People news from Railway Supply Institute and Soy Transportation Coalition

Railway Supply Institute President Patty Long will retire March 31, 2025, the association announced yesterday. Long joined RSI as president in 2021 after the association entered into a new management model as a client of Smithbucklin. Under her leadership, RSI initiated a passenger-rail working group to address the challenges for rail suppliers in the transit and passenger space. In 2023, Long was appointed as a member of the Surface Transportation Board’s newly formed Passenger Rail Advisory Committee. RSI has thrived during Long's leadership and is positioned for great potential as a result, said RSI Chair Jeff Lytle in a press release. RSI's board and Smithbucklin will launch a search for Long's replacement upon her retirement.

The Soy Transportation Coalition elected officers at its annual meeting held Nov. 21. Elected were Mike Koehne of Greensburg, Indiana, as chairman; Raylen Phelon of Melvern, Kansas, as vice chairman; and C.J. Chalfant of Hartford City, Indiana, as secretary-treasurer. Chris Brossart, a soybean and corn farmer from Wolford, North Dakota, concluded his service on the STC board due to term limits. He served as chairman of the STC from 2023-2024. During the meeting, the STC board discussed strategies and initiatives the organization seeks to advance in 2025, including support for the future rail expansion project at the Port of Kalama in Washington.