Aces of Trades: Answering the call for help
COSHOCTON – She found a job she loves with an organization she had never heard of.
“I was a complete tomboy growing up,” recalled Tracy Haines. “I spent my summer days outside from morning to night. I dreamed of being a teacher, which is ironic because I really didn’t care for school while I was there, but I loved an organized desk and grading papers. I did not visualize someday working for our county’s transit agency or being the mobility manager for Coshocton County.”
Today, Haines is indeed mobility manager with Coshocton County Mobility Management.
“My focus is on the consumer’s needs rather than actually providing rides,” she explained. “This means I work directly with consumers and potential riders to match them with resources that fulfill any needs they may have. I provide one-on-one training with those who are new to public transportation. I register them for the service, identify funding sources for riders so they have little to no out-of-pocket costs, and even ride along with passengers to ease any fears and answer questions they may have.
“I look at mobility as a whole,” she continued. “Sometimes this is assisting individuals with public transit and other times it’s helping them remain independently mobile in their homes. There are times during an illness or after an accident an individual may need assistive equipment or a wheelchair ramp to enter/exit their home. Additionally, I’m involved with multi-use path projects to ensure safer avenues of travel for those who use non-traditional modes of transportation such as walking, biking and using electric wheelchairs and scooters.
“I often get calls,” she added, “from cancer patients who need daily rides out-of-county, from adult children living out of state who have senior parents here in need of assistance and individuals who are new to the area and have no idea where to go for help. Often the person calling is frantically looking for solutions. I consider it a privilege that I get to be the one to answer those calls. Some cases are harder than others are but most days I go home feeling good about my day and the difference I made in someone else’s life.”
Haines grew up in Canal Lewisville and graduated from River View High School and the Coshocton County Career Center in 1988. After getting married and working a few years, she then became a stay-at-home mother.
“Once my youngest child entered kindergarten,” she said, “I was contemplating re-entering the work force. Honestly, I had never heard of Coordinated Transportation until I received a call from a friend. I began in December 2003, as an administrative assistant. In 2008 I assumed the director position until 2016 when I stepped down due to an immediate family member’s illness.”
Valerie Shaw is the current director of the Coshocton County Coordinated Transportation Agency.
“Tracy is an absolute asset as mobility manager,” assessed Shaw. “Her positive, can-do attitude as well as her devoted work ethic is second to none. Although she’s separate from CCCTA in her position with Mobility Management, the two agencies go hand-in-hand and partner together frequently to ensure everyone in the community receives the transportation and mobility needs they rightfully deserve. Tracy is a cheerleader for CCCTA and all other local agencies she partners with, and it’s an absolute honor to work alongside her each and every day.”
“Mobility management is definitely my passion,” Haines responded. “I’ve always been a nurturing person willing to help/care for others in need. My job allows me to do this every day. There are tough days when a solution is not to be had, but, in most circumstances, I’m able to help in some way and improve a person’s quality of life. I truly look forward to each new day in the office and to improving the lives of those I serve. To say my path has been blessed is an understatement.”
Coshocton County Mobility Management is located at 401 Main St. For more information, call 740-623-2564 or log on www.coshoctoncounty.net/mobility.
Aces of Trades is a weekly series focusing on people and their jobs – whether they’re unusual jobs, fun jobs or people who take ordinary jobs and make them extraordinary. If you have a suggestion for a future profile, let us know at ctnews@coshoctontribune.com.
This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Answering the call for help
