Administrator Fink previously served as President of Pan Am Railways, where he modernized operations, elevated safety standards, and spearheaded technological innovation, including championing the implementation of Positive Train Control (PTC) and other advanced safety systems. His efforts contributed to measurable reductions in rail accidents and improvements in operational reliability.

Fink holds a Master of Science in Business Administration from Pennsylvania State University and a Bachelor of Science in Transportation and Physical Distribution Management from Northeastern University.

Fink and his wife of 40 years live in New Hampshire; they have two children and recently welcomed their first granddaughter.

Russell R. McMurry, P.E., serves as commissioner for the Georgia Department of Transportation, the state agency responsible for the nation’s 10th largest state transportation system, with an operating budget of over $4.5 billion and a staff of 4,000. Commissioner McMurry began his career with the department in 1990 as an engineering intern working in construction; he served in a variety of roles prior to being named chief engineer. He was then appointed by Governor Nathan Deal as the department’s planning director before being appointed as commissioner by unanimous vote of the State Transportation Board in 2015.

McMurry currently serves as the President of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and is part of both the Executive Committee and the Strategic Management Committee. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Transportation Research Board (TRB). He serves as the current Chair of the Eastern Transportation Coalition. McMurry is a board member of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) and the Southern Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (SASHTO). At the state level, he serves on several boards, including the Atlanta Transit Link Authority (ATL), Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA), the State Depository Board, and the Board of Trustees of the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund. He is a member of the College of Engineering & Information Technology (CEIT) Corporate Advisory Committee at Georgia Southern University, as well as the University of Georgia College of Engineering Advisory Board.

McMurry graduated cum laude from Georgia Southern University with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering technology and is a registered professional engineer in the state of Georgia.

Corey J. Veal is the System Director of Safety & Operating Practices at Norfolk Southern, where he provides enterprise leadership for railroad safety, operational excellence, regulatory compliance, and risk mitigation across the network. His scope includes both internal operational safety and external public safety initiatives, including oversight of Norfolk Southern’s highway–rail grade crossing and trespasser safety programs.

With 29 years of experience at Norfolk Southern, Corey has served in a wide range of operational leadership roles, shaping a practical, field-informed approach to safety grounded in real-world railroad operations. He partners closely with frontline operating teams, senior leadership, and external stakeholders to ensure safety expectations are clearly defined, consistently applied, and effectively executed—particularly at the critical interface between railroad operations and the public.

Corey is an Atlanta native and holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from North Carolina A&T State University and an MBA from Georgia State University. Outside of work, he is a proud husband and father and a recent first-time marathon finisher.

Heather Abel is the National Director for Rail Explorers, responsible for operational oversight and safety practices across the company’s railbike divisions nationwide. She works closely with operations teams to develop procedures that support safe railbike operations alongside existing railroad infrastructure, including grade crossing management and public interface considerations. Her background spans transportation operations, leadership development, and large-scale guest experience management.

Brian Alberts is the Chief Safety Officer & Sr Director of Safety & Advisory Services at the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) where he leads all safety policy and standards work for the association. He is the staff advisor for the Rail Safety, Bus Safety, and Safety Coordinating Committees as well as the Commuter Rail Safety and Security Subcommittee. He also provides industry leadership and expertise on panels and working groups, including Univ. of South Florida CUTR’s Safety Standards Working Group and FTA’s Transit Advisory Committee for Safety (TRACS), where he was appointed to a 2-year+ 2022-2025 term by then US DOT Secretary to be the Cyber & Data Systems Subcommittee Lead. Further, Brian plans and executes all APTA committee meetings, conference panels, and working groups that deal with safety.

Brian is the manager of APTA’s Safety Management Audit and Peer Review Programs and organizes and executes numerous yearly safety audits and peer reviews at properties throughout the United States, Canada and internationally. The safety audit program is based on a continuous improvement model and works to improve the safety culture at all size transit agencies. Brian organizes the audit and peer review panels, schedules upcoming audits and peer reviews, and works with the team to report out to senior management and draft a final report document. Brian has led several safety audits and peer reviews, including at MTR Hong Kong, Transport for London, TTC Toronto, STM Montreal, WMATA Washington DC, RTD Denver, CTA Chicago, SEPTA Philadelphia, RTA New Orleans, Houston Metro, TriMet Portland, MATA Memphis, Miami-Dade Transit, and numerous other transit/railroad properties throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia.

Prior to APTA, Brian was a Senior Program Analyst and Policy Lead in the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Office of System Safety. During his three years in this role, Brian authored the State Safety Oversight (SSO) Program Final Rule and the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. Brian also served as program manager of the Safety Management Systems Pilot program and received numerous awards for his efforts in safety by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation. In addition, at the FTA, Brian worked in the FTA’s Office of Budget and Policy for over three years on MAP-21 implementation, adaptation, and legislative analysis.

Prior to joining FTA, Brian worked as a program manager and policy analyst at the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and for various members of the U.S. Congress on Capitol Hill. Brian has over 20 years of experience in the transportation, safety, and environmental policy fields and received his Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree from the George Washington University and Bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Communications from Boston University. Brian is a graduate of the 2018 Leadership APTA Class and the 2020 Eno Transit Senior Executive Program. In addition, Brian has completed all requirements for FTA’s Transit Safety and Security Program (TSSP) Bus and Rail Certificates, the Public Transportation Safety Certification Training Program (PTSCTP), and the World Safety Organization’s Certified Safety Executive (WSO-CSE) Program. Brian was also named as a Mass Transit Magazine “40 Under 40” award recipient in 2024.

Travis is the Group Leader for the Rail Traffic Group at Olsson. He has nearly 20 years of experience in civil engineering; more than half of his career has been dedicated to supporting railroad safety, at grade crossing improvements, and complex interconnected crossing systems. His work focuses on improving safety and operational reliability at the interface between railroads and roadways, with extensive experience coordinating among state DOTs, local agencies, Class I railroads, and transit authorities. He has led and supported projects ranging from corridor level crossing studies to individual crossing closures, grade separations, and railroad preemption designs nationwide.

From 2014 to 2020, Travis supported the Utah Department of Transportation as a consultant in their railroad safety program, where he worked closely with the Utah Chief Railroad Engineer to schedule and conduct diagnostic meetings, identify and prioritize safety improvements, and manage federally funded Section 130 projects statewide. In this role, he routinely facilitated diagnostic team discussions, coordinated follow up actions with railroads and agencies, and reviewed railroad preemption timing and designs for projects impacting at grade crossings. His experience spans the full lifecycle of diagnostic recommendations—from field review and consensus building through design, construction, and final cutover.

In 2020, Travis moved to the railroad side of diagnostic meetings and has participated in and led dozens of diagnostic meetings and design coordination efforts on behalf of both BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad across multiple states. He brings a practical, holistic perspective to diagnostic discussions, driven by crossing specific data and personal experience. His approach emphasizes open and clear communication, realistic implementation strategies, and alignment between railroad and agency expectations—making him a frequent contributor to best practice discussions on diagnostic team effectiveness and railroad crossing safety .

Barbara is the Director of International Programs at the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). Ms. Barr is the primary liaison with global counterparts for the FRA and is responsible for management of all international-related activities and initiatives while also representing DOT leadership at worldwide forums. Ms. Barr has served two terms as the Chairman of the North America Regional Assembly of the UIC (International Union of Railways) and is a board member for a US Treasury bond guarantee program. Barbara has been with FRA since 2009 and previously was responsible for the overall management of the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing Program (RRIF) that offers financial assistance of up to $35 billion for rail related projects.

Prior to joining Federal service, Ms. Barr held various leadership positions in the private industry including the head of Credit & Risk Management at Sallie Mae in Reston, Virginia. She has an M.B.A. from George Washington University with a concentration in Finance & Investments and a B.A. in Business Administration from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa .

Francesco joined the Federal Railroad Administration in 2017 where he currently serves as the Program Manager for Grade Crossing and Trespass Research in the Office of Research, Data and Innovation.

His current research portfolio includes the development of a digital twin of the grade crossing inventory system in North America by using LIDAR technologies, the pioneering work in using AI to detect trespassing along the railroad’s right-of-way. Prior to that he works at the Illinois Department of Transportation as the project manager for the Chicago to St. Louis High Speed Rail Corridor Improvement Program. Mr. Bedini has earned his Bachelor of Science (2010) and Master of Science (2012) both from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is currently working on his PhD at the same university as a part time student where his research topic is grade crossing safety.

Mr. Bedini is a licensed professional engineer in the State of Illinois and holds the International Professional Engineer designation by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES).

Matt joined the California Public Utilities Commission in 2013 and is the Program and Project Supervisor for the Rail Crossings Engineering Section. He leads a team of 15 engineers responsible for regulating the design and modification of more than 10,000 rail crossings across California, ensuring safety and compliance statewide. Matt brings technical expertise in complex crossing projects, including those with traffic signal preemption, pedestrian safety treatments, and quiet zones.

Matt holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Southern California and is a licensed Civil Engineer and Traffic Engineer in California. He also serves on the Executive Committee of the National Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Safety Committee.

Rick Campbell has over 50 years of experience in both railroad signaling and highway traffic signaling. He is the former Chair of the Railroad & Light Rail Transit Technical Committee where he served for 19 years and is currently a member of the Executive Board of the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. He served as chair of AREMA sub-committee 36-1, Grade Crossing Controls for 17 years and has been a member of the Institute of Transportation Engineers for over 30 years. Rick also serves on the Operation Lifesaver, Inc. National Advisory Committee and the Materials Review Committee. Rick has been a Texas Peace Officer for 39 years and is a Captain with the Parker County Texas Sheriff’s Office. He was one of five individuals that comprised the OLI micro-group that developed the new Railroad Investigations & Safety Course for first responders .

Stephen has been the Deputy Commissioner/Counsel for the WV DOT’s Division of Multimodal Transportation Facilities since 2022. He currently serves as Acting Commissioner of the agency. He serves as a Board Member of the Uncrewed Aircraft Advisory Council.

Prior to that, he was a board member of the State Rail Authority and served as Chief Counsel to then Auditor JB McCuskey, doing work as a Special Prosecuting Attorney in 15 counties and Director of the State’s Public & Integrity Fraud Unit.

Steve’s former positions include Paralegal/Investigator for the WV Attorney General; Deputy Assistant State Fire Marshal; Hurricane City Prosecutor; Putnam County Assistant Prosecutor; Special Assistant US Attorney for the Northern District of WV; Deputy Attorney General for then AG Patrick Morrisey as Director of the Public Integrity and Compliance Unit; Counsel for Aero, Port and Rail; and Chief Counsel/Deputy Secretary of State for then Secretary MacWarner working as Director of Investigations.

Steve has 4 children and lives in Hurricane.

Anna Curtis joined the Federal Transportation Administration as a Safety Promotion Program Analyst in 2022. She supports the safe operation of transit systems through the Public Transportation Safety Certification Training Program and other FTA educational efforts. She provides extensive experience and expertise in adult learning and safety.

Anna started her career in the public health with ten years at state and local nonprofits. She served for over a decade as a contractor and then full-time employee of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In her current and past roles, she has helped to identify performance gaps and determine learning solutions for improving the health and safety of the public. She has a passion for prevention and continuous improvement as a primary goal in all her projects.

Anna earned her Master’s in Instructional Design and Technology from Georgia State University and her bachelor’s in anthropology and English from Emory University.

Jim has been with the FRA for the past ten years working on grade crossing safety. Prior to FRA, he worked for FHWA for seven years in the Headquarters office and in their North Carolina Division Office. Jim also worked five years for Caltrans District 11 in San Diego and five years for an engineering firm in St. Louis, MO, where he grew up.

Jim received his Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Bradley University, in 1999, and is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of California.

Frank is a General Engineer with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) at its Washington, D.C. headquarters, where he is responsible for ensuring the safe design of highway-rail grade crossing signal systems nationwide, along freight and passenger rail corridors. His work includes conducting onsite diagnostic safety reviews in collaboration with railroads, state agencies, and local governments.

Frank began his career in 1998 with the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, serving as a Transit Engineer and providing statewide safety oversight of public rail crossings and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. He has almost three decades of experience in railroad and transit safety, including work on innovative grade crossing technologies and light-rail transit crossing design in support of the Federal Transit Administration.

He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Wentworth Institute of Technology and an M.S. in Public Affairs/Administration from the University of Massachusetts. Frank and his family reside in southern Maryland.

Shayne is the program director for multimodal transportation at the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). He has been with the association for 18 years and serves as the liaison for AASHTO’s Council on Rail Transportation which has primary jurisdiction developing policy for the association for both freight and passenger rail.

He is also the liaison between AASHTO and the State Amtrak Intercity Passenger Rail Committee that AASHTO works closely with in providing administrative support. He also leads the AASHTO Rail Resource Center a technical services program that provides state rail division’s technical assistance and workforce training opportunities. Mr. Gill’s work in policy and government relations includes almost 12 years of legislative experience as Congressional staff on Capitol Hill.

In addition, Mr. Gill is the liaison for AASHTO’s Council on Public Transportation and Council on Aviation including the cross-committee emerging mobility task force for the development and implementation of Uncrewed Aerial Systems/Advanced Aerial Mobility. Mr. Gill oversees a team of three that also cover the Council on Water Transportation, Special Committee on Freight and Transit Technical Services Program. Mr. Gill also serves as a member of the National Board of Directors for Operation Lifesaver, a Rail Safety Education organization.

Nicole Jackson is a Group Manager of Grade Crossing Engineering at Benesch. She specializes in highway-rail and highway-LRT (Light Rail Transit) grade crossing engineering and is a national expert in railroad preemption operation and design. Ms. Jackson has more than 23 years of extensive experience in providing diagnostic services, traffic engineering analysis, as well developing unique solutions to some of the most challenging grade crossings in the country.

She has reviewed and led grade crossing designs for compliance with national, state and railroad requirements, regulations and industry best practices in multiple states and with multiple railroads and transit agencies. She is in a leadership position on both the Institute of Transportation Engineer’s (ITE) rail grade crossing committee, as well as, the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (NCUTCD) railroad and light rail transit grade crossing committee.

Ms. Jackson is a member of Operation Lifesaver’s Material Review Committee (MRC) and National Advisory Council (NAC). She is also a published author on the topics of grade crossing safety and grade crossing interconnection design. Ms. Jackson is a licensed professional engineer in 35 U.S. states and four Canadian provinces, as well as a registered Professional Traffic Operations Engineer.

Chris Keckeisen began his railroad career in 2004 as a summer intern constructing bridges in the Mojave Desert and in the middle of the Great Salt Lake. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Irvine, he joined Union Pacific’s Engineering Department, serving in management roles across Bridge Construction and Maintenance, Track Maintenance, and Chicago’s Commuter Operations.

For the past 14 years, Chris has held a series of Regional and Systemwide leadership positions within the Industry and Public Projects team, which oversees more than 4,700 primarily externally funded projects requiring railroad coordination—including new rail‑served customer connections. He currently leads a highly skilled team responsible for delivering safety improvements and infrastructure modifications for highway‑rail grade crossing and grade‑separation programs in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, as well as all Amtrak ADA Station projects across the Union Pacific network.

Now based in Omaha, Nebraska, Chris has been active in the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting since 2014. He serves on the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (NCUTCD) Railroad and Light Rail Transit Grade Crossing Committee and is a member of AREMA Committees 5 and 36.

David Kelly is the Head of Government and Regulatory Affairs at Parallel Systems. He joined Parallel in November 2025 and is responsible for building out their government, regulatory and public platforms. He previously worked as Vice President, Government Solutions for Acusensus. He focused on expanding the company’s footprint in the United States through partnering with state highway safety offices, commercial motor vehicle offices and safety advocates.

Kelly is also a national expert on transportation safety and is the former Acting Administrator and Chief of Staff for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). He was instrumental in executing proven traffic safety strategies to increase safety belt use, decrease drunk driving and motorcycle fatalities, and mobilize law enforcement. Kelly also provided counsel and direction during the development of Agency rulemakings on vehicle safety and fuel economy before giving final approval. Kelly testified before Congress on behalf of NHTSA and USDOT priorities. A true safety advocate, under his leadership, the agency implemented traffic safety strategies that led to America’s lowest fatality rate in history. He has spent the better part of the past three decades educating the public about the benefits of safe driving.

A major component of Kelly’s consulting work was to assemble and lead national, industry-based coalitions and associations. Kelly was selected to lead an independent investigation into the root cause of certain defective Takata air bag inflators. Working with a team of experts, engineers and industry leaders, the ITC was able to find the root cause and provide guidance towards a long term solution for the first time in almost ten years.

Lance is a professional engineer and recognized rail industry leader with extensive experience supporting highway–rail safety initiatives and complex, multi stakeholder projects. As Group Leader for Olsson’s Rail Engineering and Design team, he provides strategic and technical leadership focused on safe, compliant, and constructible solutions at the interface of rail and roadway systems. His work centers on aligning engineering judgment with regulatory requirements to reduce risk and improve outcomes at highway–rail crossings nationwide.

Since 2013, Lance has worked on public projects for Union Pacific Railroad, developing deep expertise in railroad safety standards, design criteria, agreements, and construction guidelines. He leads a team responsible for managing roughly 1,000 active rail projects at any given time, including oversight of the Union Pacific Railroad Maintenance Consent program. This role places him at the forefront of coordinating safety critical improvements across local agencies, state DOTs, railroads, and federal stakeholders.

Known for his collaborative and solutions-oriented leadership style, Lance excels at bringing together engineers, transportation agencies, railroads, and contractors to address safety challenges efficiently and transparently. He is particularly effective in navigating complex approval processes, resolving field conditions, and balancing operational realities with public safety objectives. Through this work, Lance remains committed to advancing highway–rail safety through sound engineering, strong partnerships, and practical implementation.