From bus cleaner to mechanic to foreman to maintenance manager to head of bus operations, Jan Homan did it all to keeping buses running at Metro Transit. He even had a stint leading the agency's scheduling division.

On Friday, Homan, who currently is Metro Transit's Deputy Chief of Bus Operations will report to work for the last time, capping a 40-year career that began on Christmas Eve in 1975.

Homan is one of most venerated leaders, according to Drew Kerr's tribute to him which appears on the Rider's Almanac section of Metro Transit's website.

Homan's ability to identify and encourage leaders is a defining part of his legacy, Kerr writes. Metro Transit's fleet also serves as a testament to his career. With more than 1,000 buses, Metro Transit's fleet is among the largest and reliable in the nation.

In 2015, buses traveled an average of more than 7,500 miles between service road calls, a key measure of fleet reliability. The number has more than doubled over the last decade, and Homan had a lot to do with that.

"We have one of the outstanding fleets in the country – 1,000 buses in the toughest conditions – but we still set the standard for appearance and reliability," said Vince Pellegrin, who preceded Homan as Director of Bus Maintenance. "When I think of Jan Homan, I really think of the icon of the bus maintenance industry."

Harlow, Tim, Star Tribune

Homan started as a bus cleaner making $4.28 an hour. He moved up through the ranks, serving as a mechanic at the old Northside Garage then as a foreman at the Nicollet Garage. He later moved into the role of maintenance manger at the flagship Heywood Garage and then became Director of Bus Maintenance.

As Deputy Chief of Operations, Homan oversaw both the maintenance and transportation divisions where he was able to shape aspects of driver training, garage management and street supervision, Kerr wrote.

About all his various and numerous duties, Homan said, "You do something for a while, make your contributions, and then it's nice to do something new – to stretch yourself and contribute in another area."

Along the way, he taught his craft to others and put them in positions to succeed, one of his most defining attributes Kerr said.

"He was really a master at stretching people," said Joe Reichstadt, Assistant Director of Bus Maintenance. "There wasn't any team member that wasn't challenged to think outside the box or normal process and we were thankful for that."

Photo: Metro Transit