People News: SLSI, Cummins, MTC

David Buccolo (left), former General Manager of the Central California Traction Company and Hazmat Instructor with the Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI), died Feb. 15. Andreas Lippert (center) and Andrew B. Fremier have been promoted at Cummins Inc. and Metropolitan Transportation Commission, respectively. (Andreas Lippert Photograph Courtesy of Business Wire)

The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) reports the passing of David Buccolo, former General Manager of the Central California Traction Company and Hazmat Instructor with the Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI). Also, Cummins Inc. promotes Andreas Lippert to Vice President-New Power Engineering, and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) in San Francisco appoints Andrew B. Fremier as Executive Director.

ASLRRA has reported that David Buccolo died Feb. 15 after a brief battle with cancer.

Buccolo was an integral part of the SLSI, first serving as an assessor and later as a principal author of the grant proposal that helps fund SLSI’s hazardous materials (hazmat) training program, the association said. He was also a trainer in that program, and was responsible for moving the SLSI Safety Train to various events. Additionally, Buccolo served on ASLRRA’s Safety and Training Committee and was Committee Chair from 2000 to 2002.

A 51-year rail industry veteran, Buccolo got his start as a trainman and yardmaster on the Chicago & North Western Railroad in South Dakota. He also held positions in operations, safety, and hazmat training and response at four Class I railroads, and worked with short lines in Kansas, Indiana and Texas. Buccolo retired as General Manager of the Central California Traction Company in 2016, but remained active in the industry. In addition to his roles at SLSI, he was a member of the Transportation Community Awareness Emergency Response (TRANSCAER) National TRANSCAER Task Group Executive Committee.

“Dave was an expert railroader with a very diverse knowledge of transportation, mechanical, engineering, hazmat, and safety and compliance,” ASLRRA Vice President, Safety and Compliance JR Gelnar said. “He was very unselfish and giving of his time and knowledge, especially to the smallest of the short lines. He was a great advocate of the ASLRRA and SLSI. A gentle giant among men, which the short line industry will dearly miss.”

Cummins

Starting March 1, Andreas Lippert will take on the role of Vice President-New Power Engineering at Cummins. He joined the company in 2020 to lead the Growth Office within Corporate Strategy, where he was responsible for identifying “new growth opportunities and potential disruptions to better position Cummins to meet long-term growth targets, including participation in emerging technologies, acquisitions and early-stage incubation,” according to the company.

With more than 20 years of international experience, Lippert has also served as Chief Technical Officer for the INNIO group and held leadership roles at General Motors (GM) and General Electric (GE). At GM, he spearheaded advancing engine technologies through simulation-based development as well as the corporate energy strategy to shape the future propulsion portfolio. At GE, he moved from the corporate research center in Munich, Germany, to the GE Energy division, and held various global engineering leadership roles in GE’s Distributed Power. Additionally, Lippert has led product management and marketing for both the Jenbacher and Waukesha product families and was a key member of the executive team in the $3.2 billion sale and carve-out process from GE in 2018, according to Cummins.

MTC

Andrew B. Fremier has been promoted to Executive Director of MTC, which was created by the California Legislature in 1970 to plan, finance and coordinate the Bay Area’s transportation system. The Commission’s scope over the years has expanded to address other regional issues, including housing and development. He succeeds Therese W. McMillan, who retired Feb. 1. Fremier, who served as an MTC Deputy Executive Director since 2005, has also assumed leadership of the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG).

Prior to joining MTC, Fremier was Chief Deputy District Director for Caltrans’ Oakland-based District 4. A licensed civil engineer, he held a variety of positions during his 20-years Caltrans tenure, including leading the Toll Bridge and Highway construction program and developing the state Toll Bridge Seismic Retrofit Program.

After joining the MTC staff, Fremier was a member of the Toll Bridge Program Oversight Committee’s project management team throughout its 2005-18 existence. He also managed the seismic retrofit of the former U.S. Postal Service facility in San Francisco, which was acquired by MTC’s Bay Area Headquarters Authority affiliate in 2011, and the five-year project to redevelop the Bay Area Metro Center, which now houses the headquarters for MTC, ABAG, Bay Area Air Quality Management District, and San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission.

As MTC’s Deputy Executive Director for Operations, Fremier’s management portfolio included Design and Project Delivery, Electronic Payments, Facilities and Contract Services, Field Operations and Asset Management, and Technology Services sections. He oversaw initiatives such as the Clipper® electronic transit-fare card program, the 511 traveler information system, the FasTrak® electronic tolling system, and MTC’s network of freeway Express Lanes.