Amtrak Board: That’s More Like It

By Jim Mathews / President & CEO

Well, it took two-and-a-half years, legislation from Congress, and firm holds by both Republican and Democratic Senators to get it done, but this week we got two excellent non-Northeast Corridor nominees to Amtrak’s Board of Directors – Idaho’s Elaine Clegg, currently CEO of Boise’s Valley Regional Transit, and 45-year railroad veteran Ron Batory, most recently the head of the Federal Railroad Administration.

The White House deserves real kudos here, choosing nominees who are knowledgeable, well-qualified, and can represent more broadly the interests of those across the country who rely on Amtrak services. While it’s anyone’s guess whether their nominations can be moved speedily as election season is nearly here, we think both nominees are strong enough and respected enough to win confirmation with broad support.

We have already offered our strongest endorsement for both nominees.

A former Boise city council member, one of the prime movers behind the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority, and a transportation expert – go check out the plaque at the Boise airport with her name on it! – Elaine has been a consistent champion for the rights of Americans to access frequent and reliable train service while bringing practicality and management savvy to transportation projects. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the time I’ve spent working with Elaine on efforts to expand and upgrade Amtrak service throughout the Western U.S., and yesterday we celebrated alongside VRT when word of her nomination was made public.

Ron is universally respected as a knowledgeable professional with great experience and understanding of the needs of all railroad stakeholders and enjoyed both industry and labor support in 2017 when he was nominated to lead the FRA. He was finally confirmed in early 2018.

A member of your Association since 1987, Ron has worked in railroads for more than 45 years. He has worked for the Detroit, Toledo, and Ironton Railroad (DT&I), the Chicago, Missouri and Western Railway, and the Southern Pacific Transportation Company. He was also the president of the Belt Railway of Chicago from 1994 to 1998, and president and CEO of the Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail) from 2004 until 2017.

We congratulate Elaine and Ron on their nominations and extend our appreciation to the Biden-Harris Administration for recognizing their remarkable contributions to the transportation sector. And of course, we look forward to working with the Senate to advance their nominations as quickly as possible.