Giordano, Fields Earn OneRail Awards
Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
Pictured at the OneRail awards ceremony, left to right: OneRail Deputy Director Liz Hill; OneRail Director Devon Barnhart; award winner Kyle Fields, Counsel for the Senate’s Surface Transportation, Maritime, Freight, and Ports Subcommittee; and Anne Canby, former OneRail leader. Award winner Arielle Giordano of Canadian Pacific Kansas City was unable to attend the event. (OneRail Photograph)
The OneRail Coalition has recognized Arielle Giordano of Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), and Kyle Fields, a professional staffer for the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee, for their “strong support for advancing rail in the United States.”
Giordano and Fields received 2023 Canby Awards on Dec. 8, according to OneRail, which is described as “a diverse group of stakeholders who have come together to educate America about the benefits of a strong freight and passenger rail system.” The annual awards were established in 2022 in honor of Anne Canby, the former Executive Director of OneRail, who helped found the non-profit organization in 2009 and is said to have dedicated her life’s work to transportation and promoting rail at all levels of government, serving as the New Jersey Commissioner of Transportation, Delaware’s Secretary of Transportation, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Canby led OneRail for more than a decade—expanding it to include Class I, II, and III freight railroads; Amtrak; state DOTs; rail labor unions; commuter rail; rail suppliers; engineering companies; and rail passengers—before stepping down in 2021.
Arielle Giordano earned the OneRail Member Award. As Assistant Vice President, U.S. Government Affairs for CPKC, she “was an integral part” of the historic April 14 merger of Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern, according to OneRail. Prior to CPKC Giordano served as Counsel on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Kyle Fields was presented the Congressional Staff Award. He is Counsel for the Senate’s Surface Transportation, Maritime, Freight, and Ports Subcommittee. Prior to working in Congress, he served as a fellow and a trial attorney in the Office of Chief Counsel at the Federal Railroad Administration, where he focused on safety issues.
OneRail Board Chair and American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association President Chuck Baker received a Canby Award in 2022 along with Michael Davisson, Professional Staff for the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee.
“The OneRail Coalition is pleased to present this year’s Canby Awards to Kyle Fields and Arielle Giordano in recognition of their dedication to preserving and improving the U.S. rail network,” OneRail Coalition Director Devon Barnhart said. “We are grateful for their individual contributions toward strengthening rail across the U.S., which have helped to support our common goal of growing the use of rail, while keeping goods and people moving smoothly.”
“We appreciate Kyle and Arielle for their work supporting the advancement of rail as a critical part of the solution to our nation’s key infrastructure, economic, and climate challenges,” Anne Canby said.
