Board Councils

The purpose of the Councils of the American Bus Association's Board of Directors is to provide a forum for Board members to discuss pertinent legislative, regulatory, and operational issues through a focused dialogue amongst a subset of Board members that are currently providing similar and like services to the motorcoach, travel, and tourism industry.

The Board Councils also serve as a conduit for communications between Board members and the members of the ABA membership at large within the various membership segments, to ensure that all industry service segments have their interests represented at the Board level as well as to promote inclusiveness and transparency in the actions and discussions of the ABA Board. The Board Councils even provide an opportunity for Board members to query other members of their representative industry segments for assistance in identifying emerging issues and helping to establish association priorities.

Membership

The membership of each Council shall be constituted by individuals currently sitting on the Board of Directors as a result of their own self-selection based on the operational services provided by their respective companies. There are currently 6 Board Councils: Charter-Tour Bus Operators, Fixed Route Bus Operators, Enterprise Bus Operators, Tour Operators, Associates, and Travel Industry.

The Charter-Tour Bus Operator Council
Composed principally of bus operators with more than 25 coaches, which provide charter, tour, sightseeing, special event shuttles, convention shuttles, packaged tour, and local receptive operations as a majority of their business operations.

The Fixed Route Bus Operator Council
Composed principally of bus operators that provide scheduled service along fixed routes between intercity destinations, as well as commuters, airport shuttle service, casino line runs, package express, and special operations as a majority of their business operations.

The Enterprise Bus Operator Council
Composed principally of bus operators that have fewer than 25 motorcoaches involved in busing operations. Representatives in this Council primarily share best practices and discuss issues facing smaller operators regardless of service type.

The Tour Operator Council
Composed principally of operators providing tour services, step-on guides, travel planning, packaged tours, and receptive operations as a majority of their business operations. Representatives on the Tour Operator Council generally do not own any motorcoaches, but work in close partnership with the three Bus Operator Councils and the Travel Industry Council.

The Associates Council
Composed principally of business representatives that identify themselves as members of the motorcoach industry supply chain, including the bus manufacturers, hardware suppliers, and suppliers of other maintenance and support services.

The Travel Industry Council
Composed principally of business representatives that identify themselves as travel/tourism/destination marketing organizations, tourism service/transportation companies, lodging accommodations, dining/ attractions, and food service companies.

Council Participation & Meeting Format

The Board Councils will have at least two face-to-face meetings per year, typically in conjunction with a regularly scheduled Board meeting, and may have follow-up meetings throughout the year as needed. Council meetings will be convened and led by a Council spokesperson, whom is selected annually by the Chair of the Board of Directors and continues service at the pleasure of the other members of the Council. Each Council has an ABA staff liaison, who is charged with chronicling meeting discussion items, facilitating the implementation of Council priority items and ensuring appropriate follow-up on identified action items.

Board Councils will also be expected to periodically reach out to the membership segments that they represent through open conference calls, facilitated by the Council spokesperson and coordinated by the staff liaison. An example of the applications of such outreach would be to hold a conference call in one month in advance of a scheduled ABA Board meeting to solicit ideas and discussion items, then to hold a conference call one month after the Board meeting to debrief members on action items and implementation timelines.