Wednesday,
April 16, 2025

Omni Bedford Springs Resort
2138 Business 220
Bedford, PA 15522

7:00 a.m.    Breakfast, Registration, Networking

8:00 a.m.    Welcome
Safety Briefing
Brief KSRRA Overview
Sponsor and Exhibitor Acknowledgements
Loni Martz Briner, PR & Media Manager, North Shore Railroad Co. & Affiliates and KSRRA President

  8:15 a.m.    Educating and Building for the Future of Rail
                        "Rail Transportation Engineering Degree Program at Penn State Altoona"
Steve Dillen, Program Coordinator and Associate Teaching Professor, Penn State Altoona
                        "Rail Center for Research Enhancing Short-line Transportation - Rail CREST"
                        Dr. Hai Huang, Director and Professor of Rail Transportation, Penn State Altoona

9:00 a.m.    Railroad Safety & Regulations Panel
Jim Cassatt, Railroad Safety Specialist/Chief Inspector, FRA (moderator)
Tim Ryan, District 2, Track Specialist, FRA
John Johnson, Railroad Safety Inspector (HM), FRA
Mikel Cipollini, SMT-2 Deputy Railroad Administrator- Short Lines East (Track), FRA
Jordan Gibson, District 2, Operating Practices Specialist, FRA (virtual)
Kevin Lewis, Program Manager - Certification 240/242, FRA (virtual)
Lance Hawks, Safety Partnership Division- Part 243, C3RS, Fames, FRA (virtual)
Kurt Erickson, Rail Safety Specialist – 240 & 242 Certification, FRA (virtual)

10:00 a.m.   Rail in Legislation Today
Mike Long, Executive Director, KSRRA
Crystal Gitchell, MPP, AVP, Legislative & Regulatory Policy, ASLRRA

10:30 a.m.   Networking Break

10:50 a.m.  PA State Rail Grant Programs Best Practices
Angela Watson, Bureau Director, PennDOT Bureau of Rail, Freight, Ports, and Waterways
Steve Panko, Transportation Planning Manager, PennDOT Bureau of Rail, Freight, Ports, and Waterways
Harrison Warren, Transportation Planning Specialist, PennDOT Bureau of Rail, Freight, Ports, and Waterways
Kyle Daugherty, Public Transportation Analyst Trainee, PennDOT Bureau of Rail, Freight, Ports, and Waterways

11:30 a.m.   Presentation of the Keystone Rail Freight Lifetime Achievement Award
                        Awarded to Kim Smith, Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Company (retired)
Presented by Carl Belke, Board Member, Western New York & Pennsylvania, Railroad
                        Awarded to Craig Staudenmaier, Cohen Seglias Pallas Greenhall & Furman, PC (retired)
Presented by Stuart Schwartz, Norfolk Southern Corporation (retired)

       Noon    Lunch

12:30 p.m. Keynote Speaker
Mike Carroll, Secretary of Transportation, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

1:30 p.m.   Emergency Response, The First Hours: Lessons from Paulsboro, NJ
Jon Broder, Retired (CLO and VP), Conrail
Disclaimer: Mr. Broder is speaking only on behalf of himself and does not speak for Conrail, CSX, nor Norfolk Southern.

2:15 p.m.    Railroad Trespassing: A Philadelphia Story
Bill Goetz, Retired (Resident Vice President), CSX
Ben Dunlap, Partner, Cohen Seglias Pallas Greenhall & Furman PC

3:00 p.m.   Networking Break

3:20 p.m.   PA Rail Engineering and Construction Practices
Angela Watson, Bureau Director, PennDOT Bureau of Rail, Freight, Ports, and Waterways
Nevin Myers, Chief Railroad Engineer, PennDOT Bureau of Rail, Freight, Ports, and Waterways
Andrew Plattner, Rail Freight Project Manager, PennDOT Bureau of Rail, Freight, Ports, and Waterways
Brad Parrish, Rail Freight Project Manager, PennDOT Bureau of Rail, Freight, Ports, and Waterways

4:00 p.m.   Federal Rail Grant Programs Best Practices
Catherine (Cat) Dobbs, JD, Senior Project Manager, HDR

4:30 p.m.   Closing
Sponsor and Exhibitor Acknowledgements
Exhibitor Passport Drawing (Must be Present to Win)
                       Loni Martz Briner, PR & Media Manager, North Shore Railroad Co. & Affiliates and KSRRA President

*This agenda is subject to change.*