Carl Belke
Director, Western NY & PA Railroad
President, KSRRA

Mr. Belke has over 48 years of experience in the railroad industry in the areas of executive management, operations, engineering, finance, marketing, strategic planning, government advocacy and public relations for both Class I and short line railroads. He possesses a thorough understanding of the railroad industry from both a domestic and international standpoint through involvement in northeast U.S. ports development, inter-modalism and rail line acquisitions. He has led several track and bridge rehabilitation and replacement projects, locomotive rehabilitation and remanufacturing projects as well as freight car modification and life extension projects.

Mr. Belke termed out after 10-years as an Executive Board member and Eastern Region Vice President of the ASLRRA. He is President of the Keystone State Railroad Association of Pennsylvania, Chairman of the Board of the Morristown & Erie Railroad and a member of the Board of Directors of the Philadelphia Belt Line Railroad, the Livonia, Avon & Lakeville Railroad, the Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad and the B&H Rail Corp. Carl resides with his wife of 49 years, Lysanne, in Milford, NJ. His seven children live in six different states and Zambia, Africa. He earned a BS-CE from Lafayette College in Easton, PA.

Kim Smith
Director, Government Affairs
Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Services, Inc.

Kimberly B. Smith, Director, Government Affairs, Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Services, Inc. is a government relation’s professional with 19 years of solid, proven experience in lobbying and regulatory compliance with respect to short line and regional freight railroads. She has served on the Keystone State Railroad Association’s Board of Directors from 2012 to 2018. Positions included Vice President (2012-2013), first female President (2013-2015) and Secretary (2015-2018). She was employed by Emons Transportation Group, Inc. as Assistant to Chairman and Manager Public & Investor Relations, prior to joining Genesee & Wyoming.

William C. Vantuono
Editor-in-Chief
Railway Age

With Railway Age since 1992, William C. Vantuono has broadened and deepened coverage of the technological revolution that is so swiftly changing the industry. He has also strengthened Railway Age’s leadership position in industry affairs with the conferences he conducts, among them Next-Generation Train Control, Next-Generation Freight Rail, Light Rail, and Rail Insights. He is the author or co-author/editor of several books, among them All About Railroading; John Armstrong’s The Railroad: What It Is, What It Does; Railway Age’s Comprehensive Railroad Dictionary; and Planning, Engineering, Operating Light Rail, With Applications in New Jersey. 

Gilbert H. Lamphere
Chairman
MidRail LLC

Mr. Lamphere has nearly 40 years of experience as a principal investor and financier in rail industry and other private equity transactions. Mr. Lamphere has headed four private equity firms and has extensive operational experience as a Chairman and/or board member for a wide range of publicly traded and private companies. Mr. Lamphere is the original financier of Precision Scheduled Railroading and the former Chairman of the Illinois Central Railway, Co-Founder of MidSouth Rail Corporation and former board member of Canadian National Railway (Chair of the Finance Committee and a member of the Compensation, Investment, and Audit committees), CSX (Operations, Finance, Compensation, and Public Affairs committees), and Florida East Coast Railway. Mr. Lamphere led teams and boards that bought, managed and revolutionized operations at Illinois Central, MidSouth, Canadian National and Florida East Coast, with alumni leading Canadian Pacific, CSX and Southern Pacific, creating gains for investors in excess of $25 billion.

Todd Hunter
Chief Marketing Officer
North Shore Railroad Company & Affiliates

As Chief Marketing Officer for the North Shore Railroad Company, Todd oversee business development, marketing, and customer sales for the six short line railroads operated by North Shore. Todd joined North Shore over 20 years ago, starting in Customer Service. Prior to joining the rail industry, he spent ten years in retail and wholesale with the Campbell Soup Company.

Todd keeps very busy, as a current member of many organizations:

• American Short Line & Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) Board Member representing the Eastern Region

• North East Association of Rail Shippers (NEARS) Board Member

• Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce (PA) Transportation Committee Chairman

• SEDA-COG Long Range Transportation Planning Steering Committee Member for North Central PA.

• Norfolk Southern Short Line Caucus Committee Member

• Loyalsock Township Planning Commission Board Member

• Bucktail Chapter National Railway Historical Society Member based in Saint Marys, PA

John Gogniat
Director of Commercial Development - Northeast
R. J. Corman

John Gogniat is a Director of Commercial Development for RJ Corman Railroad Company and has commercial responsibility for five railroads including the RJCP and RJCN which are both located in Pennsylvania. 

John has over 24 years in the railroad industry with experience at both Class I and short line railroads. He has a Mechanical Engineering degree from Marquette University and an MBA from Loyola of Chicago.

John currently resides outside Pittsburgh in Monroeville, PA.

Rodney Gordon
Superintendent of Service Delivery and Support
Consolidated Rail Corporation

Rodney Gordon joined Conrail in 2013 as Assistant Superintendent of Operations responsible for field operations. In 2017 he transition to the Service Delivery and Support, which includes responsibility for our dispatch center, customer service center, service design, joint facilities, industrial development and our auto terminals.

Prior to joining Conrail, Rodney was Regional Vice President for Watco Companies East Region, which included operations in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Alabama. In this position he served as the leader for the region overseeing operations, finance, mechanical and engineering forces. During his time at Watco (2008-2013) he was responsible for the acquisition/startup of several shortline railroads. Prior to Watco, Rodney worked for Canadian National Railroad (1998-2008) in various management positions starting as General Yard Coordinator in Pontiac, Michigan and progressed to Division Superintendent in Battle Creek, Michigan when he left for Watco in 2008.

Rodney is a graduate of the University of Michigan. He also is past president and currently a member of the executive committee of the American Association of Railroad Superintendents.

Michele Malski
President
SPRING, LLC

Michele, a second generation railroader, graduated from Cornell University with a major in Industrial Labor Relations and minor in Law and Society. Throughout her education, she focused her career early with various internships with Bombardier Transportation in Berlin, Germany, the Government Relations team with Amtrak in Washington, DC, as well as the Human Resources department with Norfolk Southern, in Norfolk, VA. She began her career as a Management Trainee with BNSF, becoming a Trainmaster on the Montana Division in Minot, North Dakota. Michele preceded her experience with Canadidan Pacific with a Division Trainmaster role in Binghamton, NY, spanning a territory of over 400 miles with trackage rights and interchange partners. From CP, Michele briefly attended law school at Widener's Commonwealth University in Harrisburg, PA, however accepted an opportunity to learn more about the passenger way of life again with Bombardier Transportation in Baltimore, MD. Malski later worked at the ASLRRA's Short Line Safety Institute where she led the team's educational programs and hazmat training. Michele is now the Founder and President of Succession Planning for Railroads Investing in the Next Generation or SPRING, and continues to dedicate her energy to helping the rail renaissance find the next generation of railroaders. Michele was also elected by her peers and serves as at the Director-at-Large for the League of Railroad Women (LRW) and is the Chair of the Young Professionals Committee at the ASLRRA.

Dave Harrison
Executive Director
National Apprenticeships and Military Program Management

Dave has extensive experience coordinating and advising employers, Industry Associations and the Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship (DOL OA) on the most effective implementation models for Registered Apprenticeships and Military hiring programs in various industry sectors. With two decades of experience in Recruiting, Employee Training and Development, and Operations, Dave has directly supported, developed, and implemented apprenticeship related instruction (ARI) and on-the-job (OJT) training outlines for National DOL Apprenticeship programs. As the Executive Director of National Apprenticeship, Dave has successfully designed and implemented numerous National Standards Registered Apprenticeships for Industry Associations and Employers. Before joining FASTPORT, Dave served in the U. S. Army and is a Veteran of multiple combat tours of duty. He has been an educator, high school football coach, and later a small fleet owner and a business owner. In eleven years at J.B. Hunt Transport, Dave is best known for developing and directing the Hunt’s Heroes military hiring program, with the dedicated mission of hiring 10,000 Veterans. Additionally since assuming the role of Executive Director of National Apprenticeship Dave’s apprenticeship programs have facillitated the entry of more than 10,000 apprentices.

Charlie Monte Verde
Director of Government Affairs & Planning
Genesee Valley Transportation (moderator)

C. D. (Charlie) Monte Verde joined GVT Rail following nearly a decade with Amtrak in Chicago, America’s rail capital. At Amtrak, Charlie built strategic coalitions of heartland community stakeholders to advocate for improved or additional passenger rail service. His job functions included business development with the five Midwest states that have contractual agreements with Amtrak for short-distance passenger rail. He led the effort to bring the State of Indiana in as Amtrak’s 19th and most recent state partner, doing so in an environment not previously conducive to public investment in rail. Charlie put forth efforts in the Long-Distance Service Line, where he was an integral part of the team with oversight and financial responsibility for Amtrak’s 15 overnight/high-mileage routes. Throughout his time at Amtrak, Charlie took great pride in balancing financial accountability with a pledge to provide unwavering customer service.

In Chicago, Charlie was in chair positions with Toastmasters and Young Professionals in Transportation. He’s a member of the Western Railway Club and is a Rotarian. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from State University of New York, Empire State College. He and wife Leeann are taking residence in Buffalo, where they will take an active role in the renaissance of the community where GVT first began operations.

A second-generation railroader, Charlie’s first worked with GVT (before his career with Amtrak) in the track department and was highlighted by his management of the weed and brush control program.

Chuck Baker
President
American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association

Chuck Baker joined the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) as President in February 2019.

His previous 15 year career in the rail industry includes being a Partner at Chambers Conlon & Hartwell (CC&H), where, in addition to the ASLRRA, he represented clients such as the National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association (NRC), the OneRail Coalition, the American Railway Development Association, Norfolk Southern, and Canadian National.  He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of the OneRail Coalition and is a Board Director of the Short Line Safety Institute.

Mr. Baker is a native of Baltimore, MD, and a graduate of Rice University in Houston, TX. He lives on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC with his wife Sarah and two daughters Nora and Lila.

Brian McClain
AVP, Operations - Northern Region
Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Services, Inc.

Brian McClain’s career began in 2007 when he hired on with Ohio Central Railroad (OHCR) as a conductor. He later became a yardmaster in 2010, a trainmaster in 2011, an assistant general manager in 2013 and a general manager in 2014. He also served as director of compliance for Genesee & Wyoming’s Ohio Valley Region railroads between 2013 and 2014.  In May 2018 he moved into his current role AVP of Operations for Genesee & Wyoming’s Northern Region, where he oversees ten railroads, nearly 500 employees and more than 2,000 track-miles.

Mike Long
Director of Railroad Operations and Outreach
Federal Railroad Administration

Mike Long is the FRA Director of Railroad Operations and Outreach. As such, he is responsible for safe rail operations, as well as outreach to the rail industry, associations and labor. Mike was the Senior Safety and Operations Manager for the Short Line Safety Institute prior to returning back to FRA in 2018. From 2003-2014, Mike served the FRA in a variety of positions, culminating with Regional Administrator, where he oversaw five states in the Midwest, and included long distance passenger and commuter operations, every Class I, and many Class II and III railroads. Prior to his return to FRA in 2018, Mike was Sr. VP-Compliance with Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Services, Inc., experiencing first-hand the safety environment of short line and regional railroads.

Benjamin C. Dunlap, Jr., Esq.
Nauman Smith

Ben brings considerable experience to his primary practice areas of Railroad & Transportation Law and Business & Employment Law. The attorneys at Nauman Smith have long been recognized as authorities in both vital practice areas with more than a century committed to counseling Pennsylvania’s Rail and related Transportation industries on matters such as litigation, public utility law, and real estate. The firm has continuously represented railroads since soon after its founding in 1871, with Ben being a backbone of this legal area for the length of his 30-year career with Nauman Smith.

Ben’s railroad clients consist of Class I and short line railroads facing public crossing and other matters before the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. Such cases often entail related contractual and property matters that are litigated in state and federal courts, including private crossing disputes. Ben also handles general corporate and employment matters for the firm’s short line clients.

As part of the Business & Employment Law practice area, Ben serves companies ranging in size from startups to major national corporations. He works with for-profit and nonprofit businesses. Ben has handled matters involving employment, termination, and non-compete/non-disclosure agreements as well as litigation arising from such issues and employment discrimination claims before the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Ben has helped businesses with LLC formation and operating agreement drafting. He has drafted independent contractor agreements and assisted in formulating compliance guidelines for businesses including HR issues. Other services within the Business & Employment Law practice area at Nauman Smith include reviewing and negotiating vendor contracts and intellectual property rights counsel including trademark applications and renewals as well as copyright consultation.

Jason Sharp, Esq.
Chief Counsel
PA Department of Transportation

Jason D. Sharp was appointed Acting Chief Counsel for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) in June of 2017 and Chief Counsel in March 2018. Prior to his appointment, he was the Executive Deputy Chief Counsel, serving as chief administrator for three regional PennDOT legal offices that provide litigation and legal support services for forty-five (45) counties, as well as assisting the Chief Counsel in overall management of office’s personnel, fiscal and information technology needs. Additionally, Mr. Sharp managed PennDOT’s administrative docket program, serving as lead hearing officer. Mr. Sharp also acted as counsel on priority projects and litigation matters including service as lead counsel to Pennsylvania’s Autonomous Vehicle Task Force, addressing connected and automated vehicle issues.

Prior to his appointment as Executive Deputy, Mr. Sharp was a member of the Office’s Real Property Division, litigating before administrative, trial and appellate tribunals, including the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, various Courts of Common Pleas and the Commonwealth and Supreme Courts. His practice concentrated on right-of-way acquisition defense; utility relocation issues; railroad/highway issues; property acquisition management, sale and disposal; and contracting or permitting issues for non-motorized uses of highway right-of-way.

Mr. Sharp is a graduate of Widener University School of Law and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from King’s College. At Widener, he was a member of the Moot Court Honor Society and recipient of the school’s Outstanding Service Award. He lives in Dauphin County with his wife and two children.

Mark C. Kopko
Special Advisor to the Secretary, Office of Transformational Technologies
PA Department of Transportation

Mark Kopko is the Director of PennDOT’s Office of Transformational Technology. His duties include managing all activities related to emerging technology including the deployment of connected infrastructure, development of policies and standards, and the authorization of automated vehicle testers, platooning operations, personal delivery devices and automated work zone vehicles. He is the co-chair of the AASHTO CAV Working Group, past chair of the Smart Belt Coalition, co-chairs the Eastern Transportation Coalition’s CAV Leadership Team, sits on the UL4600 Standards Technical Panel, and represents Pennsylvania on numerous national working groups/committees. In addition, he also leads the deployment of the Pennsylvania Safety Transportation and Research Track (PennSTART), oversees smart city initiatives, manages multiple university-led initiatives, and supports activities related to UAS, hyperloop, broadband, mileage based user fees, and electric vehicles.

Jennie Granger
Deputy Secretary for Multimodal Transportation
PA Department of Transportation

Jennie Granger, AICP, became the Deputy Secretary for Multimodal Transportation in July 2018. She provides oversight for department initiatives and policy related to public transportation, aviation, rail freight, passenger rail, bike/pedestrian, and ports. She previously served PennDOT as Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary, Bureau Director of Aviation, and Director of PennPORTS. Granger brings 24 years of progressive public- and private-sector experience in all facets of management and technical knowledge of multimodal transportation development to the department.

Granger holds a master's degree in public administration from the Pennsylvania State University and a bachelor's degree in rural/urban studies from Shippensburg University.