Watco forms unified safety team, installs Carona as South Kansas & Oklahoma's GM

Watco Cos. L.L.C. has formed the Watco Safety, Training and Compliance Team, which is charged with managing employee and customer safety initiatives company wide.

Over the past several years, the short-line holding company's safety initiatives were led by multiple teams serving different business units. But now, Watco will have one clear safety focus and vision through the unification of the units, said Chief Operating Officer Dan Smith in a letter announcing the team's formation.

"We will retain the specialized knowledge and expertise necessary to serve and train the various disciplines that make up Watco, but we will now do it with the support from one, united safety team," he said.

The team will be led by Travis Herod, who will serve as senior vice president of safety, training and compliance. Since joining Watco in 2004, he has held several positions, including vice president of transportation safety and compliance, director of safety, regional safety manager and locomotive engineer.

Dan Perry will continue to serve as vice president of terminals and port safety, training and compliance, while Jason Cathey will assume the role of vice president of transportation safety, training and compliance.

Meanwhile, Watco also announced it appointed Don Carona general manager of the South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad, which operates more than 404 miles of track in the two states.

He previously served CN since 1998, holding such positions as conductor, yardmaster and trainmaster. Carona also served in the U.S. Marine Corps for eight years.