Plinio Gonzalez, GSB ’08, started as a student driver for Fordham’s Ram Van service. Now, he’s the director of University Transportation, overseeing a system that moves thousands of students daily.
Gonzalez’s role extends beyond managing a fleet of Ram Vans. His leadership philosophy centers around creating a workplace culture that fosters camaraderie, growth and responsibility. Under his watch, he must manage growing student demand while maintaining a reputation as one of the safest and most efficient transit systems in New York City.
Born and raised in Harlem, Gonzalez grew up surrounded by the hustle of small business operations. His father owned grocery stores in the Bronx, a family business that introduced him to the intricacies of management, marketing and logistics at a young age.
While his siblings went far away for college — his sister to the University of Pennsylvania and his brother to the Rochester Institute of Technology — Gonzalez chose to stay close to home, enrolling at Fordham’s Gabelli School of Business.
“I liked the comfort of home,” Gonzalez said. “Being around my parents was important to me, and Fordham had the business program I was looking for.”
The draw he felt toward business was shaped by real-world experience rather than textbooks. From inventory management to customer relations, he learned firsthand how to solve problems.
But Fordham provided him with the academic foundation to refine and formalize those skills. Courses in consumer behavior and marketing strategy sharpened his skills, and an internship at Columbia Records gave him an early taste of the corporate world.
Ultimately, it was his job as a Ram Van driver that proved to be defining.
In 2004, Gonzalez started as a student driver for Fordham’s intercampus transportation system. The job offered flexible hours and a decent wage, but for him, it also became a training ground for leadership.
“There was a real sense of camaraderie,” he said. “It was like being part of a team, where everyone relied on each other, shared stories, and built bonds beyond just work.”
Gonzalez quickly moved up the ranks, becoming a maintenance coordinator. He oversaw fleet logistics and acted as a key liaison between drivers and administrators. After graduating into the 2008 financial crisis, he leveraged his transportation experience into management positions at car rental companies.
However, there was still a desire for something more. When the opportunity arose to return to Fordham in 2017, he jumped at the chance.
By 2019, he had risen to director of University Transportation, overseeing a growing operation responsible for transporting thousands of students and faculty members daily between campuses.
Gonzalez’s leadership style centers on fostering a strong workplace culture. He understands that a job, especially one as demanding as driving 15-passenger vans through New York City, is made easier when employees feel valued and appreciated.
“Workplace culture is everything,” he said. “If people want to come to work, if they feel like they’re part of something, the job doesn’t feel like work.”
To reinforce this, Gonzalez has implemented team-building initiatives: barbecues for new drivers, seasonal outings like apple picking, Thanksgiving potlucks and intramural basketball games.
He also started an annual tradition where drivers design their own Ram Van merchandise. Past items have been custom hoodies and T-shirts that have become badges of honor among the team.
Beyond culture, safety remains his top priority. Under his leadership, Fordham has introduced AI-powered cameras in vans to monitor driving habits and reduce accidents. According to Gonzalez, in fiscal year 2023, the Ram Van recorded just 15 at-fault accidents despite running hundreds of trips daily, a statistic he aims to continually lower.
Gonzalez is determined to keep the Ram Van at the forefront of university transportation. He envisions continued improvements in efficiency, driver training and student engagement. With rising demand, the service is expanding, and new strategies are being developed to ensure that Fordham’s transportation remains both reliable and safe.
“We’re always looking to innovate, to stay ahead of the curve,” he said. “We want to set the gold standard for university transportation.”
For Gonzalez, what started as a part-time student job has turned into a mission. The roads he once navigated as a driver now guide him as a leader. He’s building not just a transportation service, but an environment where students, employees and the Fordham community can spend less time on the road, and more time pursuing their future.
