2020 Annual Conference Speakers

Ailsa von Dobeneck

Assistant Vice President of Government Relations, Watco Companies

Ailsa von Dobeneck joined Watco in June 2019 and is responsible for government outreach and legislative strategy on the federal level, as well as in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and Georgia. She started her rail career at Norfolk Southern in Washington, DC and has also served as Director of External Affairs for the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad.

She is a University of Georgia and King’s College London grad and enjoys spending her free time researching historic recipes at the Smithsonian, where she does demos.
 

Amanda Trainor Patrick

Vice President of Trade Shows, Programs & Board Relations, Railway Supply Institute (RSI)

RSI is a trade association that advocates for rail supply industry servicing America’s freight railroads located in Washington, DC. Since joining in 2008, Amanda Trainor Patrick has contributed to RSI through managing membership, marketing, governance, and most notably, RSI’s annual trade show and conference.

She was selected as member of the 2015 ASAE NextGen Association Summit, a group of leading young association professionals and established association thought leaders that come together to discuss and problem solve in the association community. In 2014, Amanda received her IAEE Certificate in Exhibition Management, a conference management accreditation. She has also held the board positions of Public Relations and Outreach and Secretary. LRW is an all-volunteer association that promotes the professional development and advancement of women in the rail industry.

Amanda was raised in Caruthersville, Missouri located in Bootheel, the most southeast portion of the state. She attended undergraduate school at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, Missouri where she studied political science and economics. In her free time Amanda enjoys yoga, reading, and exploring Civil War battlefields. She currently resides in Falls Church, Virginia with her husband Sherman, their three daughters, and their cat Ramses.
 

Andrea Waldock Niethold

Director of US Government Affairs, Canadian National Railway

Andrea Waldock Niethold was appointed Director of U.S. Government Affairs at CN in August 2017, based in Washington, D.C. In her role, Waldock Niethold engages with federal lawmakers and regulators on issues important to CN and the freight railroad industry. She also manages CN’s relationships at various levels of government with a strong focus on community support and engagement.

Prior to joining CN, Waldock Niethold held various legislative positions on Capitol Hill for almost a decade. Most recently, from 2012-2017, she served as Chief of Staff to Pennsylvania Congressman Lou Barletta.

Waldock Niethold holds an A.B.D. and M.A. in Education Policy and Administration from the Catholic University of America and a B.S. in Elementary Education from Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana.
 

Arielle Giordano

Director of Federal and State Government Affairs, Canadian Pacific Railway

Arielle Giordano is responsible for all of CP's U.S. territory at the Federal level and in eleven states. Prior to joining CP, she served as the Counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials under Chairman Bill Shuster. As such, she shared responsibility for freight rail, passenger rail, commuter rail, high speed rail, hazmat safety, pipeline safety, and all related Federal agencies. She worked on the FAST Act, STB Reauthorization Act, PIPES Act of 2016, RESPONSE Act, STB IS Improvement Act, and the FRA Safety Data Improvement Act, among other pieces of legislation.

While attending law school, Giordano worked for the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, under the former Chairman, Chuck Grassley. She holds a J.D. from the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, and a B.A. from Monmouth University. Giordano sits on the Advisory Board of the Washington Urban Debate League and is the Secretary the CUA Law Alumni Council. She lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband, James, and their dog, Eugene.
 

Cathrin Banks

President and General Counsel, The Maryland and Delaware Railroad Company and Vice President and General Counsel, Chesapeake and Delaware LLC?

Cathrin Banks has served as President and General Counsel of The Maryland and Delaware Railroad Company since January of 2019. Prior to being named President, Cathrin served as Vice President and General Counsel, and Assistant General Counsel. She also serves as Vice President and General Counsel for Chesapeake and Delaware, LLC, which operates a number of railroads in New Jersey.

Cathrin is a graduate of the University of Maryland at College Park (B.S., Government and Politics) and the University of Maryland School of Law. After working for Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr., Cathrin began her legal career working for the Honorable Albert J. Matricciani, Jr. of the Maryland Court of Special Appeals. She was admitted to the Maryland Bar in 2010 and the District of Columbia Bar in 2014. After completing her clerkship with Judge Matricciani, she joined the Baltimore trial firm of Bekman, Marder & Adkins, LLC, where she spent several years litigating complex civil cases.

In 2015, Cathrin was offered an opportunity to join The Maryland and Delaware Railroad Company as Assistant General Counsel. Eager for a career change, Ms. Banks accepted the position and quickly fell in love with railroading. Although she is a more recent transplant to the industry, railroading is in her blood: her father has been on the Board of Directors of the MDDE since 1977, and her grandfather was a fireman for the Pennsylvania Railroad in the 1940s.

Cathrin is a member of the League of Railway Women and a member of the B&O Railroad Museum Board of Directors. She was recently named as one of Progressive Railroading’s 2019 Rising Stars.
 

Connie Nordhues-Bieber

Co-Founder, Railway Advantage Solutions and Vice President of Value Solutions, 4Atmos Technologies

Connie Nordhues-Bieber has spent over 30 years specializing in financial management and analysis, with expertise in business case development, market and sales, project management, continuous improvement, operations auditing, and problem solving. Connie has over 25 years within the rail industry, including Capital Planning & Analysis, Sales & Marketing, Locomotive Fleet Strategies (purchases, rebuilds, reliability), Field Service, Product Management, Technology and Emissions. She spent 10 years working for Union Pacific Railroad and a combined 15 years experience working for RJ Corman, Siemens, RELCO and Wi-Tronix.

Connie received her Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Business Administration from Creighton University. She also obtained a Certified Public Accounting Certificate (CPA). She is the current Vice-Chair of the Locomotive Software & Systems Committee for the Locomotive Maintenance Officers’ Association (LMOA).
 

Darrell Wilson

Assistant Vice President of Government Relations, Norfolk Southern Corporation

Darrell Wilson joined the Government Relations Department at Norfolk Southern in August of 2001. He served for over 7 years on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee under the leadership of Chairman Bud Shuster from Pennsylvania. Darrell served on the Rail and Surface Subcommittees and at the Full Committee level as the Special Assistant to the Chairman. During his last two years on Capitol Hill, Darrell served as Chief of Staff to Congressman Bud Shuster.

While serving with the Committee, they crafted numerous landmark pieces of legislation, including the ICC Termination Act of 1995, which created the Surface Transportation Board, the NHS Designation Act of 1995, Amtrak Reform Act, the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization, and the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century.

Darrell’s present responsibilities at Norfolk Southern include monitoring legislative and regulatory developments on Capitol Hill and at the STB, FHWA and FRA. He also leads the development of Public Private Partnerships between states, USDOT and NS.
 

Dava Kaitala

Senior Supervisory Attorney and General Director, Permitting and Sustainability, BNSF

Dava Kaitala received her juris doctor from Texas Tech University School of Law in 2002, where she graduated in the top 5% of her class and was elected to the Order of the Coif. Immediately upon graduation, Dava went to work as part of the Honors Attorney Program for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. She held positions at the Fort Worth District, the Humphreys Engineer Center- Support Activity (supporting Headquarters, USACE), and finally as Deputy Division Counsel of the Southwestern Division of USACE. During her time at USACE, she was named a Distinguished Scholar by the Judge Advocate General School-Army and twice received the Commander’s Award for Civilian Service.

Dava has been with BNSF Railway since 2009. She first worked in the Law Department of BNSF, concentrating on environmental law for the Midwestern portion of BNSF’s system. From there, she moved to Engineering Services, where she worked on large construction projects, overseeing internal BNSF engineers as well as contractors and consultants. She then returned to the Law Department, where she took over handling environmental matters for the Northern half of the rail system before moving to the newly-created Environmental Department. She is currently holds two positions, as General Director of Construction Permitting and Sustainability, and Senior General Attorney II in the Environmental Department. She leads technical teams that are responsible for BNSF’s environmental audit program, administration of the construction permitting program, and oversees BNSF’s Sustainability Report and the environmental section of the Annual Report. Dava also is a member of the Environmental Leadership Team and the company’s Environmental, Health, and Safety Committee. She is the current Vice Chair of the Environmental Committee of the American Railway Development Association.

Dava is married to John Kaitala. They live in Arlington, Texas, with their two children, Addy and Alex.
 

Erica Sander

Secretary, League of Railway Women (LRW) and Manager of Government Relations, Trinity Industries

Since joining Trinity Industries in 2015, Erica serves as a Government Relations professional and company lobbyist while additionally managing the Trinity Industries Employee Political Action Committee (TIEPAC).

Erica manages and coordinates governmental affairs for $2+ billion railcar services and manufacturing company with 7,000+ people and operations in 10 states and Mexico. As one of only two corporate lobbyists for the entire corporation and 5 subsidiary business units, efforts include managing vast Federal, State, and Local legislative efforts. Additionally, Erica writes articles for company-wide newsletters; edits and reviews internal and external communication documents. As a TIEPAC Board of Director, she manages PAC solicitations, communication collaterals, Board meetings, financials, and compliance.

Erica was raised in Ohio and graduated high school in Georgia. She attended undergraduate school on the Hope Scholarship for Academics at Georgia State University and is currently working to further her education initiatives. Erica obtained a Public Affairs Council Political Action Committee & Grassroots Management Certification in 2019. In her free time, Erica spends time with family and friends at home in Dallas, Texas. Her husband Aaron (AJ), son Elijah, and daughter Ava Juliet along with their adventures, sports, education, and hobbies, round out the balance of her passion for her career.
 

Jean Savage

Chief Executive Officer and President, Trinity Industries

Jean Savage was appointed Chief Executive Officer and President of Trinity Industries in February 2020. She has served as a member of Trinity’s Board of Directors since November 2018.

She most recently spent 17 years at Caterpillar Inc. in a variety of senior leadership positions. Ms. Savage served as Vice President of the Surface Mining & Technology division of Caterpillar Inc., a manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. In this role, Jean oversaw the division’s end-to-end value chain, ensuring a customer-centric approach in product design, development, operations, and sales. She was also responsible for Caterpillar’s Sales and Marketing and Technology groups, which covered all products in Caterpillar’s Resource Industries Group, serving the mining sector.

From 2014 to 2017, Ms. Savage was Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Caterpillar’s Innovation and Technology Development Division. From 2009 to 2014, Ms. Savage held various leadership roles in Caterpillar’s subsidiary Progress Rail Services (“PRS”), an integrated and diversified supplier of railroad and transit products and services as well as railcar leasing, including serving as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Locomotive and Railcar Services business unit for PRS from 2002 to 2013. Jean joined PRS in 2002 as Vice President for Quality and Continuous Improvement. She also served as Vice President of Progress Rail’s Freight Car Repair, Parts and Quality Divisions. Prior to joining Caterpillar, Jean worked in a variety of operations and engineering positions in her 14 years at Parker Hannifin Corporation, a leader in motion and control technologies and systems. Jean began her career spending nine years as an Intelligence Officer in the U.S. Army Reserves.

She has a bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Cincinnati and a master’s degree in engineering management from the University of Dayton. Jean is also a member of the Society of Women Engineers. While she’s achieved many accomplishments, Jean is most proud of her two sons and their families. She enjoys time outdoors, traveling, and reading.
 

Jennifer McManus

Senior Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer, GATX

Jennifer McManus was elected Senior Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer of GATX in January 2020. Previously, she was Senior Director, Investor Relations and Accounting Research, Policy & Planning from 2017 to 2019. Ms. McManus joined GATX in 2015 as Director of Accounting Research, Planning & Policy. Prior to joining GATX, she held various positions of increasing responsibility with Hyatt Hotels Corporation and Tribune Company. Ms. McManus began her career in audit at Deloitte & Touche in 2002. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Masters of Accounting from the University of Michigan and her MBA from the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business.
 

Jenni Moore

Solution Consultant and Project Manager, Bartlett & West

Jenni Moore, GISP, PMP is a Solution Consultant and Project Manager at Bartlett & West who focuses on the freight rail industry. As a certified GIS Professional and certified Project Manager, she likes to solve problems with creative, effective solutions and work through those solutions from inception through completion to the benefit of everyone involved and impacted by the effort. She is active in a variety of rail industry organizations such as ARDA and the League of Railway Women.
 

Karen Cecil

Director of Global Environmental Sustainability, Cummins

Karen Cecil leads the cross-functional, cross-business governance structure that is responsible for setting the direction for environmental actions, including strategy development, evaluating risks and opportunities, goal-setting, engaging internal and external stakeholders, transparent environmental reporting, and business integration.

She uses her twenty years pf experience in Quality Management, Lean Operations, Supply Chain, Executive Level Problem Solving, and leading complex change to expand the lens of sustainability through the business. She led the creation of Cummins’ first comprehensive global environmental sustainability plan with 2020 goals, as well as the PLANET 2050 strategy announced in 2019.

Karen is a certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt and experienced Simplex Innovative Thinking Process facilitator. She holds an Executive Master of Sustainability Leadership from Arizona State University.  
 

Katelyn Jewell

Senior Project Analyst, Trinity Industries

Katelyn Jewell is an experienced senior project analyst with experience working on railroad industry projects and developing and applying industry best practices. She is currently a Senior Project Analyst with Trinity Industries and has contributed to the development of their Project Management Center of Excellence through research, analysis and management support of the initiative. For the initiative, she managed the creation of Project Management Best Practices, tools, and templates that are used company-wide, and led the creation of Trinity's user-friendly website as a company resource for the CoE. She currently serves as one of several Project Managers for the construction of Trinity’s newest greenfield facility in Shell Rock, Iowa.

Katelyn is a bilingual Certified Project Management Professional and holds Bachelor’s degrees in Economics, Business Management, and Spanish from the University of New Mexico and Universidad de Granada. She is currently pursuing a Master of Science of Advanced Data Analytics from the University of North Texas.
 

Kim Bowling

Director of Mechanical, CSX

Kim Bowling has been with CSX Transportation since 1991. She has worked her way around the Mechanical Operations group including stints in Locomotive Engineering, Car Engineering, Industrial Engineering, AAR Services and Six Sigma. For the last 9 years, she has focused on Wayside Detection development and integration. She has a degree in Mechanical and Materials Engineering from Vanderbilt University and an MBA from University of Florida.
 

Kim Sass

Vice President of Human Resources, Wi-Tronix

Wi-Tronix is a tech company that ensures safety and efficiency in rail operations using the most advanced IoT platform in the industry. A trusted coach and mentor with over 20 years of experience in the industry, Kim Sass is responsible for leading the ideation and execution of the HR Strategy for Wi-Tronix.

Understanding what’s beneath the surface has enabled Kim to broaden her Human Resources’ contribution to guiding company strategy and achieving financial results. Inspiring leadership at all levels of the organization, her high level of emotional intelligence helps Kim to understand and motivate the diverse group of people she works with. Kim takes a genuine interest in developing the strengths and talents of her organization, knowing that, when woven together in the right way, people are the fabric that make a company strong.

Adapting to the changing needs of a quickly growing tech company, Kim employs scaled Agile framework (SAFe) for Lean enterprises. Following these practices, Kim believes in valuing individuals and interactions over processes and tools. Looking at talent first through the business lens and then the HR lens offers Kim a different perspective on building capability across the organization.

A graduate of DePaul University with a BS in Finance. Kim holds the SPHR and SHRM-CP certifications. She is an active volunteer and former associate board member of Girls on the Run. In her free time she enjoys telling a good story through photojournalism, spending time with her 3 daughters, and cooking.
 

Kirk Bastyr

Publisher, Progressive Railroading

Kirk Bastyr is the Publisher of Progressive Railroading, which is made up of print, online and live event properties that cover information, trends, technology and industry news across all disciplines of the railroad market. Prior to being named Publisher of Progressive Railroading, Kirk spent most of his career in marketing and advertising where he held several senior-level account management and business development positions.

Bastyr sits on the Boards of Directors for several industry associations including the American Association of Railroad Superintendents (AARS), National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) and Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association (REMSA).

Kirk holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from Indiana University and lives in Louisville, KY with his wife and four children.
 

Luisa Fernandez-Willey

Senior Economist, Association of American Railroads (AAR)

Luisa Fernandez-Willey is responsible for conducting quantitative and qualitative research and analysis on economic and policy issues affecting freight railroads. Additionally, she is responsible for assisting with the data collection and production of several AAR publications. Luisa’s professional experience prior to joining the AAR includes financial management consulting, economic research supporting government and private sector clients, and academia.

Luisa holds a M.A. in Economics from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a M.Sc. in Business and Economic Forecasting from Kingston University-London. Luisa is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP®) and completed Michigan State University’s Railway Certification Management Program.
 

Marie Benton

Director of Rail Transit, American Public Transportation Association (APTA)

Marie Benton has been in the Transit industry for over 15 years. Ms. Benton started her transit career at Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), where she served as a contributor in various roles throughout the organization. In her tenure at DART, she has been both a member of the procurement and human resources teams, before then joining the maintenance senior management team in 2010. Throughout her time at DART, she served in a succession of increasingly more complex roles before ultimately assuming the role as the Assistant Vice President of Rail Vehicle Maintenance. In her role over light rail maintenance, she was responsible for overseeing light rail vehicle maintenance, operational rail facilities, as well as bus body and multi-modal major component overhaul maintenance. In June of 2019, Ms. Benton joined the APTA team as Director of Rail Transit Programs.

Ms. Benton is a graduate of the Leadership APTA Class of 2014, and was named Mass Transit’s Top 40 under 40. She holds a Bachelors of Science from the University of Arizona as well as a Maintenance Management Certificate from the University of Wisconsin.
 

Mary Proc

Former Vice President, Customer Service Delivery, Metrolinx

Mary developed the multi-year customer service strategy at GO Transit and had over 900 staff who supported GO Transit, Union-Pearson Express, and the PRESTO farecard system. She had responsibility for all 66 rail stations including Union Station.

Mary was previously Senior Director at the CIBC for eight years. Prior to that, Mary worked with Canadian Airlines, running the operations of their Toronto reservations office, and as an Assistant Deputy Minister in Cabinet Office and with the Ministry of Transportation.

Mary was the 2015 President of the Toronto Railway Club, a founding Director of Women in Transportation Seminar, and the founding Chair of the Customer Orientation Task Force for the Canadian Urban Transit Association. She also served on the advisory board of the Conference Board Council for Customer Experience. In 2015-16, Mary was named “Outstanding Woman of the Year” by Progressive Railroading Magazine and the North American-based League of Railway Industry Women. She has published on customer service and is a frequent conference speaker.

Mary holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in political science from McMaster University.
 

Michele Malski

Director-At-Large, League of Railway Women (LRW) and Founder and President, Succession Planning for Railroads Investing in the Next Generation (SPRING)

Michele Malski is a proud second generation railroader from Scranton, Pennsylvania. She has grown up with the respect for the traditions, heritage, and versatility a railroad brings to the economy through the movement of freight. Michele is a true railroader at heart with a passion for enhancing, leading, and progressing the standard and culture of safety within the rail industry. Michele has worked as a trainmaster at BNSF in the terminal of Minot, North Dakota, as a territory manager for Canadian Pacific’s southern territory (formerly D & H Territory), and Bombardier Transportation, of Baltimore, MD. In her off time, Michele enjoys painting, skiing, kayaking, cycling, golfing, running with her Great Dane Marcella, and attending events for the women’s network for Cornell alumnae.
 

Michelle Ardron

Senior Specialist Network Operations, VIA Rail

Michelle Ardron started her railway career in 1988 at CP Rail working as a yardman and conductor eventually becoming a locomotive engineer and rules instructor before joining Transport Canada in 1997. Michelle spent over 16 years at Transport Canada as a Railway Safety Inspector and Occupational Health and Safety Officer covering all Railways in Ontario. Michelle joined VIA Rail 7 years ago as a Manager Train Operations in Toronto before moving to her current role as Senior Specialist Operating Practices and Regulatory Affairs.
 

Mihir Phadke 

Product Manager for Train Operations Products, Wi-Tronix

Mihir has held the position of Product Manager for Train Operations, Artificial Intelligence, and Energy Management product lines since 2018. He is responsible for creating “digital twins” of revenue trains to allow real-time tracking, alerting, and post-trip reporting for crew and fuel compliance. He has also developed products utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and inward facing camera video to detect unauthorized cell phone use inside of locomotive cabs. In addition, he has developed Fuel solutions to improve mainline fuel consumption as well as detect fuel shrinkage/spillage within a yard.

Prior to Wi-Tronix, Mihir worked at Cummins Inc. for eleven years in a variety of engineering and product management roles and at General Electric Transportation Systems for two years as product manager for digital products to support locomotive productivity and reliability. Mihir has a BSME from Pune University, India, an MSME from the University of Cincinnati, and an MBA from Purdue University.
 

Miranda Cross

Global Rail Account Manager, Cummins

Miranda Cross is Global Rail Account Leader in Cummins’ Power Systems business unit. Miranda is responsible for developing and sustaining global OEM commercial partner relationships for the rail market. Engine applications in rail include locomotive, switcher, rail car, and track maintenance. Miranda has spent the last 25 years working for manufacturing companies serving the transportation sector, such as Panasonic Automotive Systems and Dana Corporation, honing her expertise in marketing communications and account management. Since joining Cummins in 2012, Miranda has contributed to the company in multiple functions including account management, product management, and marketing strategy.

Miranda graduated from the University of Iowa, where she received a bachelor’s degree in Communications and Italian Language. Additionally, she is a certified practitioner for Human Center for Design, and Six Sigma trained. Miranda lives in Columbus, Indiana with her family. She previously sat on the leadership team for the Cummins’ Women’s Empowerment Network. Miranda is a member of Cummins Inc. Political Action Committee, a member of the League of Railway Women, and a volunteer coach for the Columbus Girls Lacrosse High School Program. Miranda is also lead singer for an area rock/jazz band, “Black Tie Optional”.
 

Patricia Basuel

Events Chair, League of Railway Women (LRW) and User Experience Manager, Wi-Tronix

For over 15 years, Patricia Basuel has honed her talents in the many disciplines of user experience (UX). She is a creative and product leader who has worked for both large (Motorola Google/Lenovo) and small companies in tech, transportation, and advertising. Her creative career started in graphic design, then she added front end web development to her skill set, and finally fully transitioned into UX. She leads the UX Team at Wi-Tronix, where she advocates for rail customers at every step of the product design and development process.

Patricia brings her passion for empowering women through her work as Events Chair at LRW, encouraging young women and girls to pursue STEM careers as an instructor at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater CyberHigh tech camp, and helping bridge the educational opportunities gap for people of color and minorities by founding the YoUthXDesign.org free summer design camp and mentoring design students and aspiring UX professionals through UXCoffeeHours.com.
 

Regina Barringer

General Manager of Global Rail and Defense, Cummins

Regina Barringer is General Manager for Global Rail and Defense segments in Cummins’ Power Systems business unit. She is responsible for global product and marketing strategy for Rail and Defense. Engine applications in Rail include locomotive, switcher, rail car, and track maintenance while Defense engine applications include wheeled and tracked land-based vehicle applications.

Since joining Cummins in 2000, Regina has contributed to the company in multiple functions including supply chain, operations, quality, strategy, and account management. Regina has held responsibilities including leadership of global OEM partner relationships, collaboration with global distribution business, and engagement with critical suppliers.

Regina graduated from Hanover College in Indiana, where she received a bachelor’s degree in English and secondary education. Additionally, she earned an MBA from Indiana University and is a Six Sigma Master Black Belt. Regina lives in Columbus, Indiana with her family. Regina is a member of the Cummins’ Women’s Empowerment network, a housing corporation board member for the Upsilon Lambda chapter of Chi Omega at Hanover College, and a volunteer for the Columbus Youth Hockey Program.
 

Stacey Hugo Mansfield

Director of Corporate Communications, Norfolk Southern Corporation

Stacey Hugo Mansfield joined Norfolk Southern in 2005 as administrator political programs in the company’s Government Relations department in Washington, D.C. In 2010 she joined NS’ Corporate Communications department in Norfolk as the railroad’s first manager of community outreach to help NS connect with the communities it serves and to grow the company’s use of social media. Today she serves as the director of corporate communications. Whether the messaging is aimed at an internal or external audience, she orchestrates and organizes corporate communications activities from theme identification to desired outcome. Her role is to ensure that messages are responsive to customers’ needs, techniques are applicable as well as cost-effective, and results are measurable.

Prior to joining Norfolk Southern, Stacey worked for U.S. Congressman Jon Porter (NV-03) and on the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. She also spent nine years working for Ann Eppard Associates lobbying issues on behalf of clients such as: United Airlines, the Pennsylvania Turnpike, Port of Corpus Christi, and the City of Harlingen, Texas.

Stacey currently serves as a commissioner on the Chesapeake Fine Arts Commission and formerly served on the South Norfolk Revitalization Commission and the Girl Scout Council of Colonial Coast Board of Directors. A Virginia Beach native, she is a graduate of Old Dominion University. She lives in Chesapeake, Virginia, with her husband and their four sons.
 

Stephanie Wiggins

Chief Executive Officer, Metrolink

Stephanie Wiggins was named Chief Executive Officer of Metrolink by a unanimous vote of the board of directors in December 2018. Wiggins assumed leadership in January 2019 and leads the 258-employee strong commuter railroad with a budget of $793 million.

As CEO, Wiggins directs an agency that operates a commuter rail network on seven routes across a six-county, 538 route-mile system. Wiggins has held high-level positions at three of the five-member agencies that comprise Metrolink and is well-known as a customer -focused leader who finds solutions from a regional perspective.

Wiggins earned a Master of Business Administration from the USC Marshall School of Business in 2007. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Whittier College in 1992.

Wiggins is the founding president of the Inland Empire Chapter of Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS). She is the recipient of many awards including the WTS Orange County Chapter’s 2019 Woman of the Year Award and the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials 2018 Women Who Move the Nation Award. She is a Board Member of the Los Angeles Chapter of Friends of the Children, the LA Division of the American Heart Association, the Greater Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, the American Public Transportation Foundation, the Los Angeles Speech & Language Therapy Center, and an Advisory Board Member for the UCLA Lewis Center.
 

Sue Marines

Vice President of Global Talent, GATX

Sue Marines is a Senior Global Human Resources and Talent Leader who currently serves as Vice President Global Talent at GATX Corporation. In her role, she leads the integration of GATX Talent initiatives across North America, Europe and India. While she works closely with leaders on talent review, leadership development and talent development, she also has oversight for Talent Acquisition and works with global leaders on a variety of HR and organizational initiatives. Since joining GATX in 2015, Sue has progressed through positions with increasing responsibility and proudly helped launch the first employee resource group, Women in Leadership (WIL), which focuses on attracting, retaining and developing female talent.

Sue has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Drake University, an M.B.A. in HR Management and Strategic Management from University of Illinois at Chicago and a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) Certification. Sue is an active member of the HR Management Association of Chicago (HRMAC) and of the League of Railway Women (LRW).

Speaker Instructions & Resources

Thank you for participating as a speaker, panelist, or host at the LRW 2020 Annual Virtual Conference. Below are instructions and resources to help you prepare for your professional speaking opportunity.

If after viewing this page you have any questions, please contact our Events Committee at events@railwaywomen.org.
 

PowerPoint Presentation Template

DOWNLOAD LRW 2020 VIRTUAL CONFERENCE POWERPOINT TEMPLATE (UPDATED 10/9/2020)

The button above will provide you with a link to the PowerPoint template for use during the sessions. Some of the slides are already filled out and required for each presentation. Presenters must review the code of conduct, antitrust statement, and housekeeping notes at the beginning of the session. When you run your session live, it is important that you run your PowerPoint in Reading View.


 

When to Use Presentations

1. Each session must have one presentation prepared to introduce, set expectations, and conclude the session.
2. Individual speakers are responsible for providing content on their presentation. If they use the template provided, only one presentation is required for the session. Otherwise, a presentation using the LRW template must be used to introduce the session at a minimum.
3. Panelists are not required to create a presentation for their sessions. This will be taken care of and presented by the primary organizer unless a panelist wants to present specific content. They must submit their content ahead of time to their primary organizer to add to the presentation.
4. Provide us with any video, media, polls/surveys, or handouts in advance so that we can load them into GoToWebinar and make sure we have the best experience

 

Before Your Session

All sessions will be held in a webinar format via GoToWebinar, please use the guidelines below to ensure you're prepared for a professional online speaking opportunity.

1. Well before the conference, please run a GoToWebinar systems check in advance.
2. When running a GoToWebinar connection, please have a hardwire (Ethernet) connection to your internet. If that is not possible and you must use a Wi-Fi connection, sit near the router and turn other wi-fi devices on airplane mode.
3. Sit in a clean, professional space that is not distracting to viewers. This can be a home office or even your living room, but make sure that what is behind you is not going be disruptive.
4. It is important that people can see your face well, so sit in a well-lit room with good lighting. Do not sit with your back to a window or you will appear dark.
5. Use a microphone that works well so people can hear you speaking clearly. Do a mic and sound check in advance.
6. Go on MUTE any time you are not speaking to keep the background noise to a minimum.

 

Practice Session

1. Use the link that was sent in the webinar invite to access your session. Each speaker has a unique link that cannot be used by anyone else. Can’t find it? Email Patricia Basuel at events@railwaywomen.org.
2. Have the final version of the PowerPoint ready for the practice session. Make sure the PowerPoint presentation is in ‘reader view’ and not in ‘protected’ view.
3. Each session will always have two LRW event coordinators:
   1. Primary Organizer
      • Starts the practice session (before the conference), webinar (day of), and the broadcast (day of and recording)
      • Introduces the guest host, speakers, and panelists
      • Coordinates the flow of the webinar and ensures that transitions go smoothly
      • Concludes the session with an end message and stops the broadcast
   2. Support Organizer
      • Monitors and relays questions from the audience to the primary organizer and host
      • Helps resolve any technical issues
      • Fills in for the primary organizer if they get disconnected
   3. Backup Organizer
      • Fills in for the support organizer if they get disconnected
4. Practice transferring presenter rights to your host so they can display the materials on their desktop if needed.
5. Practice the flow of the session, including introductions, topics, polls or surveys, and Q&A at the end. Review the introduction and concluding script so you know what to expect.

 

On The Day of Your Session

1. Use the same link you used in the practice session that was sent in the webinar invite. Each speaker has a unique link that cannot be used by anyone else. Can’t find it? Email Patricia Basuel at events@railwaywomen.org.
2. Be prepared to join the live webinar 30 minutes prior to the start. This ensures you have time to test and troubleshoot.
3. Have the final version of the PowerPoint ready and in in ‘reader view’ and not in ‘protected’ view.
4. During your 30 minutes, practice transferring presenter rights to your host so they can display the materials on their desktop if needed.
5. Do a final practice so the session flows well, including introductions, topics, polls or surveys, and Q&A at the end. View the introduction and concluding script here.