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i n kA Monthly Publication for and by Amtrak Employees
Volume 18 • Issue 1 • December - January 2013
President’s
Service &
Safety Awards
Congratulations to this
year’s recipients!
Customers Share
Praise for Amtrak
Employees
Exclusive Photos
Inside the PSSA Luncheon
Train of Thought
want to start off by thanking all of
you for your service this year.Your
hard work combined with our
record-breaking 31.2 million customers
and $2.2 billion in revenue
resulted in a 50 percent
reduction in our federal
operating need in current
dollars compared to just
eight years ago. No one
can argue: we’re doing
more with less.
During 2012,Amtrak
achieved several impor-
tant company milestones.
We completed a system-
wide comprehensive
rollout of our eTicketing
program, allowing cus-
tomers more ways to buy
and experience our products.The new
Norfolk,Va., service extension signifies
the first intercity passenger rail service
to the area since 1977 and allows us to
connect customers using the Richmond
- Petersburg - Norfolk line to points as
far north as Boston via our Northeast
Corridor service. In addition, our
Amtrak Police Department received
international accreditation through the
Commission on Accreditation on Law
Enforcement Inc., signifying our unwa-
vering dedication to the safety of our
employees and passengers to law
enforcement programs around the
world.
The following pages of this issue are
also full of accomplishments.Amtrak
has a long history of rec-
ognizing its employees
who go above and
beyond their calls of duty
through our President’s
Service & Safety Awards.
These employees have
exceeded all expectations
in supporting our corpo-
rate goals of safety,
customer focus, mobility
and connectivity, environ-
mental and energy, and
financial and organiza-
tional excellence.Their
hard work was recog-
nized at a luncheon in Washington,
D.C., in November, and I am sharing
their stories with you to inspire good
works throughout the rest of the
Amtrak system.
The next 12 months will surely bring
more improvements, more accomplish-
ments and more exciting changes for
our company. Most importantly, as we
head into the New Year, I want to wish
you and your families a safe and happy
2013.
Thank you for everything you do
everyday for Amtrak. I
2 | December-January 2013 Amtrak Ink
I
Check us out on Facebook,
Twitter and YouTube
Joe H. Boardman
AA
100,00
90,000
80,000
70,000
60,000
50,000
40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000
0
June
July
August
September:
76,854
Help with our
Safe-2-Safer Goal!
100,000
Amtrak Employee and Customer Communications
Joe McHugh, Vice President I. Suzi Andiman, Blair Hammond, Editor
Government Affairs & Director Employee & Employee & Customer
Corporate Communications Customer Communications Communications
Marlon Sharpe Julia Quinn Collin King
Principal Graphic Designer Director, Social Media Graphic Specialist
Corporate Communications Corporate Communications Corporate Communications
The peer-to-peer injury-
prevention program Safe-2-Safer
has a new goal of reaching
100,000 observations in fiscal
year 2013. Track Amtrak’s
system-wide progress each
month.
Amtrak Ink December-January 2013 | 3
Front Line Focus
“I recently traveled Amtrak through Mississippi to New
Orleans and I want to compliment whatever person or
agency made the decision to beautify the passenger stations
along the Crescent’s route through the state. I have gone a
lot of places by train, and I was very impressed by the beau-
tiful buildings of Hattiesburg and Laurel. Other states or
cities should take a cue from the Magnolia State.”
— Robin Woolsey, Oxford,Ala.
“My wife has an electric wheel-
chair, and when we arrived in
Seattle, we were fortunate to
have Lane Johnson, right, a con-
ductor in the terminal, assist us. I
cannot say enough positive things
about him. Johnson is a five-star
Amtrak employee. He took care
of all our needs, from food and
assisting my wife onto the train to
taking care of our luggage.”
— Donald Marshall, Bloomsburg, Pa.
“Recently my mother, who is 76 years old, rode from
Mendota, Ill., to Dodge City, Kan., and I was pleasantly
surprised with the service she had on the train and the
volunteers at the Dodge City Station. I picked her up at 5:10
a.m. on a Sunday morning from the Southwest Chief, and
the train was even 10 minutes early!”
— Kevin English,Woodward, Okla.
“My husband and I traveled on the Empire Builder
on Sept. 19, 2012, from Portland, Ore., to St. Paul,
Minn. Our attendant Darryl has now spoiled us for
any other attendant. He was just exceptional. He assisted
with everyone else’s needs quite efficiently and was
extremely friendly and fun while doing it.We will miss him
dearly.Thank you so much Darryl, you made our trip so fun
and memorable.”
— Aleta Smith, Newbury, Calif.
“The @Amtrak app is great, I used it this morning.
Also, amazing job on the #Sandy recovery!”
― Randall Myers,Washington, D.C.
Table of
Contents
4 Achievement Award Winners
The accomplishments of employees in this category
involve an innovative, noteworthy achievement that
is above and beyond the employee’s assigned
duties.
5 Champion of the Rails,
Environmental (Team) and Project
Excellence Award Winners
Champion of the Rails recognizes non-Amtrak
employees who have successfully completed a
project to enhance the quality or safety of passen-
ger rail services. Environmental Achievement
recipients contributed to the success of Amtrak’s
environment and energy goals. Project Excellence
employees have substantially exceeded the goals of
an assigned project.
7 Safety Achievment and Safety
Committee Award Winners
Safety Achievement recipients have contributed to
Amtrak’s goal of safety and security.The Safety
Committee of the Year consistently acted to
contribute to Amtrak’s goal of safety and security.
9 State Partner and Sustained
Excellence Winners
State Partners are state officials who have
successfully completed a project to expand or
enhance the quality of passenger rail services.
Sustained Excellence individuals embody Amtrak’s
values and have demonstrated exceptional overall
job performance.
14Valor
Recipients courageously handled a life-threatening
rescue or emergency situation.
17Milestones
Amtrak Headquarters
60 Massachusetts Ave., NE
Washington, D.C. 20002
Ecom@Amtrak.com
Amtrak Ink is a monthly employee publication of Amtrak,
the National Railroad Passenger Corporation.
® AMTRAK is a registered service mark of the National
Railroad Passenger Corporation.
On November 8,Amtrak paid tribute to its extraordinary and dedicated
employees at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.
The President’s Service and Safety Awards program is designed to honor
the men and women of Amtrak who surpass expectations and serve as
models for meeting and exceeding the company’s goals of safety, customer
focus, mobility and connectivity, environment and energy and
organizational excellence.
This year’s 112 award winners represent the best of Amtrak. Both large-
scale projects such as the implementation of eTicketing and personal acts
of courage like apprehending an attacker in the Champaign, Ill., station
were recognized, and the following pages outline the details of the winners’
accomplishments.
Says President and CEO Joe Boardman:“As members of the Amtrak
family, together we face adversity, acknowledge our blessings with humility and celebrate the drive —
whether on an individual or collective basis — that advances our mission and goals.”
The following profiles were written by the volunteer members of this year’s PSSA committee.
Congratulations to all of the employees honored.
4 | December-January 2013 Amtrak Ink
2012 President’s Safety & Service Awards
ACHIEVEMENT
Douglas Konn
System Developer, Information Technology,Washington,
D.C.
On Monday, January 17, 2011, at approximately 6 a.m.
(EST), the virtual storage containers used to record finan-
cial data from the Arrow Reservation System encountered
a failure that prevented Arrow from recording financial
data to produce online settlement tapes of credit card
transactions.This incident resulted in approximately 21
hours – 89,000 transactions and $6 million – of lost finan-
cial data.
Doug took action by first looking at the various
sources of data contained within Arrow that could be used
to reconstruct the missing issuance, exchange and refund
data. Once understood, he came up with a number of
processes to extract and recapture the ticketing data files
from the corrupted tapes and rewrite them onto new
tapes. He then worked with principal applications system
engineer Mark Musselwhite to test the reconstructed data
and continued to tweak his methods until a 95 percent
success rate was obtained. Doug was able to reconstruct
the data onto tapes for submission over the next three
days. Doug’s expertise and knowledge of the system and
his analytical ability enabled him to step outside his
normal everyday job scope and tackle this amazing feat.
Andrew Maragos
Customer Service Representative,Transportation,
Minot, N.D.
Doneta Skinn
Customer Service Representative,Transportation,
Minot, N.D.
Dan Valley
Director Food and Beverage,Transportation, Chicago, Ill.
Last year’s devastating flood conditions struck the city
of Minot, placing the station in peril.The unselfish actions
of Customer Service Representatives Doneta Skinn and
Andrew Maragos, along with their former supervisor,
District Manager of Stations Dan Valley, helped to pre-
serve Amtrak property and restore service at the Minot
station.
Doneta and Andrew did a remarkable job in the face
of adversity.When it became obvious that the flood waters
placed the station in jeopardy, they took ownership of the
situation.They devised a plan — without being asked —
and carried it out to the astonishment of their managers.
They turned off the power and plumbing, lifted equipment
and secured space to store valuable equipment and docu-
ments above the water line.
Amtrak Ink December-January 2013 | 5
2012 President’s Safety & Service Awards
CHAMPION OF THE RAILS
Harold and Judy Bryant
Hondo,Texas
Harold and Judy Bryant are volunteers dedicated to
educating the public about Amtrak long-distance trains.
Throughout Southern Texas, they held workshops in San
Antonio, Uvalde,Alpine and Hondo, explaining what to
expect when traveling aboard Amtrak.Their goal is to
raise awareness of train travel in communities that are not
familiar with Amtrak service.
During 2011, they held nine workshops averaging 40 to
80 participants per class.They have also conducted a
session with as many as 375 attendees.The workshops are
free and open to the public, offering important informa-
tion for first-time travelers. In their sessions, Harold and
Judy Bryant walk passengers through the Amtrak experi-
ence. Classes begin with an Amtrak commercial provided
by Marketing’s Jill Farris, and continue with discussions
that include how to make reservations, availabilty of
parking at stations, checked and carry-on baggage
regulations, dining car service, sleeping accommodations,
walking safely through the train and even an appropriate
gratuity amount.
Tom Heard
McGregor,Texas
Before Tom Heard’s intervention at the McGregor
station, passengers seldom used this Amtrak stop along
the Texas Eagle route.The town of McGregor is very
remote, and the station was all but abandoned.When Tom
found the station in such deplorable condition, he decided
he would do something about it.
Tom completely renovated the building, furniture and
platform. He replaced fixtures, hardware, windows and
plumbing at his own expense. He repainted inside and out,
restored all the cabinetry and benches, giving the entire
station a warm, welcoming ambiance. He even recovered
old seating from the Temple station that was being thrown
away, and paid for the reupholstering himself.
Carey Maynard Moody
Lawrence, Kansas
When Carey Maynard Moody moved to Lawrence,
Kan., she got off the train with her two young children and
saw a dark, scary building in terrible shape where home-
less persons gathered. She wanted to leave, but we are
grateful she stayed. Over the past several years, Carey has
led efforts to revitalize the mid-century style station,
turning it from a dirty neglected overnight shelter for the
homeless to a welcoming, vital place in the community.
She accomplished this through giving selflessly of her time
and effort, creating a dedicated station advocacy group
and galvanizing the support of Amtrak, BNSF Railway,
city and state officials, and the local community to restore
the station. In 2007, 3,732 passengers got on or off the
train at Lawrence. By 2011 it had grown to 6,410.While
Carey can’t take all the credit, she certainly contributed to
this growth.
In 2008, Carey attended an Amtrak Civic Conversation
in Albuquerque, N.M., and learned all she could about
revitalizing a station. Moving forward, she organized and
became president of Depot Redux, a non-profit commu-
nity advocacy group dedicated to restoring the station. She
and her volunteers interview, hire and oversee the caretak-
ers, organize events at the station and much more.They
even got the city of Lawrence to take a serious interest in
purchasing the depot from BNSF.
ENVIRONMENTAL ACHIEVEMENT
(TEAM)
Robert “Bob” Jones
Senior Director Utility Management, Finance,
Philadelphia, Pa.
John Tull
Senior Analyst Utility Management, Finance,
Philadelphia, Pa.
Bob Jones began his career with Amtrak in April 1977,
as a project manager and later became director of
Procurement. He is currently the senior director utility
management in the Finance department. John Tull came to
Amtrak in November 2009, and is the Finance depart-
ment’s senior utilities analyst.
Working together on the Bear Lighting Replacement
and Chicago Steam Plant projects, Bob and John imple-
mented innovative practices to improve employee health,
the environment and workplace safety, while also reducing
costs throughout Amtrak’s facilities.
PROJECT EXCELLENCE (TEAM)
40th
Anniversary Celebration Team
The 40th
Anniversary Celebration Team did a phenom-
enal job of planning and executing a year-long celebration,
commemorating the rich 40-year history of America’s
Railroad®
.Thanks to their effort and dedication, the cele-
bration was a huge success.“They exceeded all goals
beyond what was ever imagined,” stated Frances Bourne,
6 | December-January 2013 Amtrak Ink
chief Federal Relations. Highlights of their achievements
are as follows:
• Created and constructed the 40th Anniversary
Exhibit Train
• Coordinated an Exhibit Train tour, stopping at 45
locations and welcoming nearly 85,000 visitors with
the help of more than 500 employee volunteers
• Wrote the book titled Amtrak: An American Story,
which is in its second printing
• Produced a video titled “Amtrak:The First 40
Years,” which received six national awards and is
number two on Amtrak’s YouTube site
• Designed and distributed 40th anniversary lapel pins
to all employees
• Developed a website and merchandise commemo
rating the 40th anniversary
• Partnered with Ludorum, Inc., the parent company
of Chuggington, the animated children’s television
series, and with its support created Chuggington
Depot, a children’s play area featuring toy train sets.
Developed banners, coloring books, safety books,
product coupons and a giant 40th anniversary card
40th
Anniversary Celebration Team Members
Frank Anderson, Locomotive Technician, Mechanical,
Beech Grove, Ind.
Suzi Andiman, Director Employee and Customer
Communications, Government Affairs and Corporate
Communications,Washington, D.C.
Francine Berk, Program Manager Corporate and
Community Relations, Government Affairs and Corporate
Communications,Washington, D.C.
Helen Butler, Director Procurement, Finance,
Philadelphia, Pa.
J. Bruce Carlton, Assistant Superintendent, Backshops,
Bear, Del.
Gerald Cherico, Carman, Mechanical, Bear, Del.
Matt Donnelly, Product Development Officer East,
Transportation,Washington, D.C.
Seth Geist, Senior Industrial Designer, Mechanical,
Wilmington, Del.
John Grey, Superintendent, Mechanical, Beech Grove, Ind.
Christopher Jagodzinski, Chief Operations Projects and
Improvements,Transportation, Philadelphia, Pa.
Patrick Kidd, Researcher/Writer, Government Affairs and
Corporate Communications,Washington, D.C.
David Milenbaugh, Carman Welder, Mechanical,
Beech Grove, Ind.
James Monaghan, Foreman II, Mechanical, Bear, Del.
Jeffrey Osborne, Specifications and Standards Engineer,
Mechanical, Beech Grove, Ind.
Steven Ostrowski, Passenger Engineer,Transportation,
Rensselaer, N.Y.
Ann Owens, Senior Officer National Advertising,
Marketing,Washington, D.C.
Robert Ripperger, Principal Officer, Government Affairs
and Corporate Communications,Washington, D.C.
John Skalski, Industrial Designer, Mechanical,
Wilmington, Del.
Thomas L. Stennis, III, Director Government Affairs
South, Government Affairs and Corporate
Communications, New Orleans, La.
Deborah Varnado, Director Branding & Promotions,
Marketing,Washington, D.C.
eTicketing Pilot Project Team
Members of the eTicketing Pilot Project Team, who
represent the Marketing and Information Technology (IT)
departments, put in countless hours towards the success of
this important modernization of Amtrak’s ticketing system
that eliminates the need for paper tickets, increases check-
in speed and provides valuable real-time data for Amtrak
and our state partners.
Prior to the start of the eTicketing pilot on the
Downeaster and the Auto Train, it could take up to two
weeks to get accurate ridership information on any given
train.With the implementation of eTicketing, staff gained
real time data about who was traveling on the train —
vital knowledge in the event of an emergency.This data
helped our state partner in Maine determine how many
multi-ride customers use the Downeaster each day.The
information was then analyzed to better manage seat
inventory. eTicketing also automates and enforces the
random identification check as per our agreement with the
Federal Railroad Administration.
eTicketing Pilot Project Team Members
Phil Bouchard, Program Manager Service Standards and
Operations Support,Transportation,Wilmington, Del.
Anthony Flynn, Program Director Sales and Reservation
Systems Programs, Marketing,Washington, D.C.
Donald Hancock, Program Director, Information
Technology,Washington, D.C.
Jon Herring, Systems Developer, Information Technology,
Washington, D.C.
Justin Jose, Manager Railres and C++, Information
Technology,Washington, D.C.
Amir Khan, Principal Officer, Marketing,Washington, D.C.
2012 President’s Safety & Service Awards
Amtrak Ink December-January 2013 | 7
Douglas Konn, Systems Developer, Information
Technology,Washington, D.C.
Victor Machado, Systems Developer, Information
Technology,Washington, D.C.
Wanda McQueen, Analyst Quality Assurance, Marketing,
Washington, D.C.
Mark Musselwhite, Principal Applications Systems
Engineer, Information Technology,Washington, D.C.
Geoffrey Nelson, Systems Developer, Information
Technology,Washington, D.C.
Penelope Porter, Coordinator CMS, Marketing,
Washington, D.C.
Natividad Risley, Systems Developer, Information
Technology,Washington, D.C.
Thomas Vidnovic, Principal Applications Systems
Engineer, Information Technology,Washington, D.C.
Xiaoyuan (Sharon) Yu, Systems Developer, Information
Technology,Washington, D.C.
Train Communications Team
In 2011, the Train Communications Project Team com-
pleted the installation of Train Communications Data
Locomotive Digital Video Recorder (TCD/LDVR)
systems on 345 diesel locomotives and cab cars.The
purple-colored TCD/LDVR system nicknamed “The
Barney Box” has fundamentally transformed the way
Amtrak manages its train operations, emergencies and
service disruptions. It dramatically improves our incident
response capabilities, reduces the risks and costs of litiga-
tion related to grade-crossing incidents and significantly
improves the accuracy and reliability of information on
engine conditions.
The system includes locomotive video cameras to
record activities ahead of the locomotive on the right-of-
way, global positioning system (GPS) equipment to enable
timely and accurate train tracking, an on-board messaging
system to permit two-way communications between the
Consolidated National Operations Center (CNOC) and
the locomotive engineer, a fuel-monitoring system to track
fuel availability and send alerts on low-fuel conditions and
locomotive health monitoring to track and report on-
board system diagnostics. It also has an automatic
emergency brake alert feature. For the first time in our
history, we know in real-time the operating conditions of
our diesel locomotives.We can document and review inci-
dent details with video and audio, and know exactly where
trains are located in real time. Likewise, our passengers
now know with substantially improved accuracy when
their trains will arrive.
Train Communications Team Members
Dawn Amore, Contractor, Marketing,Washington, D.C.
Sarabpreet Bumra, Assistant Superintendent, Mechanical,
Chicago, Ill.
Sean Cronin, Engineer Fleet, Mechanical, Chicago, Ill.
Brian Erny, Manager Locomotive Equipment
Maintenance, Mechanical, Chicago, Ill.
Christopher Jagodzinski, Chief Operations Projects and
Improvements,Transportation, Philadelphia, Pa.
Clifford Kendall, Program Director Locomotive
Technology,Transportation,Wilmington, Del.
Kevin Koppel, Director Mechanical Operations,
Mechanical,Wilmington, Del.
Kevin Landrigan, Contractor, Marketing,Washington, D.C.
Stevan Lebo, Principal Applications Systems Engineer,
Information Technology,Washington, D.C.
Lenetta McCampbell, Senior Director On-Board Systems,
Marketing,Washington, D.C.
William Rossetti, Foreman II, Mechanical, Chicago, Ill.
Michael Scaringe, Director Fleet Engineering, Mechanical,
Beech Grove, Ind.
Glenn Selby, General Foreman, Mechanical, Chicago, Ill.
Nicholas Troiano, Director Procurement, Finance,
Philadelphia, Pa.
George Warren, Assistant System General Road Foreman,
Transportation,Wilmington, Del.
Onping Yu, Electrical Engineer, Mechanical,
Los Angeles, Calif.
SAFETY ACHIEVEMENT
J. Bruce Carlton
Assistant Superintendent, Backshops, Bear, Del.
Brian Dallas
Car Repairman, Mechanical, Bear, Del.
Bruce Carlton, who started with Amtrak in November
1976, has held the position of assistant superintendent at
the Bear Shops since March 2011. Prior jobs within the
company include car repairman, car repairman welder,
foreman and car inspector. Brian Dallas came to Amtrak
in October 1977, and served as a trackman before becom-
ing a laborer. Since 1979, he has been a car repairman.
On their own initiative, Bruce and Brian developed a
Safety Behavior Inventory Bulletin Handbook for the
Bear Maintenance Facility that defines at-risk and safe
behaviors.The men recognized the need to highlight
lessons learned in the Safe-2-Safer training and BST
processes, and came up with the idea to produce an easy-
2012 President’s Safety & Service Awards
8 | December-January 2013 Amtrak Ink
to-read manual as a reference for the Mechanical depart-
ment employees.They spent personal time to take
photographs, gather information and write the content for
the handbook. Working with Reprographics, they also
designed and printed the book, which is now used as a
prototype by other mechanical facilities.
William A. White, Jr.
Road Foreman,Transportation, Portland, Maine
William A.White, Jr. came to Amtrak in September
2005 as an assistant conductor. The next year, he was pro-
moted to the position of locomotive engineer. On
October 1, 2012,William became a road foreman in
Portland, Maine.
In 2009,William lost the tip of his thumb when he
became distracted by a passenger and closed a P-42 loco-
motive door on his finger. While on a medical leave of
absence, he developed an inexpensive but effective door
guard that prevents this type of injury. In 2011, a prototype
of this door guard was installed on engine # 9. There have
been no door-related injuries on this locomotive since the
installation and now other locomotives in Chicago are
being outfitted with the guard.As a locomotive engineer,
it was not within William’s job scope to create a door
safety device, but he wanted to prevent further injuries of
this type.
SAFETY ACHIEVEMENT(TEAM)
Riverside Statistical Group
Western Reservation Sales Contact Center, Riverside, Calif.
Joann Hemesath, Gail Johnson, Juan Morales and
Jonnie Washington all serve as statistical clerks in the
Western Reservation Sales Contact Center Statistical
Office in Riverside, Calif. This group of employees has
taken the Amtrak commitment to safety to heart by refin-
ing office procedures to ensure the safety of Contact
Center employees and the continuity of operations in the
event of an emergency. According to Supervisor Ashlee
Slepicka,“They took information, such as contact phone
numbers, refuge area locations, attendance and staffing
data, and log books and compiled it together for easy
removal and use during an emergency.”
Thanks to their efforts, the evacuation plan for the
building was included as one of the items to be removed
from the building during an emergency. This statistical
group also ensures that all employees are accounted for
and notifies emergency personnel in the event of an evac-
uation. Administrator Dee Ruiz explains:“Riverside is a
large facility employing more than 600 people. Removing
personnel and vital records in an emergency requires pre-
cision and organization. Using the procedures put in place
by the group has resulted in more efficient evacuation
drills."
Riverside Statistical Team Members
Joann Hemesath, Statistical Clerk, Marketing
Gail Johnson, Statistical Clerk, Marketing
Juan Morales, Statistical Clerk, Marketing
Jonnie Washington, Statistical Clerk, Marketing
SAFETY COMMITTEE OF THE YEAR
Baltimore Safety Committee
The Baltimore Safety Committee is comprised of a
dedicated team of employees representing Transportation,
Engineering, Operations,Amtrak Police and the MARC
commuter line. Together the group has done an outstand-
ing job of addressing potential safety hazards in and
around the New Carrollton, Baltimore and Baltimore
Washington International Airport (BWI) stations.
The committee coordinates a number of initiatives
aimed at reinforcing the importance of safety. Last year,
the committee brought to light several hazards at the BWI
station, including expansion strips on the newly installed
platform that had become a tripping hazard and roof leaks
on the canopy, which would freeze during cold weather
and create a dangerous slipping condition on the south-
bound platform. Through their diligence, these hazards
were repaired by our Engineering team.This team also
ensured that malfunctioning water spouts were
repaired, minimizing the risks of slips and falls.
At the Baltimore station, the group was also instru-
mental in getting an old, wooden stairway leading to St.
Paul Street replaced with new, metal stairs and handrails.
When some of the chairs in the seating area at the BWI
station became worn and torn, the Baltimore Safety
Committee took a proactive approach of simply replacing
a few of the defective chairs, and the committee ensured
that all of the aging chairs were replaced, the walls were
painted and tasteful pictures were hung.
Baltimore Safety Committee Members
Elliott Benton, Lead Ticket Clerk,Transportation
Timeka Caldwell Bruce, Clerk Steno,Transportation
Raymond Geisendaffer, Locomotive Engineer,
Transportation
Tracy Hart, Police Officer, Police Department
Michael Jones, Lead Ticket Clerk,Transportation
Paul Mallon, District Manager of Stations,Transportation
Anthony Mobley, Trainmaster (MARC),Transportation
Joseph Prochaska, Assistant Conductor, Transportation
Matthew Rohlfing, Road Foreman,Transportation
2012 President’s Safety & Service Awards
Amtrak Ink December-January 2013 | 9
Miriam Suddoo-Morgan, District Manager of Stations,
Transportation
Charles Sweeney, Station Action Team Coordinator,
Emergency Management & Corporate Security
Maria T. Torres, Lead Ticket Clerk,Transportation
Patricia Ussery, Assistant Conductor,Transportation
STATE PARTNER
William “Bill” Bronte
Chief of Division Rail, California Department of
Transportation, Sacramento, Calif.
Bill Bronte is the chief of division rail for the California
Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and has worked
tirelessly to develop specifications for rolling stock and
secure federal funds for those projects.
Bill co-chaired a multi-state committee that developed
the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act
(PRIIA) Section 305 design specifications for multi-state
passenger bi-level rail cars. In addition, under Bill’s leader-
ship on the PRIIA Section 305 finance sub-committee, his
team, working with Amtrak and other key stakeholders,
was able to secure federal funds to be allocated to the pro-
curement of the future rolling stock. Not only did Bill’s
efforts provide a platform for future Amtrak bi-level rail
car purchases, but his team maximized the ability of
California and other states to acquire rolling stock to
support route expansion, improve capacity and support
future higher speeds.
Lee Goldenberg
Retired, California Department of Transportation
It was no accident that ridership, revenue and
Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) scores improved after
Lee Goldenberg became involved with the San Joaquin
service in 2004. Ridership rose from 738,540 in 2004 to
1,067,441 in 2011. During the same period, revenue grew
from $20,207,164 to $35,704,109 and CSI scores increased
from 77 percent to 91 percent.
Lee worked closely with Amtrak, the San Joaquin
Valley Rail Committee and others to get a lot accom-
plished. Assistant Superintendent Road Operations
Tommy Andrews said that Lee really knew the needs and
demographics of the region. Caltrans Senior Project
Manager Todd Amilli said that Lee achieved so much
because he really cared. He didn't just sit behind the desk,
he went out to the stations and rode the trains. Lee talked
to the passengers to find out how we could provide a more
convenient, comfortable service. He even knew employees
by name and got their feedback on ways to improve
service. Every year, he gathered a group of Caltrans and
Amtrak staff to travel to every station and identify ways to
make viable improvements for passengers. He also took
employees from his office and supervisors representing
the San Joaquin Valley Rail Committee on station tours so
they would better understand the needs of our passengers
and employees.
SUSTAINED EXCELLENCE
Mary Rose Barbara
Assistant Superintendent, Mechanical, Chicago, Ill.
Mary Rose Barbara began her career at Amtrak in
1973 and has steadily progressed through the company’s
ranks from clerk typist to assistant superintendent at
Chicago’s Union Station, one of the busiest terminals in
the country.
Mary is the driving force within the Chicago
Mechanical department, embodying a “can do” attitude
that keeps operations humming continuously — even on
her days off.There is no job Mary Rose can’t do. From
covering for diesel yard managers while they’re on vaca-
tion to working with Metra commuter rail service, Mary
Rose is always present and positive.Among her colleagues
at Amtrak, she’s seen as a constant motivator, always
setting a good example for others and quickly springing
into action when her expertise is needed.
Since 1973, Mary Rose has held a variety of roles,
always with more responsibility than the prior position. In
2003, she was promoted from general foreman to assistant
superintendent, proof that “popping in,” even on her days
off, to check on the terminal’s operations pays off.
Randy Benfer
Lead Service Attendant,Transportation, New Orleans, La.
Randy Benfer has worked at Amtrak since 1997 as a
lead service attendant (LSA) based in New Orleans.As a
committed employee and relentless pursuer of an out-
standing customer experience for his passengers, Randy is
a shining example of what all on-board employees should
strive toward.
Among his colleagues, Randy is known as a tireless
worker, who is always quick to volunteer for back-to-back
trips — an exhausting demand for those who are up to the
challenge. For countless holidays like the New Year,
Christmas and Independence Day, Randy can work all on-
board crafts and is often called upon at the last minute to
fill vacancies and he never disappoints.What’s perhaps
most impressive about Randy’s time at Amtrak is his
undeterred attitude.There’s nothing he can’t do, and it’s
always with a smile. For example, Randy has been known
to even stand in for a chef or two after completing his own
four-day runs.
2012 President’s Safety & Service Awards
10 | December-January 2013 Amtrak Ink
Julie Byrne
Operations Supervisor,Transportation, Lorton,Va.
Julie Byrne has had a long and successful career at
Amtrak, beginning as a service attendant in 1975 and
today serving as a crew base supervisor for the Auto Train.
Among her colleagues, Julie is a motivating force who
is well-respected. In an effort to convey the importance of
safety and security along the rails, Julie always works hard
to make her crew briefings thought-provoking so on-
board staff will take her lessons and best practices to heart
while on their trips. Many who work with Julie say that it
is her dedication and great managerial skills that keep
them working so hard. In short, because she does well for
them, they do well for the customers.
Perhaps best known for her strong work ethic, Julie
never hesitates to go beyond the requirements of her job.
She never backs away from a teaching moment when
working with staff and takes time and shows patience
when training new employees or teaching veteran employ-
ees new skills.These actions not only improve the
customer’s experience throughout his or her trip and
encourage repeat business, they also instill a strong sense
of pride and ownership among the on-board staff.That’s
all thanks to Julie.
Michele Detrick
Principal Officer, Mechanical Contracts, Mechanical,
Wilmington, Del.
Michele Detrick has enjoyed more than three decades
at Amtrak, starting her career as a senior secretary and
most recently becoming principal officer of Mechanical
contracts in 2010 — the role she holds today.
Michele’s work ethic and dedication have set a stellar
example for her colleagues and have earned her a reputa-
tion for being a tireless and gracious worker who is always
willing to go above and beyond her standard duties to
make sure the job gets done and gets done right. Not only
is Michele reliable in her assigned responsibilities, she’s
constantly looking to expand her role, always willing to
take on a new project or task.
Despite moving up through the company’s ranks,
Michele is still sought for input on positions she held years
ago and never hesitates to offer her expertise.
Bernard Grant
Customer Service Representative,Transportation,
Jacksonville, Fla.
Bernard Grant began working at Amtrak in 1975 as a
commissary worker and today uses his friendly demeanor
and stellar professionalism as a customer service represen-
tative.
Bernard is known for going above and beyond the call
of duty whenever anyone needs a helping hand.Without
batting an eye, Bernard will spring into action, helping red
caps with baggage or delivering service announcements to
customers or providing a daily safety briefing to his col-
leagues behind the ticket desk.
Perhaps Bernard’s greatest strength, however, is his
ability to handle customers and always make sure they
leave smiling. He is always upbeat and positive, even in the
most tense situations, and has even been known to provide
hotel or taxi accommodations out of his own pocket for
customers stranded at the station. Most importantly,
Bernard understands the value of earning a loyal customer
and constantly works to secure repeat business for the
company.
Joannie Gunpat
Train Attendant,Transportation, Miami, Fla.
Joannie Gunpat has worked as a train attendant since
1984 and for the last two years has been recognized for
her perfect attendance on the job and earned recognition
from the Amtrak Customer Advisory Committee.
Among her colleagues in Miami, Joannie is known for
her “can do” attitude, which she is always happy to share
with others. She often volunteers to train peers in her crew
base, teaching them to provide unforgettable customer
service to travelers and to always arrive at work early to
guarantee a superb train on which to welcome customers.
To Joannie, her customers are always number one. She is
constantly working to improve their travel experience and
never fails to leave a lasting impression on those she
serves.
Kenneth Homko
Lead Service Attendant,Transportation, Chicago, Ill.
Kenneth Homko has worked for Amtrak as a lead
service attendant since 1998, continuously performing
above and beyond the call of duty, all while making each
customer he serves feel like he or she is a guest in his own
home.
No matter the hour, Kenneth is readily available to
help and answer the questions of new hires, even when
he’s off the clock.Among his colleagues, Kenneth is seen
as a reliable leader and knowledgeable mentor who
follows through on every promise he makes.As a true tes-
tament to his integrity and stellar professionalism, other
on-board staff members look forward to the trips in which
they get to work alongside Kenneth, because they can be
assured that with him on board, the trip will be a success
and everything will flow smoothly.
2012 President’s Safety & Service Awards
Amtrak Ink December-January 2013 | 11
Whenever the company needs a volunteer for promo-
tional or marketing booths at local Chicago-area events,
Kenneth never hesitates to step up to the plate, and by
doing so he is extending the reach of the Amtrak brand in
Illinois communities.
Charles Ingram
Train Attendant,Transportation, New Orleans, La.
As a train attendant with Amtrak for nearly 30 years,
Charles Ingram knows what it takes to make customers
happy, and has made a career out of helping countless pas-
sengers and colleagues alike along the rails.
When asked about Charles, co-workers jokingly say
that he doesn’t know the word “no” in that he is quick to
offer his guidance and assistance to anyone that may need
it, no matter what he is doing. Charles feels as though his
line of work is a team effort, and doesn’t want any aspect
of Amtrak’s service to lack, as it is a reflection on every-
one. That’s why he is commited to going that extra mile to
make sure that every passenger has the best experience
possible, and that every one of his peers has everything
they need to be succesful in their duties.
Charles has a way of making a personal connection
with those riding his trains and understands the value of
creating a loyal customer for Amtrak. In all of his years
with the company, Charles has never received a customer
complaint, probably because he believes in treating each
customer the way he would want a member of his own
family to be treated.
Marilyn Jamison
Senior Director, Major Project Partnerships, NEC
Infrastructure and Investment Development, Philadelphia,
Pa.
Marilyn Jamison has been with Amtrak since 1999 and
over the last 13 years has served in a variety of roles for
the company, beginning as acquisition manager and today
serving as the senior director of Major Project Partnership
in the Northeast Corridor.
According to her colleagues, Marilyn is a “corridor
builder” in the finest tradition of American railroading.
She is a dedicated champion of improved intercity passen-
ger rail service for Amtrak and its state and commuter
partners, starting and continuing with the Keystone
Corridor development and now with the Empire Corridor.
She works tirelessly with all stakeholders, internal and
external, to bring about consensus and move projects
forward from concept through construction. No detail
escapes her sharp eye and she has the rare ability to form,
engage and energize working groups of diverse stakehold-
ers to achieve real results.
Michael Jenkins
Train Attendant,Transportation, Chicago, Ill.
Michael Jenkins joined Amtrak in 1984 as on-board
staff and has spent the majority of his time with the
company as a train attendant.
Since his first day at Amtrak, Michael has been a
dependable employee and a high-quality provider of
excellent customer service.Among his colleagues he’s
known as a reliable and trusted employee who likes to
offer help and guidance to others and is unselfish in times
of emergencies.
As an example of Michael’s willingness to go above
and beyond his job requirements, he volunteered to
develop a mentor program for on-board employees. He
coordinated the training schedules and in some cases liter-
ally guided them through every step. Even on his own
time, Michael doesn’t shy away from helping his fellow
Amtrak employees. He is the ultimate team player.
Mildred Johnson
Service Attendant,Transportation, Chicago, Ill.
Mildred Johnson joined Amtrak in 1987 as a lead
service attendant, later moving to an assistant conductor
and today serves as a service attendant.
Over her 25 years with the company, Mildred has
earned countless customer compliments for her outstand-
ing service.Year after year, Mildred continues to offer true
service with a smile along the rails — a fact that has not
gone unnoticed by her colleagues and managers.
She is a hard worker who enjoys her job, always step-
ping in when fellow employees are ill and assisting in areas
that are short handed on board.While Mildred is aware of
her job title, it does not stop her from assisting other
employees when problems arise. Her motto is,“Let’s work
together to get the job done.”And that’s precisely what
she does.
As a true testament to Mildred’s professionalism, she is
always open to new advice or best practices. On her trains
she can always be overheard asking customers,“What can
I do for you?,” showing patience and hospitality to the
passengers she serves.
Elaine Meister
Customer Relations Representative, Marketing,
Philadelphia, Pa.
Elaine Meister began as a reservation and sales agent
in August 1999, and has held her current position as a cus-
tomer relations representative since 2006.
Elaine is described by many as dynamic, proactive and
full of enthusiasm. She possesses a special knack for
drawing out the best in her co-workers and inspiring them
2012 President’s Safety & Service Awards
12 | December-January 2013 Amtrak Ink
in their work.When training Customer Service staff and
others, Elaine emphasizes that Amtrak employees’ good
deeds will be talked about by passengers when they are
among family and friends.
Leaders at corporate headquarters also appreciate
Elaine’s expertise, especially when responding to letters
directed to Mr. Boardman that need to be answered with
sensitivity.
Michael O’Connell
Manager, Disciplinary Investigations, Law,
Philadelphia, Pa.
Michael “Mike” O’Connell has been with Amtrak since
October 1976, when he started as a block operator. Over
the years, he has also held positions including leverman,
train dispatcher, operations supervisor and hearing officer.
In 2001 he took up his current job as manager, office of
disciplinary investigations (ODI).
As part of his work, Mike travels across the country at
a moment’s notice. From May 2010 through May 2012, he
stepped in to fill the vacant hearing officer posts in the
West, Northeast and Midwest. For a time, he basically
oversaw a territory stretching from Detroit to New
Orleans in the East and from Seattle to San Diego in the
West. His coverage of these three positions resulted in
savings in excess of $300,000 for the corporation since it
eliminated the need to bring in outside contractors.
During that period, none of the 250 cases were lost due
to time limit issues or the lack of hearing officer availabil-
ity. This commitment to his job ensured that labor contract
time limits were kept and that employees were afforded a
fair due-process hearing. Mike truly demonstrated his
commitment to maintaining the corporation’s ethics and
contractual obligations.
Nancy Olsen
Customer Service Representative,Transportation,Williston,
N.D.
Nancy Olsen works at quite possibly one of the most
remote Amtrak locations:Williston, N.D. Since joining
Amtrak in December 1973, Nancy has served as both an
R&I clerk and a ticket clerk.
For 30 of her 39 years, Nancy has been relied upon for
her knowledge and expertise regarding all aspects of the
Williston station. She has handled unforeseen situations
with professionalism, determination, dedication and supe-
rior customer service. How often does a person deal with
extreme (-30º F) weather, floods that inundate entire
towns or a major economic boom that brought more than
75,000 people into a small community? Nancy has dealt
with all of this in just the last two years!
The Williston station has increased in ridership and
revenue so much in the past few years that it is now one of
the busiest locations on the route of the Empire Builder.
James “Yogi” Pilley
Ticket/Accounting Clerk,Transportation, San Diego, Calif.
James “Yogi” Pilley, a ticket/accounting clerk at the
downtown San Diego station, has held a variety of jobs
with Amtrak. In 1984 he started out in an unassigned posi-
tion and then became a janitor.Yogi was later involved
with material control, serving as supervisor of material
control for two years before taking up his current position,
where his efficient baggage room procedures have become
a model for others.
Qualities used to describe Yogi include “dependable,
patient and committed.” Co-workers affectionately refer
to him as “Mr. Fix It,”“Mr. Get it Done” and “Mr. Go To.”
Due to his diligence and dedication, it is not unusual for
him to receive calls and letters of gratitude from both pas-
sengers and co-workers.Yogi will step in to help with any
situation, and many noted the special care he shows
toward elderly passengers. He goes out of his way to
answer their questions and helps them obtain a red cap or
other assistance. Co-worker Jerry Cruz calls Yogi a
“therapist” for his soothing demeanor that calms dis-
traught or angry passengers.
Betty Purich
Senior Manager, Sales Support, Marketing,Washington,
D.C.
Betty Purich is the senior manager, sales support. She
has worked in all areas of reservations and sales since
beginning her career at Amtrak in September 1973.
Through her leadership skills and innovative thinking,
Betty sets a high but obtainable standard for her depart-
ment. Last year, she won two PSSAs for work on the
Amtrak Guest Rewards in-sourcing program and the
“firearms in checked baggage” service project.
Betty possesses a comprehensive knowledge of the
company. Recently, she worked for more than 1-1/2 years
to ensure that the user functionality of the Qfiniti applica-
tion met the expectations of the Call Quality Monitoring
Program.Working with peers in Information Technology,
she developed creative solutions to ensure positive results
on the project.
Betty also led efforts to establish and train the internal
Contact Center for the Amtrak Guest Rewards program
and initiated the posting of service alerts on Amtrak.com.
2012 President’s Safety & Service Awards
Amtrak Ink December-January 2013 | 13
Donald Thomas
Legal Assistant, Law,Washington, D.C.
For more than 28 years, Donald Thomas has faithfully,
tirelessly and without complaint satisfied requests for
Amtrak-specified corporate documents, information and
witnesses on a nationwide basis.This entails an enormous
amount of investigation, research, analysis and time, and
the ability to juggle numerous projects at once and against
deadlines existing across the several time zones of our
national operation. He never turns anyone away, has never
dropped the ball and has never let anyone down. Despite
these demands, Don remains courteous and professional
and is respected by everyone. According to Associate
General Counsel Wilfred Mills, Don is the Claims’ depart-
ment's “go-to-guy” for institutional information and
litigation support 25 hours a day.
Don doesn’t just “frequently” exhibit strong work qual-
ities, he consistently exceeds a strong work ethic. For
years, Don was the sole contact for the field claims offices
and defense attorneys with respect to responding to diffi-
cult discovery requests, finding hard to locate documents
and developing corporate witnesses. He has been depend-
able, committed in ensuring justice for Amtrak. He is
extremely patient and gracious even under the most
stressful of circumstances. If he has a weakness (and if this
is even a shortcoming at all), it’s his inability to say “no.”
He is never too busy to help.
David “Dave” Thompson
R&I Clerk, Marketing, Philadelphia, Pa.
David “Dave”Thompson served as a reservation sales
agent from 1986 until last year when he became an R&I
clerk. He always maintains an exemplary work ethic and
consistent customer service. Dave has won many awards
during his tenure with Amtrak, including Employee of the
Month and Sales Excellence.According to Robert Cook,
director, reservation sales,“If you could clone a reserva-
tion sales agent, David would be the one.”
Wherever there is a void, Dave is always willing to
help.When there is a shortage on the TTY Desk, he
happily steps in, even if that means pushing back his lunch
or break.Although he holds seniority, he willingly waives
it to accommodate his colleagues.Tonya Tate, reservation
sales supervisor, recounts,“Dave offers the highest quality
of customer service to our customers.When I listen in on
his calls, it is evident how hard he works to assist our
callers with their needs.” Great listening skills and exten-
sive knowledge of policies and procedures let the
customer know that he/she is the first priority. His ever-
present smile comes through across the phone and also
buoys his co-workers’ spirits. Dave’s goal is not just to
make a sale but also create a repeat passenger.
Stephanie Utt
Train Attendant,Transportation, Chicago, Ill.
Stephanie Utt has worked on-board as a train atten-
dant since February 1990, but has been part of the
on-board service crew since 1980.Assigned to the Empire
Builder for many years, she is classified as one of the best
train attendants on the route by her supervisor. Stephanie
also maintans an excellent attendance record and is well
respected by her co-workers.
Numerous letters of praise from satisfied Amtrak
riders testify to the wonderful customer service in her
Sleeping Car. Her supervisor, Service Manager Chris
Woods, notes that during service disruptions Stephanie
pitches in wherever necessary. She takes the initiative to
help with checked baggage and makes sure that passen-
gers are offered provisions for a comfortable bus ride.
Stephanie is also responsible for training new hires.
According to Woods,“Stephanie is our ‘go to’ person.
During the 2011 flooding, she was committed to getting
the job done…her normal six-day trip turned into a ten-
day trip but she did not complain — not once.”
Antonio “Tony” Watson
Retired,Train Attendant,Transportation, Chicago, Ill.
Antonio “Tony”Watson started with Amtrak in 1973 as
a train attendant, and worked tirelessly for 39 years
serving Amtrak customers and creating a one-of-a-kind
travel experience for anyone who stepped aboard the
California Zephyr.
Over decades of rail travel,Tony witnessed a variety of
customer service situations and always handled every one
of them with professionalism and grace. For the small
requirements like providing hot coffee and timely wake-
up calls to customers,Tony never failed to deliver at the
highest caliber of service. In addition to the basics,Tony
understood the need to provide exemplary customer
service whenever the opportunity presented itself. When
passengers arrived,Tony ensured that his car was immacu-
lately clean and supplies were readily available so that he
could treat our customers like guests in his home.
Beyond customer service,Tony always possessed a
great team spirit —understanding that no job was too
small or too dirty to do if it made the train run better and
kept passengers buying tickets.
2012 President’s Safety & Service Awards
14 | December-January 2013 Amtrak Ink
Denise White
Coach Cleaner, Mechanical, Lorton,Va.
Denise White has been with Amtrak as a coach cleaner
since February 2000. By always putting herself in the cus-
tomers’ shoes while completing her tasks, she helps create
a wonderful on-board experience.
Many of her co-workers would agree that Denise has a
tremendous work ethic that means doing the job right the
first time. She is famous for her scrupulous attention to
detail — nothing escapes her eagle eye! When she finishes
her work, Denise will go help others and chip in wherever
needed.The Auto Train includes various cars, some of
which require more time or skill to properly clean. Denise
is always willing to trade cars or offer advice on more effi-
cient cleaning methods.
She can also be proud of a perfect safety record and a
near-perfect attendance record.
VALOR
Crew of California Zephyr
The team onboard the California Zephyr on June 24,
2011, was quick to action and fearless in their response to
a tractor-trailer collision the train experienced while in
Nevada.Their bravery and professionalism during a day of
terror have rightly earned them the President’s Valor
award.
At 11:38 a.m. a tractor trailer struck the third and
fourth cars of the train, setting the train and truck ablaze
and causing multiple life-threatening injuries and the
death of Conductor Laurette Lee, a 23-year Amtrak
veteran, who earns this award posthumously. Despite the
confusion and dangers, the Amtrak crew including John
Little, Sandra Phillips, Daniel Foley, Lana Dickerson,
Cherry Williams, Kurt Krucine, Samir Tamer, Dionne
Williams-Green, Ron Werckenthien, Evelyn Johnson,
Alexandra Curtis, Richard D’Alessandro and Ronald
Kaminkow remained professional.
As the danger of the fire raged on, the on-board staff
worked swiftly to remove all of the train’s passengers,
often re-entering the flames several times to retrieve
people.The confusion outside of the train was mitigated
by their quick thinking, and a first-aid area administering
triage helped treat the injured until the paramedics and
emergency responders arrived.
The Amtrak team even had the presence of mind to
create a manifest listing passengers, who were later placed
on buses for evacuation, and their destinations. Even
though passengers were disoriented, injured and fright-
ened, crew members repeatedly re-entered the train
making sure all passengers had been evacuated. Structural
instability, along with broken glass, metal and other debris
lay inside and littered the ground outside the train crash
site, creating a hectic and dangerous backdrop to the
frightening scene.
California Zephyr Crew
Alexandra Curtis, Service/Train Attendant, Chicago, Ill.
Richard D’Alessandro, Conductor, Reno, Nev.
Lana Dickerson, Service Attendant, Chicago, Ill.
Daniel Foley, Service Attendant, Chicago, Ill.
Evelyn Johnson, Service Attendant, Chicago, Ill.
Ronald Kaminkow, Engineer, Reno, Nev.
Kurt Krucine, Food Specialist, Chicago, Ill.
Laurette Lee (posthumously awarded), Conductor*
John Little, Service Attendant, Chicago, Ill.
Sandra Phillips, Train Attendant, Chicago, Ill.
Samir Tamer, Lead Service Attendant, Chicago, Ill.
Ron Werckenthien, Food Specialist, Chicago, Ill.
Cherry Williams, Service/Train Attendant, Chicago, Ill.
Dionne Williams-Green, Lead Service Attendant,
Chicago, Ill.
* In Memoriam
Jimmie Wright
Customer Service Representative,Transportation,
Champaign, Ill.
Customer Service Representative Jimmie Wright was
working in the ticket office at the Champaign, Ill., train
station when he witnessed an assailant with a knife attack-
ing a passenger in the waiting room.Without hesitation,
Jimmie intervened and ultimately apprehended the
assailant.
Jimmie came out of the ticket office and ordered the
assailant to drop the weapon. The assailant immediately
began slashing the victim’s throat. Jimmie warned him he
would take him down if he did not stop. When the
assailant later attempted to retrieve a knife from his
pocket, Jimmie — due to his military training in hand-to-
hand combat — forced him to the ground and kept him
subdued until the police arrived.
Jimmie is not a police officer; he is a customer service
representative. For an unarmed man, even one trained in
hand-to-hand combat, the potential for harm was ever-
present.There were several other passengers in the
immediate vicinity. Had they decided to render assistance
to the victim, they too might have become victims.
2012 President’s Safety & Service Awards
2012 President’s Safety & Service Awards
Julia Costello
From left: Joe Boardman and Andrew Maragos
Amtrak Ink December-January 2013 | 15
16 | December-January 2013 Amtrak Ink
Archived Milestones
During the time Ink was out of print, the employee milestones were posted on the Amtrak Intranet. For several months those milestones
were also reproduced here.This is the final month of those milestones.Traditional milestones will continue to run on pages 18 & 19.
ALBRITTON, WILLIAM
Boston South Station
BONDI, ROBERT
Chicago Crew Base
BUCKLEY, NANCY
New York Penn Station
CARRINGTON, JAMES
Butler Bldg., Wash., D.C.
CZAP, MATTHEW
Wilmington Shops
DUNCAN, MICHAEL
Amtrak Corporate HQ
FRY, ROBERT
St. Cloud Station
HOWARD, STEVEN
Beech Grove
Maintenance Facility
KEEFER, SANDRA
Southampton St. Yard
KOLONICK, PETER
Providence MOW Base
KREDENSOR, EUGENE
Phila. 30th Street
Station
LANDGRAFF, DAVID
Perryville M/W Base
LEE, GLADYS
CNOC
LOWE, DONN
New Haven Station
MAGEE, EILEEN
Phila. 30th Street
Station
MATULAITIS, SUSAN
Pa. Reservation & Sales
Office
PENDER, DALE
Chicago Locomotive
Shop
POIROT, SANDRA
Calif. Reservation Sales
Office
SHOEMAKER,
VINCENT
Beech Grove
Maintenance Facility
SOULE, PAUL
Caltrain SF Station
TOCZYLOWSKI,
MICHAEL
Amtrak Corporate HQ
VOGEL, EDWARD
Amtrak Corporate HQ
WASSERSTROM,
MARTIN
Deerfield Beach Station
WOOD, MARJORIE
Chicago Union Station
ZEIGER, HOWARD
Seattle Mechanical Yard
MILLER, PATRICIA
T&E Toledo Crew Base
ALESSI, ARTHUR
Philadelphia Coach Yard
ARROYO, DAVID
Southampton St. Yard
ASTACIO, NELSON
Miami Station
AURIEMMA, VINCENT
Hamden, Conn., MOW
Base
BOYLE, MATTHEW
Phila. 30th Street
Station
BRECCIAROLI, DAVID
Conn DOT Commuter
BROWN, LARRY
Phila. 30th Street
Station
BROWN, SHEREE
New Haven Station
BURNS, BRIAN
North Brunswick, NJ,
NW Base
BURNS, MICHAEL
Groton, Conn.,
Engineering
BURNS, TIMOTHY
Morrisville Station
BUTZ, GARY
Perryville M/W Base
CANIGLIA, JOSEPH
Philadelphia Coach Yard
CARROLL, DANIEL
New York Penn Station
COLEMAN, JOHN
Niles Station
COLLINS, PATRICK
Philadelphia Coach Yard
CONLAN,
CHRISTOPHER
Wilmington Shops
CUNNINGHAM,
YVETTE
Los Angeles 8th St.
Coach Yard
CZAJKA, KENNETH
Chicago Mech. &
Terminal Offices
DALIEGE, GERALD
Chicago Union Station
DEBELLIS, FRANK
Los Angeles Commissary
DESHIELDS, KENNETH
Phila. 30th Street
Station
DIBUCCIO, PASQUALE
Hamden, Conn., MOW
Base
DOUGLAS, WILLIAM
Hamden, Conn., MOW
Base
ERMER, ROBERT
New York Penn Station
FISCHER, JEFFREY
Hamden, Conn., MOW
Base
FOLEY, TIMOTHY
Southampton St. Yard
GALLAGHER, ROBERT
Phila. 30th Street
Station
GIESPERT, GREGORY
Hastings Station
GODBOUT, JOCELYN
Harrisburg Station
GRASSO, LIONEL
Lancaster Station
GRAVELINE, PETER
Providence, RI,
Engineering
HAHN, STEPHEN
Sanford Station
HENRY, JOSEPH
Charlotte Station
HERNANDEZ,
ARMANDO
Phila. 30th Street
Station
HILL, MARK
Springfield, Ma., Station
HISQUIERDO,
EDWARD
Los Angeles 8th St.
Coach Yard
HOODACK, TIMOTHY
Rensselaer Mech.
Facility
HORCHAR, MYRIAM
Phila. 30th Street
Station
HUME, KEVIN
New York Penn Station
JACKSON, SHARLYN
San Diego Station/
Mechanical
JOHNSON, JUANITA
Phila. 30th Street
Station
JONES, ROBERT
Phila. 30th Street
Station
KARCZESKI, DANIEL
Phila. 30th Street
Station
KATIN, LEWIS
Phila. 30th Street
Station
KERRIGAN, TERRENCE
Philadelphia Coach Yard
KRUG, DONALD
Bear Car Shop
KRUSE, FRANCIS
Philadelphia, Pa.
LABOISSONNIERE,
DAVID
Providence MOW Base
LADISLAW, DANIEL
Phila. 30th Street
Station
LAROCCO, JOHN
Chicago Mech. &
Terminal Offices
LAVECCHIA, DONALD
Wilmington Shops
MALDONADO,
GEORGE
New York Penn Station
MALIN, ROBERT
Philadelphia Coach Yard
MARIDUENA, ANIBAL
Chicago Union Station
MARINO, ROBERT
Phila. 30th Street
Station
MATTHEWS, PAUL
Philadelphia Coach Yard
MATTOCCIA, JOHN
CNOC
MCGINNIS, STEVEN
St. Louis Station
MCGONIGAL, KEVIN
Philadelphia Coach Yard
MEYER, JOHN
Brighton Park Facility
MOONEY, MICHAEL
Phila. 30th Street
Station
MUMENTHALER,
WILLIAM
Philadelphia Coach Yard
NANGLE, GERALD
Phila. 30th Street
Station
O KEEFE,
CHRISTOPHER
Southampton St. Yard
PAONE, JAMES
New York Penn Station
PAPROCKI, STEVEN
Hamden, Conn., MOW
Base
Employee Milestones
Congratulations to All of You!
Employee Milestones
Congratulations to All of You!
Amtrak Ink December-January 2013 | 17
PEDROZA, WILLIAM
Chicago Offices
PIDGEON, WILLIAM
Trenton Station
PLANCON, DAVID
Engineering, New
Haven, Conn.
PLATT, THOMAS
Meriden Station
PROULX, DENNIS
Pa. Reservation & Sales
Office
PYLE, STEVEN
Lancaster Station
RACE, CHARLES
Phila. 30th Street
Station
ROSEEN, JOHN
New York Penn Station
SALIDO, PAUL
Los Angeles 8th St.
Coach Yard
SENFT, COLLEEN
Chicago Mech. &
Terminal Offices
SHEAFFER, GARY
Lancaster Station
SURFACE, RUSSELL
Beech Grove
Maintenance Facility
TETEAK, MICHAEL
Chicago Mech. &
Terminal Offices
TIPPING, THOMAS
Philadelphia Coach Yard
TRIEBEL, DAVID
Mechanical Office
TSIKALAS, EMANUEL
Washington Union
Station
URQUHART,
ABRAHAM
Phila. 30th Street
Station
WEBER, CRAIG
Wilmington Shops
WHITAKER, DAVID
Phila. 30th Street
Station
WILLIAMS, MICHAEL
Philadelphia Coach Yard
WILLIAMS, RUSSELL
Phila. 30th Street
Station
WINTHER, JOHN
Phila. 30th Street
Station
BORNHORST, CARL
Rensselaer Mech.
Facility
GRANT, JAMES
Bear Car Shop
GRUGAN, TIMOTHY
Rensselaer Mech.
Facility
HILL, JOSEPH
Wilmington Shops
ST. LOUIS, DANIEL
Rensselaer Mech.
Facility
ANDRZEJEWSKI,
PATRICK
Amtrak Corp. HQ
ARTHUR, DAVID
Los Angeles Offices
BATES, RUSSELL
Seattle Mechanical Yard
BENNETT, PATRICK
Portland, Ore., Station
BETHEA, JEFFREY
Pa. Reservation & Sales
Office
BIBBEE, CHERYL
Seattle Mechanical Yard
BLANKENSHIP,
KENNETH
Wilmington Shops
BROWN, LYNN
Portland, Ore., Station
CAIRD, WILLARD
Spokane Station
CONNOLLY, JOHN
Southampton St. Yard
COOKE, EDWARD
Portland, Ore., Station
CUADRO, EFREN
Los Angeles Offices
DICKS, NEIL
New York Penn Station
DOUGLAS-ENGLISH,
YOLANDA
Los Angeles Offices
DUNCAN, RICHARD
Spokane Station
GARNER, DONALD
Tacoma Station
GREENIDGE, MARK
Paoli Station
HAUGHEY, LOUIS
Southampton St. Yard
HEBERT, MARK
Los Angeles 8th St.
Coach Yard
HODOUS, ROBERT
Seattle Mechanical Yard
HOLLIDAY, STEPHEN
Seattle Mechanical Yard
HOUSTON, RONALD
Pa. Reservation & Sales
Office
HOWERTER, LARRY
Spokane Station
JONAS, RUDI
Amtrak Corp. HQ
JONES, DOUGLAS
Seattle Mechanical Yard
KASUN, JOHN
Shelby Crew Base
KOUNTZ, JAMES
Portland, Ore., Station
LOCKE, LYNN
Salisbury T&E Crew Base
MACBAIN, HANS
Wilmington Shops
MANARAS, DAVID
Seattle Mechanical Yard
MANNING, LARRY
Portland, Ore., Station
MOORE, DENNIS
Seattle Mechanical Yard
MURRAY, JOHN
Rensselaer Mech.
Facility
MYDLAND, DAVID
Shelby Crew Base
NELSON, DANIEL
Beech Grove
Maintenance Facility
O'CONNOR, MICHAEL
Shelby Crew Base
PAIGE, TYRONE
Amtrak Corp. HQ
RASCH, STEPHEN
Lorton, Va.
RHODES, BONITA
Pa. Reservation & Sales
Office
RHOTON, RICKY
Los Angeles Offices
ROBERSON, ERNEST
Seattle Mechanical Yard
SAMPSON, DIRK
Portland, Ore., Station
SHAW, LOUANNE
Boston South Station
SHORT, WILLIAM
Shelby Crew Base
SPENCER, ANGELA
Los Angeles Offices
TAYLOR, DONALD
Portland, Ore., Station
WEAVER, GREGORY
Harrisburg Station
WEISHAAR, WAYNE
Shelby Crew Base
WHEELON, DAVID
Portland, Ore., Station
WILLIAMS, RALPH
Phila. 30th Street
Station
WISE, JOSEPH
Spokane Station
ARIAS, HECTOR
New York Penn Station
BADRUDDOZA, ABUL
Calif. Reservation Sales
Office
BARLOW, JOHN
Perryville M/W Base
Crew Base
BEEBE, BARRY
Los Angeles Offices
BERGLIND, MARK
Chicago Crew Base
BRATHWAITE,
WILBERT
New York Penn Station
BRISCOE, GREGORY
New Orleans Maint.
Facility
BROWN, ANGELO
Bear Car Shop
BROWN, DAVID
Wilmington Shops
CHERRY, STEPHEN
New York Penn Station
CHINSKI, THOMAS
Phila. 30th Street
Station
CUTTS, RITA
Sacramento Station
DAIGLE, MICHAEL
Odenton M/W Base
D'ALESIO, ANGELA
New York Penn Station
FITZGERALD,
ALEXANDER
C&S HQ
HAIRSTON, DAREL
Wilmington Shops
JAGODZINSKI,
CHRISTOPHER
Phila. 30th Street
Station
LIPSCOMB, JAMES
New York Penn Station
LO, AMY
Los Angeles Offices
LOVE, JANIS
Calif. Reservation Sales
Office
MCMAHON, ALAN
Sunnyside Yard NY
MOORE, RANDY
Los Angeles Offices
MYLES, CRAIG
Philadelphia Coach Yard
NOVAK, ROGER
Oxnard Station
SCARPONE, ALBERT
C&S HQ
SMITH, JAMES
Providence MOW Base
UONG, DUY
Los Angeles Offices
VILCA, RICHARD
New York Penn Station
WOHANKA, THOMAS
Newark Penn Station
WOODS, RODGIE
Chicago Crew Base
Congratulations to All of You!
Employee Milestones
18 | December-January 2013 Amtrak Ink
BAKER, ROBERT
San Antonio Offices
BANCHARAN,
THERESA
Sunnyside Yard N.Y.
BAPTISTE, JUNICE
Sunnyside Yard N.Y.
BELLMORE,
HAROLD
New Haven Station
BLUM, KEITH
Depew Station
BURRELL, LEROY
Sunnyside Yard N.Y.
CATURANO,
GERALD
New Haven Station
CHASE, MICHAEL
Ivy City Maint.
Facility
CHILDS, ELAINE
Wilmington Training
Center
CLABORNE, RITA
New Orleans Maint.
Facility
DAVIS, FRANCIS
Richmond Station
DOWLING, ROBERT
Redondo Junction
Engine House
GOOSTREE,
THOMAS
T&E Crewbase - Ft.
Worth
HUNT, STANLEY
Los Angeles Offices
JOHNSON, LISA
Sunnyside Yard N.Y.
JONES, RANDY
Milwaukee Station
KURACZYK,
MAREK
W. Oakland Maint.
Facility
MONUTEAUX,
MARY
Rensselaer Mech.
Facility
MORGAN, ROBERT
New Orleans Station
NEMERGUT,
RAYMOND
New Haven Station
NICHOLS, DONNA
Chicago Mech. &
Terminal Offices
O'CONNELL,
DANIEL
Los Angeles Offices
RODRIGUEZ,
MAXIMO
New York Division
HQ
TODD, LARRY
San Luis Obispo
Station
TORMA, ROBERT
Merced Station
WASHINGTON,
TRACY
Sunnyside Yard N.Y.
WEBB, DOUGLAS
Hartford Station
WHITE, MICHAEL
Chicago Locomotive
Shop
WILLIAMS,
LEONARD
Chicago Mech. &
Terminal Offices
WISE, TODD
Battle Creek Station
BACCHUS,
RONALD
Washington Union
Station
BRAYMAN, ROGER
Kansas City Maint.
Facility
BRAZDA, THOMAS
New York Penn
Station
ELLISON,
GERTRUDE
Phila. 30th Street
Station
FISTER, JOHN
Chicago Crew Base
GASSENHEIMER,
ERIC
New Jersey NW Base
GATTONE, HOLLY
Lancaster Station
HAYES, JAMES
St. Louis Station
HENDERSON,
DARNELL
Baltimore Station
HIGA, JERRY
Calif. Reservation
Sales Office
MCNEIL, CYNTHIA
Philadelphia Coach
Yard
OHLSCHWAGER,
MICHAEL
Denver Station
PEARSON, GAVIN
Galesburg Crew
Base
PORTER, WILLIAM
La Junta, Colo.
RAUCH, CYNTHIA
Phila. 30th Street
Station
ROCCKI,
DOMINICK
Pa. Reservation &
Sales Office
SMITH, ROY
Quad Ave. M/W
Base, Baltimore, Md.
SWEET, BARBARA
Pa. Reservation &
Sales Office
TAYLOR, DREW
Ivy City Maint.
Facility
THOMPSON,
MICHAEL
Amtrak Corp. HQ
WINGFIELD, DORA
Washington Union
Station
ZEPEDA, LUIS
Los Angeles Offices
CAMERON,
ROBERT
Phila. 30th Street
Station
GALLAGHER,
PATRICK
New York Penn
Station
GREER, DONALD
Bear Car Shop
GUISWHITE,
RAYMOND
Omaha Station
HARDEN, ANGELA
Wilmington Station
KOPPEL, KEVIN
CNOC
MANLOVE,
JEFFREY
Bear Car Shop
MAXFIELD,
THOMAS
C&S HQ
MCFADDEN,
LAWRENCE
Phila. 30th Street
Station
PEDRICK, LISA
Amtrak Corp. HQ
SHOWALTER,
DAVID
Bear Car Shop
ULRICH, STEVEN
N.Y. Rensselaer
Station
BULANDA, STEVE
Chicago Mech. &
Terminal Offices
BUTLER, SCOTT
Sunnyside Yard N.Y.
CHIAVARONE,
MICHAEL
New Jersey NW Base
DI PAOLO, JOHN
Phila. 30th Street
Station
ESHBACH, JOHN
Paoli Station
GIBSON, MICHAEL
New Jersey NW Base
HAMMOND, LEON
Phila. 30th Street
Station
LENTELLE, PAUL
Wilmington Shops
LEWIS, CARL
Perryville M/W Base
ALDRIDGE, ROBERT
Portland Station
ALVIES, RUDOLPH
Beech Grove Maint.
Facility
AVINGTON-KEY,
SHARON
Emeryville Station
BAGGETT, MICHAEL
Chicago Crew Base
BEHRLE, DOUGLAS
Wilmington Shops
BERRYMAN BEY JR,
DANIEL
Quad Ave. M/W Base,
Balitmore, Md.
BODTMANN,
MARTIN
Phila. 30th Street
Station
BROWN, JOHN
Phila. 30th Street
Station
BRYANT, DIANA
Amtrak Corp. HQ
CAMP, HUGH
Rensselaer Station
CANIGLIA, JOSEPH
Philadelphia Coach
Yard
CASTRO, MARIO
W. Oakland Maint.
Facility
COLLINS, ROBERT
New York Penn
Station
COMBS, DORIS
Phila. 30th Street
Station
COOK, THOMAS
Wash., D.C., Union
Station
CROMPTON,
MITCHELL
Rensselaer Mech.
Facility
CROUCH, RONALD
Beech Grove Maint.
Facility
DANIELS, ROBERT
Sunnyside Yard N.Y.
DELGADO, JESUS
Los Angeles Offices
DOMINICK, JOHN
Boston South Station
FLINT, WILLIAM
MOW Base, New
Haven, Conn.
FRACE, BRUCE
Beech Grove
Maintenance Facility
FRYE, MICHAEL
Boston South Station
GALLAGHER, JOHN
New York Division
HQ
GELLOCK, JOSEPH
Engineering
GILL, ROBERT
Transportation Bldg.,
Wash., D.C.
HAYGOOD,
THOMAS
Beech Grove
Maintenance Facility
HENDERSON, JESSE
Richmond Station
HODGEN, BRENDA
Material Control
Facility
HOOK, KATHLEEN
Calif. Reservation
Sales Office
HORN, JESS
Beech Grove
Maintenance Facility
JAMES, FRANK
New Orleans Station
JOHNSON, BARRY
Phila. 30th Street
Station
JONES, LARRY
Miami Station
KEAT, STEVEN
New York Penn
Station
KELLY, ALAN
New York Penn
Station
KELLY, CARL
Chicago Mech. &
Terminal Offices
KHAN, ABDUL
Bear Car Shop
KLEIN, ANNE
Wilmington Shops
LACEY, JOHN
Boston South Station
LAW, CLIFFORD
NW Base, N.
Brunswick, NJ
LEACH, STEPHEN
Oakland Station
LITTLE, JOHN
Miami Mechanical
Yard
MATTHEWS, DAVID
Indianapolis Stn.-
Illinois St.
MOON, DORIS
Pa. Reservation &
Sales Office
MOONEY, PATRICK
Wilmington Shops
MURPHY, JOSEPH
Sunnyside Yard N.Y.
MYERS, JOHN
Wilmington Shops
O'DELL, CURTIS
DC Coach Yard
OLIVEIRA,
BARBARA
Sacramento Station
RABUCK, JACK
Quad Ave. M/W Base,
Baltimore, Md.
RANDOLPH,
RONALD
CNOC
SANTOS, ROBERT
Calif. Reservation
Sales Office
SCHOFIELD,
EDWARD
Perryville M/W Base
SCHWEITZER,
STEPHEN
Los Angeles Offices
SEITZ, SHARYN
Amtrak Corp. HQ
STIDHAM, ROBERT
Wilmington Shops
TAMASI, RICHARD
NW Base
THOMPSON, LINDA
Chicago Mech. &
Terminal Offices
VOSS, VICKI
Calif Reservation
Sales Office
WALL, TOMMY
Meridian Station
WHITELY, KEVIN
New York Penn
Station
Employee Milestones
Congratulations to All of You!
Amtrak Ink December-January 2013 | 19
60 Massachusetts Avenue, N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20002
To change your address, sign onto the Employee Information
Portal or complete an NRPC 2001 form and submit according to
the directions.
Presorted
Standard
U.S. Postage
PAID
Des Moines, IA
Permit No. XXX
In Amtrak History
D E C E M B E R 1 7 , 1 9 8 9
On this date in Amtrak history, the third San Joaquin roundtrip went
into service between Bakersfield, Calif., and Oakland. In fiscal year
2012, the now 12 daily trains serving the line experienced a ridership
increase of 7.2 percent and a record-breaking 1.1 million riders.

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Amtrak-Ink-Dec-Jan-2013

  • 1. i n kA Monthly Publication for and by Amtrak Employees Volume 18 • Issue 1 • December - January 2013 President’s Service & Safety Awards Congratulations to this year’s recipients! Customers Share Praise for Amtrak Employees Exclusive Photos Inside the PSSA Luncheon
  • 2. Train of Thought want to start off by thanking all of you for your service this year.Your hard work combined with our record-breaking 31.2 million customers and $2.2 billion in revenue resulted in a 50 percent reduction in our federal operating need in current dollars compared to just eight years ago. No one can argue: we’re doing more with less. During 2012,Amtrak achieved several impor- tant company milestones. We completed a system- wide comprehensive rollout of our eTicketing program, allowing cus- tomers more ways to buy and experience our products.The new Norfolk,Va., service extension signifies the first intercity passenger rail service to the area since 1977 and allows us to connect customers using the Richmond - Petersburg - Norfolk line to points as far north as Boston via our Northeast Corridor service. In addition, our Amtrak Police Department received international accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation on Law Enforcement Inc., signifying our unwa- vering dedication to the safety of our employees and passengers to law enforcement programs around the world. The following pages of this issue are also full of accomplishments.Amtrak has a long history of rec- ognizing its employees who go above and beyond their calls of duty through our President’s Service & Safety Awards. These employees have exceeded all expectations in supporting our corpo- rate goals of safety, customer focus, mobility and connectivity, environ- mental and energy, and financial and organiza- tional excellence.Their hard work was recog- nized at a luncheon in Washington, D.C., in November, and I am sharing their stories with you to inspire good works throughout the rest of the Amtrak system. The next 12 months will surely bring more improvements, more accomplish- ments and more exciting changes for our company. Most importantly, as we head into the New Year, I want to wish you and your families a safe and happy 2013. Thank you for everything you do everyday for Amtrak. I 2 | December-January 2013 Amtrak Ink I Check us out on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube Joe H. Boardman AA 100,00 90,000 80,000 70,000 60,000 50,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 0 June July August September: 76,854 Help with our Safe-2-Safer Goal! 100,000 Amtrak Employee and Customer Communications Joe McHugh, Vice President I. Suzi Andiman, Blair Hammond, Editor Government Affairs & Director Employee & Employee & Customer Corporate Communications Customer Communications Communications Marlon Sharpe Julia Quinn Collin King Principal Graphic Designer Director, Social Media Graphic Specialist Corporate Communications Corporate Communications Corporate Communications The peer-to-peer injury- prevention program Safe-2-Safer has a new goal of reaching 100,000 observations in fiscal year 2013. Track Amtrak’s system-wide progress each month.
  • 3. Amtrak Ink December-January 2013 | 3 Front Line Focus “I recently traveled Amtrak through Mississippi to New Orleans and I want to compliment whatever person or agency made the decision to beautify the passenger stations along the Crescent’s route through the state. I have gone a lot of places by train, and I was very impressed by the beau- tiful buildings of Hattiesburg and Laurel. Other states or cities should take a cue from the Magnolia State.” — Robin Woolsey, Oxford,Ala. “My wife has an electric wheel- chair, and when we arrived in Seattle, we were fortunate to have Lane Johnson, right, a con- ductor in the terminal, assist us. I cannot say enough positive things about him. Johnson is a five-star Amtrak employee. He took care of all our needs, from food and assisting my wife onto the train to taking care of our luggage.” — Donald Marshall, Bloomsburg, Pa. “Recently my mother, who is 76 years old, rode from Mendota, Ill., to Dodge City, Kan., and I was pleasantly surprised with the service she had on the train and the volunteers at the Dodge City Station. I picked her up at 5:10 a.m. on a Sunday morning from the Southwest Chief, and the train was even 10 minutes early!” — Kevin English,Woodward, Okla. “My husband and I traveled on the Empire Builder on Sept. 19, 2012, from Portland, Ore., to St. Paul, Minn. Our attendant Darryl has now spoiled us for any other attendant. He was just exceptional. He assisted with everyone else’s needs quite efficiently and was extremely friendly and fun while doing it.We will miss him dearly.Thank you so much Darryl, you made our trip so fun and memorable.” — Aleta Smith, Newbury, Calif. “The @Amtrak app is great, I used it this morning. Also, amazing job on the #Sandy recovery!” ― Randall Myers,Washington, D.C. Table of Contents 4 Achievement Award Winners The accomplishments of employees in this category involve an innovative, noteworthy achievement that is above and beyond the employee’s assigned duties. 5 Champion of the Rails, Environmental (Team) and Project Excellence Award Winners Champion of the Rails recognizes non-Amtrak employees who have successfully completed a project to enhance the quality or safety of passen- ger rail services. Environmental Achievement recipients contributed to the success of Amtrak’s environment and energy goals. Project Excellence employees have substantially exceeded the goals of an assigned project. 7 Safety Achievment and Safety Committee Award Winners Safety Achievement recipients have contributed to Amtrak’s goal of safety and security.The Safety Committee of the Year consistently acted to contribute to Amtrak’s goal of safety and security. 9 State Partner and Sustained Excellence Winners State Partners are state officials who have successfully completed a project to expand or enhance the quality of passenger rail services. Sustained Excellence individuals embody Amtrak’s values and have demonstrated exceptional overall job performance. 14Valor Recipients courageously handled a life-threatening rescue or emergency situation. 17Milestones Amtrak Headquarters 60 Massachusetts Ave., NE Washington, D.C. 20002 Ecom@Amtrak.com Amtrak Ink is a monthly employee publication of Amtrak, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation. ® AMTRAK is a registered service mark of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation.
  • 4. On November 8,Amtrak paid tribute to its extraordinary and dedicated employees at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. The President’s Service and Safety Awards program is designed to honor the men and women of Amtrak who surpass expectations and serve as models for meeting and exceeding the company’s goals of safety, customer focus, mobility and connectivity, environment and energy and organizational excellence. This year’s 112 award winners represent the best of Amtrak. Both large- scale projects such as the implementation of eTicketing and personal acts of courage like apprehending an attacker in the Champaign, Ill., station were recognized, and the following pages outline the details of the winners’ accomplishments. Says President and CEO Joe Boardman:“As members of the Amtrak family, together we face adversity, acknowledge our blessings with humility and celebrate the drive — whether on an individual or collective basis — that advances our mission and goals.” The following profiles were written by the volunteer members of this year’s PSSA committee. Congratulations to all of the employees honored. 4 | December-January 2013 Amtrak Ink 2012 President’s Safety & Service Awards ACHIEVEMENT Douglas Konn System Developer, Information Technology,Washington, D.C. On Monday, January 17, 2011, at approximately 6 a.m. (EST), the virtual storage containers used to record finan- cial data from the Arrow Reservation System encountered a failure that prevented Arrow from recording financial data to produce online settlement tapes of credit card transactions.This incident resulted in approximately 21 hours – 89,000 transactions and $6 million – of lost finan- cial data. Doug took action by first looking at the various sources of data contained within Arrow that could be used to reconstruct the missing issuance, exchange and refund data. Once understood, he came up with a number of processes to extract and recapture the ticketing data files from the corrupted tapes and rewrite them onto new tapes. He then worked with principal applications system engineer Mark Musselwhite to test the reconstructed data and continued to tweak his methods until a 95 percent success rate was obtained. Doug was able to reconstruct the data onto tapes for submission over the next three days. Doug’s expertise and knowledge of the system and his analytical ability enabled him to step outside his normal everyday job scope and tackle this amazing feat. Andrew Maragos Customer Service Representative,Transportation, Minot, N.D. Doneta Skinn Customer Service Representative,Transportation, Minot, N.D. Dan Valley Director Food and Beverage,Transportation, Chicago, Ill. Last year’s devastating flood conditions struck the city of Minot, placing the station in peril.The unselfish actions of Customer Service Representatives Doneta Skinn and Andrew Maragos, along with their former supervisor, District Manager of Stations Dan Valley, helped to pre- serve Amtrak property and restore service at the Minot station. Doneta and Andrew did a remarkable job in the face of adversity.When it became obvious that the flood waters placed the station in jeopardy, they took ownership of the situation.They devised a plan — without being asked — and carried it out to the astonishment of their managers. They turned off the power and plumbing, lifted equipment and secured space to store valuable equipment and docu- ments above the water line.
  • 5. Amtrak Ink December-January 2013 | 5 2012 President’s Safety & Service Awards CHAMPION OF THE RAILS Harold and Judy Bryant Hondo,Texas Harold and Judy Bryant are volunteers dedicated to educating the public about Amtrak long-distance trains. Throughout Southern Texas, they held workshops in San Antonio, Uvalde,Alpine and Hondo, explaining what to expect when traveling aboard Amtrak.Their goal is to raise awareness of train travel in communities that are not familiar with Amtrak service. During 2011, they held nine workshops averaging 40 to 80 participants per class.They have also conducted a session with as many as 375 attendees.The workshops are free and open to the public, offering important informa- tion for first-time travelers. In their sessions, Harold and Judy Bryant walk passengers through the Amtrak experi- ence. Classes begin with an Amtrak commercial provided by Marketing’s Jill Farris, and continue with discussions that include how to make reservations, availabilty of parking at stations, checked and carry-on baggage regulations, dining car service, sleeping accommodations, walking safely through the train and even an appropriate gratuity amount. Tom Heard McGregor,Texas Before Tom Heard’s intervention at the McGregor station, passengers seldom used this Amtrak stop along the Texas Eagle route.The town of McGregor is very remote, and the station was all but abandoned.When Tom found the station in such deplorable condition, he decided he would do something about it. Tom completely renovated the building, furniture and platform. He replaced fixtures, hardware, windows and plumbing at his own expense. He repainted inside and out, restored all the cabinetry and benches, giving the entire station a warm, welcoming ambiance. He even recovered old seating from the Temple station that was being thrown away, and paid for the reupholstering himself. Carey Maynard Moody Lawrence, Kansas When Carey Maynard Moody moved to Lawrence, Kan., she got off the train with her two young children and saw a dark, scary building in terrible shape where home- less persons gathered. She wanted to leave, but we are grateful she stayed. Over the past several years, Carey has led efforts to revitalize the mid-century style station, turning it from a dirty neglected overnight shelter for the homeless to a welcoming, vital place in the community. She accomplished this through giving selflessly of her time and effort, creating a dedicated station advocacy group and galvanizing the support of Amtrak, BNSF Railway, city and state officials, and the local community to restore the station. In 2007, 3,732 passengers got on or off the train at Lawrence. By 2011 it had grown to 6,410.While Carey can’t take all the credit, she certainly contributed to this growth. In 2008, Carey attended an Amtrak Civic Conversation in Albuquerque, N.M., and learned all she could about revitalizing a station. Moving forward, she organized and became president of Depot Redux, a non-profit commu- nity advocacy group dedicated to restoring the station. She and her volunteers interview, hire and oversee the caretak- ers, organize events at the station and much more.They even got the city of Lawrence to take a serious interest in purchasing the depot from BNSF. ENVIRONMENTAL ACHIEVEMENT (TEAM) Robert “Bob” Jones Senior Director Utility Management, Finance, Philadelphia, Pa. John Tull Senior Analyst Utility Management, Finance, Philadelphia, Pa. Bob Jones began his career with Amtrak in April 1977, as a project manager and later became director of Procurement. He is currently the senior director utility management in the Finance department. John Tull came to Amtrak in November 2009, and is the Finance depart- ment’s senior utilities analyst. Working together on the Bear Lighting Replacement and Chicago Steam Plant projects, Bob and John imple- mented innovative practices to improve employee health, the environment and workplace safety, while also reducing costs throughout Amtrak’s facilities. PROJECT EXCELLENCE (TEAM) 40th Anniversary Celebration Team The 40th Anniversary Celebration Team did a phenom- enal job of planning and executing a year-long celebration, commemorating the rich 40-year history of America’s Railroad® .Thanks to their effort and dedication, the cele- bration was a huge success.“They exceeded all goals beyond what was ever imagined,” stated Frances Bourne,
  • 6. 6 | December-January 2013 Amtrak Ink chief Federal Relations. Highlights of their achievements are as follows: • Created and constructed the 40th Anniversary Exhibit Train • Coordinated an Exhibit Train tour, stopping at 45 locations and welcoming nearly 85,000 visitors with the help of more than 500 employee volunteers • Wrote the book titled Amtrak: An American Story, which is in its second printing • Produced a video titled “Amtrak:The First 40 Years,” which received six national awards and is number two on Amtrak’s YouTube site • Designed and distributed 40th anniversary lapel pins to all employees • Developed a website and merchandise commemo rating the 40th anniversary • Partnered with Ludorum, Inc., the parent company of Chuggington, the animated children’s television series, and with its support created Chuggington Depot, a children’s play area featuring toy train sets. Developed banners, coloring books, safety books, product coupons and a giant 40th anniversary card 40th Anniversary Celebration Team Members Frank Anderson, Locomotive Technician, Mechanical, Beech Grove, Ind. Suzi Andiman, Director Employee and Customer Communications, Government Affairs and Corporate Communications,Washington, D.C. Francine Berk, Program Manager Corporate and Community Relations, Government Affairs and Corporate Communications,Washington, D.C. Helen Butler, Director Procurement, Finance, Philadelphia, Pa. J. Bruce Carlton, Assistant Superintendent, Backshops, Bear, Del. Gerald Cherico, Carman, Mechanical, Bear, Del. Matt Donnelly, Product Development Officer East, Transportation,Washington, D.C. Seth Geist, Senior Industrial Designer, Mechanical, Wilmington, Del. John Grey, Superintendent, Mechanical, Beech Grove, Ind. Christopher Jagodzinski, Chief Operations Projects and Improvements,Transportation, Philadelphia, Pa. Patrick Kidd, Researcher/Writer, Government Affairs and Corporate Communications,Washington, D.C. David Milenbaugh, Carman Welder, Mechanical, Beech Grove, Ind. James Monaghan, Foreman II, Mechanical, Bear, Del. Jeffrey Osborne, Specifications and Standards Engineer, Mechanical, Beech Grove, Ind. Steven Ostrowski, Passenger Engineer,Transportation, Rensselaer, N.Y. Ann Owens, Senior Officer National Advertising, Marketing,Washington, D.C. Robert Ripperger, Principal Officer, Government Affairs and Corporate Communications,Washington, D.C. John Skalski, Industrial Designer, Mechanical, Wilmington, Del. Thomas L. Stennis, III, Director Government Affairs South, Government Affairs and Corporate Communications, New Orleans, La. Deborah Varnado, Director Branding & Promotions, Marketing,Washington, D.C. eTicketing Pilot Project Team Members of the eTicketing Pilot Project Team, who represent the Marketing and Information Technology (IT) departments, put in countless hours towards the success of this important modernization of Amtrak’s ticketing system that eliminates the need for paper tickets, increases check- in speed and provides valuable real-time data for Amtrak and our state partners. Prior to the start of the eTicketing pilot on the Downeaster and the Auto Train, it could take up to two weeks to get accurate ridership information on any given train.With the implementation of eTicketing, staff gained real time data about who was traveling on the train — vital knowledge in the event of an emergency.This data helped our state partner in Maine determine how many multi-ride customers use the Downeaster each day.The information was then analyzed to better manage seat inventory. eTicketing also automates and enforces the random identification check as per our agreement with the Federal Railroad Administration. eTicketing Pilot Project Team Members Phil Bouchard, Program Manager Service Standards and Operations Support,Transportation,Wilmington, Del. Anthony Flynn, Program Director Sales and Reservation Systems Programs, Marketing,Washington, D.C. Donald Hancock, Program Director, Information Technology,Washington, D.C. Jon Herring, Systems Developer, Information Technology, Washington, D.C. Justin Jose, Manager Railres and C++, Information Technology,Washington, D.C. Amir Khan, Principal Officer, Marketing,Washington, D.C. 2012 President’s Safety & Service Awards
  • 7. Amtrak Ink December-January 2013 | 7 Douglas Konn, Systems Developer, Information Technology,Washington, D.C. Victor Machado, Systems Developer, Information Technology,Washington, D.C. Wanda McQueen, Analyst Quality Assurance, Marketing, Washington, D.C. Mark Musselwhite, Principal Applications Systems Engineer, Information Technology,Washington, D.C. Geoffrey Nelson, Systems Developer, Information Technology,Washington, D.C. Penelope Porter, Coordinator CMS, Marketing, Washington, D.C. Natividad Risley, Systems Developer, Information Technology,Washington, D.C. Thomas Vidnovic, Principal Applications Systems Engineer, Information Technology,Washington, D.C. Xiaoyuan (Sharon) Yu, Systems Developer, Information Technology,Washington, D.C. Train Communications Team In 2011, the Train Communications Project Team com- pleted the installation of Train Communications Data Locomotive Digital Video Recorder (TCD/LDVR) systems on 345 diesel locomotives and cab cars.The purple-colored TCD/LDVR system nicknamed “The Barney Box” has fundamentally transformed the way Amtrak manages its train operations, emergencies and service disruptions. It dramatically improves our incident response capabilities, reduces the risks and costs of litiga- tion related to grade-crossing incidents and significantly improves the accuracy and reliability of information on engine conditions. The system includes locomotive video cameras to record activities ahead of the locomotive on the right-of- way, global positioning system (GPS) equipment to enable timely and accurate train tracking, an on-board messaging system to permit two-way communications between the Consolidated National Operations Center (CNOC) and the locomotive engineer, a fuel-monitoring system to track fuel availability and send alerts on low-fuel conditions and locomotive health monitoring to track and report on- board system diagnostics. It also has an automatic emergency brake alert feature. For the first time in our history, we know in real-time the operating conditions of our diesel locomotives.We can document and review inci- dent details with video and audio, and know exactly where trains are located in real time. Likewise, our passengers now know with substantially improved accuracy when their trains will arrive. Train Communications Team Members Dawn Amore, Contractor, Marketing,Washington, D.C. Sarabpreet Bumra, Assistant Superintendent, Mechanical, Chicago, Ill. Sean Cronin, Engineer Fleet, Mechanical, Chicago, Ill. Brian Erny, Manager Locomotive Equipment Maintenance, Mechanical, Chicago, Ill. Christopher Jagodzinski, Chief Operations Projects and Improvements,Transportation, Philadelphia, Pa. Clifford Kendall, Program Director Locomotive Technology,Transportation,Wilmington, Del. Kevin Koppel, Director Mechanical Operations, Mechanical,Wilmington, Del. Kevin Landrigan, Contractor, Marketing,Washington, D.C. Stevan Lebo, Principal Applications Systems Engineer, Information Technology,Washington, D.C. Lenetta McCampbell, Senior Director On-Board Systems, Marketing,Washington, D.C. William Rossetti, Foreman II, Mechanical, Chicago, Ill. Michael Scaringe, Director Fleet Engineering, Mechanical, Beech Grove, Ind. Glenn Selby, General Foreman, Mechanical, Chicago, Ill. Nicholas Troiano, Director Procurement, Finance, Philadelphia, Pa. George Warren, Assistant System General Road Foreman, Transportation,Wilmington, Del. Onping Yu, Electrical Engineer, Mechanical, Los Angeles, Calif. SAFETY ACHIEVEMENT J. Bruce Carlton Assistant Superintendent, Backshops, Bear, Del. Brian Dallas Car Repairman, Mechanical, Bear, Del. Bruce Carlton, who started with Amtrak in November 1976, has held the position of assistant superintendent at the Bear Shops since March 2011. Prior jobs within the company include car repairman, car repairman welder, foreman and car inspector. Brian Dallas came to Amtrak in October 1977, and served as a trackman before becom- ing a laborer. Since 1979, he has been a car repairman. On their own initiative, Bruce and Brian developed a Safety Behavior Inventory Bulletin Handbook for the Bear Maintenance Facility that defines at-risk and safe behaviors.The men recognized the need to highlight lessons learned in the Safe-2-Safer training and BST processes, and came up with the idea to produce an easy- 2012 President’s Safety & Service Awards
  • 8. 8 | December-January 2013 Amtrak Ink to-read manual as a reference for the Mechanical depart- ment employees.They spent personal time to take photographs, gather information and write the content for the handbook. Working with Reprographics, they also designed and printed the book, which is now used as a prototype by other mechanical facilities. William A. White, Jr. Road Foreman,Transportation, Portland, Maine William A.White, Jr. came to Amtrak in September 2005 as an assistant conductor. The next year, he was pro- moted to the position of locomotive engineer. On October 1, 2012,William became a road foreman in Portland, Maine. In 2009,William lost the tip of his thumb when he became distracted by a passenger and closed a P-42 loco- motive door on his finger. While on a medical leave of absence, he developed an inexpensive but effective door guard that prevents this type of injury. In 2011, a prototype of this door guard was installed on engine # 9. There have been no door-related injuries on this locomotive since the installation and now other locomotives in Chicago are being outfitted with the guard.As a locomotive engineer, it was not within William’s job scope to create a door safety device, but he wanted to prevent further injuries of this type. SAFETY ACHIEVEMENT(TEAM) Riverside Statistical Group Western Reservation Sales Contact Center, Riverside, Calif. Joann Hemesath, Gail Johnson, Juan Morales and Jonnie Washington all serve as statistical clerks in the Western Reservation Sales Contact Center Statistical Office in Riverside, Calif. This group of employees has taken the Amtrak commitment to safety to heart by refin- ing office procedures to ensure the safety of Contact Center employees and the continuity of operations in the event of an emergency. According to Supervisor Ashlee Slepicka,“They took information, such as contact phone numbers, refuge area locations, attendance and staffing data, and log books and compiled it together for easy removal and use during an emergency.” Thanks to their efforts, the evacuation plan for the building was included as one of the items to be removed from the building during an emergency. This statistical group also ensures that all employees are accounted for and notifies emergency personnel in the event of an evac- uation. Administrator Dee Ruiz explains:“Riverside is a large facility employing more than 600 people. Removing personnel and vital records in an emergency requires pre- cision and organization. Using the procedures put in place by the group has resulted in more efficient evacuation drills." Riverside Statistical Team Members Joann Hemesath, Statistical Clerk, Marketing Gail Johnson, Statistical Clerk, Marketing Juan Morales, Statistical Clerk, Marketing Jonnie Washington, Statistical Clerk, Marketing SAFETY COMMITTEE OF THE YEAR Baltimore Safety Committee The Baltimore Safety Committee is comprised of a dedicated team of employees representing Transportation, Engineering, Operations,Amtrak Police and the MARC commuter line. Together the group has done an outstand- ing job of addressing potential safety hazards in and around the New Carrollton, Baltimore and Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI) stations. The committee coordinates a number of initiatives aimed at reinforcing the importance of safety. Last year, the committee brought to light several hazards at the BWI station, including expansion strips on the newly installed platform that had become a tripping hazard and roof leaks on the canopy, which would freeze during cold weather and create a dangerous slipping condition on the south- bound platform. Through their diligence, these hazards were repaired by our Engineering team.This team also ensured that malfunctioning water spouts were repaired, minimizing the risks of slips and falls. At the Baltimore station, the group was also instru- mental in getting an old, wooden stairway leading to St. Paul Street replaced with new, metal stairs and handrails. When some of the chairs in the seating area at the BWI station became worn and torn, the Baltimore Safety Committee took a proactive approach of simply replacing a few of the defective chairs, and the committee ensured that all of the aging chairs were replaced, the walls were painted and tasteful pictures were hung. Baltimore Safety Committee Members Elliott Benton, Lead Ticket Clerk,Transportation Timeka Caldwell Bruce, Clerk Steno,Transportation Raymond Geisendaffer, Locomotive Engineer, Transportation Tracy Hart, Police Officer, Police Department Michael Jones, Lead Ticket Clerk,Transportation Paul Mallon, District Manager of Stations,Transportation Anthony Mobley, Trainmaster (MARC),Transportation Joseph Prochaska, Assistant Conductor, Transportation Matthew Rohlfing, Road Foreman,Transportation 2012 President’s Safety & Service Awards
  • 9. Amtrak Ink December-January 2013 | 9 Miriam Suddoo-Morgan, District Manager of Stations, Transportation Charles Sweeney, Station Action Team Coordinator, Emergency Management & Corporate Security Maria T. Torres, Lead Ticket Clerk,Transportation Patricia Ussery, Assistant Conductor,Transportation STATE PARTNER William “Bill” Bronte Chief of Division Rail, California Department of Transportation, Sacramento, Calif. Bill Bronte is the chief of division rail for the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and has worked tirelessly to develop specifications for rolling stock and secure federal funds for those projects. Bill co-chaired a multi-state committee that developed the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act (PRIIA) Section 305 design specifications for multi-state passenger bi-level rail cars. In addition, under Bill’s leader- ship on the PRIIA Section 305 finance sub-committee, his team, working with Amtrak and other key stakeholders, was able to secure federal funds to be allocated to the pro- curement of the future rolling stock. Not only did Bill’s efforts provide a platform for future Amtrak bi-level rail car purchases, but his team maximized the ability of California and other states to acquire rolling stock to support route expansion, improve capacity and support future higher speeds. Lee Goldenberg Retired, California Department of Transportation It was no accident that ridership, revenue and Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) scores improved after Lee Goldenberg became involved with the San Joaquin service in 2004. Ridership rose from 738,540 in 2004 to 1,067,441 in 2011. During the same period, revenue grew from $20,207,164 to $35,704,109 and CSI scores increased from 77 percent to 91 percent. Lee worked closely with Amtrak, the San Joaquin Valley Rail Committee and others to get a lot accom- plished. Assistant Superintendent Road Operations Tommy Andrews said that Lee really knew the needs and demographics of the region. Caltrans Senior Project Manager Todd Amilli said that Lee achieved so much because he really cared. He didn't just sit behind the desk, he went out to the stations and rode the trains. Lee talked to the passengers to find out how we could provide a more convenient, comfortable service. He even knew employees by name and got their feedback on ways to improve service. Every year, he gathered a group of Caltrans and Amtrak staff to travel to every station and identify ways to make viable improvements for passengers. He also took employees from his office and supervisors representing the San Joaquin Valley Rail Committee on station tours so they would better understand the needs of our passengers and employees. SUSTAINED EXCELLENCE Mary Rose Barbara Assistant Superintendent, Mechanical, Chicago, Ill. Mary Rose Barbara began her career at Amtrak in 1973 and has steadily progressed through the company’s ranks from clerk typist to assistant superintendent at Chicago’s Union Station, one of the busiest terminals in the country. Mary is the driving force within the Chicago Mechanical department, embodying a “can do” attitude that keeps operations humming continuously — even on her days off.There is no job Mary Rose can’t do. From covering for diesel yard managers while they’re on vaca- tion to working with Metra commuter rail service, Mary Rose is always present and positive.Among her colleagues at Amtrak, she’s seen as a constant motivator, always setting a good example for others and quickly springing into action when her expertise is needed. Since 1973, Mary Rose has held a variety of roles, always with more responsibility than the prior position. In 2003, she was promoted from general foreman to assistant superintendent, proof that “popping in,” even on her days off, to check on the terminal’s operations pays off. Randy Benfer Lead Service Attendant,Transportation, New Orleans, La. Randy Benfer has worked at Amtrak since 1997 as a lead service attendant (LSA) based in New Orleans.As a committed employee and relentless pursuer of an out- standing customer experience for his passengers, Randy is a shining example of what all on-board employees should strive toward. Among his colleagues, Randy is known as a tireless worker, who is always quick to volunteer for back-to-back trips — an exhausting demand for those who are up to the challenge. For countless holidays like the New Year, Christmas and Independence Day, Randy can work all on- board crafts and is often called upon at the last minute to fill vacancies and he never disappoints.What’s perhaps most impressive about Randy’s time at Amtrak is his undeterred attitude.There’s nothing he can’t do, and it’s always with a smile. For example, Randy has been known to even stand in for a chef or two after completing his own four-day runs. 2012 President’s Safety & Service Awards
  • 10. 10 | December-January 2013 Amtrak Ink Julie Byrne Operations Supervisor,Transportation, Lorton,Va. Julie Byrne has had a long and successful career at Amtrak, beginning as a service attendant in 1975 and today serving as a crew base supervisor for the Auto Train. Among her colleagues, Julie is a motivating force who is well-respected. In an effort to convey the importance of safety and security along the rails, Julie always works hard to make her crew briefings thought-provoking so on- board staff will take her lessons and best practices to heart while on their trips. Many who work with Julie say that it is her dedication and great managerial skills that keep them working so hard. In short, because she does well for them, they do well for the customers. Perhaps best known for her strong work ethic, Julie never hesitates to go beyond the requirements of her job. She never backs away from a teaching moment when working with staff and takes time and shows patience when training new employees or teaching veteran employ- ees new skills.These actions not only improve the customer’s experience throughout his or her trip and encourage repeat business, they also instill a strong sense of pride and ownership among the on-board staff.That’s all thanks to Julie. Michele Detrick Principal Officer, Mechanical Contracts, Mechanical, Wilmington, Del. Michele Detrick has enjoyed more than three decades at Amtrak, starting her career as a senior secretary and most recently becoming principal officer of Mechanical contracts in 2010 — the role she holds today. Michele’s work ethic and dedication have set a stellar example for her colleagues and have earned her a reputa- tion for being a tireless and gracious worker who is always willing to go above and beyond her standard duties to make sure the job gets done and gets done right. Not only is Michele reliable in her assigned responsibilities, she’s constantly looking to expand her role, always willing to take on a new project or task. Despite moving up through the company’s ranks, Michele is still sought for input on positions she held years ago and never hesitates to offer her expertise. Bernard Grant Customer Service Representative,Transportation, Jacksonville, Fla. Bernard Grant began working at Amtrak in 1975 as a commissary worker and today uses his friendly demeanor and stellar professionalism as a customer service represen- tative. Bernard is known for going above and beyond the call of duty whenever anyone needs a helping hand.Without batting an eye, Bernard will spring into action, helping red caps with baggage or delivering service announcements to customers or providing a daily safety briefing to his col- leagues behind the ticket desk. Perhaps Bernard’s greatest strength, however, is his ability to handle customers and always make sure they leave smiling. He is always upbeat and positive, even in the most tense situations, and has even been known to provide hotel or taxi accommodations out of his own pocket for customers stranded at the station. Most importantly, Bernard understands the value of earning a loyal customer and constantly works to secure repeat business for the company. Joannie Gunpat Train Attendant,Transportation, Miami, Fla. Joannie Gunpat has worked as a train attendant since 1984 and for the last two years has been recognized for her perfect attendance on the job and earned recognition from the Amtrak Customer Advisory Committee. Among her colleagues in Miami, Joannie is known for her “can do” attitude, which she is always happy to share with others. She often volunteers to train peers in her crew base, teaching them to provide unforgettable customer service to travelers and to always arrive at work early to guarantee a superb train on which to welcome customers. To Joannie, her customers are always number one. She is constantly working to improve their travel experience and never fails to leave a lasting impression on those she serves. Kenneth Homko Lead Service Attendant,Transportation, Chicago, Ill. Kenneth Homko has worked for Amtrak as a lead service attendant since 1998, continuously performing above and beyond the call of duty, all while making each customer he serves feel like he or she is a guest in his own home. No matter the hour, Kenneth is readily available to help and answer the questions of new hires, even when he’s off the clock.Among his colleagues, Kenneth is seen as a reliable leader and knowledgeable mentor who follows through on every promise he makes.As a true tes- tament to his integrity and stellar professionalism, other on-board staff members look forward to the trips in which they get to work alongside Kenneth, because they can be assured that with him on board, the trip will be a success and everything will flow smoothly. 2012 President’s Safety & Service Awards
  • 11. Amtrak Ink December-January 2013 | 11 Whenever the company needs a volunteer for promo- tional or marketing booths at local Chicago-area events, Kenneth never hesitates to step up to the plate, and by doing so he is extending the reach of the Amtrak brand in Illinois communities. Charles Ingram Train Attendant,Transportation, New Orleans, La. As a train attendant with Amtrak for nearly 30 years, Charles Ingram knows what it takes to make customers happy, and has made a career out of helping countless pas- sengers and colleagues alike along the rails. When asked about Charles, co-workers jokingly say that he doesn’t know the word “no” in that he is quick to offer his guidance and assistance to anyone that may need it, no matter what he is doing. Charles feels as though his line of work is a team effort, and doesn’t want any aspect of Amtrak’s service to lack, as it is a reflection on every- one. That’s why he is commited to going that extra mile to make sure that every passenger has the best experience possible, and that every one of his peers has everything they need to be succesful in their duties. Charles has a way of making a personal connection with those riding his trains and understands the value of creating a loyal customer for Amtrak. In all of his years with the company, Charles has never received a customer complaint, probably because he believes in treating each customer the way he would want a member of his own family to be treated. Marilyn Jamison Senior Director, Major Project Partnerships, NEC Infrastructure and Investment Development, Philadelphia, Pa. Marilyn Jamison has been with Amtrak since 1999 and over the last 13 years has served in a variety of roles for the company, beginning as acquisition manager and today serving as the senior director of Major Project Partnership in the Northeast Corridor. According to her colleagues, Marilyn is a “corridor builder” in the finest tradition of American railroading. She is a dedicated champion of improved intercity passen- ger rail service for Amtrak and its state and commuter partners, starting and continuing with the Keystone Corridor development and now with the Empire Corridor. She works tirelessly with all stakeholders, internal and external, to bring about consensus and move projects forward from concept through construction. No detail escapes her sharp eye and she has the rare ability to form, engage and energize working groups of diverse stakehold- ers to achieve real results. Michael Jenkins Train Attendant,Transportation, Chicago, Ill. Michael Jenkins joined Amtrak in 1984 as on-board staff and has spent the majority of his time with the company as a train attendant. Since his first day at Amtrak, Michael has been a dependable employee and a high-quality provider of excellent customer service.Among his colleagues he’s known as a reliable and trusted employee who likes to offer help and guidance to others and is unselfish in times of emergencies. As an example of Michael’s willingness to go above and beyond his job requirements, he volunteered to develop a mentor program for on-board employees. He coordinated the training schedules and in some cases liter- ally guided them through every step. Even on his own time, Michael doesn’t shy away from helping his fellow Amtrak employees. He is the ultimate team player. Mildred Johnson Service Attendant,Transportation, Chicago, Ill. Mildred Johnson joined Amtrak in 1987 as a lead service attendant, later moving to an assistant conductor and today serves as a service attendant. Over her 25 years with the company, Mildred has earned countless customer compliments for her outstand- ing service.Year after year, Mildred continues to offer true service with a smile along the rails — a fact that has not gone unnoticed by her colleagues and managers. She is a hard worker who enjoys her job, always step- ping in when fellow employees are ill and assisting in areas that are short handed on board.While Mildred is aware of her job title, it does not stop her from assisting other employees when problems arise. Her motto is,“Let’s work together to get the job done.”And that’s precisely what she does. As a true testament to Mildred’s professionalism, she is always open to new advice or best practices. On her trains she can always be overheard asking customers,“What can I do for you?,” showing patience and hospitality to the passengers she serves. Elaine Meister Customer Relations Representative, Marketing, Philadelphia, Pa. Elaine Meister began as a reservation and sales agent in August 1999, and has held her current position as a cus- tomer relations representative since 2006. Elaine is described by many as dynamic, proactive and full of enthusiasm. She possesses a special knack for drawing out the best in her co-workers and inspiring them 2012 President’s Safety & Service Awards
  • 12. 12 | December-January 2013 Amtrak Ink in their work.When training Customer Service staff and others, Elaine emphasizes that Amtrak employees’ good deeds will be talked about by passengers when they are among family and friends. Leaders at corporate headquarters also appreciate Elaine’s expertise, especially when responding to letters directed to Mr. Boardman that need to be answered with sensitivity. Michael O’Connell Manager, Disciplinary Investigations, Law, Philadelphia, Pa. Michael “Mike” O’Connell has been with Amtrak since October 1976, when he started as a block operator. Over the years, he has also held positions including leverman, train dispatcher, operations supervisor and hearing officer. In 2001 he took up his current job as manager, office of disciplinary investigations (ODI). As part of his work, Mike travels across the country at a moment’s notice. From May 2010 through May 2012, he stepped in to fill the vacant hearing officer posts in the West, Northeast and Midwest. For a time, he basically oversaw a territory stretching from Detroit to New Orleans in the East and from Seattle to San Diego in the West. His coverage of these three positions resulted in savings in excess of $300,000 for the corporation since it eliminated the need to bring in outside contractors. During that period, none of the 250 cases were lost due to time limit issues or the lack of hearing officer availabil- ity. This commitment to his job ensured that labor contract time limits were kept and that employees were afforded a fair due-process hearing. Mike truly demonstrated his commitment to maintaining the corporation’s ethics and contractual obligations. Nancy Olsen Customer Service Representative,Transportation,Williston, N.D. Nancy Olsen works at quite possibly one of the most remote Amtrak locations:Williston, N.D. Since joining Amtrak in December 1973, Nancy has served as both an R&I clerk and a ticket clerk. For 30 of her 39 years, Nancy has been relied upon for her knowledge and expertise regarding all aspects of the Williston station. She has handled unforeseen situations with professionalism, determination, dedication and supe- rior customer service. How often does a person deal with extreme (-30º F) weather, floods that inundate entire towns or a major economic boom that brought more than 75,000 people into a small community? Nancy has dealt with all of this in just the last two years! The Williston station has increased in ridership and revenue so much in the past few years that it is now one of the busiest locations on the route of the Empire Builder. James “Yogi” Pilley Ticket/Accounting Clerk,Transportation, San Diego, Calif. James “Yogi” Pilley, a ticket/accounting clerk at the downtown San Diego station, has held a variety of jobs with Amtrak. In 1984 he started out in an unassigned posi- tion and then became a janitor.Yogi was later involved with material control, serving as supervisor of material control for two years before taking up his current position, where his efficient baggage room procedures have become a model for others. Qualities used to describe Yogi include “dependable, patient and committed.” Co-workers affectionately refer to him as “Mr. Fix It,”“Mr. Get it Done” and “Mr. Go To.” Due to his diligence and dedication, it is not unusual for him to receive calls and letters of gratitude from both pas- sengers and co-workers.Yogi will step in to help with any situation, and many noted the special care he shows toward elderly passengers. He goes out of his way to answer their questions and helps them obtain a red cap or other assistance. Co-worker Jerry Cruz calls Yogi a “therapist” for his soothing demeanor that calms dis- traught or angry passengers. Betty Purich Senior Manager, Sales Support, Marketing,Washington, D.C. Betty Purich is the senior manager, sales support. She has worked in all areas of reservations and sales since beginning her career at Amtrak in September 1973. Through her leadership skills and innovative thinking, Betty sets a high but obtainable standard for her depart- ment. Last year, she won two PSSAs for work on the Amtrak Guest Rewards in-sourcing program and the “firearms in checked baggage” service project. Betty possesses a comprehensive knowledge of the company. Recently, she worked for more than 1-1/2 years to ensure that the user functionality of the Qfiniti applica- tion met the expectations of the Call Quality Monitoring Program.Working with peers in Information Technology, she developed creative solutions to ensure positive results on the project. Betty also led efforts to establish and train the internal Contact Center for the Amtrak Guest Rewards program and initiated the posting of service alerts on Amtrak.com. 2012 President’s Safety & Service Awards
  • 13. Amtrak Ink December-January 2013 | 13 Donald Thomas Legal Assistant, Law,Washington, D.C. For more than 28 years, Donald Thomas has faithfully, tirelessly and without complaint satisfied requests for Amtrak-specified corporate documents, information and witnesses on a nationwide basis.This entails an enormous amount of investigation, research, analysis and time, and the ability to juggle numerous projects at once and against deadlines existing across the several time zones of our national operation. He never turns anyone away, has never dropped the ball and has never let anyone down. Despite these demands, Don remains courteous and professional and is respected by everyone. According to Associate General Counsel Wilfred Mills, Don is the Claims’ depart- ment's “go-to-guy” for institutional information and litigation support 25 hours a day. Don doesn’t just “frequently” exhibit strong work qual- ities, he consistently exceeds a strong work ethic. For years, Don was the sole contact for the field claims offices and defense attorneys with respect to responding to diffi- cult discovery requests, finding hard to locate documents and developing corporate witnesses. He has been depend- able, committed in ensuring justice for Amtrak. He is extremely patient and gracious even under the most stressful of circumstances. If he has a weakness (and if this is even a shortcoming at all), it’s his inability to say “no.” He is never too busy to help. David “Dave” Thompson R&I Clerk, Marketing, Philadelphia, Pa. David “Dave”Thompson served as a reservation sales agent from 1986 until last year when he became an R&I clerk. He always maintains an exemplary work ethic and consistent customer service. Dave has won many awards during his tenure with Amtrak, including Employee of the Month and Sales Excellence.According to Robert Cook, director, reservation sales,“If you could clone a reserva- tion sales agent, David would be the one.” Wherever there is a void, Dave is always willing to help.When there is a shortage on the TTY Desk, he happily steps in, even if that means pushing back his lunch or break.Although he holds seniority, he willingly waives it to accommodate his colleagues.Tonya Tate, reservation sales supervisor, recounts,“Dave offers the highest quality of customer service to our customers.When I listen in on his calls, it is evident how hard he works to assist our callers with their needs.” Great listening skills and exten- sive knowledge of policies and procedures let the customer know that he/she is the first priority. His ever- present smile comes through across the phone and also buoys his co-workers’ spirits. Dave’s goal is not just to make a sale but also create a repeat passenger. Stephanie Utt Train Attendant,Transportation, Chicago, Ill. Stephanie Utt has worked on-board as a train atten- dant since February 1990, but has been part of the on-board service crew since 1980.Assigned to the Empire Builder for many years, she is classified as one of the best train attendants on the route by her supervisor. Stephanie also maintans an excellent attendance record and is well respected by her co-workers. Numerous letters of praise from satisfied Amtrak riders testify to the wonderful customer service in her Sleeping Car. Her supervisor, Service Manager Chris Woods, notes that during service disruptions Stephanie pitches in wherever necessary. She takes the initiative to help with checked baggage and makes sure that passen- gers are offered provisions for a comfortable bus ride. Stephanie is also responsible for training new hires. According to Woods,“Stephanie is our ‘go to’ person. During the 2011 flooding, she was committed to getting the job done…her normal six-day trip turned into a ten- day trip but she did not complain — not once.” Antonio “Tony” Watson Retired,Train Attendant,Transportation, Chicago, Ill. Antonio “Tony”Watson started with Amtrak in 1973 as a train attendant, and worked tirelessly for 39 years serving Amtrak customers and creating a one-of-a-kind travel experience for anyone who stepped aboard the California Zephyr. Over decades of rail travel,Tony witnessed a variety of customer service situations and always handled every one of them with professionalism and grace. For the small requirements like providing hot coffee and timely wake- up calls to customers,Tony never failed to deliver at the highest caliber of service. In addition to the basics,Tony understood the need to provide exemplary customer service whenever the opportunity presented itself. When passengers arrived,Tony ensured that his car was immacu- lately clean and supplies were readily available so that he could treat our customers like guests in his home. Beyond customer service,Tony always possessed a great team spirit —understanding that no job was too small or too dirty to do if it made the train run better and kept passengers buying tickets. 2012 President’s Safety & Service Awards
  • 14. 14 | December-January 2013 Amtrak Ink Denise White Coach Cleaner, Mechanical, Lorton,Va. Denise White has been with Amtrak as a coach cleaner since February 2000. By always putting herself in the cus- tomers’ shoes while completing her tasks, she helps create a wonderful on-board experience. Many of her co-workers would agree that Denise has a tremendous work ethic that means doing the job right the first time. She is famous for her scrupulous attention to detail — nothing escapes her eagle eye! When she finishes her work, Denise will go help others and chip in wherever needed.The Auto Train includes various cars, some of which require more time or skill to properly clean. Denise is always willing to trade cars or offer advice on more effi- cient cleaning methods. She can also be proud of a perfect safety record and a near-perfect attendance record. VALOR Crew of California Zephyr The team onboard the California Zephyr on June 24, 2011, was quick to action and fearless in their response to a tractor-trailer collision the train experienced while in Nevada.Their bravery and professionalism during a day of terror have rightly earned them the President’s Valor award. At 11:38 a.m. a tractor trailer struck the third and fourth cars of the train, setting the train and truck ablaze and causing multiple life-threatening injuries and the death of Conductor Laurette Lee, a 23-year Amtrak veteran, who earns this award posthumously. Despite the confusion and dangers, the Amtrak crew including John Little, Sandra Phillips, Daniel Foley, Lana Dickerson, Cherry Williams, Kurt Krucine, Samir Tamer, Dionne Williams-Green, Ron Werckenthien, Evelyn Johnson, Alexandra Curtis, Richard D’Alessandro and Ronald Kaminkow remained professional. As the danger of the fire raged on, the on-board staff worked swiftly to remove all of the train’s passengers, often re-entering the flames several times to retrieve people.The confusion outside of the train was mitigated by their quick thinking, and a first-aid area administering triage helped treat the injured until the paramedics and emergency responders arrived. The Amtrak team even had the presence of mind to create a manifest listing passengers, who were later placed on buses for evacuation, and their destinations. Even though passengers were disoriented, injured and fright- ened, crew members repeatedly re-entered the train making sure all passengers had been evacuated. Structural instability, along with broken glass, metal and other debris lay inside and littered the ground outside the train crash site, creating a hectic and dangerous backdrop to the frightening scene. California Zephyr Crew Alexandra Curtis, Service/Train Attendant, Chicago, Ill. Richard D’Alessandro, Conductor, Reno, Nev. Lana Dickerson, Service Attendant, Chicago, Ill. Daniel Foley, Service Attendant, Chicago, Ill. Evelyn Johnson, Service Attendant, Chicago, Ill. Ronald Kaminkow, Engineer, Reno, Nev. Kurt Krucine, Food Specialist, Chicago, Ill. Laurette Lee (posthumously awarded), Conductor* John Little, Service Attendant, Chicago, Ill. Sandra Phillips, Train Attendant, Chicago, Ill. Samir Tamer, Lead Service Attendant, Chicago, Ill. Ron Werckenthien, Food Specialist, Chicago, Ill. Cherry Williams, Service/Train Attendant, Chicago, Ill. Dionne Williams-Green, Lead Service Attendant, Chicago, Ill. * In Memoriam Jimmie Wright Customer Service Representative,Transportation, Champaign, Ill. Customer Service Representative Jimmie Wright was working in the ticket office at the Champaign, Ill., train station when he witnessed an assailant with a knife attack- ing a passenger in the waiting room.Without hesitation, Jimmie intervened and ultimately apprehended the assailant. Jimmie came out of the ticket office and ordered the assailant to drop the weapon. The assailant immediately began slashing the victim’s throat. Jimmie warned him he would take him down if he did not stop. When the assailant later attempted to retrieve a knife from his pocket, Jimmie — due to his military training in hand-to- hand combat — forced him to the ground and kept him subdued until the police arrived. Jimmie is not a police officer; he is a customer service representative. For an unarmed man, even one trained in hand-to-hand combat, the potential for harm was ever- present.There were several other passengers in the immediate vicinity. Had they decided to render assistance to the victim, they too might have become victims. 2012 President’s Safety & Service Awards
  • 15. 2012 President’s Safety & Service Awards Julia Costello From left: Joe Boardman and Andrew Maragos Amtrak Ink December-January 2013 | 15
  • 16. 16 | December-January 2013 Amtrak Ink Archived Milestones During the time Ink was out of print, the employee milestones were posted on the Amtrak Intranet. For several months those milestones were also reproduced here.This is the final month of those milestones.Traditional milestones will continue to run on pages 18 & 19. ALBRITTON, WILLIAM Boston South Station BONDI, ROBERT Chicago Crew Base BUCKLEY, NANCY New York Penn Station CARRINGTON, JAMES Butler Bldg., Wash., D.C. CZAP, MATTHEW Wilmington Shops DUNCAN, MICHAEL Amtrak Corporate HQ FRY, ROBERT St. Cloud Station HOWARD, STEVEN Beech Grove Maintenance Facility KEEFER, SANDRA Southampton St. Yard KOLONICK, PETER Providence MOW Base KREDENSOR, EUGENE Phila. 30th Street Station LANDGRAFF, DAVID Perryville M/W Base LEE, GLADYS CNOC LOWE, DONN New Haven Station MAGEE, EILEEN Phila. 30th Street Station MATULAITIS, SUSAN Pa. Reservation & Sales Office PENDER, DALE Chicago Locomotive Shop POIROT, SANDRA Calif. Reservation Sales Office SHOEMAKER, VINCENT Beech Grove Maintenance Facility SOULE, PAUL Caltrain SF Station TOCZYLOWSKI, MICHAEL Amtrak Corporate HQ VOGEL, EDWARD Amtrak Corporate HQ WASSERSTROM, MARTIN Deerfield Beach Station WOOD, MARJORIE Chicago Union Station ZEIGER, HOWARD Seattle Mechanical Yard MILLER, PATRICIA T&E Toledo Crew Base ALESSI, ARTHUR Philadelphia Coach Yard ARROYO, DAVID Southampton St. Yard ASTACIO, NELSON Miami Station AURIEMMA, VINCENT Hamden, Conn., MOW Base BOYLE, MATTHEW Phila. 30th Street Station BRECCIAROLI, DAVID Conn DOT Commuter BROWN, LARRY Phila. 30th Street Station BROWN, SHEREE New Haven Station BURNS, BRIAN North Brunswick, NJ, NW Base BURNS, MICHAEL Groton, Conn., Engineering BURNS, TIMOTHY Morrisville Station BUTZ, GARY Perryville M/W Base CANIGLIA, JOSEPH Philadelphia Coach Yard CARROLL, DANIEL New York Penn Station COLEMAN, JOHN Niles Station COLLINS, PATRICK Philadelphia Coach Yard CONLAN, CHRISTOPHER Wilmington Shops CUNNINGHAM, YVETTE Los Angeles 8th St. Coach Yard CZAJKA, KENNETH Chicago Mech. & Terminal Offices DALIEGE, GERALD Chicago Union Station DEBELLIS, FRANK Los Angeles Commissary DESHIELDS, KENNETH Phila. 30th Street Station DIBUCCIO, PASQUALE Hamden, Conn., MOW Base DOUGLAS, WILLIAM Hamden, Conn., MOW Base ERMER, ROBERT New York Penn Station FISCHER, JEFFREY Hamden, Conn., MOW Base FOLEY, TIMOTHY Southampton St. Yard GALLAGHER, ROBERT Phila. 30th Street Station GIESPERT, GREGORY Hastings Station GODBOUT, JOCELYN Harrisburg Station GRASSO, LIONEL Lancaster Station GRAVELINE, PETER Providence, RI, Engineering HAHN, STEPHEN Sanford Station HENRY, JOSEPH Charlotte Station HERNANDEZ, ARMANDO Phila. 30th Street Station HILL, MARK Springfield, Ma., Station HISQUIERDO, EDWARD Los Angeles 8th St. Coach Yard HOODACK, TIMOTHY Rensselaer Mech. Facility HORCHAR, MYRIAM Phila. 30th Street Station HUME, KEVIN New York Penn Station JACKSON, SHARLYN San Diego Station/ Mechanical JOHNSON, JUANITA Phila. 30th Street Station JONES, ROBERT Phila. 30th Street Station KARCZESKI, DANIEL Phila. 30th Street Station KATIN, LEWIS Phila. 30th Street Station KERRIGAN, TERRENCE Philadelphia Coach Yard KRUG, DONALD Bear Car Shop KRUSE, FRANCIS Philadelphia, Pa. LABOISSONNIERE, DAVID Providence MOW Base LADISLAW, DANIEL Phila. 30th Street Station LAROCCO, JOHN Chicago Mech. & Terminal Offices LAVECCHIA, DONALD Wilmington Shops MALDONADO, GEORGE New York Penn Station MALIN, ROBERT Philadelphia Coach Yard MARIDUENA, ANIBAL Chicago Union Station MARINO, ROBERT Phila. 30th Street Station MATTHEWS, PAUL Philadelphia Coach Yard MATTOCCIA, JOHN CNOC MCGINNIS, STEVEN St. Louis Station MCGONIGAL, KEVIN Philadelphia Coach Yard MEYER, JOHN Brighton Park Facility MOONEY, MICHAEL Phila. 30th Street Station MUMENTHALER, WILLIAM Philadelphia Coach Yard NANGLE, GERALD Phila. 30th Street Station O KEEFE, CHRISTOPHER Southampton St. Yard PAONE, JAMES New York Penn Station PAPROCKI, STEVEN Hamden, Conn., MOW Base Employee Milestones Congratulations to All of You!
  • 17. Employee Milestones Congratulations to All of You! Amtrak Ink December-January 2013 | 17 PEDROZA, WILLIAM Chicago Offices PIDGEON, WILLIAM Trenton Station PLANCON, DAVID Engineering, New Haven, Conn. PLATT, THOMAS Meriden Station PROULX, DENNIS Pa. Reservation & Sales Office PYLE, STEVEN Lancaster Station RACE, CHARLES Phila. 30th Street Station ROSEEN, JOHN New York Penn Station SALIDO, PAUL Los Angeles 8th St. Coach Yard SENFT, COLLEEN Chicago Mech. & Terminal Offices SHEAFFER, GARY Lancaster Station SURFACE, RUSSELL Beech Grove Maintenance Facility TETEAK, MICHAEL Chicago Mech. & Terminal Offices TIPPING, THOMAS Philadelphia Coach Yard TRIEBEL, DAVID Mechanical Office TSIKALAS, EMANUEL Washington Union Station URQUHART, ABRAHAM Phila. 30th Street Station WEBER, CRAIG Wilmington Shops WHITAKER, DAVID Phila. 30th Street Station WILLIAMS, MICHAEL Philadelphia Coach Yard WILLIAMS, RUSSELL Phila. 30th Street Station WINTHER, JOHN Phila. 30th Street Station BORNHORST, CARL Rensselaer Mech. Facility GRANT, JAMES Bear Car Shop GRUGAN, TIMOTHY Rensselaer Mech. Facility HILL, JOSEPH Wilmington Shops ST. LOUIS, DANIEL Rensselaer Mech. Facility ANDRZEJEWSKI, PATRICK Amtrak Corp. HQ ARTHUR, DAVID Los Angeles Offices BATES, RUSSELL Seattle Mechanical Yard BENNETT, PATRICK Portland, Ore., Station BETHEA, JEFFREY Pa. Reservation & Sales Office BIBBEE, CHERYL Seattle Mechanical Yard BLANKENSHIP, KENNETH Wilmington Shops BROWN, LYNN Portland, Ore., Station CAIRD, WILLARD Spokane Station CONNOLLY, JOHN Southampton St. Yard COOKE, EDWARD Portland, Ore., Station CUADRO, EFREN Los Angeles Offices DICKS, NEIL New York Penn Station DOUGLAS-ENGLISH, YOLANDA Los Angeles Offices DUNCAN, RICHARD Spokane Station GARNER, DONALD Tacoma Station GREENIDGE, MARK Paoli Station HAUGHEY, LOUIS Southampton St. Yard HEBERT, MARK Los Angeles 8th St. Coach Yard HODOUS, ROBERT Seattle Mechanical Yard HOLLIDAY, STEPHEN Seattle Mechanical Yard HOUSTON, RONALD Pa. Reservation & Sales Office HOWERTER, LARRY Spokane Station JONAS, RUDI Amtrak Corp. HQ JONES, DOUGLAS Seattle Mechanical Yard KASUN, JOHN Shelby Crew Base KOUNTZ, JAMES Portland, Ore., Station LOCKE, LYNN Salisbury T&E Crew Base MACBAIN, HANS Wilmington Shops MANARAS, DAVID Seattle Mechanical Yard MANNING, LARRY Portland, Ore., Station MOORE, DENNIS Seattle Mechanical Yard MURRAY, JOHN Rensselaer Mech. Facility MYDLAND, DAVID Shelby Crew Base NELSON, DANIEL Beech Grove Maintenance Facility O'CONNOR, MICHAEL Shelby Crew Base PAIGE, TYRONE Amtrak Corp. HQ RASCH, STEPHEN Lorton, Va. RHODES, BONITA Pa. Reservation & Sales Office RHOTON, RICKY Los Angeles Offices ROBERSON, ERNEST Seattle Mechanical Yard SAMPSON, DIRK Portland, Ore., Station SHAW, LOUANNE Boston South Station SHORT, WILLIAM Shelby Crew Base SPENCER, ANGELA Los Angeles Offices TAYLOR, DONALD Portland, Ore., Station WEAVER, GREGORY Harrisburg Station WEISHAAR, WAYNE Shelby Crew Base WHEELON, DAVID Portland, Ore., Station WILLIAMS, RALPH Phila. 30th Street Station WISE, JOSEPH Spokane Station ARIAS, HECTOR New York Penn Station BADRUDDOZA, ABUL Calif. Reservation Sales Office BARLOW, JOHN Perryville M/W Base Crew Base BEEBE, BARRY Los Angeles Offices BERGLIND, MARK Chicago Crew Base BRATHWAITE, WILBERT New York Penn Station BRISCOE, GREGORY New Orleans Maint. Facility BROWN, ANGELO Bear Car Shop BROWN, DAVID Wilmington Shops CHERRY, STEPHEN New York Penn Station CHINSKI, THOMAS Phila. 30th Street Station CUTTS, RITA Sacramento Station DAIGLE, MICHAEL Odenton M/W Base D'ALESIO, ANGELA New York Penn Station FITZGERALD, ALEXANDER C&S HQ HAIRSTON, DAREL Wilmington Shops JAGODZINSKI, CHRISTOPHER Phila. 30th Street Station LIPSCOMB, JAMES New York Penn Station LO, AMY Los Angeles Offices LOVE, JANIS Calif. Reservation Sales Office MCMAHON, ALAN Sunnyside Yard NY MOORE, RANDY Los Angeles Offices MYLES, CRAIG Philadelphia Coach Yard NOVAK, ROGER Oxnard Station SCARPONE, ALBERT C&S HQ SMITH, JAMES Providence MOW Base UONG, DUY Los Angeles Offices VILCA, RICHARD New York Penn Station WOHANKA, THOMAS Newark Penn Station WOODS, RODGIE Chicago Crew Base
  • 18. Congratulations to All of You! Employee Milestones 18 | December-January 2013 Amtrak Ink BAKER, ROBERT San Antonio Offices BANCHARAN, THERESA Sunnyside Yard N.Y. BAPTISTE, JUNICE Sunnyside Yard N.Y. BELLMORE, HAROLD New Haven Station BLUM, KEITH Depew Station BURRELL, LEROY Sunnyside Yard N.Y. CATURANO, GERALD New Haven Station CHASE, MICHAEL Ivy City Maint. Facility CHILDS, ELAINE Wilmington Training Center CLABORNE, RITA New Orleans Maint. Facility DAVIS, FRANCIS Richmond Station DOWLING, ROBERT Redondo Junction Engine House GOOSTREE, THOMAS T&E Crewbase - Ft. Worth HUNT, STANLEY Los Angeles Offices JOHNSON, LISA Sunnyside Yard N.Y. JONES, RANDY Milwaukee Station KURACZYK, MAREK W. Oakland Maint. Facility MONUTEAUX, MARY Rensselaer Mech. Facility MORGAN, ROBERT New Orleans Station NEMERGUT, RAYMOND New Haven Station NICHOLS, DONNA Chicago Mech. & Terminal Offices O'CONNELL, DANIEL Los Angeles Offices RODRIGUEZ, MAXIMO New York Division HQ TODD, LARRY San Luis Obispo Station TORMA, ROBERT Merced Station WASHINGTON, TRACY Sunnyside Yard N.Y. WEBB, DOUGLAS Hartford Station WHITE, MICHAEL Chicago Locomotive Shop WILLIAMS, LEONARD Chicago Mech. & Terminal Offices WISE, TODD Battle Creek Station BACCHUS, RONALD Washington Union Station BRAYMAN, ROGER Kansas City Maint. Facility BRAZDA, THOMAS New York Penn Station ELLISON, GERTRUDE Phila. 30th Street Station FISTER, JOHN Chicago Crew Base GASSENHEIMER, ERIC New Jersey NW Base GATTONE, HOLLY Lancaster Station HAYES, JAMES St. Louis Station HENDERSON, DARNELL Baltimore Station HIGA, JERRY Calif. Reservation Sales Office MCNEIL, CYNTHIA Philadelphia Coach Yard OHLSCHWAGER, MICHAEL Denver Station PEARSON, GAVIN Galesburg Crew Base PORTER, WILLIAM La Junta, Colo. RAUCH, CYNTHIA Phila. 30th Street Station ROCCKI, DOMINICK Pa. Reservation & Sales Office SMITH, ROY Quad Ave. M/W Base, Baltimore, Md. SWEET, BARBARA Pa. Reservation & Sales Office TAYLOR, DREW Ivy City Maint. Facility THOMPSON, MICHAEL Amtrak Corp. HQ WINGFIELD, DORA Washington Union Station ZEPEDA, LUIS Los Angeles Offices CAMERON, ROBERT Phila. 30th Street Station GALLAGHER, PATRICK New York Penn Station GREER, DONALD Bear Car Shop GUISWHITE, RAYMOND Omaha Station HARDEN, ANGELA Wilmington Station KOPPEL, KEVIN CNOC MANLOVE, JEFFREY Bear Car Shop MAXFIELD, THOMAS C&S HQ MCFADDEN, LAWRENCE Phila. 30th Street Station PEDRICK, LISA Amtrak Corp. HQ SHOWALTER, DAVID Bear Car Shop ULRICH, STEVEN N.Y. Rensselaer Station BULANDA, STEVE Chicago Mech. & Terminal Offices BUTLER, SCOTT Sunnyside Yard N.Y.
  • 19. CHIAVARONE, MICHAEL New Jersey NW Base DI PAOLO, JOHN Phila. 30th Street Station ESHBACH, JOHN Paoli Station GIBSON, MICHAEL New Jersey NW Base HAMMOND, LEON Phila. 30th Street Station LENTELLE, PAUL Wilmington Shops LEWIS, CARL Perryville M/W Base ALDRIDGE, ROBERT Portland Station ALVIES, RUDOLPH Beech Grove Maint. Facility AVINGTON-KEY, SHARON Emeryville Station BAGGETT, MICHAEL Chicago Crew Base BEHRLE, DOUGLAS Wilmington Shops BERRYMAN BEY JR, DANIEL Quad Ave. M/W Base, Balitmore, Md. BODTMANN, MARTIN Phila. 30th Street Station BROWN, JOHN Phila. 30th Street Station BRYANT, DIANA Amtrak Corp. HQ CAMP, HUGH Rensselaer Station CANIGLIA, JOSEPH Philadelphia Coach Yard CASTRO, MARIO W. Oakland Maint. Facility COLLINS, ROBERT New York Penn Station COMBS, DORIS Phila. 30th Street Station COOK, THOMAS Wash., D.C., Union Station CROMPTON, MITCHELL Rensselaer Mech. Facility CROUCH, RONALD Beech Grove Maint. Facility DANIELS, ROBERT Sunnyside Yard N.Y. DELGADO, JESUS Los Angeles Offices DOMINICK, JOHN Boston South Station FLINT, WILLIAM MOW Base, New Haven, Conn. FRACE, BRUCE Beech Grove Maintenance Facility FRYE, MICHAEL Boston South Station GALLAGHER, JOHN New York Division HQ GELLOCK, JOSEPH Engineering GILL, ROBERT Transportation Bldg., Wash., D.C. HAYGOOD, THOMAS Beech Grove Maintenance Facility HENDERSON, JESSE Richmond Station HODGEN, BRENDA Material Control Facility HOOK, KATHLEEN Calif. Reservation Sales Office HORN, JESS Beech Grove Maintenance Facility JAMES, FRANK New Orleans Station JOHNSON, BARRY Phila. 30th Street Station JONES, LARRY Miami Station KEAT, STEVEN New York Penn Station KELLY, ALAN New York Penn Station KELLY, CARL Chicago Mech. & Terminal Offices KHAN, ABDUL Bear Car Shop KLEIN, ANNE Wilmington Shops LACEY, JOHN Boston South Station LAW, CLIFFORD NW Base, N. Brunswick, NJ LEACH, STEPHEN Oakland Station LITTLE, JOHN Miami Mechanical Yard MATTHEWS, DAVID Indianapolis Stn.- Illinois St. MOON, DORIS Pa. Reservation & Sales Office MOONEY, PATRICK Wilmington Shops MURPHY, JOSEPH Sunnyside Yard N.Y. MYERS, JOHN Wilmington Shops O'DELL, CURTIS DC Coach Yard OLIVEIRA, BARBARA Sacramento Station RABUCK, JACK Quad Ave. M/W Base, Baltimore, Md. RANDOLPH, RONALD CNOC SANTOS, ROBERT Calif. Reservation Sales Office SCHOFIELD, EDWARD Perryville M/W Base SCHWEITZER, STEPHEN Los Angeles Offices SEITZ, SHARYN Amtrak Corp. HQ STIDHAM, ROBERT Wilmington Shops TAMASI, RICHARD NW Base THOMPSON, LINDA Chicago Mech. & Terminal Offices VOSS, VICKI Calif Reservation Sales Office WALL, TOMMY Meridian Station WHITELY, KEVIN New York Penn Station Employee Milestones Congratulations to All of You! Amtrak Ink December-January 2013 | 19
  • 20. 60 Massachusetts Avenue, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20002 To change your address, sign onto the Employee Information Portal or complete an NRPC 2001 form and submit according to the directions. Presorted Standard U.S. Postage PAID Des Moines, IA Permit No. XXX In Amtrak History D E C E M B E R 1 7 , 1 9 8 9 On this date in Amtrak history, the third San Joaquin roundtrip went into service between Bakersfield, Calif., and Oakland. In fiscal year 2012, the now 12 daily trains serving the line experienced a ridership increase of 7.2 percent and a record-breaking 1.1 million riders.