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July 2016
Director of Transportation Louisville & Indiana Railroad Co.
By Daniel Niepow, Associate Editor
Jeremy Kramer's years of service in the U.S. Army taught him the importance of teamwork. As director of transportation at Louisville & Indiana Railroad Co. (L&I), he remains focused on team building and making sure each employee is successful.
"If one member of your team fails, you all fail," says Kramer. "So you have to work together to make the team as strong as possible."
Kramer's railroading days began in high school, when he job-shadowed locomotive engineers through his school's career program. Afterward, he earned a full scholarship to study railroad operations at Western Nebraska Community College, where he obtained his associate's degree in 2002.
That year, he joined Wisconsin and Southern Railroad (WSOR) as a train crew member. Around the time he started at the regional, he decided to complete U.S. Army training. He began serving in the Army Reserves, starting in 2003.
In 2007, Kramer left WSOR to became a yardmaster for CN. During his time at the Class I, he also served as trainmaster, senior manager and division assistant superintendent.
In 2012, Kramer was deployed to Afghanistan, where he remained through 2013. While overseas, he served as senior rail adviser helping to integrate rail into the country's transportation network. As part of his duties, Kramer helped oversee service on a previously unused 46-mile segment of track running across the Afghanistan-Uzbekistan Friendship Bridge.
"It was really eye-opening to see how the government side of development, grants and all that actually functioned," Kramer says of the experience.
In 2014, Kramer was hired as a trainmaster at L&I, which is owned and operated by Anacostia Rail Holdings Co. He was promoted to his current role as director of transportation in January.
At the short line, Kramer has logged a series of achievements, such as developing a new timetable from scratch and taking the lead on a complex stormwater drainage project, according to L&I President John Goldman, who nominated Kramer as a Rising Star.
In addition, Kramer has coordinated and co-taught several emergency response training classes for local first responders.
"Jeremy's leadership is crucial to the overall operations of the L&I and the development of the people that make the railroad successful," Goldman wrote in the nomination. "His knowledge and experience are extremely valuable as we upgrade the entire railroad infrastructure, incorporate the associated operating changes and communicate these changes to the community."
Along with his other duties, Kramer leads the L&I's military veteran hiring initiative. He works with various military agencies to recruit and hire qualified vets.
"There's a lot of the same skills and work ethic," he adds. "I've found that if you're a veteran, we're usually a very good match for you."
Bernando Ayala Jeff Bernstein Andrea Berry–Morris Kristina Brevard Matt Campbell Allison Fayfich Jon Gabriel Greg Godfrey Christopher Howard Amanda Jones Michael Keller Gretchen Kostura Jeremy Kramer Leslia LeMaster Wilson Mike Logan Kylie McLaughlin Kate O'Connor Rapik Saat Darin Selby Jerry Vaughn
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