The 2007 Co-Operator of the Year Nathanael Chappelle
Nathanael Chappelle is Co-Operator of the Year with Richard L. Boehmer
Nate Chappelle was born in May 1947 on the island of Barbados. His father and mother were both natives of Barbados where they owned a small farm. When Nate was 3 years old, the family relocated to South Carolina, then Philadelphia where he attended Wilmington High School. Nate served six years in the Army, including two years in Vietnam. He served an additional seven years in the Army Reserve in San Francisco.
Nate met his wife Elizabeth while attending San Francisco State College. Ten years later they moved to Bremerton. While on a trip to Seattle for a V.A. Hospital appointment, Nate met another vet who told him Metro needed transit operators. The same day in December 1978 Nate applied at Metro and was hired within a week.
Nate and Elizabeth have three children, Claire, Pettie and John. The family now lives in the Green Lake area, but they have a cabin near Index in Snohomish County and a summer home in Pacific County.
An example of Nate's caring and concern for his fellow human beings occurred on the night of June 12, 2006. While operating a Route 2, Nate noticed a man with a leg on each side of a bridge railing over the I-5 freeway. Thinking the man was about to jump, Nate distracted the man, while police approached the jumper from behind and quickly wrestled him to the ground. Because of this heroic move, Nate received commendations from Executive Ron Sims, DOT Director Harold Taniguchi, General Manager Kevin Desmond and Operations Manager Jim O'Rourke.
Nate has been the Chief Shop Steward for Atlantic Base for the past ten years. He currently is Chair for the Atlantic Base Security Committee. He also worked on the Public Safety Partnership Program. Nate serves on the Accident Review Board, working with Transit Safety. He helped establish the current Night Focus Group at Atlantic Base.
Nate was Operator of the Month for November 2007 at Atlantic Base. He was selected Co-Operator of the Year in balloting by all the Operators of the Month for 2007.
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