League of Railway Women seeks nominations for 'member of the year'

The League of Railway Women (LRW) has begun accepting applications for its annual "outstanding member of the year" award.

The award honors a league member who has a passion for the rail industry, commitment to community service, and dedication to leadership and support for the personal and professional growth of women in rail.

Other nomination criteria include a commitment to volunteering with LRW over the past year, along with individual or corporate efforts to recruit and retain members, league officials said in a press release.

The nomination form may be downloaded and submitted through Aug. 15. The winner will be honored at the league's annual membership meeting, which will be held at the RSI/CMA 2018 Rail Expo and Technical Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, in September.

"Our members and corporate partners are vital to the success of our growing organization," said LRW President Tanis Peterson. "Each year we are proud to recognize the amazing contributions of a member through the LRW Outstanding Member of the Year award."

Past winners have included GE Transportation's Kathee Fisk, L.B. Foster Rail Technologies Corp.'s Claire Tomlinson, independent media consultant Carol Steckbeck and Railway Supply Institute's Amanda Patrick.

The honor is separate from LRW's "Woman of the Year" award, which is co-sponsored by Progressive Railroading. That award is presented annually to a woman who has made significant contributions to the rail industry through leadership, dedication and vision.

Meanwhile, LRW announced yesterday that it is now accepting applications for the 2018 Connie Sumara Memorial Scholarship.

The $1,500 scholarship will go to a woman in the rail industry who is pursuing post-secondary studies. The scholarship honors former LRW President Connie Sumara, one of the league's founding members and its longest-serving president.

The league will accept applications until July 13 and announce the winner in August.