Speakers

In July 2019, Mr. Alexy became the Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety and Chief Safety Officer of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). In this role, Mr. Alexy manages FRA’s regulatory oversight of rail safety in the United States and oversees the development and enforcement of regulations and safety programs for the freight and passenger rail industry. Mr. Alexy previously served as FRA’s Deputy Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety supervising the Office of Safety Analysis, the Office of Technical Oversight, and the Office of Regional Operations.
Mr. Alexy joined FRA in 2009 as a General Engineer in the Hazardous Materials Division. In that role, he collaborated with other Department of Transportation agencies and the freight rail industry on rulemakings, enforcement, research, and outreach activities. In 2012, Mr. Alexy became Staff Director of the FRA’s Hazardous Materials Division and led efforts, in coordination with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration, to develop the regulation on Enhanced Tank Car Standards and Operational Controls for High-Hazard Flammable Trains.
In 2015 Mr. Alexy became Director of the Office of Safety Analysis, which is comprised of seven divisions; Economic and Regulatory Analysis, Passenger Rail, Human Performance, Data and Information Management, Risk Reduction, Security, and the Highway-Rail Grade Crossing and Trespasser Prevention Program.
Before joining FRA, Mr. Alexy worked for DuPont de Nemours in Wilmington, Delaware. At DuPont, he served as the Senior Engineer in DuPont’s Logistics Group where he oversaw the design, construction, and modification of tank cars used to transport hazardous materials. He also was a Fleet Manager responsible for overseeing the maintenance of the owned and leased vehicles
Mr. Alexy earned degrees in Biology from Bloomsburg University in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, and Civil Engineering from Drexel University in Philadelphia. He graduated Summa Cum Laude and first in his class at Drexel. He earned a professional engineering license from the State of Maryland.

Thomas B. Chapman took the oath of office as the 46th Member of the National Transportation Safety Board on January 6, 2020. Prior to joining the Board, Chapman served six years as minority counsel to the Senate Subcommittee on Aviation & Space. In total, he has four decades of experience in government, legislative, and regulatory affairs.
Member Chapman has engaged extensively in a broad range of issues, including the recent bipartisan effort to pass comprehensive legislation reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration, the Transportation Security Administration, and the NTSB. Chapman previously served as US Airways’ vice president for government affairs, responsible for outreach on all federal policy initiatives. Prior to joining US Airways, Chapman was legislative counsel for Southwest Airlines. His work in the airline industry spanned approximately 16 years.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Chapman was senior vice president for government and technical affairs for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. His time in that role capped a 17-year tenure at the Association, beginning in 1981. While at AOPA, he held a variety of policy and safety related positions. He also earned his private pilot certificate and regularly enjoyed the opportunity to improve his skills, flying out of AOPA’s home base airport in Frederick, Maryland.
Because of Member Chapman’s practical experience in the aviation industry, an awareness and sensitivity to a pervasive culture of safety is imbedded in his approach. He brings that perspective to key challenges facing the NTSB, including advances in automation and the development of autonomous vehicles, meeting the expectations stemming from NTSB’s reputation as the world’s premier transportation safety organization, and the importance of recruiting and retaining the skilled team members on which the work of the agency is highly dependent.
Mr. Chapman considers public service to be a responsibility for those who have benefitted from professional life in the private sector. Appointment to the NTSB is a rewarding opportunity for Chapman to apply his experience and skills in a role allowing him to continue giving back through public service.
Chapman is a graduate of the American University Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C. and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in music from C.W. Post College in Greenvale, N.Y.

Joseph "Joe" DeLorenzo is FTA’s Associate Administrator for Transit Safety and Oversight and Chief Safety Officer. The FTA Office of Transit Safety and Oversight administers a national transit safety program and monitors program compliance to ensure safe, reliable, and equitable transit service in accordance with FTA policy and regulatory requirements. The office implements and oversees safety standards for all modes of public transit in the United States.
Immediately prior to joining the FTA, Mr. DeLorenzo served as the Acting Associate Administrator for Enforcement for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the Agency’s Director of the Office of Enforcement and Compliance where he was responsible for policy and program development for the Agency’s enforcement and compliance program.
Mr. DeLorenzo comes to the FTA with more than 30 years of experience in the transportation industry. Mr. DeLorenzo’s career includes over 15 years in field experience and, also extends to managing training and education related to Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety and Security as Director of FMCSA’s National Training Center. In that role he was responsible for a wide range of Commercial Vehicle Safety training for Federal, State and local law enforcement agencies in the areas of Commercial Motor Vehicle and Hazardous Materials Safety and Security, Criminal Interdiction and professional development.
He holds a B.S. in Criminal Justice and Sociology, and a Master’s in Public Policy and Management.

Dr. Ann Mills is the professional Head of Health and Safety management at RSSB. She leads a mixed disciplined department that is responsible for the delivery of the GB Rail Industry Health and Safety Strategy.
Ann is a safety professional of over twenty-five years’ experience, mostly rail related. She joined RSSB in 2000 as a Human Factors Specialist, before moving to head up the HF department which she built up to a total of 14 professionals with an international reputation. She spent the early part of her career at Cranfield University as a Researcher undertaking aviation safety research for the UK and American Aviation Authorities and Shell.
Ann’s academic background is in Psychology (BA from Coventry) and Applied Psychology (MSc and PhD from Cranfield).

Danielle Hiltunen is an Engineering Psychologist in the Human Factors Division at the Volpe National Transportation Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts where she has worked to help improve safety across transportation modes for almost 20 years. She has been a member of the trespass and suicide prevention research team since 2014, supporting various efforts to better understand trespass and suicide incidents on the U.S. rail system and what may be done to help reduce the frequency and impact of these events. Danielle and the Volpe team work closely with the Federal Railroad Administration, rail carriers, and other stakeholders around the country to grow our understanding of rail suicide. She is a member of several national and international working groups dedicated to suicide and trespass prevention and serves as a volunteer crisis counselor. Inspired by her important work at the Volpe Center, Danielle is currently completing a Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Northeastern University, Boston.

Dr. Karen Philbrick has held this position since 2014. MTI leads two competitively selected multi-university consortia: the California State University Transportation Consortium (CSUTC) which unifies the surface transportation research and workforce development efforts of the 23-campus California State University system and the Mineta Consortium for Transportation Mobility (MCTM). MCTM includes four outstanding institutions that represent and support the geographical, cultural, racial, and socioeconomic diversity that makes our nation strong: Howard University; Navajo Technical University; San José State University; and the University of North Carolina Charlotte.
Prior to joining MTI, Dr. Philbrick shaped the field of transportation in a variety of roles, including as assistant director of the National Center for Intermodal Transportation at the University of Denver. She has been appointed three times by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation (Secretaries LaHood, Foxx, and Chao, respectively) to sit on the USDOT Transit Advisory Committee for Safety (TRACS) where she chaired the FTA Administrator’s Tasking 14-02 which identified key elements of a safety management system approach to fatigue management.
Long committed to the USDOT University Transportation Center program, she was elected to serve the Council of University Transportation Centers (CUTC) in several roles, including President in 2018-19. Dr. Philbrick also has the privilege of serving as the President of the Research and Education Division (RED) of the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA), where she also sits on the ARTBA Board of Directors and Executive Committee. Dr. Phillbrick is part of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Committee on “Transit Safety and Security” (AP080) and “Passenger Rail Transportation” (AR010), where she also serves as the research task force lead. She currently co-chairs the TCRP F-29 panel “Mental Health, Wellness, and Resilience for Transit System Workers”.
With an eye toward seamless and equitable transportation for all, Karen also serves the industry through the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). Elected to the APTA board in November 2021, she also serves as a Director for the APTA High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail Committee and recently served as an appointed research advisor to the APTA Mobility Recovery and Restoration Task Force.
Committed to recruiting, retaining, and advancing women in the transportation industry, Dr. Philbrick also serves on the Women in Transportation Seminar (WTS) Foundation Board as Secretary after having served two terms as a Director. She contributes to her community through the Rotary Club of San José, where she has served as a board member, and where she will be elevated to President July 1, 2023.
A frequently invited keynote speaker, Dr. Philbrick has also delivered federal congressional briefings and invited testimony to the California Senate Transportation Committee and the Assembly Transportation Committee. Her other intellectual contributions include a bimonthly column on transportation in the San Jose Spotlight, the recipient of the national Publisher of the Year award for independent online news, invited articles for the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and peer-reviewed journal articles focused on models of accident risk and fatigue in railroad operations, psychological trauma and transportation accidents —including grade crossing and trespasser incidents —and cross cultural differences in helping behavior.
Dr. Philbrick has received many prestigious awards for her leadership excellence and outstanding contributions to her field. She received the CUTC Administrative Leadership award, the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) named Dr. Philbrick a “Woman Who Moves the Nation,” the Silicon Valley Business Journal named Dr. Philbrick 1 of the 100 Women of Influence in Silicon Valley, and most recently, she was recognized by the YWCA Silicon Valley with a Tribute to Women Award for her contributions to the field of transportation.
Dr. Philbrick holds a PhD from the University of Denver and an MA and EdM from Columbia University. She earned her undergraduate degree from California State University, Fresno.

Dr. Danijela Barić has a Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral degree in Transportation from the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences, where she works as an Associate professor. Her primary research field is multi-criteria decision-making in transport with a particular interest in safety at level crossings (LCs), education, and safety promotion. In her scientific research work, she has published more than a hundred scientific papers in scientific journals and conference proceedings. As an author, she participated in more than 70 scientific and professional projects in cooperation with industry and public institutions.
She established an LC research group at the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences. Together with the members of her research group, she designed and implemented the innovation "Application for driver education on safe driving over the level crossing in a virtual environment (VR 360°)". That application is listed in the "Innovations and Patents of the University of Zagreb Catalogue". She created a short educational video, "Safe with Andrew on the way to school", with her research group. The Global Road Safety Film Festival, organized by UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) in Geneva in 2017, awarded that video as the best European Union educational video on traffic safety.
She actively participates in several scientific and professional organizations. She cooperates with the International Union of Railways (UIC) as a member of two expert working groups in the field of traffic safety GLCN (Global Level Crossing Network) and the TreSP-Network (Trespass & Suicide Prevention Network). As a member of the World Conference on Transport Research Society (WCTRS), she works in two scientific working groups: WCTRS-SIG-C4 (Special Interest Group Traffic Safety Analysis and Policy) and WCTRS-SIG-G4 (Special Interest Group Cultural and Social Issues in Transport). She is a representative of Croatia in the European Union Agency for Railways.
She organized and moderated domestic and international workshops, round tables, and conferences. With her team, she was responsible for the organization of ILCAD 2018 in Zagreb, Croatia.

Hilary E. Konczal – Metra’s Chief Safety & Environmental Officer has over 30 years of service with Metra. He has an extensive background in safety, environmental compliance, industrial hygiene, railroad operations, regulatory compliance and security.
Hilary is responsible for the administrative oversight and management of Metra’s safety programs and risk reduction initiatives, environmental compliance and industrial hygiene activities. He leads a team of safety and environmental professionals who are responsible for safeguarding Metra’s employees, passengers and contractors.
He is an Associate Instructor for the U.S. Department of Transportation, Transportation Safety Institute (TSI) teaching Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) System Safety and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Safety Management Systems (SMS) to railroad and transit professionals throughout the United States.

Hilary is on the Board of Directors for the World Safety Organization (WSO), Board of Director of the DuPage Railroad Safety Council, Board of Director Operation Lifesaver - Illinois Chapter, past Chairman of the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) Commuter Rail Safety and Security Committee, and Co-Chair of Metra’s Labor Management Committee. He is an active member of the FRA Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC) and the American Association of Railroads (AAR) Safety and Operations Committee.

He is certified by the World Safety Organization (WSO) as a Certified Safety and Security Director (CSSD-WSO), Certified Safety Manager (CSM-WSO) and Certified Safety Technician (CST-WSO).

Dr. Patrick Sherry is Director of the National Center for Intermodal Transportation Research; Research Professor at Denver University.
Fellow of the Academy of Counseling Psychology
Co-Founder, University of Denver, Pioneer Leadership Program
Advisor, Founding Fathers Leadership Program
Professor, Executive Master’s Program, DTI, University College, Denver University
Professor Sherry joined the faculty of the University of Denver Counseling Psychology Program in 1985, he quickly became appointed as the Director of Clinical Training for the Doctoral Program in Counseling Psychology. Currently, he serves as the Executive Director of the National Center for Intermodal Transportation a US DOT funded University Transportation Center. As Director and Professor supervisors supervises federally funded research grants and projects. He has been engaged primarily in research, writing, lecturing and consulting in Denver, the US and Asia.
Dr. Sherry specializes in the area of critical incidents, corporate culture, occupational safety and PTSD. He has studied the effects of critical incidents and suicide on substance abuse, sleep and fatigue and job performance. In addition, he works with business and industry developing effective interventions and responses to the aftereffects of such events in the workplace. Most recently he authored a study on the efforts of commuter railroads in the US to prevent death by suicide involving railroads. This work, involved a large scale survey of Southern California communities to determine their attitudes towards suicide and suicide prevention. Dr. Sherry is a member of the advisory committee for the population He has also been very active in the assessment and improvement of safety culture in railroads. In addition to his clinical expertise he also has an interest in research design and statistical analysis.
As the Director of Training and a Professor of Counseling Psychology Dr. Sherry was responsible for the training of doctoral level psychologist at the University of Denver for over 30 years training over 500 Masters and over 200 doctoral level psychologists in psychological research, psychotherapy and psychological testing. In addition, he has over 180 scientific presentations and papers that he has delivered to various academic conferences and meetings as well as 40+ academic publications and papers in peer reviewed journals.
Dr. Sherry is licensed as a psychologist in both New York and Colorado. He is listed in the US National Register of Health Service Providers and is a Fellow of the Academy of Counseling Psychology.

Katarzyna Kucharek is Manager with over 14 years of experience in the railway industry. She holds a Master of Business Administration from the Gdansk Foundation for Management Development.
A graduate of the University of Warsaw and Business Studies in English at the University of Leon Kozminski.
Certified in English for Business from the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry. She started working in the railway industry in 2007 for the national manager of the railway network.
Between 2014-2016, she held positions in the body of the central government administration and a non-governmental organization.
Since the beginning of her career, she represented the Polish railways in the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, the International Union of Railways and is currently, among other, the Vice President of the Global Level Crossing Network. Mentor in the Safety Leaders Program (Metrolinx, Canada 2020).
Member of the Supervisory Board of CS "Natura Tour" Ltd. Since 2016 she has been a member of the board of the PKP Group Foundation and became President in 2017.

Rob currently works for Network Rail as Head of Level Crossings Safety. His role is to lead the strategic direction for level crossing risk reduction for the business.
Rob is also the chair of Great Britain’s National Level Crossing Strategy Group which brings together stakeholders and organisations from both the road and rail infrastructure leading a coordinated effort to manage and improve level crossing safety risk.
Until his appointment in December 2017, Rob’s career had seen him work within Timetabling, Operations and since 2014 within the Quality, Health, Safety and Environment team as the National Train Accident Risk Reduction Specialist
Rob is currently leading the update of Network Rail’s level crossing risk management framework which includes an update to the current risk assessment standard and processes and is currently working with UK Government (Department for Transport) and road authority representatives on possible legislation changes to promote leaner ways of working and reduce the cost of safety improvements at level crossings.

Jennifer DeAngelis is the Director of Communications and Marketing at Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI), the national, nonprofit rail safety education organization based in Washington, D.C.
DeAngelis is a communications professional with extensive media relations, public affairs,
marketing and community engagement knowledge spanning more than 15 years – half of
which has been spent in the transportation industry. Her work history spans the corporate,
state and non-profit worlds promoting missions, messages, activities and images to a
variety of civilian and military audiences.
Prior to working with OLI, DeAngelis served as a Public Information Officer for the Virginia
Department of Transportation and was an integral part of the PR team that opened the
Women in Military Service For America Memorial at the ceremonial entrance to Arlington
National Cemetery.
DeAngelis is a communicator and relationship builder who enjoys connecting people with
ideas, messages and to each other. DeAngelis has been serving in her current role with
OLI since July of 2020. She has a passion for making a positive impact and firmly
believes that together, we can #STOPTrackTragedies.

or "Dr. Wash" is a Highway-Rail Grade Crossing and Trespass Prevention Inspector/Manager for the Federal Railroad Administration. For the past 28 years, Dr. Wash has been a traffic safety advocate. He thrives on preventing injuries/fatalities. He is a scholar, published author, and motivational speaker.
His educational background includes a B.S. in Occupational Safety and Health, MBA in Human Resource Management, and a Ph. D. in Education with a concentration in Organizational Leadership. He has received numerous military and civilian safety and professional awards. He retired from the United States Air Force after serving 20 years on active duty, including over eight years of military service on foreign soil and two tours in the Persian Gulf. He is a proud member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion.
Dr. Wash is happily married. His wife of over 25 years (Jennifer) is retired from federal civil service. Together, they have one daughter (Caretia) who is a graduate of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and currently and just finished her second year as a medical student at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida.

Jeffery Warner is an Associate Research Scientist with the Multimodal Freight Program at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, where he has over 25 years of experience working on a variety of highway-rail grade crossing, freight and passenger railroad, and general freight-related projects.

Jeff recently assisted the Texas Department of Transportation Rail Division with the development of their State Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Safety Action Plan; the examination of low-clearance crossings; and monitoring and prioritization of blocked crossings in Texas.

He previously participated in a project for TCRP that developed guidance for pedestrian crossings of public transit rail services, resulting in TCRP Report 175, and led the recently completed TCRP A 44 project that develop strategies for deterring trespassing on rail transit and commuter rail lines.

Jeff is a member of the TRB Highway/Rail Crossings Committee and Chair of the Joint Subcommittee on Railroad Trespass & Suicide Prevention. He received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering degrees in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University.

A lifetime railway activist, Mr. Posner held positions with Amtrak, The Official Railway Guide and the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad during his college years. He entered full-time railway service at Conrail in 1977, serving the Operating, Marketing
and Sales departments in Detroit, New York and Philadelphia.
He serves as Chairman of RDC, which he founded in 1987 with his partner Bob Pietrandrea. He also serves as Chairman of Iowa Interstate Railroad; RDC-Deutschland; EuroRail; the EBT Foundation; and The Hawthorne Group. A graduate of Princeton University (BS-Civil Engineering), Mr. Posner also holds an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School.
He teaches undergraduate courses on rail deregulation and privatization at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh and Qatar campuses and a graduate module at the Denver Transportation Institute. He has lectured and published extensively on railway matters and was a contributor to the book Railway Transformation, published in 2010 by Eurail Press under the auspices of the Community of European Railways.
He serves as a member of the Advisory Council of Princeton University’s Institute for International and Regional Studies; a board member of the Independent School Chairpersons’ Association; and as an Emeritus Trustee and former President of the Winchester Thurston School.
His philanthropic activities range from support of the Jewish community in the Former Soviet Union to Operation Lifesaver. He was named among “75 People You Should Know” by TRAINS magazine for their 75th Anniversary; is the recipient of a Paul Harris Fellowship from Rotary International for his work in Guatemala; and is an occasional contributor to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on regional affairs. He writes haiku and speaks English, Spanish, French and Russian. RDC’s history is profiled in the book Railroaders Without Borders by Prof. H. Roger Grant (Indiana University Press, 2015).

Barbara Barr is the Director of International Programs at the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). Ms. Barr is the primary liaison with global counterparts for the FRA and is responsible for management of all international-related activities and initiatives while also representing DOT leadership at worldwide forums. Ms. Barr currently serves as the Chairman of the North America Regional Assembly of the UIC (International Union of Railways) and is a board member for a US Treasury bond guarantee program. Barbara has been with FRA since 2009 and previously was responsible for the overall management of the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing Program (RRIF) that offers financial assistance of up to $35 billion for rail related projects.

Prior to joining Federal service, Ms. Barr held various leadership positions in the private industry including the head of Credit & Risk Management at Sallie Mae in Reston, Virginia. She has an M.B.A. from George Washington University with a concentration in Finance & Investments and a B.A. in Business Administration from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Mr Davenne graduated from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications d’Evry in 1988 and from the Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA) in 1999. Throughout his career, he has consistently promoted interdisciplinarity as a key factor for success.
Having gained experience in international satellite telecommunications, he initially held various roles in the housing sector, making use of his strong financial and legal skills. He was involved in policy and regulation of the sector and managed key operational programmes, most notably for the city of Paris.
After three years with the French Ministry of Transport, working on railway safety and regulation, with an emphasis on European regulations, he was elected in 2012 as Secretary
General of OTIF, the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail.
From early 2013 to the end of 2018, he promoted interdisciplinarity and partnership building in order to expand and develop the uniform regulations for international carriage by rail.

was appointed as Deputy Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration in April 2022. In that role, she provides executive leadership and direction on agency operations and policy matters, including the agency’s safety and rail development activities.
Ms. Mitchell has over 25 years of experience working in the transportation industry in both the public and private sectors. Prior to joining the FRA, she served for eight years as Director of the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DPRT) where she led several strategic initiatives. These include landmark agreements between CSX, Norfolk Southern Railway and Amtrak to significantly expand passenger rail service in the State over the next ten years, as well as advancing construction of the new Long Bridge across the Potomac River. Jennifer also helped lead the creation of the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission in collaboration with Maryland and the District of Columbia. She played a key role in securing dedicated regional funding for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, development of a new transit ridership incentive grant programs, and creation of the Commonwealth’s SmartScale multimodal transportation funding program.
Ms. Mitchell has served on boards of the American Public Transportation Association, Women’s Transportation Seminar, and the Eno Transportation Foundation. In 2018 she was named by Railway Age as a Woman of the Year, and in 2020 she was named by the Council of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) as a Woman that Moves the Nation. She holds a Bachelor of City Planning degree from the University of Virginia and a Masters in Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Michael J. Rush currently serves as senior vice president – safety and operations for the Association of American Railroads (AAR), the world’s leading railroad policy, research and standard setting organization for the freight and passenger railroads of the United States, Canada and Mexico.
In this position, Rush serves as the industry’s liaison with regulatory bodies including the U.S. Department of Transportation, Environmental Protection Agency, and Department of
Homeland Security. Among other responsibilities, Rush oversees the rail industry’s interchange standards, homeland security plan, and environmental protection and safety
programs.
Rush has 37 years of experience at AAR. Prior to his current position, Rush served as associate general counsel. In this role, Rush counseled AAR and its member railroads on environment and safety issues and other corporate matters of concern. An expert in regulatory law, Rush represented AAR in various regulatory agency and legislative activities, testifying at hearings and drafting comments, briefs, and Congressional testimony.
Education
Rush is a graduate, with honors, of the National Law Center, George Washington University. He received a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from Wesleyan University.

is currently the Senior Vice President for Safety, Regulatory and Environmental Policy at the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA). As such she represents the small business interests of 550 railroads and 500 railroad suppliers before the government. She provides expert safety advice to members and the Short Line Safety Institute. Prior to joining the ASLRRA she served as the Associate Administrator for Safety at FRA and was responsible for safety regulatory and enforcement in the Unites States. She was awarded the Presidential Rank Award in 2009 in recognition of her outstanding service as the Acting Deputy Administrator during the President Obama transition. Prior to that she served as the Deputy Associate Administrator for Railroad Development where she was responsible for railroad research and development and financial assistance programs. Prior to that she served as the head of the railroad division for accident investigation at NTSB, where she was responsible for railroad accident investigation. Jo is also the Chair of Operation Lifesaver Board of Directors and serves as the Chair of the TRB committee on Rail Safety.

Research Professor, Denver University
Fellow of the Academy of Counseling Psychology
Co-Founder, University of Denver, Pioneer Leadership Program
Advisor, Founding Fathers Leadership Program
Professor, Executive Master’s Program, DTI, University College, Denver University
Professor Sherry joined the faculty of the University of Denver Counseling Psychology Program in 1985, he quickly became appointed as the Director of Clinical Training for the Doctoral Program in Counseling Psychology. Currently, he serves as the Executive Director of the National Center for Intermodal Transportation a US DOT funded University Transportation Center. As Director and Professor supervisors supervises federally funded research grants and projects. He has been engaged primarily in research, writing, lecturing and consulting in Denver, the US and Asia.
Dr. Sherry specializes in the area of critical incidents, corporate culture, occupational safety and PTSD. He has studied the effects of critical incidents and suicide on substance abuse, sleep and fatigue and job performance. In addition, he works with business and industry developing effective interventions and responses to the aftereffects of such events in the workplace. Most recently he authored a study on the efforts of commuter railroads in the US to prevent death by suicide involving railroads. This work, involved a large scale survey of Southern California communities to determine their attitudes towards suicide and suicide prevention. Dr. Sherry is a member of the advisory committee for the population He has also been very active in the assessment and improvement of safety culture in railroads. In addition to his clinical expertise he also has an interest in research design and statistical analysis.
As the Director of Training and a Professor of Counseling Psychology Dr. Sherry was responsible for the training of doctoral level psychologist at the University of Denver for over 30 years training over 500 Masters and over 200 doctoral level psychologists in psychological research, psychotherapy and psychological testing. In addition, he has over 180 scientific presentations and papers that he has delivered to various academic conferences and meetings as well as 40+ academic publications and papers in peer reviewed journals.
Dr. Sherry is licensed as a psychologist in both New York and Colorado. He is listed in the US National Register of Health Service Providers and is a Fellow of the Academy of Counseling Psychology.

Allan joined Network Rail in 2012 to create the company safety strategy and vision of Everyone Home Safe Every Day. After five years leading the company’s work in all aspects of passenger and public safety, he is now Director of Regulator Liaison. In addition to overseeing Network Rail’s relationship with the National Safety Authority (ORR) and National Investigation Body (RAIB), his team leads industry investigation into the most serious safety events on the British network. He is vice chair of the Britain’s railway industry System Safety Risk Group and previously chair of the specialist group covering level crossing strategy. He is chair of UIC’s Global Level Crossing Network and a member of the Safety Platform.

Allan’s career was originally as a safety regulator with experience in many different industries. In 2000 Allan joined the then HM Railway Inspectorate, then became HM Deputy Chief Inspector of the safety and economic regulator - the Office of Rail Regulation.

His rail experience spans all aspects of the British industry including infrastructure management, operators, major projects, light rail and the heritage sector, as well as work with oversees regulators and railway companies. But he also draws on his experience with many other industries, including his roots in agriculture.

Dee has over 25 years’ experience with Federal, State, local, academic and private entities. Her area of expertise includes highway-rail grade crossing safety and research, quiet zone establishment, State action plans, highway and traffic signal design, pavement safety and design, strategic planning and team/consortium building. Currently, Dee is a member of the Highway-Rail Grade Crossing and Trespass Prevention Team at the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). At FRA, She also a member of the Transportation Research Board’s Highway-Rail Grade Crossings (AHB60), USDOT ITS Strategic Planning Group and USDOT Workforce Development Team. She has previously worked at the Federal Highway Administration as the Coordinator of the National Dialogue on Transportation Operations, Section 130 Program Manager, and a member of the MUTCD Team (Chapter 8, and Peer-to-Peer Program Manager). She has also worked at the Volpe Center (research lead on ITS technologies, four-quadrant gate systems, freight car reflectorization and strategic plan development).
Prior to her Federal service, Dee worked as a highway engineer for Howard Needles Tammen and Berfgendoff (HNTB), Kellerco and Florida Department of Transportation. Dee also served as the Assistant Director of the Office of Engineering and Science Support and Adjunct Professor at Florida A&M University.
Dee received her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at the Florida A&M University/Florida State University College of Engineering (as the first female and African-American graduate) and a Master of Civil Engineering degree from Howard University (as a FHWA Graduate Research Fellow).

Executive Director of Operation Lifesaver, Inc, the national, nonprofit rail safety education organization based in Washington, D.C. Maleh has over 25 years’ experience in nonprofit management, communications, marketing, fundraising, organizational development, and leadership transition planning.
Prior to joining Operation Lifesaver, Inc. Maleh ran a communications consulting firm offering comprehensive nonprofit management services. Previously, she was Deputy Executive Director of the Greater Washington Region of the American Heart Association. Her experience also includes serving as Senior Advisor/Chief of Staff with the National Community Reinvestment Coalition in Washington, D.C. Maleh has advanced degrees both in International Relations and International Communications from Boston University; as well as a Master of Science in Marketing from Johns Hopkins University. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and French from Hobart and William Smith Colleges.

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 first stint at the FRA, Mike was Sr. VP-Compliance with G&W Railroad Services, Inc., experiencing first-hand the safety environment of short line and regional railroads.

Kerry-Lynn is a Rail Safety Specialist with the City of Ottawa. She has over 20 years’ experience in traffic safety, both in the private and public sector. Kerry-Lynn has worked to develop solutions and mitigation strategies to protect road users via the City of Ottawa’s Vision Zero and Road Safety Action Plan. Working with rail authorities and Transport Canada, Kerry-Lynn has focused on safety requirements for at grade-rail crossings within the City. She is responsible for developing, implementing, and evaluating the Rail Crossing Safety Improvement Program. She is also involved in the "Stand-Alone Warrant for Traffic Signals at intersections in close proximity to RR Grade Crossings” working group with the Transportation Association of Canada.

Nicole is a Senior Project Manager at Alfred Benesch & Company. She specializes in highway-rail grade crossing engineering and is a national expert in railroad preemption operation and design. Ms. Jackson has more than 21 years of extensive experience in providing diagnostic services, traffic engineering analysis, as well developing unique solutions to some of the most challenging grade crossings in the country. She has reviewed and led grade crossing designs for compliance with national, state and railroad requirements, regulations and industry best practices in multiple states and with multiple railroads. She also serves in a leadership position on the Institute of Transportation Engineer’s (ITE) joint rail grade crossing committee and is a member of the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (NCUTCD) grade crossing committee. Ms. Jackson is a licensed professional engineer in 35 U.S. states and four Canadian provinces, as well as a registered Professional Traffic Operations Engineer.

Asim Zaman is a project engineer at Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT). His research focuses on development of AI and edge computing algorithms and hardware for railroad applications. He received his M.S. in railroad engineering and received the Dwight D. Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship in 2020 for his research using Artificial Intelligence to detect trespassing in the railroad industry. Asim previously worked for New Jersey Department of Transportation as a senior engineer and has over 6 years of experience in transportation engineering and project management.

Elizabeth is a cognitive psychologist and associate professor at Michigan Technological University and her research focuses on decision making in real-world domains.
She received her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. In the rail domain, Dr. Veinott conducts research on motorist decision behavior at different highway-rail crossings and using connected vehicles. She has 15 years of experience in the industry as a principal scientist in an R&D engineering company and as a contractor at NASA Ames in the Human Performance division.

is a Senior Research Engineer in the Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Texas A&M Transportation Institute, at Texas A&M University, College Station (TAMU). He is the managing director of the NSF Industry-University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC) Site at TAMU. He is also an FAA Certified Drone Pilot and has flown many unmanned aerial missions to collect infrastructure condition data. His areas of research interests include sustainable and resilient infrastructure design, ground improvement techniques, and smart city concepts using innovative sensors and smart monitoring technologies. He worked on Federal and State-funded research projects on designing and monitoring various infrastructure assets. As part of these projects, he focused on monitoring and evaluating the civil infrastructure health conditions by inspecting pavements, railways, airports, bridges, embankments, slopes, towers, and dam assets using unmanned aerial vehicles coupled with close-range photogrammetry techniques. He uses image processing techniques to build the digital models of various infrastructure assets and leverages Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) Techniques to automate the infrastructure condition assessments. He is also a member of two national academy’s Transportation Research Board committees and also serves as TRB Committee Communications Coordinator (CCC) for one of those committees. He is part of the ASCE Committee on Innovative Technologies and Tools in Geotechnical Engineering (INNC) task force. He published his research in many peer-reviewed publications including 4 book chapters, 32 journals, and many conference papers. He delivered several invited lectures on national and international platforms including Transportation Research Board, UAV Commercial Expo, DJI Airworks, and the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering’s (ISSMGE’s) Bright Spark Keynote Lecture at Cairo, Egypt.

Vincent has been Advisor in Safety Management at Infrabel in Belgium since 2009. After working as a railway accident investigator, he specialized in level crossing safety policy.

He develops and manages the Rail-Road Interface actions plan for which the goal is to improve safety at level crossings by the implementation of new infrastructural measures.

Rob currently works for Network Rail as Head of Level Crossings Safety. His role is to lead the strategic direction for level crossing risk reduction for the business.
Rob is also the chair of Great Britain’s National Level Crossing Strategy Group which brings together stakeholders and organisations from both the road and rail infrastructure leading a coordinated effort to manage and improve level crossing safety risk.
Until his appointment in December 2017, Rob’s career had seen him work within Timetabling, Operations and since 2014 within the Quality, Health, Safety and Environment team as the National Train Accident Risk Reduction Specialist
Rob is currently leading the update of Network Rail’s level crossing risk management framework which includes an update to the current risk assessment standard and processes and is currently working with UK Government (Department for Transport) and road authority representatives on possible legislation changes to promote leaner ways of working and reduce the cost of safety improvements at level crossings.

Marina Santapaola is Coordinator of external and investigation training at Junta de Seguridad en el Transporte (JST, Argentina). Professor of History (ISFD N° 34), Diploma in e-Learning Projects (UNSAM). Certified in Organizational Coaching (USAL).

Promotional Communications Expert
Sanja Paic has been working for 21 years in the railway sector, 18 years specifically on level crossing issues. Sanja Paic is also founder of safety.guru INSTITUTE for the Promotion of traffic Culture and Safety. The synergies of different areas will achieve a more successful business and realization of business activities. Modern technical and technological solutions are developing faster than people can follow it. With proactive activities Institute want to inform the individual, to educate and to prevent, to warn of the critical behaviour and risks of such behaviour. Motivate, initiate and stimulate active participation in the community and create a more secure transport environment. Vision of Institute is return to a safe future. Change the angle of view of your own life, human history, traffic and the world around you. To be the inspiration for a better, safer and happier life.

Traffic engineer
Mr Drazen has been working for 30 years in the railway sector, almost 15 years especially on railway safety. He is a Doctor of Science and a lecturer at high schools for more than 6 years. Now, he is a member of safety.guru Institute and works as secretary in the Institute.

Dr. Danijela Barić has a Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral degree in Transportation from the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences, where she works as an Associate professor. Her primary research field is multi-criteria decision-making in transport with a particular interest in safety at level crossings (LCs), education, and safety promotion. In her scientific research work, she has published more than a hundred scientific papers in scientific journals and conference proceedings. As an author, she participated in more than 70 scientific and professional projects in cooperation with industry and public institutions.
She established an LC research group at the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences. Together with the members of her research group, she designed and implemented the innovation "Application for driver education on safe driving over the level crossing in a virtual environment (VR 360°)". That application is listed in the "Innovations and Patents of the University of Zagreb Catalogue". She created a short educational video, "Safe with Andrew on the way to school", with her research group. The Global Road Safety Film Festival, organized by UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) in Geneva in 2017, awarded that video as the best European Union educational video on traffic safety.
She actively participates in several scientific and professional organizations. She cooperates with the International Union of Railways (UIC) as a member of two expert working groups in the field of traffic safety GLCN (Global Level Crossing Network) and the TreSP-Network (Trespass & Suicide Prevention Network). As a member of the World Conference on Transport Research Society (WCTRS), she works in two scientific working groups: WCTRS-SIG-C4 (Special Interest Group Traffic Safety Analysis and Policy) and WCTRS-SIG-G4 (Special Interest Group Cultural and Social Issues in Transport). She is a representative of Croatia in the European Union Agency for Railways.
She organized and moderated domestic and international workshops, round tables, and conferences. With her team, she was responsible for the organization of ILCAD 2018 in Zagreb, Croatia.

Moriah Whiteman is the Manager of Education, Training, and Volunteer Support with Operation Lifesaver inc.
She has over a decade of experience in curriculum writing and arts-centered education. Moriah is focused on educating the public through a variety of mediums that empower people to make critical decisions for their safety. She has worked with learners of all ages to create lessons and learning opportunities that are developmentally appropriate and safety informed. Her passion for equity in and outside of the classroom has led her to develop accessible programming that bridges the gap between learning concepts and practical skillsets.

Andy Elkins currently works for the Bureau of Explosives of the Association of American Railroads (AAR). His primary focus is Director of Hazmat Compliance. He is the Chairman of the ILCAD 2022 USA Planning Committee and serves on the Board of Directors for Operation Lifesaver Inc. Andy also serves as the AAR’s Representative to the Dangerous Goods Advisory Council, TRANSCAER and the Transportation Research Board.
Andy served as a Special Operations Police Officer in Nashville, Tennessee USA for 27 years and performed duties as a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives (CBRNE) Instructor / Operator. He continues to instruct Tactical Hazmat for the FBI’s / STALO Program.

Charlie Mathewson is the Railroad Investigation and Safety Course (RISC) Consultant with Operation Lifesaver. He has been volunteering with Operation Lifesaver since 2009 as an Authorized Volunteer, Coach, and is an Instructor Trainer for the RISC program. Charlie began his career in law enforcement in 2006 working as a Municipal Police Officer and later transition as a Transit Police Officer, working for a mass transit agency serving in Chicago, Illinois and Northwest, Indiana. He is currently working as an Investigator for a freight railroad police department. Charlie is a certified Law Enforcement Instructor in the State of Indiana, as a Physical Tactics Instructor, Field Training Officer, Active Shooter Instructor, TASER Instructor, and a Certified School Resource Officer.

UIC, Senior Advisor Safety & Interoperability
Isabelle started her international carrier in September 1988 working within French exporting companies.

From January 1992 until today she has been working at UIC, the worldwide professional association representing the railway sector and promoting rail transport, in different domains of activities (high speed, economics, environment, technology and research, interoperability and safety). 

From December 2009 until today:

• Senior Advisor, Safety and Interoperability in charge of level crossing safety, trespass and suicide prevention issues at the UIC Safety Unit.
• Project manager and Coordinator of the International Level Crossing Awareness Day (ILCAD) the unique road/rail safety awareness campaign on a global level (45 countries on board)
• Member of the UNECE WP1 on Road Traffic Safety and I have been cooperating actively with the UNECE in Geneva to create a Group of Experts on level crossing safety. This group met for the first time in January 2014 and finalized a report in January 2017.
• Member of a multi-disciplinary group on level crossing safety created on a national level by the French Ministry of Transport to issue a report with recommendations to improve safety at level crossings in France after the level crossing tragedy of Millas in France that happened on 14 December 2017 in France: 6 children died.

Member of a national multi-sector group on level crossing safety set up by SNCF Réseau
Member of the Steering Committee of the Global Level Crossing Symposium (GLXS)
Member of the consortium and coordination team at UIC for the EU Project Safer-LC
Member of the consortium and coordination team at UIC for the EU Project Restrail
Coordinator of the UIC Safety Platform and its following working groups:

• Global Level Crossing Network (GLCN)
• Trespass and Suicide Prevention Network (TreSP-Network)
• Systems Safety Management Group (SSMG) dealing with the European Railway Agency safety related working programme
• International Railway Safety Network (IRSN)

is AVP Transportation Systems & Practices
Safety & Operations at the Association of American Railroads, Washington D.C.
2010 – Present
Assistant VP Transportation Systems & Practices, Association of American Railroads, Washington, D.C.
Originates and facilitates industry activities designed to increase the safety, security and efficiency of railroad operations. Holds Current US Government Clearance of Secret.
Partial list of current / past responsibilities:

• Rail Safety Advisory Committee Working Groups / Task Forces
• Customs Operations Advisory Committee – Marine Transportation Security Act Subgroup
• Presenting testimony before the US House of Representatives, Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials (February 2008, New Orleans)
• Industry Activities
• AAR Grade Crossing and Trespass Prevention, Medical, and Operating Practices Committees
• AAR Safety and Derailment Prevention Information Exchange Forum
• New Orleans Gateway Terminal Committee
• Chairman 2008 International Railway Safety Conference
• Member, Switching Operations Fatality Analysis Group
• 2002 - 2009 Executive Director Operations, Association of American railroads, Washington, D.C.
• 1992 - 2002 Director Casualty Prevention, Association of American Railroads, Washington, D.C.
• 1989 - 2002 General Manager, The Grand Island Company, Ryde, CA
• 1987 - 1989 Trainmaster, Consolidated Rail Corporation, Indianapolis, IN
• 1982 - 1985 Account Executive, SP Transportation Co., Wilmington, DE / Philadelphia, PA
• 1981 - 1982 Power Supervisor /Information Officer, S P Transportation Co., San Francisco, CA
• 1979 - 1981 Train Dispatcher, Assistant Chief Dispatcher, S P Transportation Co., Los Angeles, CA
• 1973 - 1974 Engineering Employee, Union Pacific Railroad, Los Angeles, CA

BA With Honors - Principia College Elsah, IL 1977
Professional Affiliations:
Vice Chair, UIC North American Region
Fellow, The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport – North America
Board Member, Common Ground Alliance
The International Association of Railway Operating Officers
American Association of Railroad Superintendents
Guest Lecturer; MSU Certificate Course in Railway Management
Former Member / Friend, Transportation Research Board Committee AR070; Railroad Operational Safety

Dr. Maryam Allahyar Wyrick leads the Research, Development, and Technology demonstration program designed to improve the safety, security, efficiency, and capacity of freight rail transportation and passenger rail transportation—including intercity,
commuter, and high-speed ground transportation systems.
Dr. Allahyar Wyrick has more than two decades of diverse experience as a research
scientist in academia, the U.S. Department of Defense, the National Transportation
Safety Board (NTSB), and U.S. Department of Transportation. She served as a research
psychologist at the Naval Weapons Test Center in China Lake, California, followed by
more than four years as a Human Factors Technical Expert at the United States Air Force
Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB, California. She is a former human performance
investigator for the NTSB, and prior to joining FRA, she worked as a senior research
psychologist for the Chief of Staff of the Army at the Pentagon.
Dr. Allahyar Wyrick has a Ph.D. in Cognition from the University of Washington