WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers REFLECTION OF SERVICE- Resident Joyce Smith received a 15-year service award from the city of Simi Valley this week. Smith, a former school and metro bus driver, is now a transit supervisor. Whenever Joyce Smith got behind the wheel of a Simi Valley bus, riders would jokingly ask her if her feet reached the pedals.

Often, she would just laugh and show that her 4-foot-10-inch frame covered enough ground . . . if she positioned the seat just right.

But it's been more than 12 years since the 54-year-old Simi resident has driven her own bus route. Instead, she's been busy earning a reputation as a beloved city transit supervisor. Just this week, the City Council awarded Smith a 15-year Service Award.

"It's an achievement," Smith said. "It's a good feeling. I like my job; I like the people I work with, and it's been a lot more fulfilling than I ever thought it would be. And I still want to do it."

Smith started in transportation in 1986, when she was a school bus driver for the Simi Valley Unified School District.

She decided to work for the school district because her daughters, Joanne and Jennifer, were students at Sequoia Junior High School and she wanted a job that would give her as much time as possible with her family.

Impressed by the training she received, Smith was inspired to pursue an opportunity to train others when a position opened up with the city of Simi Valley in 1992.

First she took a parttime position as a transit coach operator. In 1995, she was appointed to a fulltime position and soon after became the first woman in the 32year history of the city's transit system to become a supervisor.

Chuck Perkins, deputy director of transit with the city of Simi Valley, chose Smith over the other applicants in particular because of her prior experience and knowledge of the city.

"Joyce fit the picture of Simi Valley Transit in that she lived in the city, had a connection with the city and a desire to be part of something that would improve our city," Perkins said.

As a supervisor, Smith is directly involved in working with the public, helping to provide emergency assistance when needed by the city, maintaining the department and- her favorite of all- training new employees.

"I get to train new operators and take them to the (Department of Motor Vehicles) for their road test," Smith said. "I'm proud to say that out of all those I've trained, I have a 100 percent pass record.

"It's almost more nerve-racking for me sometimes than it is for the driver. But it's a good feeling when they pass."

Since Smith was first hired, Simi Valley Transit's ridership has almost doubled to more than 500,000 trips in fiscal year 200607. DialaRide- the city's paratransit system for seniors and disabled citizens- has expanded from one route in 1992 to 10 routes today.

"We have some disabled citizens or seniors who wouldn't be able to leave the house if they didn't have our services," Joyce said. "It's really gratifying to be able to help people."

As Simi Valley grows, Joyce is looking forward to doing more to help the community through the transit department in coming years. She has no plans to leave anytime soon.

"Not only has the city of Simi Valley itself grown but because of the demand our division has grown too," she said. "It's been a really great career for me, to be able to see the growth and to have the challenges every day."

When asked if she hears the same jeers about her height now that she's gone from bus driver to supervisor, Smith gave an expected answer.

"Not so much anymore," she said.