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Faces of Freight Rail

Faces of Freight Rail showcases the dedicated men and women who work behind the scenes to ensure freight rail continues to deliver for America. In 2009, Class I railroads employed more than 150,000 Americans and paid over $15.7 billion in wages and benefits. Rail industry employees are skilled, highly-trained and among the nation’s highest paid workers. Spend some time getting to know the many hardworking men and women that are the Faces of Freight Rail.

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Eric Adams

Mobile Locomotive Crane Operator
Canadian National Railway
Koscuisko, MS
9 years in the industry

For Eric Adams, working in the railroad industry is about getting the job done correctly and safely. Eric is a mobile locomotive crane operator for Canadian National Railway Company (CN) whose pile driver machine secures the rail line between Jackson, MS, and Memphis, TN. He started with CN as a trackman in 2001 and has gradually worked his way through different positions in the company. At each stop, he's enjoyed not just the work, but the men and women he works with each day. Read More »
Jerry Bohacik, Jr.

Director, Rail Operations
GATX
Chicago, IL
33 years in the industry

Most people spend their time away from work relaxing, but GATX Corporation veteran Jerry Bohacik Jr., devotes nearly all of his free time to his community. An exemplary employee of 33 years, Jerry has risen through the ranks of the GATX repair shop network in Chicago. He's now the Director of Rail Operations and Network Services, managing all GATX's railroad repair work to keep America's rail network running safely and reliably. Read More »
Angie Booker

Yardmaster
Canadian National Railway
Memphis, TN
6 years in the industry

Even in these harsh economic times, the railroad industry continues to provide great opportunities for career advancement. Angie Booker is proof. Angie began her railroad career with Canadian National Railway Company in 2004. Hired as a transportation clerk processing paperwork at the Johnson Yard Tower in Memphis, TN, she has risen to the position of yardmaster and today supervises as many as 100 employees. Read More »
John Brooks

General Manager of U.S. Grain and Bio Fuels
Canadian Pacific
Minneapolis, MN
17 years in the industry

After graduating from the University of Northern Iowa with a finance degree in 1994, John Brooks needed a job. The blind newspaper ad he answered turned out to be a management development job with Union Pacific, and Brooks landed it. Nobody was more surprised than he. “I remember thinking, 'I didn't even know the railroads still existed!'” Brooks says. Read More »
John Brown

Locomotive Engineer
Canadian National Railway
Neenah, WI
15 years in the industry

The American freight railroad industry employs people from all walks of life—even from the other side of the globe. John Brown emigrated from New Zealand to the United States in 1995 so he could continue his career in the railroad industry. He and his family left their warm and rainy country for cold and snowy Wisconsin winters and the promise of a great opportunity with Canadian National Railway Company (CN). Read More »
Trevette Brown

Materials Manager
Union Pacific
N. Little Rock, AR

"The railroad industry nurtures its employees by giving them opportunities to learn and grow", says Trevette Brown, a materials manager for Union Pacific (UP). The management training program at UP played a huge part in preparing her for the demands of the industry. It also instilled in her an eagerness to pass on that caring and consideration to the employees she supervises. Read More »
William Bullock

Director, Industrial Hygiene
CSX
Jacksonville, FL
3 years in the industry

Ever watched CSI? If so you'll understand why Dr. William Bullock, “Billy” to fellow CSX workers, likens his work as Director of Industrial Hygiene to the supreme sleuthing done on the show. “We're detectives of the workplace,” Dr. Bullock says. “We identify potential hazards that can make people ill or cause injury so that they don't get hurt.” Read More »
Deb Butler

Executive Vice President, Planning and Chief Information Officer
Norfolk Southern
Norfolk, VA
32 years in the industry

Deb Butler's got an impressive title—Executive VP Planning and Chief Information Officer for Norfolk Southern (NS)—but she's really paid to be a visionary. Starting out 32 years ago in accounts receivables, this mother of three is now a force behind Track 2012, NS' ambitious, five-year strategic plan. Read More »
Sandy Butler

Equipment Control
Kansas City Southern
Kansas City, MO
15 years in the industry

Sandy Butler has had a lifelong fascination with the railroad industry. "I was a railroad brat," says Sandy, whose father was an engineer for the Texas & Pacific Railroad. She never anticipated having a railroad job herself, but when she moved back to the Shreveport, LA area to care for her ailing mother she saw a job opening at Kansas City Southern. Sandy jumped at the opportunity to join the railroad. "I guess there's something in the blood," she says. Read More »
Janice Cowen

State Coordinator, South Carolina
Operation Lifesaver
Columbia, SC

Janice Cowen, South Carolina's state coordinator for Operation Lifesaver Inc., an international non-profit educating people about safety on and around trains and highway-rail grade crossings, has given hundreds of presentations to law enforcement officers, civic groups and professional drivers. For twenty years Janice, a mother of two daughters from Columbia, SC, has been passionate about spreading OLI's lifesaving messages about how to safely co-exist with trains. It has become, she says, her life's work. Read More »
Mark Dudle

Manager, Industrial Hygiene
Norfolk Southern
Atlanta, GA
19 years in industry

In his 19 years as an industrial hygienist for Norfolk Southern (NS), Mark Dudle has seen some memorable things. One he'll never forget is riding the first NS freight train over the Lake Ponchatrain bridge two weeks after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. “Everything was still flooded,” Dudle recalls, “but our railroad was functional.” Read More »
Ken Freimuth

Manager, Special Products Design
Union Pacific
Omaha, NE
10 years in industry

Ken Freimuth remembers growing up near Union Pacific's (UP) Bailey Yard in North Platte, NE—the largest freight rail yard in the world—and falling asleep to the soothing sound of trains rumbling through the night. Now, as Manager of Special Products Design for UP in Omaha, Freimuth is responsible for taking design projects for things like connections, siding or double tracks from concept to completion. Read More »
Jennifer Fussell

Director of Sales and Marketing
Kansas City Southern
Dallas, TX
12 years in the industry

Many people struggle to find the right career path. Jennifer Fussell was lucky—12 years ago she found hers chugging right through her backyard. Jennifer worked at a nearby bank and lived directly behind a major Kansas City Southern switching yard. "All of the railroad workers were my customers," she says. "I talked to them, and they explained what a wide array of opportunities there were in the railroads." Encouraged by the glowing career recommendations, Jennifer decided to pursue a job with Kansas City Southern (KCS). Read More »
Anne Gill

Director, Track Measurement
BNSF Railway
Fort Worth, TX
15 years in industry

Anne Gill, director of track measurement for BNSF Railway, has an impressive educational pedigree: two civil engineering degrees, a law degree and an MBA. Originally interested in a career in highway engineering, she found work with the railroads instead. As it turns out, the roadways’ loss was the railroad's gain and today, after working for the Association of American Railroads, Gill oversees 15 BNSF Railway employees in Fort Worth, TX. Read More »
Sam Gratz

State Legislative Affairs Representative
Wisconsin Railroad Committee
Madison, WI
20 years in the industry

Twenty years ago, Sam Gratz was running his own restaurant across from the Wisconsin state capitol building in Madison, feeding lawmakers while discussing one of his favorite things: politics. One day, Gratz—who majored in political science at the U. of Wisconsin, Eau Claire—was offered a job representing the freight rail industry. Today, Gratz, who represents the four Class I's that operate in Wisconsin, helps to shape legislative policy that supports and strengthens railroads. Read More »
Shari Hulin

Manager, Professional Recruiting
Norfolk Southern
Norfolk, VA
5 years in the industry

Even in these trying economic times, the freight rail industry continues to add top talent to its workforce. Shari Hulin, a recruiter for Norfolk Southern, says adding to the company's already diverse talent base helps ensure its continued success. "Diversity in the workplace gives Norfolk Southern its competitive advantage," she says. "It helps foster innovation and it gives us a better understanding of the customers and the communities we serve." Read More »
Lachina Jones

Machinist Apprentice
Union Pacific
N. Little Rock, AR

Good work is good work. Equipment doesn't care about gender. All that matters is that a job gets done and done right. Lachina Jones, a machinist apprentice for Union Pacific, loves the fact that UP gives her the opportunity to succeed doing a job overwhelmingly staffed by men. She uses heavy equipment, tools and cranes to move and repair train machinery. Read More »
Jason Kahn

Research and Development Manager
Herzog Services, Inc.
St. Joseph, MO
4 years in the industry

Growing up in sunny California, Jason Kahn dreamt of going into heavy civil construction—building railroads, highways and bridges—working on the kinds of huge projects that change the face of cities across America. Before joining Herzog’s national construction team, he'd considered railroads pretty basic. “I'd always thought they were very simple, a couple of rails made of steel,” the young industrial engineer recalls. Then, after seeing ultrasonic testing being done on two welded pieces of rail, Kahn was forever hooked. Read More »
Heidi Kneip

Train Dispatcher
Union Pacific
Omaha, NE
7 years in the industry

Seven years ago, Heidi Kneip was working with at-risk kids when her dad, a train dispatcher with over 30 years in the industry, suggested she apply for a job as a dispatcher at Union Pacific (UP). Her mother, grandfather and two uncles worked there too. For Heidi, now a third generation UP employee, freight rail was literally a family affair, and working there was like coming home. Read More »
Paul Kurzanski

Manager, Environmental Remediation
CSX
Jacksonville, FL
31 years in the industry

When Paul Kurzanski and his wife attended a Jaguars/Buffalo Bills game in Jacksonville, FL, last November they hoped to see some great football. The biggest thrill, however, came at halftime when Paul's name flashed up on the scoreboard congratulating him for having just won the Association of American Railroad's 2009 Chafee Environmental Excellence Award, freight rail's top honor reserved for the industry's best environmental stewards. Read More »
Elizabeth Lapee

Telecommunications Specialist
Kansas City Southern
Kansas City, MO
9 years in the industry

As Kansas City Southern (KCS) telecommunications specialist Elizabeth Lapee and her brood of eight children can testify, the railroad industry is a great career choice for people who want to raise a family. "They're absolutely supportive of families here," Elizabeth says about KCS. "I would definitely encourage other people to work here. It's a very friendly environment." Read More »
Kelly LeDuff

Trainmaster
Canadian National Railway
Baton Rouge, LA
6 Years in the industry

Though he's only 26 years old, Kelly LeDuff already has more than seven years of experience in the railroad industry. He began his career mopping floors, but quickly became a conductor and then a yardmaster. Kelly is a fast learner who loves taking on new challenges - he recently started working as a trainmaster for Canadian National Railway Company (CN) and is taking steps to ensure his career there will be a long one. Read More »
Marti Lenz

Product Leader, Engine Systems
Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc
La Grange, IL
30 years in the industry

Some people consider the diesel engine to be a bit of a dinosaur, but Marti Lenz, product leader of engine systems at Electro-Motive Diesels (EMD) headquarters in La Grange, IL, thinks they're wrong. “The efficiency of the engine and the amount of energy content in the diesel fuel make it the most effective way to move large, heavy objects like locomotives around,” she says. “Biodiesel fuel is a great thing but even that has less energy content, so my prediction is the diesel engine will still be here a quarter century from now.” Read More »
Jackie Litzinger

Chief of Police
CSX
Jacksonville, FL
16 years in the industry

As the middle child of five growing up in Baltimore, Jackie Litzinger wanted to do one of two things: pilot airplanes or work in law enforcement. She accomplished both. This past May, after thirty years of police experience both in the public and private sector, Jackie was appointed Chief of Police for CSX, in charge of special agents spread across 23 states. As the first female police chief of any freight railroad in North America, she's proof positive that a young girl's dreams can and do come true. Read More »
Hugh McCormack

Supervisory Special Agent
Norfolk Southern
Chicago, IL
11 years in the industry

When Hugh McCormack talks about going to the dogs, that means he's headed to work. As a supervisory special agent for Norfolk Southern (NS) in his hometown of Chicago, Hugh's in charge of the railroad's K9 units. He spends half of every month on the road visiting all 12 teams, ensuring training's going well and that they're getting the most out of their animals. A dog handler with Norfolk Southern's police department since 1999, Hugh also matches the dogs—German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois or a cross between the two—with handlers to ensure the best possible match, instructing them on how to work together on either patrol, explosive detection duty, or both. “It's a job I've always wanted to do,” he says. Read More »
Dr. Alan Palazzolo

Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX

Don't tell anyone, but Dr. Alan Palazzolo, a professor with Texas A&M's Department of Mechanical Engineering, is afraid of roller coasters. It's kind of a funny admission for a mechanical engineer, an avowed lover of machinery who studies the potential of flywheels—heavy spinning wheels in which energy is absorbed and stored by means of momentum—on trains. Roller coasters seem tame by comparison. Read More »
Niecie Patterson

Senior Manager, Passenger Operations
Union Pacific
Omaha, NE
33 years in the industry

She works for one of the biggest freight railroads in North America, but Niecie Patterson wants people to know that Union Pacific (UP), like all Class I railroads, also hosts passenger rail. “Amtrak has priority over freight rail as mandated by the federal government,” says Niecie, Senior Manager of Passenger Operations at UP's Harriman Dispatching Center in Omaha, NE. “People are first, freight is second.” Read More »
Ron Pierce

Director, Crew Management/Train Dispatching - U.S.
Canadian Pacific
Minneapolis, MN
22 years in the industry

A first generation railroader, Ron Pierce was initially attracted to railroads because the pay was good. But after a summer job working as an operator for Chicago Central & Pacific exposed him to the industry, Pierce sensed an even greater lure: opportunity. “There are so many career paths to take,” he says. “You may enter into one field, but there's always opportunity to expand into other areas and develop interests you didn't know you had.” Read More »
Kent Pinson

Locomotive Engineer, Fuel Master Facilitator
Union Pacific
Portland, OR
37 years in the industry

Kent Pinson trains fellow locomotive engineers for Union Pacific's (UP) Fuel Masters Unlimited, the freight railroad's renowned fuel conservation program. “The first year we put this program into effect, we saved about 2 million gallons of fuel in the Portland, Oregon area," says Pinson. "That's a huge number, one I'm proud of.” Read More »
Antonio Rucker

Laborer
Canadian National Railway
Memphis, TN
3 years in the industry

While working in the freight rail industry is rewarding, it can also be a lot of hard work. Antonio Rucker, however, says the benefits easily outweigh the challenges. Antonio stays busy as a laborer with Canadian National Railway Company (CN) in Memphis, TN. "I'd always heard the railroad was a great place to work," he says. "I decided to try something different and I've loved it ever since." Read More »
Parham Shahidi

Graduate Research Assistant
Virginia Polytechnic Institute
Blacksburg, VA

Saving lives is Parham Shahidi’s goal. Studying engineer fatigue at Virginia Tech under the sponsorship of the Association of American Railroads, the 25 year old German PhD candidate has developed a prototype that will improve operating practices for railroad engineers.“Our research studies the relationship between speech and voice recognition, trying to put all the pieces together to establish a new system that will serve as an indicator of when this person is tired,” he says. Read More »
Monique Ferguson Stewart

Program Manager
Federal Railroad Administration
Washington, DC
18 years in the industry

Studying mechanical engineering at Georgia Tech, Monique Ferguson Stewart had no intention of pursuing a career in railroads. Then, after working in CSX's locomotive engineering department for two years, Stewart realized it was an excellent opportunity to try something different. In 1995, Stewart took a job with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). “We make sure the nation’s railroads are transporting people and goods in a safe and efficient manner,” Stewart says. Read More »
Paul Tappana

Special Agent
Kansas City Southern
Neosho, Missouri
11 years in the industry

Since the days of the Wild West, those who look to break the law have tried to outsmart the railroads and those who look to protect the law have worked to stop them. Security and law enforcement are still key components in ensuring the success, security and prosperity of the rail industry. And Paul Tappana is one of many charged with protecting the country's rail network. Read More »
Dayne Tate

Manager, Industrial Development Department
Norfolk Southern
Indianapolis, IN
12 years in the industry

Dayne Tate is well-positioned to know exactly how important a healthy national rail network is to America's economic recovery. As a manager in Norfolk Southern's (NS) Industrial Development department in Indianapolis, Dayne helps the company's business partners locate their manufacturing plants and facilities near NS rail yards in order to facilitate the easy shipment of products. Read More »
Vincent Terrill

Railroad Consultant
Self Employed
Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA
59 years in industry

There's hardly a railroad job that Vince Terrill—who remembers when surfacing was done using a fork and sheer manpower—hasn’t done. Now a self-employed railroad consultant from Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA, Terrill knows that everything, from the kind of ballast used to the proper ties, relates to safety, and for him that's the only way to run a railroad. Read More »
Damien Thompson

Senior Manager, Response Management Communication Center
Union Pacific
Omaha, NE
7 years in the industry

Damien Thompson was employed laying concrete in Omaha, Nebraska, when he spotted a job ad seven years ago. Union Pacific (UP) was looking for people to answer calls in their Response Management Communication Center, and Damien went for it. “I'd always wanted to be involved in something more important,” he says. “In this job, every day is different because you never know what kind of incident will come up, and you're always helping someone, or the company.” Read More »
Kim Vaughn

Manager, Environmental Programs
CSX
Jacksonville, FL
19 years in the industry

As the woman in charge of environmental waste management for CSX Transportation, Kim Vaughn ensures that all company waste, hazardous or not, is properly containerized, stored and disposed. With operations in 23 states and two Canadian provinces, that's a big job. “My job requires me to be very knowledgeable about solid waste, water, and all the latest regulations governing them,” says Kim. Read More »
Blair Wimbush

Vice President Real Estate and Corporate Sustainability Officer
Norfolk Southern
Chesapeake, VA
30 years in the industry

Norfolk Southern (NS) became an industry leader when they made Blair Wimbush the first and only executive level railroad sustainability officer in the country. Energized and passionate, Blair is leading their push to conserve fuel, increase energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, recycle, and promote environmental partnerships, and he's not new to the quest. Read More »

All Faces of Freight Rail

Eric Adams

Mobile Locomotive Crane Operator
Canadian National Railway
Koscuisko, MS
Jerry Bohacik, Jr.

Director, Rail Operations
GATX
Chicago, IL
Angie Booker

Yardmaster
Canadian National Railway
Memphis, TN
John Brooks

General Manager of U.S. Grain and Bio Fuels
Canadian Pacific
Minneapolis, MN
John Brown

Locomotive Engineer
Canadian National Railway
Neenah, WI
Trevette Brown

Materials Manager
Union Pacific
N. Little Rock, AR
William Bullock

Director, Industrial Hygiene
CSX
Jacksonville, FL
Deb Butler

Executive Vice President, Planning and Chief Information Officer
Norfolk Southern
Norfolk, VA
Sandy Butler

Equipment Control
Kansas City Southern
Kansas City, MO
Janice Cowen

State Coordinator, South Carolina
Operation Lifesaver
Columbia, SC
Mark Dudle

Manager, Industrial Hygiene
Norfolk Southern
Atlanta, GA
Ken Freimuth

Manager, Special Products Design
Union Pacific
Omaha, NE
Jennifer Fussell

Director of Sales and Marketing
Kansas City Southern
Dallas, TX
Anne Gill

Director, Track Measurement
BNSF Railway
Fort Worth, TX
Sam Gratz

State Legislative Affairs Representative
Wisconsin Railroad Committee
Madison, WI
Shari Hulin

Manager, Professional Recruiting
Norfolk Southern
Norfolk, VA
Lachina Jones

Machinist Apprentice
Union Pacific
N. Little Rock, AR
Jason Kahn

Research and Development Manager
Herzog Services, Inc.
St. Joseph, MO
Heidi Kneip

Train Dispatcher
Union Pacific
Omaha, NE
Paul Kurzanski

Manager, Environmental Remediation
CSX
Jacksonville, FL
Elizabeth Lapee

Telecommunications Specialist
Kansas City Southern
Kansas City, MO
Kelly LeDuff

Trainmaster
Canadian National Railway
Baton Rouge, LA
Marti Lenz

Product Leader, Engine Systems
Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc
La Grange, IL
Jackie Litzinger

Chief of Police
CSX
Jacksonville, FL
Hugh McCormack

Supervisory Special Agent
Norfolk Southern
Chicago, IL
Dr. Alan Palazzolo

Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX
Niecie Patterson

Senior Manager, Passenger Operations
Union Pacific
Omaha, NE
Ron Pierce

Director, Crew Management/Train Dispatching - U.S.
Canadian Pacific
Minneapolis, MN
Kent Pinson

Locomotive Engineer, Fuel Master Facilitator
Union Pacific
Portland, OR
Antonio Rucker

Laborer
Canadian National Railway
Memphis, TN
Parham Shahidi

Graduate Research Assistant
Virginia Polytechnic Institute
Blacksburg, VA
Monique Ferguson Stewart

Program Manager
Federal Railroad Administration
Washington, DC
Paul Tappana

Special Agent
Kansas City Southern
Neosho, Missouri
Dayne Tate

Manager, Industrial Development Department
Norfolk Southern
Indianapolis, IN
Vincent Terrill

Railroad Consultant
Self Employed
Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA
Damien Thompson

Senior Manager, Response Management Communication Center
Union Pacific
Omaha, NE
Kim Vaughn

Manager, Environmental Programs
CSX
Jacksonville, FL
Blair Wimbush

Vice President Real Estate and Corporate Sustainability Officer
Norfolk Southern
Chesapeake, VA