NS Chief Legal Officer Hixon to retire

Norfolk Southern Corp. announced yesterday that James Hixon, executive vice president law and corporate relations and chief legal officer, will retire effective Dec. 1.

Hixon joined NS in 1985 as a tax attorney and was elected an officer of the company in 1993 when he was named vice president taxation. He subsequently was promoted to senior executive positions with a range of responsibilities, including senior vice president administration, and executive vice president finance and public affairs.

Hixon was named to his current position in 2005.

"Jim has served Norfolk Southern in a wide variety of executive capacities for more than two decades," said James Squires, chairman, president and chief executive officer in a press release. "His contributions to the success of our company and to the overall vitality of the American railroad industry are significant and long-lasting."

William Galanko, senior vice president law and corporate communications, will assume Hixon's legal and corporate communications responsibilities on Dec. 1.

Galanko joined NS in 1990 as a tax attorney and was named vice president taxation in 1999, vice president financial planning in 2005, and vice president law in 2006.

Also effective Dec. 1, NS named John Scheib vice president law to replace Galanko. Since joining NS in 2005, Scheib has held positions of increasing responsibility in the NS law department and currently is general counsel commerce.