FRA assigns Lauby, Fiorenzo to new posts

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has named Robert Lauby associate administrator for railroad safety and chief safety officer.

He will provide regulatory oversight for U.S. rail safety, and oversee the development and enforcement of safety regulations and programs related to the rail industry.

Lauby, who has 35 years of railroading and transit-rail experience, had been serving as acting associate administrator for railroad safety and chief safety officer. He previously was deputy associate administrator for regulatory and legislative operations, during which time he was responsible for safety rulemaking activities and was a member of the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee. Lauby also previously was the staff director of the FRA's Passenger Rail Division.

Prior to joining the FRA in 2008, Lauby held a safety and security role at Booz Allen Hamilton, was the director of the National Transportation Safety Board's Office of Railroad Safety and served as a project manager for Knorr Brake Corp.

The FRA also named Les Fiorenzo acting deputy associate administrator for safety compliance and program implementation. Most recently regional administrator for Region 1, he now will be responsible for the safety inspection and enforcement programs in the FRA's eight regions.