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American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association's (ASLRRA) organizational self-evaluation is in high gear.
The association in September began a top-to-bottom administration study to analyze services, association governance, the balance between political and service activities, and the relationship between big and small members.
ASLRRA's executive committee plans to hold a day-and-a-half session later this month to review every facet of the association and develop organizational-change options. Participants would include a cross section of former executive committee members, presidents of newly active railroads, small, non-holding company railroads, non-railroad associate members and a professional facilitator to help structure the discussion.
Representatives from a group of smaller railroads, which met in October to gauge ASLRRA's strengths and weaknesses, plan to present a list of organizational-change recommendations to the executive committee at the session.
ASLRRA also recently named Columbus & Greenville Railway Co. President and Chief Executive Officer Roger Bell as head of a task force charged with reviewing the association's constitution, and soon will mail members a questionnaire to obtain views on key structural and policy issues.
ASLRRA plans to meld session and questionnaire results into a series of options that officials would present at a January board of directors meeting. The board then would decide which options to follow, such as the search criteria for a replacement to President Frank Turner, who plans to retire in May 2002.