ADA Office announces first honorees for Anne Hillyer Award for Integrity

The ADA Office in RTD’s Civil Rights Division is proud to announce the establishment of the Anne Hillyer Award for Integrity – and the first honorees to be recognized in her name.

The Anne Hillyer Award for Integrity honors RTD’s first ADA Investigator and Specialist. Hillyer started in the role with the inception of the ADA Office in 2015, and she served for six years before dying of cancer in 2021. Hillyer was an attorney, an LA Raiders fan and a devoted aunt; she dedicated herself to serving the community of people with disabilities and never stopped being an advocate for equity. She was deeply committed to making customers’ lives better through connections.

This award recognizes operators who embody Hillyer’s commitment to customers with disabilities through their dedication and passion when providing service. Many bus and rail operators strive to embody Hillyer’s spirit of creating a welcoming transit environment for all customers by supporting customers with disabilities. This award is given to those operators who show the same integrity and commitment to accessibility and equity that Hillyer did, by going above and beyond in their service to customers with disabilities.

The 2024 Anne Hillyer Award for Integrity honorees are Al Espinola (Transdev Denver), Felipe Munoz-Ramos (Transdev Englewood), Hosie Mitchell (East Metro Division) and Justin Homan (Transdev Denver). These employees will be recognized with a certificate, a plaque and acknowledgments at future Board of Directors meetings.

Espinola was selected based on the experience of a customer mistakenly riding eastbound on Route 92 who needed to go westbound. The customer is a disabled veteran with hearing loss who was confused about the situation, and Espinola “took the time to explain what was going on to (the customer), to get him off and on the right bus.” He was also reported to be kind and patient.

Munoz-Ramos was selected based on a commendation from a customer on the northbound Route 76, who indicated that the operator took the time to ensure customers could alight at a safe location on West 38th Avenue in spite of the continued construction in the area. The customer stated that Munoz-Ramos even “watched and waited until I had made my way thought the construction and I was safely on the sidewalk before pulling away.”

Mitchell was selected based on a customer’s experience with Route 15, where he was passed up. Mitchell, driving the 15L, pulled up to East Colfax Avenue and Sherman Street, told the customer to board and asked where he was headed. The customer indicated that he needed to get off on High Street, where the 15L does not have a stop. Mitchell told the customer that he would get him there, regardless of a planned stop, and was quoted as saying, “If I get in trouble then I get in trouble, but right now I want to take care of you.”

Homan was selected for the award based on his high number of commendations received in the past 12 months. He was said to be “consistently professional, patient and kind,” and that he consistently gives “five-star service to ADA customers.” One of Homan’s many commendations states that “(the customer) knows being a bus driver can be tough, but Justin is great at what he does."

The Anne Hillyer Award for Integrity is planned to be awarded annually. To nominate an operator for this honor, supervisors and managers can contact ADA Manager Gabe Christie or ADA Investigator/Specialist Tameka McMillan. If the operator has received customer commendations for their service, please include that information in the nomination.