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Luster National Named 2026 COMTO Small Business Firm of the Year

The national honor, presented at COMTO's 55th National Meeting & Training Conference in Washington, D.C., recognizes the firm's leadership and long-standing commitment to advancing opportunity in the transportation industry.

Mill Valley, CA — July 31, 2026 — Luster National, Inc. (Luster), an ISO 9001:2015 certified strategic advisory and program management firm serving the transportation industry, today announced that it has been named the 2026 Small Business Firm of the Year by the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO). The award was presented on July 28, 2026, at the Industry Awards Gala held during COMTO's 55th National Meeting & Training Conference, which ran July 25–28 in Washington, D.C.

Luster was nominated for the award by the COMTO Northern California Chapter, in recognition of the firm's sustained investment in the chapter and its programs, including support for professional development initiatives and efforts to create opportunities for the next generation of transportation leaders.

The Small Business Firm of the Year award was introduced in 2003 to recognize organizations that have demonstrated a strong commitment to the field of transportation and extraordinary competence in a chosen transportation-related field. The recipient of this award is nominated by a local COMTO chapter, and is actively engaged in, and strongly supports, COMTO's mission.

A National Milestone for COMTO

This year's conference marked COMTO's 55th anniversary. Founded in 1971, COMTO is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring transportation serves all. The 2026 conference, themed “Rooted in Legacy, Driving the Future of Transportation,” brought together transportation professionals from across North America to mark the organization's milestone and to look ahead to the industry's future.

“Thank you to COMTO NorCal for nominating (and surprising!) Luster with this honor and thank you to COMTO HQ for awarding us this recognition. We are deeply grateful for the opportunities COMTO has given Luster. We are excited to continue to uplift small businesses and invest in the next generation of transportation leaders.”

— Emily Luster, Esq., ENV SP, President, Luster National, Inc.

Luster has been an active supporter of COMTO and its chapters, and the firm's leadership credited the recognition to the collective commitment of its employees to the communities and clients it serves.

Luster's relationship with COMTO now spans three generations of the Luster family, beginning with company patriarch Orville Luster. The COMTO Northern California Chapter honors his legacy each year through its Orville B. Luster Award category, recognizing individuals who exemplify his commitment to advancing opportunity in the transportation industry. That legacy continues today: John Luster, Vice President of Luster, serves as Treasurer of the Board of Directors of the COMTO Northern California Chapter, and Emily Luster, President of Luster, serves as Secretary of the COMTO San Diego Chapter.

Looking ahead, Luster will continue to deepen its community impact through the Luster Foundation, which will help anchor the firm's future outreach efforts alongside its continued partnership with COMTO.