People news from IANA, NCTD and DART

The Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) will recognize Larry Gross, president and founder of Gross Transportation Consulting, with the 2024 Silver Kingpin Award during this year’s Intermodal EXPO to be held Sept. 9-11 in Long Beach, California. Gross is a veteran of the freight transportation sector with more than 40 years of experience. His years as an industry consultant and observer were preceded by executive positions in intermodal equipment development and sales. "Larry's contributions to the intermodal industry across his career have been significant," said IANA President and CEO Joni Casey in a press release. The Silver Kingpin Award honors an individual's long-term contributions to intermodalism. Previous winners include current and former BNSF Railway Co. executives Katie Farmer and Steve Branscum; Barry Michaels, formerly Union Pacific Railroad's vice president of intermodal operations; Robert Huffman, a former Norfolk Southern Railway VP of intermodal; Clarence Gooden, formerly CSX's executive VP and chief commercial officer; James Hertwig, the former president and CEO of Florida East Coast Railway; and Frank Richter, Progressive Railroading's co-founder who died in 2013.

North County Transit District (NCTD) hired Joy Freeman as chief people officer, effective June 3. She will manage and oversee all aspects of human resources at NCTD, including compensation, benefits, labor relations and recruitment. Freeman has nearly three decades of experience in human resources, most recently as the global corporate employee relations principal for Amazon.

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) has named Collina Washington-Beard senior vice president of procurement. Washington-Beard has more than 18 years of experience in leading business and procurement services with several transit organizations. Most recently, she was the chief business officer at school district in Eugene, Oregon. Washington-Beard will oversee DART’s contracts and purchasing functions, as well as materials management, diversity and vendor management divisions.