Patriot Rail names Reddell VP, safety chief

Patriot Rail Co. LLC has appointed Matthew Reddell vice president and chief safety officer.

A 15-year veteran of the rail industry, Reddell will be part of Patriot's senior leadership team reporting to President and Chief Executive Officer John Fenton.

As the senior safety executive, Reddell will lead all safety efforts throughout the company's rail services holdings, according to a Patriot Rail press release.

He joined Patriot Rail in January 2015 as VP and chief mechanical officer. Prior to joining the company, he served in transportation, engineering, procurement and mechanical roles with Southern Pacific Railroad, Union Pacific Railroad, Amtrak, Canadian Pacific, RailAmerica Inc., Genesee & Wyoming Inc. and Bombardier Inc.

Reddell has an industry reputation for being a "zealous guardian of employee safety," said Fenton.

"He brings a keen understanding of what it takes to deliver top results the right way by creating a just culture where people willingly engage in the mission," Fenton said.

Reddell is U.S. military veteran who currently serves as an armored cavalry officer assigned to U.S. Army Central Command.