Stark-Alcalá Tabbed as ASLRRA VP, Congressional Affairs

The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) has added to its Legislative team Mara Stark-Alcalá, who has been named to the new role of Assistant Vice President, Congressional Affairs.

Stark-Alcalá brings 10 years of varied transportation legislative experience to ASLRRA through her past positions with Chambers, Conlon & Hartwell (CC&H), the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), and on the staff of the U.S. Senate Committees on Appropriations and Environment and Public Works (EPW).

In her prior position as Senior Associate with CC&H, ASLRRA’s long-time government affairs firm, Stark-Alcalá worked across the transportation industry, advocating for many of the firm’s public transportation, municipal, commuter and freight railroad clients in addition to ASLRRA.

At ASLRRA, she will be responsible for focusing full-time on the varied Congressional affairs issues facing short line railroads, including tax policy, infrastructure grant programs and surface transportation policy.

Stark-Alcalá is a graduate of Stanford University with a B.A. in Political Science.

“I couldn’t be more pleased to hire Mara, so much so that it’s for the second time—once during my tenure at CC&H, and now at ASLRRA,” said Chuck Baker, President of ASLRRA. “Her transportation industry experience, detailed knowledge of the legislative and regulatory process, and her positive relationships with our short line industry members will enable her to make an immediate impact. We look forward to having her continue to put her expertise and intellect to work for short line railroads and the thousands of customers and communities that we serve.”

“I am pleased to have the opportunity to continue my work for the short line industry in this new position,” said Stark-Alcalá. “Short lines have a great story to tell as a key transportation link, serving as the first and last mile of the freight rail network, keeping rural and small-town American connected to the U.S. and worldwide economy. Particularly in these challenging times for our country, we are seeing every day the critical role short lines play for the supply chain, the economy, and for the thousands of shippers and small towns that rely on us for their freight connections.”