Railway Age Announces 2023 Women in Rail Honorees

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Railway Age’s 2023 Women in Rail awards program recognizes 23 women who not only excel at leadership but also serve the community and drive industry change, paving the way for the next generation of railroaders.

Established in 2017, the annual awards are presented to railway industry women in the United States, Canada and/or Mexico for their outstanding leadership, vision, innovation, community service involvement, and accomplishments. In an industry typically dominated by men, their professionalism and hard work set an example for many in the freight, passenger, government and supply sectors.

“All of us at Railway Age congratulate this distinguished group of women, drawn from a pool of nearly 100 applicants,” Railway Age Publisher Jonathan Chalon said. “For the seventh year, we are proud to celebrate such leaders in rail and trailblazers with a track record of breaking down barriers and helping to create industry opportunities for women.” In addition to the 23 honorees, five women received honorable mention in 2023. All will be featured in Railway Age’s November 2023 issue.

The judges for annual awards were veteran railroad executive Barbara Wilson and Commuter Rail Coalition CEO KellyAnne Gallagher, with input from the Railway Age staff.

And the honorees are (in alphabetical order):

• Meghan Achimasi, Group Vice President-Chemicals Marketing, Norfolk Southern
• Jennifer Benton, Senior Vice President Commercial, Patriot Rail Company
• Nicole Bucich, Vice President, Network Development, Amtrak
• Angela Caddell, Group Vice President Agricultural Products, BNSF Railway
• Josie Curtis, Vice President, People Services, R. J. Corman Railroad Group, LLC
• Lindsay Day, Director, Capital Markets, The Greenbrier Companies
• Carla Ewing, Senior Vice President of Service Assurance, Watco
• Kari Gonzales, President and CEO, MxV Rail
• Cindy Greenwald, Power & Way Supervisor, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority
• Raishea Haines, Superintendent of Transportation, Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH)
• Jennifer Hamann, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Union Pacific
• Lenora Isaac, Director of Rail and Transit Projects, RailPros
• Dee Leggett, Executive Vice President/Chief Development Officer, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART)
• Erin O’Brien, Associate General Counsel and Head of Litigation, CSX
• La Shelle Pearson, Officer Signals & Communications Projects, CN
• Catherine Pushchak, Assistant General Counsel of Litigation, Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Services, Inc.
• Maite Ramos Gómez, Managing Director, Alstom in Mexico
• Tamara Sajic, Assistant Director Analytics, Analytics Op Stan & Rules, Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC)
• Beth Smith, Executive Vice President-Freight Car, Leasing & Recycling, Progress Rail, a Caterpillar Company
• Paula Taylor, Assistant Supervisor of Locomotive Engineers, Metra (Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corporation)
• Nicole (Niki) Theophilus, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, Wabtec
• Jannet Walker-Ford, Senior Vice President and National Transit and Rail Market Lead, WSP
• Kirsten Watson, Vice President Government Relations and Transit Market Sector Leader, AECOM

Honorable Mention:

• Audrey Carluer, Head of Engineering-North America, Alstom  
• Ari Ferrand-Rodgers, Director, Organizational Development, New Orleans Public Belt Railroad
• Chantel Goutcher, Head of Service Design, CSX
• Katie Inouye, CEO and Founder, Spark TS
• Tzu-Jui (Megan) Tang, Assistant Vice President, Chief Engineering Officer, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART)

Previous Year Honorees:

• 2022 Women in Rail Honorees
• 2021 Women in Rail Honorees
• 2020 Women in Rail Honorees
• 2019 Women in Rail Honorees
• 2018 Women in Rail Honorees
• 2017 Women in Rail Honorees

Railway Age and Railway Track & Structures will hold the 2023 Women in Rail Conference on Nov. 2 in Chicago. Barbara Wilson and KellyAnne Gallagher will be moderating a session with RT&S Editor-in-Chief David C. Lester featuring previous Women in Rail honorees.