OLI Board of Directors elects new 2016 officials

The Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI) Board of Directors announced on Nov. 20, 2015 that it has elected members and officers for the two-year term that begins Jan. 1, 2016.

William “Bill” Barringer, railroad consultant and former Director of Grade Crossing Safety at Norfolk Southern Corporation, was re-elected Chairman of the Board; Jo Strang, Vice president for Regulatory Affairs at the American Short Line and Regional Railroads Association (ASLRRA), was elected Vice Chairman, replacing longtime Vice Chairman Clyde J. Hart, Jr., who is stepping down from the OLI Board after nine years’ service; and Steven Neubauer, Director, Institutional Safety for BNSF Railway Company, was also re-elected as OLI’s Secretary Treasurer.

In addition to electing officers, the following OLI board members renewed their terms for the next two years:

· Nicole Brewin, Vice President Government Affairs, Railway Supply Institute, Inc.

· Doniele Carlson, Assistant Vice President Corporate Communications, Kansas City Southern Railway

· Janice Cowen, State Coordinator, South Carolina Operation Lifesaver and Chair, OLI National Advisory Council

· Shayne Gill, Program Director, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials

· Denise Gauthier, Manager Field Safety Support, BNSF Railway

· Nancy Hudson, State Coordinator, Alabama Operation Lifesaver

· Michael Logue, Chief Safety Officer, Amtrak

· Terry Ludban, Representative, CSX Transportation

· Mike Martino, Senior Director Safety and Operations, Association of American Railroads

· Scott Sauer, Assistant General Manager of System Safety, SEPTA

· John Simpson, Senior Manager Grade Crossing Safety/Compliance, Union Pacific Railroad

· Cayela Wimberly, Grade Crossing Safety Director, Norfolk Southern Corporation

Hart’s service to Operation Lifesaver and 30-year career in transportation and federal legislative and regulatory affairs was honored at the meeting. An Air Force Vietnam veteran, Hart has multiple degrees, including a law degree from Catholic University, two master’s degrees from George Washington and Marymount universities, and an honorary doctorate from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

Hart’s career spans Capitol Hill, where he was Senior Counsel to the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee; the U.S. Department of Transportation, where he served as Administrator of the Maritime Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration; and the American Bus Association, where he directed government affairs and policy development for the bus industry.

“Operation Lifesaver, Inc. is incredibly fortunate to have a strong and active leadership team,” said Joyce Rose, OLI President and CEO. “Each Board member is knowledgeable, engaged, and committed to our mission to prevent deaths and injuries at railroad crossings and around rail and transit property.”