in 2018 as Senior Terminal Manager for the Elmbrook School District and was later promoted to Director of Operations for our South Region school bus operations. Prior to joining the transportation industry, Dave was engaged in thirty years of successful business management bringing a strong organizational and leadership perspective to our team. Dave built his leadership experience starting in various purchasing and sales roles for Macy’s, Georgia Pacific Corporation, and TJ Hale. Dave built and lead departments such as project management, purchasing, logistics, engineering, business development, and manufacturing of high-quality retail interiors at TJ Hale before becoming President / COO. Dave developed and managed executive relationships with key clients such as Bass Pro Shops, Microsoft, H&M, Este Lauder, Sephora, Kohl’s, and Von Maur. Dave took pride in his past leadership experiences overseeing teams to execute highly complex projects for his customers to make them flow smoothly and effortlessly for the client. He applies many of those same principles today when working with school district customers to provide best-in-class service to their students, families, and communities. Dave graduated with a BBA from UW-Milwaukee and has completed additional programs at North Carolina State University. When not at work, Dave enjoys spending time with his family, remodeling, hunting, photography, and learning about sustainable and eco-friendly agricultural practices.

Mick Howen, VP of Operations, School Bus Division - GO Riteway

VP of Operations, School Bus Division

Mick Howen

Mick Howen joined the GO Riteway team in 2022 as a Vice President of Operations. Previously, Mick had a combination of 20 years of related experience, which included being quickly promoted through the managerial ranks to Director of Operations for a school bus/motorcoach company. Most recently, he was the Director of Auxiliary Services with Wisconsin’s second-largest school district. For 13 years, he oversaw several departments within Auxiliary Services, which included district student Transportation Services as well as Purchasing, Printing, Central Receiving, and Delivery Services. Mick is a United States Army veteran and he has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. He prioritizes leading with a focus on team effort, pride, and accomplishment. His greatest professional pleasure is contributing to the success of others individually and as a team. Personally, he enjoys time spent with Trish, his wife of more than 30 years, and his family. Also, he has been accused of being obsessed with the Northwoods, fishing, and hunting. He also enjoys playing guitar, singing, and the Packers.

Steve Fazlovic, VP of Operations, Commercial Services - GO Riteway

VP of Operations, Commercial Services

Steve Fazlovic

Steve’s passion for transportation and occupant safety led him to join the GO Riteway team in 2018. A native of Wisconsin, Steve previously spent 8 years in the Washington DC area where he was the Director of Operations for an independent, third-party testing organization. In this role, he led a team of engineers and technicians who tested and validated products for the automotive, aerospace, defense, battery, mobility, child restraint, and bus/motorcoach industries. Prior to his role in leadership, he worked as a test engineer and gained expertise in federal motor vehicle safety standards, component-level testing, crashworthiness, and crash avoidance systems. Steve received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. In his current role with GO Riteway, he is responsible for leading all operational aspects of the Commercial Services Division. Additionally, he has a key role in implementing and creating strategies for future divisional and organizational growth.

Kathi Kaestner, VP of Sales, Commercial Services - GO Riteway

VP of Sales, Commercial Services

Kathi Kaestner

When Kathi Kaestner joined GO Riteway in 2018 as Director of Sales/Commercial Services, she brought more than two decades of experience in successful Business Development with her. In her current role, Kathi is tasked with developing key growth sales & marketing strategies, tactics and action plans to enhance GO Riteway’s position as the area’s most diverse ground transportation solution. Kathi got her start with a Degree in Graphic Arts but quickly realized she enjoyed the business side of the creative world. She began her corporate career in Retail Management and moved on to marketing roles, where she focused on business development, public relations, brand management, and consumer research. Senior sales roles followed in the direct-mail and retail marketing specialties where she managed large, complex marketing programs from client consultation and conception through production and deployment. With a passion for building strong internal teams and long-lasting customer relationships, Kathi enjoyed growing existing businesses and opening new markets throughout the US. Some of her high-profile clients included Ford, Cadillac, PepsiCo, Nabisco, Miller-Brewing, Reebok, Luxottica, Garmin, and Verizon Wireless. When she’s not working, Kathi enjoys traveling and spending time outdoors with her husband, Rick, and pup, Leo.

Vice President of Fleet, Technology & Systems

Adam Ludovic

Adam joined GO Riteway in 2022 as the Director of Best Practices.  Prior to joining GO Riteway, Adam spent the previous decade as an operations leader in the warehousing industry at Medline Industries and Amazon.  It is important to Adam to be a servant leader and focus on continual improvement not only for the organization but also individually.  Adam is a proud Badger earning both his bachelor’s and master’s in Industrial Engineering at the University of Wisconsin – Madison.  Giving back to the community is a priority and Adam is involved with local sports organizations and the Village of Richfield’s Parks Commission. Adam and his wife, Jamie, have 4 children and live in Richfield, Wisconsin.  When not at work, Adam enjoys coaching his children, cheering on all Wisconsin sports teams, being outside and active, and trying new recipes on his smoker.

Director of Safety

Dan Becher

Dan Becher joined Riteway Bus Service in 1986 as a Yard Man and Shop Helper. Since then, he has held numerous positions for Go Riteway. Shop manager, State of Wisconsin Third Party CDL Examiner, Safety Supervisor, Safety Manager and Safety Director of our Commercial Service Division. Dan belongs to the Bus Industry Safety Council and has given many safety presentations at American Bus Associations Conferences. He has also spoken at Wisconsin Bus Associations meetings. Dan assisted with safety managing on site at the US Open Golf Tournament, PGA Tournament, Ryder Cup and various Kohler Hospitality events. Dan was awarded 2nd Place in 2018 for the Lytx Coach of the year. Other accomplishments he has: Trax Insurance Gold Medal Winner and Trax Insurance Presidents Circle Award winner. Dan and his wife Lisa have 2 daughter and reside in West Allis, Wisconsin. Dan enjoys attending Packers, Brewers, Marquette Men’s Basketball and Bucks games. Dan also enjoys attending Milwaukee Rep Performances and concerts. His favorite musical performer is Bruce Springsteen and loves music.

Daphne James, Senior Account Manager at GO Riteway

Director of Human Resources

Daphne James

Daphne James joined GO Riteway in 2019 as a Senior Account Manager. Since then, she has held other positions across our divisions, including Safety Specialist and Safety Director for our School Bus Division. In her current role as Director of Human Resources, she enjoys working with our employees in our School Bus and Ride Services divisions. Before joining GO Riteway, Daphne spent 18 years in transportation working at FedEx in multiple roles in both Tennessee and Wisconsin, including customer service and management. Her roles included working with teams to manage shipments in Memphis, as well as managing the PM crew at a FedEx station in Wisconsin. During her time at FedEx, Daphne credits learning her leadership skills, such as treating employees with the utmost respect and fairness, and the importance of quality customer service. She has continued to develop her career because of these philosophies. After leaving FedEx, she spent 13 years working with Process Retail Group in New Berlin, WI, as the Director of Logistics, Account Manager, and Project Manager adding to her leadership skills with project management and organization. When not at work, Daphne enjoys reading, watching the Brewers, and during the short Wisconsin summers riding motorcycles or kayaking with her husband and son.

GO Riteway Logo w/tagline Reversed

6970 S. 6th Street

Milwaukee, WI 53154

414-570-5200 / 800-236-5450

info@goriteway.com

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