2016 Presentations Archive
Railcar Asset Health
Speaker: Chip Summey, Director Asset Services, Railinc
Chip has over 14 years experience in the transportation industry managing and implementing small and large scale projects, including rail PTC and wayside communication projects. Chip has been with Railinc since 2008 and been involved with several industry initiatives included the Asset Health Strategic Initiative, EHMS, Car Repair Billing, UMLER, and the Damage and Defective Car Tracking System. He has been a frequent member of the MARTS faculty presenting progress of these endeavors to conference attendees.
Speaker: Michael Lesniak, Director-Asset Health, AAR
Michael joined the Association of American Railroads in June 2007 as Director of Business Services in the Safety and Operations Department. He assumed the duties of Director-Asset Health in 2016. Mike has 34 years of railroad industry experience, and has four years in private industry as a consumer and purchaser of rail service. Mike spent the first seven years of his railroad career in operations and transportation serving as an Assistant Trainmaster and later moving into staff positions in transportation planning, interline operations and quality control. The remaining years of Mike’s railroad career prior to joining the AAR were spent in marketing and sales where he worked with the automotive, paper and food industries. Mike’s private industry experience was in the grain and food business as well. Upon graduation from Aurora University, Mike worked for the Transit Authority for three years and then received his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University before beginning his railroad career. Mike is a native of Chicago and currently lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and daughter.
Speaker: James Williams, Manager Car Administration-Mechanical, NS Corporation
Jamie began his railroad career with Norfolk Southern in 1990, initially as a Locomotive Laborer and shortly thereafter accepting a position as a Carman in 1991. In 2003 he transitioned into a supervisory role which prompted many more advancement opportunities in field operations. In 2007 he landed in Atlanta, GA as the Superintendent Air Brakes before being promoted to Manager Car Administration in 2012. In June of this year, Jamie was elevated to Director Car Administration with responsibilities including NS program repair shops, wayside detection, AAR/FRA compliance, Car Repair Billing and several AAR technical committees including Arbitration and Rules.
Railcar Asset Health
Video for this presentation has been withheld at the request of Mr. Loftus.
Speaker: Don Loftis, Olin Corporation
Don has spent his entire career of 36 years with Olin corporation. He holds several patents relating to electrical circuit design, chemical process improvements and process control theory. In his early years with Olin, he authored a Distributed Control System that Olin used internally to make products. In the last decade, Don has focused on crisis management and developing track and trace solutions for Olin. He is involved with the Transportation Research Board and has authored a few studies on application od emerging technologies to transportation. He also chairs eastern region of the DOT Freight Advisory Committee.
Analysis of FRA Inspection Data
Speaker: James H. Rader, Vice President, Greenbrier Management Services
James H. Rader (Jim) provides leadership and regulatory compliance-related services to Greenbrier Companies, industrial shippers, railroads, and the railroad supply industry. Jim also serves as an expert witness in railroad-related litigation. Jim has more than 4-decades of railroad experience, which includes more than 3-decades of railroad hazardous material transportation and tank car standards development. Jim holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from Strayer University in Business Administration, he is a Board Member for the Mechanical Association Railcar Technical Services (“MARTS”), and he attends and participates in Department of Transportation and Transport Canada’s tank car standards development committees. Jim was the former Staff Director, Federal Railroad Administration, and a Senior Inspector for the Association of American Railroads, both located in Washington, D.C, and he worked for two Class I railroads, and a short line holding company.
What’s New at TTCI
Speaker: Lisa Stabler, President, Transportation Technology Center, Inc.
This was a Joint Session held with the League of Railway Industry Women
Lisa A. Stabler was named President of TTCI in October of 2011. Mrs. Stabler joined TTCI in 2010 as Vice President-Operations and TrainingPrior to TTCI, Mrs. Stabler was employed by BNSF RR as Assistant Vice President – Quality and Reliability Engineering. During her tenure at BNSF RR, she was responsible for Supplier Quality, Freight Car Design, Track Measurement, Six Sigma Problem Solving, the Mechanical Quality System Mechanical Best Way Processes. Mrs. Stabler also serve as Chairman of the Advanced Technology Safety Committee for the Association of American Railroads. She came to the BNSF from General Motors/Delphi, where she had a number of assignments in Product Engineering, Quality Assurance and Strategic Planning. Mrs. Stabler holds a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Dayton, and a Master of Science in Mathematics from Wright State University. She is an ASQ Certified quality professional.
Tank Car Design Standards – Regulatory Update
Speaker: James H. Rader, Vice President, Greenbrier Management Services
James H. Rader (Jim) provides leadership and regulatory compliance-related services to Greenbrier Companies, industrial shippers, railroads, and the railroad supply industry. Jim also serves as an expert witness in railroad-related litigation. Jim has more than 4-decades of railroad experience, which includes more than 3-decades of railroad hazardous material transportation and tank car standards development. Jim holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from Strayer University in Business Administration, he is a Board Member for the Mechanical Association Railcar Technical Services (“MARTS”), and he attends and participates in Department of Transportation and Transport Canada’s tank car standards development committees. Jim was the former Staff Director, Federal Railroad Administration, and a Senior Inspector for the Association of American Railroads, both located in Washington, D.C, and he worked for two Class I railroads, and a short line holding company.
Interchange Rules Panel 2016
(No slide presentation available. View video on Right.)
Speaker: Jamie Williams, Director Car Administration, Norfolk Southern Corporation
Jamie began his railroad career with Norfolk Southern in 1990, initially as a Locomotive Laborer and shortly thereafter accepting a position as a
Carman in 1991. In 2003 he transitioned into a supervisory role which prompted many more advancement opportunities in field operations. In 2007 he landed in Atlanta, GA as the Superintendent Air Brakes before being promoted to Manager Car Administration in 2012. In June of this year, Jamie was elevated to Director Car Administration with responsibilities including NS program repair shops, wayside detection, AAR/FRA compliance, Car Repair Billing and several AAR technical committees including Arbitration and Rules.
Speaker: Randell Gaston, Union Pacific Railroad
Randell C. Gaston, Senior Director Freight Car Planning & Operations, has been with UPRR for 37 years. From 1978 to 1997 he worked as a Carman in Kansas City, Marysville, Salina and Topeka KS. In 1997 Randy took on the role of Manager Mechanical Engineer and joined the AAR Coupler and Draft Systems Committee as the UP representative. From 2006 to 2012 Randy worked as the Director Mechanical Engineering and represented UP on the AAR Coupler System and Truck Castings Committee. In 2013 he moved into the role of Senior Director Freight Car Planning and Engineering and joined the AAR Car Repair Billing Committee. Since 2015 Randy has been in his current role and a member of the AAR Arbitration and Rules Committee. Additionally Randy joined the US Army in 1983, and served until 2015 – LTC (Ret), with 8 years Active Duty (Armor / Cav), 10 years KS Army National Guard (Armor), 14 years US Army Reserves (Logistics), and in 2004 and 2005 OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom).
Speaker: Heidi Dyser, Union Pacific Railroad
Heidi Dyser is the Director of Car Repair and Telemetry Management at UPRR. She started with UPRR 16 years ago in their Information Technology Department as a developer and business analyst. Heidi served as the IT representative on several industry level initiatives including, DDCT, EW, CEPM, AIR E-Train, and EQR. In 2014 she moved into her current role and represents UP on CRB, DDCT (which she also chairs), the Time Standards TAG and the EOT TAG.
Speaker: John Kieras, Union Tank Car Company
John presently serves as Director of Railroad & Industry Relations for Union Tank Car Company where he has been employed for over 40 years. He is a graduate of Southern Illinois University with a degree in accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant. John is currently a member and Vice Chairman of the AAR Arbitration and Rules Committee, current member and past chairman of the AAR Car Repair Billing Committee, past chairman of the AAR UMLER Committee and member of the AAR Associates Advisory Board. He is also a long term member of MARTS.
Speaker: Jerry Bohacik, Vice president Repair Operations, CF Rail Services
Jerry is currently the Vice President of Repair Operations, Chicago Freight Rail Services in Schaumburg, IL. He has been in railcar maintenance for 40 years performing numerous positions some of which are General Manager of Maintenance Services, Director of North American Rail Operations & Network Services, Manager of Contracted Maintenance, Manager of New Car Specifications & Acquisition, and Shop Superintendent just to name a few. Additionally, he is current member of; AAR Arbitration & Rules Committee, Equipment Health Monitoring Committee, Board Member of MARTS, and has participated in various TAG efforts.
Protective Coatings Committee
From the Sublime to the Ridiculous: Life in the Fast Coatings Lane (with Dr. Mike O’Donoghue)
Speaker: Vijay Datta, Manager of Technical Leadership and Business Development, North America- International Paint
Vijay Datta is Manager of Technical Leadership and Business Development, North America at International Paint LLC. Vijay has over 45 years of experience in the Protective Coatings Industry and is a member of NACE, SSPC, and AWWA. He has co-authored over 40 articles and research/conference papers, has been a multiple recipient of SSPC/JPCL’s Outstanding Publication and Editors Publication Awards, and holds two US Patents. He has a M.S. in Chemical Engineering from New Jersey Institute of Technology.
Protective Coatings Committee
Next-Generation Zero VOC Waterborne Acrylics for One-Coat Direct to Metal Applications
Speaker: Justin Rios, R&D Chemist – Sherwin-Williams
Justin Rios is an R&D Chemist with Sherwin Williams, with experience in alkyd, acrylic, epoxy, polyurethane, and polyaspartic coatings. He has an ACS-Certified Bachelors in Chemistry from Baldwin Wallace University and is working on a Masters in Analytical Chemistry from Cleveland State.
Protective Coatings Committee
Accelerated Performance Evaluation of Railcar Coatings, A State of the Art Update
Accelerated Performance Evaluation of Railcar Coatings, A State of the Art Update
Dr. Brian Skerry, Global Director, Corrosion Programs – Sherwin-Williams