NS promotes Maestri, Martinez; announces Wimbush's retirement

Effective May 1, two Norfolk Southern Corp. executives will assume additional responsibilities at the company following the retirement of F. Blair Wimbush, the railroad's vice president of real estate and corporate sustainability officer.

The changes are part of the company's executive development program, and they support the railroad's efforts to reduce its environmental footprint and expand market opportunities, said NS Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Wick Moorman in a press release.

Bruno Maestri, VP of government relations and corporate communications, has been named VP of government relations and corporate communications, and corporate sustainability officer, with an office in Washington, D.C. Robert Martinez, VP of business development, has been appointed VP of business development and real estate, with an office in Norfolk, Va.

Maestri's duties include federal legislative and regulatory affairs, state relations, community affairs and corporate communications, in addition to the new responsibilities relating to NS' sustainability programs to improve locomotive fuel efficiency and emissions, energy use, land conservation, waste management, and water conservation. Since joining NS in 1995, he held positions relating to environmental management and protection, and then public affairs, before being named to his most recent position in 2005.

Martinez's responsibilities include business development, market research, ports and international, and industrial development, in addition to his new responsibilities relating to NS' real estate services, including purchase, sale and development of property; natural resource management; and projects associated with wire, pipeline, and fiber optics. He joined NS in 1998, and since has served in several marketing positions before being named to his most recent position in 2003.

Martinez also has experience working a four-year stint as secretary of transportation for Virginia.

Wimbush leaves NS after serving 35 years. He is credited with leading efforts to adopt a corporate-wide, results-driven approach to moderating the company's environmental impact.

"Blair’s contributions are reflected both in the personal environmental efforts our people make every day, as well as in our broad-based achievements that range from meaningful reductions in fuel and energy consumption to our 'Trees to Trains' program for reforesting a large part of the Mississippi Alluvial Valley," said Moorman. "He retires with our gratitude for a much cleaner, much greener, and far more environmentally-conscious railroad."