Agenda

Monday, November 3

12:00 p.m.-6:30 p.m. — Registration

12:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. — Sponsor/Exhibitor Setup

3:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. — Committee Meetings

3:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. — Short Line Safety Institute Meeting

4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. — Networking Happy Hour - icebreaker activities provided by the Young Professionals Committee

5:00 p.m.-6:30 p.m. — Opening Reception with Sponsors

Tuesday, November 4

7:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. — Registration

7:00 a.m.-8:00 a.m. — Networking Breakfast with Sponsors

8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. — General Session

• 8:00 a.m.-8:05 a.m. — Announcements: Otis Cliatt, II, President, Pacific Harbor Line, Inc.
   
• 8:05a.m.-8:15 a.m. — Welcome: Matt Walsh, Executive Vice President, Global Corporate Development, Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Services, Inc. and Chairman, ASLRRA Board of Directors
   
• 8:15 a.m.-8:30 a.m. — President’s Awards (Pacific Region)
   
• 8:30 a.m.-9:15 a.m. — Short Line Leaders Panel
  Moderator: Chuck Baker; Panelists: Matt O’Kray, VP, Commercial, Transtar, LLC, and Ryan Ratledge, CEO, Pinsly Railroad Company
  
  Hear from executives from a large holding company, a medium size railroad, and a small railroad. Baker will ask about current events, business development and much more.
   
• 9:15 a.m.-9:40 a.m. — Class I Update: Union Pacific
  Kenny Rocker, Executive Vice President, Marketing & Sales, Union Pacific
   
• 9:40 a.m.-10:10 a.m. — A Business Plan for Safety
  Tom Murta, Executive Director, and Sam Cotton, Director - Safety Culture Programs, Short Line Safety Institute
  
  An overview of the SLSI Safety Culture Assessments, Leadership Development courses and HAZMAT Training activity. Special focus on the “Business Plan for Safety” the most prevalent opportunity identified in the decade of operation.
   
• 10:10 a.m.-10:35 a.m. — Class I Update: CPKC
  Coby Bullard, Senior Vice President — Merchandise, Energy, Transloads, CPKC
   
• 10:35 a.m.-11:00 a.m. — Networking Break with Sponsors
   
• 11:15 a.m.-11:45 a.m. — Class I Update: BNSF
  Mark Ganaway, General Director, First and Last Mile, BNSF

11:45 a.m.-1:00 p.m. — Networking Lunch with Sponsors

1:00 p.m.-1:50 p.m. — Breakout Sessions:

• Technology with Roadway Maintenance Machines (RMM)
  Tim Presser, (RWP/RMM) HQ Specialist, Federal Railroad Administration
  
  This presentation will discuss recent fatalities involving RMMs and Roadway Workers, and technologies being utilized to prevent these fatalities, including development of future technologies.
   
• Managing Media Interest in a Post-East Palestine World
  Tom Ciuba, Vice President of Communications, Genesee & Wyoming Services, Inc., Jessica Kahanek, Assistant Vice President, Communications, AAR and Amy Krouse, Senior Vice President, Communications, ASLRRA
  
  A rise in the public’s general interest in freight railroading is at a level not seen in quite some time. At this session, expert media managers will cover the latest trends, the need for education on the benefits of rail to the national economy and discuss how to control the spin — particularly in your community.
   
• Economic Development Programs and Working with your State DOT
  Julia Fisher-Cormier, Commissioner, Office of Multimodal Commerce, Louisiana Department of Transportation
  
  You will hear from the Louisiana Department of Transportation on the importance of partnering with your DOT on economic development projects and grants, and from short line economic development leaders on how they are working with their states to turn dirt and get projects moving.

1:55 p.m.-2:40 p.m. — Breakout Sessions:

• Transloading: Getting Started, Getting Profitable
  Moderator: Blake DeNoyer, Rail Advisory Group Leader, Lockton
  Panelists:  Dan Price, Senior Vice President Operations, Jaguar Holdings, Tim Naprstek, Owner, RailHeads Consulting Solutions and Frank Forlini, Managing Director M&S, Spokane, Spangle & Palouse Railway and Omaha Track, Inc.
  
  Transloading represents an opportunity to move your short line operation to the next level. This diverse panel will cover aspects of conveyance, facility footprint, emissions, long-term planning and some legal considerations.
   

• Managing CRISI Projects from Announcement to Completion: Tips and Tricks from the Railroad Perspective
  Moderator: Adam Nordstrom, Principal, Viking Navigation, LLC
  Speakers:  Justin Bentaas, Program Analyst & Development Associate,  Mickelson & Co, Joey Evans, Director Business Support & Development, TNW, Tres Myer, VP Operations, Rio Grande Pacific and Brady Peters, Assistant Division Engineer, OmniTrax
  
  Obtaining a CRISI grant is a trajectory changing event.  This panel will highlight successful CRISI project awardees who will provide lessons learned and cautionary tales about managing the project, while running a railroad!

2:45 p.m.-3:15 p.m. — Networking Break with Sponsors

3:15 p.m.-4:05 p.m. — Breakout Sessions:

• Wood Railroad Ties: End of Life Cycle
  Moderator: Pablo Gonzales, Director Business Development, Patriot Rail
  Speaker: Frank Forlini, Managing Director M&S, Spokane, Spangle & Palouse Railway and Omaha Track, Inc.
  
  A frank discussion about what happens to wood railroad ties after they are removed from their initial use in the rail infrastructure. We'll discuss the downstream uses and the challenges of disposal.

4:10 p.m.-5:10 p.m. — Sandhouse Meetings

• Central Region Railroad Sandhouse Meeting
• Pacific Region Railroad Sandhouse Meeting
• Supplier Members Sandhouse Meeting

Wednesday, November 5

7:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m. — Registration

7:00 a.m.-8:00 a.m. — Networking Breakfast with Sponsors

8:00 a.m.-12:00 a.m. — General Session

• 8:00 a.m.-8:05 a.m. — Announcements: Kristin Bevil, General Counsel & Chief Legal Officer, Pinsly Railroad Company
   
• 8:05 a.m.-8:15 a.m. — Association/Rail Industry Update: Chuck Baker, President, ASLRRA
   
• 8:15 a.m.-8:30 a.m. — President’s Awards (Central Region)
   
• 8:30 a.m.-9:15 a.m. — Ask a Regulator
  Drew Feeley, Acting Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation
   
• 9:15 a.m.-10:00 a.m. — Railroads as Partners in Progress
  Kate Luce Bourgeois, President & CEO, Mississippi Export Railroad, Jack Fernandez, VP of Operations, BWC Terminals and Kelly DiMarco, Director of Economic Development & Tourism – Plaquemines Parish
  
  Selling the value of rail is a constant pressure.  This panel session will discuss educating communities on the value of rail, enlisting the support of economic development corporations, shippers, elected officials and more.
   
• 10:00 a.m.-10:15 a.m. — Networking Break with Sponsors
   
• 10:15 a.m.-11:15 a.m. — Legislative, Regulatory and Legal Panel
  Nicole Brewin, Vice President, Congressional Affairs; Jo Strang, Senior Vice President, Safety, Regulatory, & Environmental Policy; and Sarah Yurasko, Senior Vice President & General Counsel, ASLRRA
  
  ASLRRA Legal, Legislative and Regulatory Staff will discuss current events and recent updates from Washington, D.C. Overview of recent changes in federal and state regulations. Predictions on upcoming regulatory trends and potential legislative actions.
   
• 12:30 p.m.-5:05 p.m. — Golf Tournament at English Turn Golf & Country Club

GOLF OUTING:

English Turn Golf & Country Club
Wednesday, November 5
12:30 p.m. shotgun start