Executive Forum 2020

Institutional Knowledge: What it is and How We Capture It
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Alicia Plummer, AECOM
Alicia Marie Plummer is a Project Manager with AECOM, located in Philadelphia, PA. Her work focuses on the specialized experience in the Railway utility crossing permit and agreement process on behalf of a national Class 1 railroad. She possesses extensive knowledge of industry compliance standards, and contract lifecycle management, which includes insurance and legal matters. Alicia is a graduate of Philadelphia’s Saint Joseph’s University, degreed with a B.S. in Business Administration and a current candidate for a M.B.A. from La Salle University, also in Philadelphia. She has spent a significant portion of the last four years facilitating the transfer of knowledge from a generation of lifelong railroaders nearing retirement to a new generation of coworkers from diverse professional backgrounds.

David Drach, Railroad Real Estate Consulting
David is principal of Railroad Real Estate Consulting, LLC and Drach Law, PLLC, both based in Roseville, MN. Prior to private practice, David was employed for 34 years by Canadian Pacific Railway, 15 of which he headed the U.S. Real Estate office overseeing the railroad’s U.S. lines and properties in 16 Midwest and Northeast U.S. states.

As a consultant, David assists railroads in the negotiation and pricing of real estate transactions, research of railroad ownership, and document and lease management. He assists non-railroads in understanding railroad practices and contracts and works with title companies to review railroad title and easements. As an attorney, David primarily represents business clients in real-estate and contractual matters.

David is admitted to practice law in Minnesota. He is a member of the Minnesota State Bar Association and Ramsey County Bar Association for which he is current a co-chair of the Sole and Small Practice section. He is a member of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association, Midwest Association of Rail Shippers and American Railroad Development Association, for which he is a past president. He is currently on the advisory committee for the National Rail-to-Trails conservancy, and in the past served on the City of Saint Paul Task Force studying the redevelopment of Ford Motor Company’s Twin Cities Assembly Plant, along with serving on a number of other twin city municipal committees.

David graduated from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul with a Juris Doctor degree and Augsburg University in Minneapolis cum laude with a B.S. in Computer Science.

Nikol Daniels, Real Estate U.S.
Nikol Daniels is the Manager Real Estate U.S., responsible for CP’s Soo Line and DM&E real estate portfolio. Nikol began her career with CP in 1995 in Customer Service, where she reported train movements, entered waybills, processed dimensional loads and distributed grain cars. After obtaining her B.S. in Interior Design with a focus in Facility Management, Nikol secured a position in CP’s Facilities department, creating CAD drawings for various projects and assisting the team with managing buildings, security, supplies, and rail utilities. In 2007, Nikol transitioned from Facilities to her current role in Real Estate. In her free time, Nikol enjoys browsing thrift store aisles and collecting antique furniture she plans to restore and resell. Someday.

Michele Malski, SPRING
Michele Malski is a second-generation railroader and a Progressive Railroading Magazine Rising Star recipient. Prior to starting SPRING, Malski was the Manager of Safety and Hazmat Programs for the Short Line Safety Institute, responsible for supporting Safety Culture Assessments and HazMat Training Programs, as well as initiative the Safety Tip Tuesday program, and has field experience with companies such as BNSF, Canadian Pacific, and Bombardier Transportation and Norfolk Southern. She has a Bachelors of Science degree from Cornell University in Industrial Labor Relations and is currently pursuing her MBA.

Railroads and Billboards - Its All About The Property
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John Fiorilla, Dyer & Peterson
Mr. Fiorilla focuses his practice in the railroad industry and helping to create and present railroad management policy and position with diversified management litigation experience as both house counsel and local counsel for Class I and Short Line Railroads. He has specific experience in presentation finance, real estate, operations, engineering, government affairs, and customer service positions. John also served as a Captain in the Transporation Corps, U.S. Army Reserve from 1971-1886.

“Waze” to Improve Grade Crossing Safety- Partnering with Social Mapping Apps
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Will Miller, Public Safety Director, Norfolk Southern
W.R. (Will) Miller is a Public Safety Director at Norfolk Southern, where he has spent 14 years in various roles within operations. He has system-wide responsibility for grade crossing safety programs and education efforts. He has a B.A. in Geography with a concentration in Urban Planning and Environmental Studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (2002). He currently resides in Acworth, GA.

Future of South Carolina Ports
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Jim Newsome, South Carolina Ports Authority
Jim Newsome is the President and CEO of the South Carolina Ports Authority in Charleston, SC. He assumed that role on September 1, 2009, and is only the fifth leader in the history of the port. With just celebrating 10 years at the South Carolina Ports Authority, he is also currently the longest-serving leader of a major container port in the U.S.

PFAS: How these emerging contaminants might impact rail projects
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Devin Sprinkle, CN
Devin Sprinkle was appointed Senior Manager, Environmental Operations in June 2018, based in Homewood, IL. Devin is a 23-year employee of CN and the former Illinois Central Railroad Company where he has held various positions in the Environment Department.

Mr. Sprinkle’s role is to help the company pursue its goal of ensuring regulatory environmental compliance across CN’s network and continue to deepen the company’s emergency management and environmental operations and maintenance agendas. Devin holds a Bachelor of Science in Urban and Regional Planning from Eastern Michigan University.

Dr. Rosa Gwinn, AECOM
Dr. Rosa Gwinn is AECOM’s Americas Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) Initiative Lead, representing AECOM’s 15+ years of direct experience sampling, testing, managing, and mitigating the presence of these emerging compounds. She has provided technical and project management consulting expertise to private and government clients for over 25 years, with a primary focus on the characterization and remediation of environmental contamination. In her role, she meets with national political and academic leaders whose focus is managing a reasoned and protective regulatory response in the US.

Bill Parry, CSX
Mr. Parry has been working with CSX since 2011 as Senior Manager Environmental Remediation. Bill has responsibility for long-term environmental liability/remediation projects, emergency spill response support and environmental permitting for construction projects. He manages multiple other programs including CSX’s Transformer and Environmental Right of Entry programs, Preferred Provider Program for CSX’s PSH&E Group and the Asbestos, Lead and Mold program across his northeastern territory. Bill is also a lead service provider to Conrail for these same environmental remediation and risk management services, including environmental property transaction and environmental right of entry. Mr. Parry is involved in addressing various other Company needs as they arise and most recently was integral to the development of CSX’s PHMSA required Comprehensive Oil Spill Response Plan. Prior to coming to CSX, Bill worked as an environmental consultant for 19 years, working within a variety of industries including electric utilities, land development, major defense contractors, petroleum distribution as well as state and local level public clientele. Mr. Parry is a Licensed Professional Geologist and Certified Ground Water Professional.

Jay Diebold
Jay Diebold is an Associate and Senior Engineer with Golder Associates and is based in Milwaukee, WI. He is a licensed Professional Engineer and Professional Geologist with a degree in Geological Engineering from Michigan Tech University. He has been working with the railroad industry for over 25 years on a variety of environmental matters including site investigation, remediation, due diligence, natural resource impact assessment, environmental permitting, and compliance. Mr. Diebold also interacts with colleagues around the globe on emerging contaminant concerns, including PFAS compounds.

Applying the "Kiss Principle”
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Karl Hansen, Stinson
Karl’s extensive experience informs his effective representation of rail clients in regulatory compliance and complex transactions including line sales, acquisitions and abandonments, interline agreements, and shipper contracts.

Karl represents rail clients before the federal Surface Transportation Board (STB) and advises firm clients on a variety of other transportation-related issues, including rail car leasing, motor carrier regulation, intermodal broker and transportation agreements, and federal preemption of state regulations and permitting requirements. His prior experience as a litigator in the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office underpins his constructive approach to transactional and regulatory advocacy.

David Drach, Railroad Real Estate Consulting
David is principal of Railroad Real Estate Consulting, LLC and Drach Law, PLLC, both based in Roseville, MN. Prior to private practice, David was employed for 34 years by Canadian Pacific Railway, 15 of which he headed the U.S. Real Estate office overseeing the railroad’s U.S. lines and properties in 16 Midwest and Northeast U.S. states.

As a consultant, David assists railroads in the negotiation and pricing of real estate transactions, research of railroad ownership, and document and lease management. He assists non-railroads in understanding railroad practices and contracts and works with title companies to review railroad title and easements. As an attorney, David primarily represents business clients in real-estate and contractual matters.

David is admitted to practice law in Minnesota. He is a member of the Minnesota State Bar Association and Ramsey County Bar Association for which he is current a co-chair of the Sole and Small Practice section. He is a member of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association, Midwest Association of Rail Shippers and American Railroad Development Association, for which he is a past president. He is currently on the advisory committee for the National Rail-to-Trails conservancy, and in the past served on the City of Saint Paul Task Force studying the redevelopment of Ford Motor Company’s Twin Cities Assembly Plant, along with serving on a number of other twin city municipal committees.

David graduated from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul with a Juris Doctor degree and Augsburg University in Minneapolis cum laude with a B.S. in Computer Science.

Keynote Presentation
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Patrick McCrory, Palmetto Railways
Patrick McCrory assumed the role of Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer at Palmetto Railways in 2015 after serving as the organization’s Vice President and Chief Operations Officer. He is currently responsible for all sales & marketing, business development, strategic planning and major project development for Palmetto Railways.

Prior to being employed by Palmetto Railways, Patrick held the positions of Terminal Superintendent for the CSX Intermodal Terminals, Inc. Atlanta Fairburn, Atlanta Hulsey and Charlotte intermodal facilities and Terminal Manager, CSX Intermodal Terminals, Inc. Northwest Ohio Transshipment Hub. Patrick began his career in marine terminals and longshoring with APM Terminals in 2005 serving in a number of management positions including operations, training, safety and human resources throughout the APM Terminals North American network (including Charleston, Charlotte, Portsmouth and Los Angeles) before moving to CSX Intermodal Terminals, Inc. in 2010.

Graduating from the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York, Patrick obtained a Bachelors of Science degree in Logistics and Intermodal Transportation and a United States Coast Guard Third Mate Oceans, Unlimited Tonnage License for Merchant Mariners. Patrick is a nine-year veteran of the United States Navy Reserve where he achieved the rank of Lieutenant and served as a Strategic Sealift Officer.

Jon Baggett, South Carolina Dept. of Commerce
Jon Baggett, CEcD serves as a Senior Project Manager, at the South Carolina Department of Commerce. With fifteen years of economic development experience, Jon has worked with companies such as Lockheed Martin, GE, Robert Bosch, Evonik, BP and many other to foster their investments in South Carolina. During his career, he has assisted companies in creating over 10,000 jobs and $3.5 billion in new investment in South Carolina.

Prior to joining the South Carolina Department of Commerce in 2014, Baggett served as the Director of Economic Development at Dorchester County, SC.

Baggett holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of South Carolina and a bachelor’s degree from Presbyterian College. He earned the Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) designation from the International Development Council in 2013. He was recognized by Development Counsellors International as one of the 40 under 40 Rising Stars in Economic Development in 2013. In 2017, Jon was named Outstanding Young Alumni by Presbyterian College.