“The Indiana Railroad partnered with CN to develop intermodal freight rail service in 2013 and has seen year-over-year growth ever since. This builds upon an already robust service provided by CSX. Rail investments have opened doors to new export opportunities with Asia, Canada, and South America. These opportunities have positively impacted Indianapolis’ ability to compete in a global marketplace and they are attracting new employers.”

Mark Fisher serves as the Vice President of Government Relations and Policy Development for the Indy Chamber. In this role, he is responsible for the overall public policy direction of the Chamber, while focusing his efforts on economic and community development, transportation, local government and fiscal policy matters. Prior to joining the Chamber as Vice President, Fisher served as Director of Engagement and Interim President of Develop Indy as well as various roles within the Chamber’s public policy team.

A native of Bloomington, Indiana, Fisher has a B.A. in sociology, a certificate in business and a minor in economics from Indiana University-Bloomington and an M.P.A. from Indiana University-Indianapolis. He currently lives in the Butler-Tarkington neighborhood of Indianapolis with his wife and four children and stays active in a variety of community-based initiatives including Leadership Indianapolis as well as serving as a member of the board for IndyGo, Midtown Indy and the Indianapolis LISC office.

“Because Kentucky is strategically located in the center of the nation, the quality of our transportation network helps define both the ability of local communities to compete and their overall quality of life. The backbone of this infrastructure includes a freight rail network that provides affordable and efficient service that connects our cities to customers around the world.”

J.D. Chaney began his work with the Kentucky League of Cities as a law clerk before serving as the organization’s Counsel for Member Legal Services and, later, as Director of Governmental Affairs and Chief Governmental Affairs Officer. In his current capacity as Deputy Executive Director, Chaney is a member of the executive management team and is primarily responsible for advocating for city governments in Frankfort before the General Assembly. In addition, he oversees the organization’s corporate and municipal law services, research and training functions.

Chaney is a graduate of the University of Montana where he received a B.A. in political science and economics. He received a law degree from the University of Kentucky Collge of Law and an M.B.A. from Eastern Kentucky University.

“Mississippi’s businesses, including our large agriculture, chemical and paper sectors, have long enjoyed freight rail to move goods. Whether landlocked in Winona or near barges in Gulfport, railroads help companies bring goods to market.” 

Larry Byrd has been a member of the Mississippi legislature since 2008, representing District 104. He serves as the Chair of the County Affairs Committee. He is also a member of the Banking and Financial Services, Conservation and Water Resources, Management, Public Health and Human Services and Transportation committees.

Byrd is a member of the Petal Chamber of Commerce, Petal Masonic Lodge no. 516, Hattiesburg York Rite, K.Y.C.H. and a member of the Scottish Rite Knight Commander Court of Honor. He is a U.S. Army Veteran of the 82nd Airborne Division and a life member of V.F.W. Post 3036 in Hattiesburg, MS.

“The benefits of private rail investments are very real for the average Minnesotan, who, according to a recent study, gains about $2,000 extra in their salary because of freight rail. Freight railroads support a quarter million jobs in our state, nearly 7 percent of Minnesota’s employment.”

Bentley Graves is the Director of Health Care and Transportation Policy at the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. He joined the Chamber in October 2013. A native Iowan, Graves made his way to Minnesota and the Chamber by way of Washington, DC, working on Capitol Hill for Iowa Congressman Steve King. He began his time with Rep. King as an intern and throughout his tenure moved on to hold a number of positions in the Congressman’s office, including Legislative Assistant, Legislative Director, and Chief of Staff. Graves’ policy experience includes work on small business concerns, health care, transportation, taxes, education, foreign affairs, defense, and federal appropriations.

Graves graduated cum laude in 2005 from Hillsdale College in Michigan with a degree in political economy. He lives in Excelsior with his wife, who is a native Minnesotan, and their three young children.

“Lafayette rail-served companies like Subaru, Alcoa, and Tate & Lyle have brought thousands of jobs to our community in the last year. Demand has required a significant expansion of rail capacity and these upgraded freight rail lines will continue to drive economic development as our population expands to meet hiring demands.”

Tony Roswarski began his commitment to Lafayette when he joined the Lafayette Police Department, serving over 20 years and retiring at the rank of Captain. In 1999, he was elected to the Lafayette City Council, and then in 2003 was elected to the Office of Mayor where he is currently serving his 4th term.

Roswarski serves as Chief Elected Official for the 12-county Workforce Development Board. In addition, he serves on the Advisory Committee for the Indiana University School of Medicine at Purdue University, as President of the Wabash River Enhancement Corporation, as Co-President on the Greater Lafayette Honor Flight Executive Committee, and as President for the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns Medical Trust.

“The Port of Long Beach is the second busiest container port in the country, accounting for 28,000 jobs. The port and the city depend upon the investments by freight railroads to connect us to the country.”

Randy Gordon has led the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, which represents over 1,000 area businesses, since 1994. Prior to his position at Long Beach, Gordon was the CEO of the Covina, California Chamber for 12 years. He is the Past President of Southern California Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (SCACCE), Past Chairman of the Western Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (WACE), a former board member of the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) and served as Chairman of the Metro Cities Council for two years.

Gordon is very involved in his community, serving on numerous boards including the Board President of the Long Beach Ronald McDonald House, YMCA, the California Conference for Equality and Justice, Board of Trustees for St. Mary Medical Center, the Long Beach City College Foundation Board of Governors, California State University of Long Beach Advisory Board for the School of Engineering, the Long Beach Grand Prix Board and Past-Chairman of the Miller Children’s Hospital Advisory Board.

“Manufacturers like our very own Vertex Rail Technologies are supported by the billions freight rail spends on its network annually. Economic development goes hand in hand with freight railroads.”

Bill Saffo has served on the Wilmington City Council since 2003 and has served as mayor since 2006. He serves on many boards and commissions including the Wilmington Regional Film Commission. Saffo is also a board member of the New Hanover Tourism Development Authority Board and an ex-officio board member of the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce.

A native of Wilmington, Saffo graduated from Hoggard High School and went on to receive a B.A. from UNC-Wilmington. He loves to spend time with friends and family and finds it very satisfying to serve as mayor of his hometown. He feels that one of the great things we can do in our lives is to give back through public service.

“In my extensive research on transportation, workforce development and safety, I have observed freight railroads’ commitment to innovative safety programs. These efforts have reduced employee injuries while also enhancing safety and performance across the network.”

Patrick Sherry is a professor with a specialization in human factors, safety, intermodal transportation and occupational psychology at the University of Denver. He has served since 2002 as the Director of the National Center for Intermodal Transportation and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Transportation Institute at the University of Denver. In addition to scientific research, Sherry has consulted extensively with Fortune 500 transportation companies throughout the U.S. and Canada in the areas of safety, intermodal workforce development in transportation, and leadership training.

Most recently, Sherry has been involved in supervising research in the areas of intermodal container tracking and security, identifying appropriate work schedules that limit or reduce fatigue and increase performance, identification of workers with high risk safety profiles, and training and development of executives in intermodal and logistics transportation. He led several pioneering efforts with U.S. railroads designed to implement behaviorally based safety and peer feedback programs that resulted in significant reductions in reported injuries.

“Infrastructure is the keystone of economic development and freight rail delivers for California. Railroads connect our ports to national markets, support farmers in the Central Valley and deliver manufactured goods across North America – in the most environmentally friendly way possible over land.”

Gurbax Sahota is an experienced association professional who convenes and leads multiple economic development support organizations aligned with the goal of helping businesses thrive in California. She holds senior positions with the California Association for Local Economic Development (CALED), the California Academy for Economic Development, and the California Enterprise Development Authority.

As President & CEO of CALED, Sahota focuses on creating strategic partnerships to promote the value of economic development and create a stronger voice for economic developers at the state and local level. She also helped create a strong foundation for CALED and its affiliate organizations by both raising funds and implementing sustainable financial practices so it can continue to provide services and benefits to economic developers, helping them to make a difference growing local economies across the state.

“With 27,000 square miles and California’s fastest growing population, we are truly building an empire. Railroads have helped catalyze this growth and will continue to foster it as they invest substantially in the rail network that connects Inland Empire to the world.”

Paul Granillo became President & CEO of Inland Empire Economic Partnership in 2010. He serves as board member of the California Stewardship Network and as the immediate past chair of the California Economic Summit as well as past chair and board member of Mobility 21, a coalition that brings together public, business and community stakeholders to pursue regional solutions to the transportation challenges facing Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura counties. Granillo is also a sitting member of the Regional Economic Alliance Leaders of California.

A native of the Inland Empire, Granillo was born and raised in Redlands. He received a B.A. from California State University San Bernardino, a Master of Divinity from St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo and a Licentiate in Canon Law from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.