OATS, Inc. is pleased to welcome new board members Mary Bishop and Nancy Sipes, who were sworn in at the monthly board meeting on January 26, 2010. Both are looking forward to serving the people of their regions.

Mary Bishop of Mountain Grove, Missouri, will be the new board representative for the Southwest Region. She is recently retired from the Mountain Grove Senior Center, where she worked for over 33 years. In Mary’s time at the senior center, she worked closely with the Southwest Regional Director of OATS to establish services for the center. Mary says her desire to help the organization stems from her knowledge of the great need for transportation by the people OATS serves. She is proud to assist an organization that she considers cohesive in their efforts, and is dedicated to the mission that all OATS employees and volunteers work to fulfill.

Nancy Sipes of Harrisonville, Missouri, will represent the West Region to the board. Nancy has worked as an OATS bus driver for the last few years, but after a hip replacement, was no longer able to drive. Much of her time as a driver was spent taking passengers on shopping outings. Nancy says she enjoyed these trips so much, she now participates as a rider. Nancy also attends OATS County Committee meetings, and works part-time as a monitor on a school bus for special needs children. She has a strong tie to OATS and the people they serve, and looks forward to helping those in need. Nancy believes that, especially for the seniors that OATS serves, the transportation provided keeps them young by helping them to maintain their independence. She is dedicated to her board service and says she will work hard to represent the people in her region.