Short lines: Watco, TNW and Great Lakes Central make management changes

Watco Transportation Services L.L.C. has named Ryan Williams vice president of marketing for the Gulf Region and Jeffrey Pacheco, general manager of the San Antonio Central Railroad (SAC).

Williams most recently was marketing manager for the Alabama Warrior Railroad, Timber Rock Railroad and SAC. He previously was an assistant GM for the South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad and held various management-team posts for BNSF Railway Co.

Williams will work with the marketing teams and customers in the Gulf Region, which includes 12 short lines. He will be responsible for maximizing revenue and volume growth.

Pacheco, who joined Watco in 2012 as a switchman at SAC, most recently was a conductor and engineer for the short line, which operates within Port San Antonio's East Kelly Railport.

Meanwhile, TNW Corp. has appointed Wade Hoffmann vice president of marketing and sales, and promoted Vlieta Pennington to director of human resources and Clayton Myers, to manager of service execution.

Most recently VP of sales and marketing for Colo Railroad Builders L.L.C., Hoffman reports to TNW Chief Executive Officer Paul Treangen. Hoffman previously was GM for Hulcher Services and held various marketing, sales and business development positions at Union Pacific Railroad.

Pennington, who also reports to Treangen, has served TNW as assistant comptroller since 2009. She previously was comptroller/business manager for Meinhardt & Associates, and VP and chief financial officer for Dallas Brewery Inc.

Myers joined TNW in 2012 as clerical manager. He reports to VP of Operations Jason Gill.

TNW owns the Texas North Western, Texas Gonzales and Northern and Texas Rock Crusher railways, and is the parent company of Southwest Railway Services Co.

In Michigan, Great Lakes Central Railroad (GLC) has named Chris Bagwell general manager.  He has managed maintenance-of-way, transportation, passenger and mechanical operations since joining the railroad as transportation manager in 2007. Bagwell later served as project manager. 

He previously served in the U.S. Army as a squad leader and staff sergeant. In 2013, Bagwell was named a "Rising Star" by Progressive Railroading. To obtain more information about the Rising Star program, including a list of 2014 honorees, follow this link.

GLC is a regional that operates 400 miles of track from the northern lower peninsula of Michigan to Ann Arbor. The railroad interchanges with CN, CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern Railway (through the Ann Arbor Railroad) and the Huron and Eastern Railway.