From the editor: A Rising Stars 2015 dinner recap

On July 19, we held our second annual Rising Stars Recognition Dinner, a celebration of rail professionals under the age of 40 who are making a difference in the industry. The dinner was held in conjunction with the American Association of Railroad Superintendents’ (AARS) Annual Meeting at the Embassy Suites Inner Harbor in downtown Baltimore.

The turnout on this hot and Starry night was terrific; the conversation during the pre-dinner AARS reception was, too. I had the honor of helping to present this year’s Rising Stars awards. In part, that meant summing up why we’d selected these particular 20 up-and-comers, based on information culled from nomination forms and stories that two of my colleagues — Senior Associate Editor Julie Sneider and Associate Editor Daniel Niepow — wrote after interviewing the winners. (The articles were posted last month and will be featured in our September print edition.)

In short: These accomplished individuals are talented, team oriented, conscientious, forward thinking and gracious. We heard it during dinner, we heard it in the brief remarks they shared after receiving their award, we heard it during a photo shoot afterward: These Rising Stars also are mentors in the making who intend to pay it forward. Which was heartening (and very, very cool) to hear.

Thanks to AECOM and BNSF Railway Co., our dinner sponsors; thanks, too, to the AARS team for helping to make the celebration a special one. And: Thank you, Rising Stars Class of 2015. We’re fortunate to know you. And we’re privileged to have had the opportunity to recognize your talents and contributions. Thanks for making a difference.

Greenfield joins Progressive Railroading staff

Progressive Railroading recently hired Jory Greenfield to serve as our western U.S. regional sales manager. His territory comprises the western states and Canada.

Greenfield most recently served as Savage Services’ director of business development-fueling and mechanical solutions. During his time at Savage, he was responsible for handling railroad contracts, conducting inspections and analyses, and working closely with senior management. He also has worked at BNSF Railway Co., Metro Group Inc., and Liberty Iron and Metal.

“With his combination of sales experience and rail industry knowledge, we feel Jory is very well prepared to represent our publication and assist our customers in growing their business,” says Progressive Railroading Publisher Kirk Bastyr.

Welcome aboard, Jory.

-Pat Foran, Editor