Max Christensen joined First Light Safety Products as Senior Safety Advocate in May 2024, bringing extensive experience and dedication to student transportation across North America. The Christensen family’s passion for school buses began before Max was even born, with his father, Dale, working as a part-time school bus driver in Iowa.

In 1986, Christensen helped a stuck pickup truck, leading to a recommendation from the pickup driver for the Transportation Director position at Anita Community School District. Initially hesitant, he took the job to supplement his farming income.

Despite thinking it would be part-time, the “yellow” got into his blood while he took on multiple roles in Fort Dodge, before becoming the Transportation Director at Perry Community School District in 1998. In 2003, Christensen became State Director for student transportation at the Iowa Department of Education. His journey continued in 2012 when he became president of the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation (NASDPTS), where he served for two years as president and an additional eight years on the NASDPTS executive team. 

Christensen serves on SBF’s editorial advisory board.