Ottawa Student Transportation Authority names new GM

Jennifer Borrel-Benoit, a former principal of Longfields-Davidson Heights Secondary School, has been named the general manager of the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority. Photo by Shannon

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The school bus consortium that manages bus transportation for Ottawa’s English-language schools has named a new general manager and chief administration officer.

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Jennifer Borrel-Benoit, a former principal of Longfields-Davidson Heights Secondary School in Barrhaven, takes the helm at the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority (OSTA) on May 11.

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Borrel-Benoit has over 25 years of experience in education and district-level administration with the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB), said OSTA in a statement. While she was vice-principal in Learning Support Services for the OCDSB, she directly managed specialized transportation, managed the Autism Spectrum Disorder grant budget, and contributed to the district’s Transportation and Accessibility Working Group.

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“Jennifer brings a wealth of strategic leadership and operational expertise to this role,” said OSTA’s statement.  “Jennifer is intimately familiar with the logistical, operational, and budgetary demands of delivering essential student services across a large district. Over the past two decades, she has collaborated closely with organizations such as OSTA and OC Transpo to ensure student safety and success.”

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OSTA was under intense scrutiny in the fall of 2023 after 7,500 students at the two school boards were left without bus transportation, leaving families scrambling only days before the start of the school year. Recruiting and retaining bus drivers was one of the main issues. Then-education minister Stephen Lecce said Ottawa accounted for over 70 per cent of all school bus cancellations in the province.

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The past three years have seen rapid turnover in OSTA leadership.

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In December 2023, OSTA announced that Vicky Kyriaco had departed as general manager after 12 years. Cindy Owens, a former Catholic board principal and superintendent, was named interim operations manager.

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Joel Lemieux, a former OC Transpo transit operations control centre manager, was named OSTA general manager in April 2024. He departed in August 2024, and Owens became interim general manager.

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Stacey Kay was named OSTA general manager and CAO in December 2024. She departed OSTA in November 2025 after she was named the ODSB’s director of eduction. Owens once again became interim general manager.

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An independent review by Deloitte LLP commissioned by the Ministry of Education identified a $7-million funding gap projected for the 2024-25 school year — the difference between OSTA’s $82.1-million budget and the $75.1 million it received from the province for school bus transportation.

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