The Transportation Alliance Announces 2026 Award Recipients
Industry invited to celebrate Tom Sikkema, Ira Goldstein and Abe Andrews, and honor the legacies of Rick Hewatt and Geoffrey Riesel at Mobilize 2026
October 12, 2026, The Transportation Alliance (TTA) and the TTA Foundation will recognize five outstanding individuals whose advocacy, leadership, and compassionate service have strengthened the passenger transportation industry. Mobilize 2026's opening session will honor Tom Sikkema, Ira Goldstein, and Abe Andrews. Rick Hewatt and Geoffrey Riesel will be recognized posthumously with Lifetime Achievement Awards during the closing session.
TTA invites members, industry partners, and transportation professionals to join the celebration and recognize the people whose work makes a lasting difference for operators, drivers, and passengers.
Tom Sikkema — 2026 TTA Advocate of the Year
Tom Sikkema, founder of Ride YourWay, will receive the TTA Advocate of the Year Award for his dedication to strengthening the industry’s voice with policymakers.
As a teenager, Sikkema survived a rare, life-threatening brain cancer diagnosis. His experience traveling to treatment, combined with his background as a registered nurse, inspired him and his brother, Bradyn, to create Ride YourWay, a company focused on compassionate, safe, and personalized transportation.
Through his advocacy in Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District, Sikkema has supported TTA’s legislative efforts and helped policymakers understand how transportation connects people to care, independence, and opportunity.
Ira Goldstein — 2026 TTA President’s Award
Ira Goldstein, Executive Director of The Black Car Fund, will receive the TTA President’s Award for his contributions to the association and the passenger transportation industry.
Through his leadership at The Black Car Fund, Goldstein helps protect approximately 100,000 drivers across New York through workers’ compensation coverage and additional health and financial benefits. As a TTA board member, he brings thoughtful leadership, industry experience, and a strong commitment to the people who keep passenger transportation moving.
Abe Andrews — 2026 TTA Foundation Sigmund “Ziggy” Zilber Award
Wheelchair-transportation driver Abe Andrews will receive the TTA Foundation’s Sigmund “Ziggy” Zilber Award for his exceptional professionalism, commitment to safety, and compassionate passenger service.
Andrews takes great care to ensure passengers are properly secure, comfortable, and treated with dignity. His nomination describes the extraordinary trust he has earned: many passengers specifically request him and will adjust their schedules or wait until he is available. His patience, kindness, and dependability demonstrate the lasting impact a caring driver can have on passengers and their families.
Rick Hewatt — 2026 TTA Lifetime Achievement Award, In Memoriam
Rick Hewatt will be honored posthumously for a lifetime of leadership, service, and giving back to the passenger transportation industry and his community.
As president of Checker Cab Company, Hewatt built a career rooted in his passion for the taxi industry and the people who make it work. Recognized as Operator of the Year in 2003, he went on to serve as president of TTA’s predecessor association in 2009 and president of the TTA Foundation in 2014.
Remembered as a respected leader, mentor, and friend, Hewatt brought a “Work Hard, Play Hard” spirit to his professional and personal pursuits. His service extended beyond transportation through community involvement, including his work on the Southeastern Railway Museum board. The award celebrates his enduring contributions and the generosity and camaraderie he shared with those around him.
Geoffrey Riesel — 2026 TTA Lifetime Achievement Award, In Memoriam
Geoffrey Riesel will be honored posthumously for decades of leadership, innovation and service to the passenger transportation industry.
Riesel understood the industry from the driver’s seat, earning his London taxi license in 1973 after completing the city’s demanding Knowledge examination. As chairman of Radio Taxis, he helped grow the business from approximately 1,100 taxis to 3,000, later serving as Gett’s UK chairman following its acquisition of the company. Throughout his career, he remained proud of helping taxi drivers earn a better living.
An International Vice President of TTA’s predecessor association and chairman of the European Radio Taxi Association, Riesel championed better passenger service while advocating for drivers and transportation businesses. Colleagues remember him as a generous mentor and a welcoming leader who valued relationships as deeply as accomplishments.
The Mobilize 2026 closing session will present both Lifetime Achievement Awards, giving attendees a chance to celebrate Hewatt’s and Riesel’s lives, honor their contributions, and recognize the lasting influence of their leadership.
The Advocate of the Year, President’s Award, and Sigmund “Ziggy” Zilber Award will be presented during Mobilize 2026 in Anaheim, California, at the opening session on October 27th. TTA President Bill Rouse and TTA Foundation President Nick Cambas will help recognize the honorees. Attendees are also invited to join the closing session on October 28th to honor Rick Hewatt and Geoffrey Riesel as TTA’s 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award recipients.
Come celebrate these outstanding individuals, applaud their achievements, and connect with colleagues who share a commitment to advancing the passenger transportation industry.
Contact: Elena Sierra, TTA Executive Director P: (301) 984-5700 | info@thetransportationalliance.org
About The Transportation Alliance
The Transportation Alliance is the leading association representing the private-sector passenger transportation industry. With members spanning the taxi, limousine, non-emergency medical transportation, microtransit, and other transportation sectors, TTA advocates for policies that support small businesses and enhance mobility solutions for communities across the country.
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