November 1
5:00 to 6:00 PM
Registration in the Crystal Ballroom Foyer (5th floor)
6:00 to 7:30 PM
Welcome Reception in the Library, with the League of Railway Women, The National Association of Railway Business Women, and WTS International (4th floor)
November 2
8:00 AM
Registration & Badge Pickup | Continental Breakfast sponsored by Telegraph (5th floor)
9:00 AM
Opening Session
A conversation with Judy Carter, Senior Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer, BNSF
9:30 AM
Forging New Paths to the Top, presented by Edna A. Rice Executive Recruiters, Inc.
Moderated by Debbie Taylor, Executive Search Consultant, Edna A. Rice Executive Recruiters, Inc.
- Luisa Fernandez-Willey, Assistant Vice President – Policy & Economics, Association of American Railroads
- Shannon Farling Scott, Assistant General Counsel, CSX
9:45 AM
Employee Resource Groups
The panel will delve into what ERGs are; how they provide community/support and address DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) initiatives; plus how to start ERGs and what to include.
Co-moderated by Sarah Yurasko, President, League of Railway Women / Senior Vice President Law & General Counsel, American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association and Railway Age and RT&S Editorial Staff
- Laura Ramirez, Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Trinity Industries, Inc.
- Sebastian Moreno, Director of Diversity & Inclusion, NJ TRANSIT
- Deb Schrampfer, Assistant Vice President & Chief Diversity Officer, Workforce Resources, Union Pacific
10:30 AM
Coffee Break sponsored by Watco
11:00 AM
Technology and Innovation
Our panel will address the latest freight railroad and passenger railroad/transit industry technologies and innovations, plus how companies can support employee education on these subjects.
Co-moderated by Patty Long, President, Railway Supply Institute and Railway Age and RT&S Editorial Staff
- Marc Buncher, President & CEO, Siemens Mobility, Inc. North America
- Kari L. Gonzales, President & CEO, MxV Rail
- Jannet Walker-Ford, Senior Vice President & National Transit & Rail Business Line Leader, WSP USA / Chair, WTS International
- Tom Prendergast, Executive Vice President, AECOM
11:45 AM
Women in Rail from the Short Line Perspective
Peter A. Gilbertson, President & CEO, Anacostia Rail Holdings Company
12:15 PM
Luncheon in the French and Tudor Rooms, sponsored by Canadian National (CN) (7th floor)
Recognition of RT&S’ 2023 Women in Railroad Engineering Honorees
1:30 PM
Human Resources
Speakers will discuss how recruitment and retention is changing; inclusion; career growth opportunities in the industry; how companies are supporting the well-being of women today (productivity, work/life balance, networking, community building, mental welfare, effects from the COVID-19 pandemic); and how companies are addressing challenges for women in the workplace.
Moderated by Railway Age and RT&S Editorial Staff
- Rachael Peterson, Executive Vice President & Chief People Officer, Watco
- Robert Grasty, Executive Vice President & Chief Human Resource Officer, Amtrak
- Danielle Kandybowicz, Vice President of Human Resources, RailWorks
- Jason Ward, Founder & Managing Partner, Industrial Search Partners
2:15 PM
Mentorship
We will explore the mentorship role from the mentor and mentee perspective; how to find a mentor who can help guide your career and address challenges, such as feeling isolated within your discipline; how to navigate the mentor-mentee relationship; and how to best help mentees.
Co-moderated by Maggie Vuono, President, TraConcepts / Chair, Mentorship Committee, League of Railway Women and Railway Age and RT&S Editorial Staff
- Anna Barry, Program Manager & Vice President, HNTB
- Don Itzkoff, Chief Policy Officer, Patriot Rail
- Matthew Dick, P.E., Chief of Strategy & Development, ENSCO, Inc., TTC operated by ENSCO
- Ed Quinn, President & CEO, R. J. Corman Railroad Group
3:00 PM
Coffee Break sponsored by RailWorks Corporation
3:30 PM
Railway Age / RT&S Women in Rail Honorees Panel
We will cover the awards programs that celebrate women trailblazers with track records of breaking down barriers and helping to create industry opportunities for women, plus past honorees will offer industry insights and discuss their career journeys.
Moderated by Barbara Wilson, Freight Rail Industry C-Suite Executive; KellyAnne Gallagher, CEO, Commuter Rail Coalition; and David Lester, Editor-in-Chief, RT&S
- Cherita Hunter Jones, Group Manager Performance Excellence – Data Optimization, Norfolk Southern (RT&S Women in Engineering Honoree, 2022)
- Staci Moody-Gilbert, Vice President, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division, International Brotherhood of Teamsters (Railway Age Women in Rail Honoree, 2022)
- Jacqueline L. Patterson, Vice President & Co-founder, Zephyr UAS, Inc. (Railway Age Women in Rail Honoree, 2022)
- CleLeatha Shaw, Manager – Crew Management, Metra / Local Chapter President, National Association of Railway Business Women (Railway Age Women in Rail Honoree, 2022)
4:15 PM
Delivering Metra’s Largest Capital Program, presented by WSP
Janice R. Thomas, Deputy Executive Director, Metra
4:30 PM
Closing Session
A conversation with Janet Drysdale, Senior Vice President & Chief Stakeholder Relations Officer, CN
5:00 PM
Event Ends
Program is subject to change.
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