FAST TRACKERS Joe Brosseau, 34 Principal Investigator II, Transportation Technology Center, Inc.
Brosseau currently leads the largest research and development program in North America for the development, improvement, simulation and testing of the industry’s $10 billion Positive Train Control (PTC) implementation initiative. He and his team have contributed significantly to this monumental effort through a number of key research programs, as well as through the development of a test facility for the technology and all of its elements at TTCI, while working with stakeholders, both public and private. Brosseau specifically led the development and evaluation efforts for an operationally efficient braking enforcement algorithm for PTC, one of the key technological challenges for this initiative. He is also TTCI’s leading expert in Train Operations and Energy Simulator modeling and provides important industry leadership and expertise whenever this type of analysis is called for. Brosseau has established himself as the “go to” resource for this technical function and has often been called upon to provide clarity and guidance in decision-making. Anthony Fazio, 36 Manager of Track Design, SEPTA
Fazio has always led an extensive construction and maintenance program to ensure the railroads he has been employed by stay in a state of good repair. He is involved with AREMA and was involved in the construction of NJ Transit’s Hudson-Bergen Light Rail line. During his time at Amtrak, he led a team that developed a new temporary passenger platform for stations on Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor and implemented this design in the field. Fazio leads by example and is the first person to be out with the workforce in all types of weather to make sure that jobs are done safely and properly. He has always responded to any railroad emergency. After Superstorm Sandy hit New York, Anthony was the lead manager responsible for pumping out the East River Tunnels and worked around the clock with his crew for four days to ensure that the tunnels were cleared. Fazio was nominated for the Amtrak President’s Award for his efforts. Additionally, at Amtrak, Fazio worked with his crew to increase Portal Bridge’s reliability rate from 80% to an unprecedented 99%.
Josh Connell, 36 General Manager, Genesee & Wyoming (Puget Sound & Pacific Railroad and Cascade & Columbia River Railroad)
Connell has proven results in both Class I and short line environments. He began his railroad career as a conductor with CSX and moved up through the ranks, earning managerial responsibility for groups as large as 368 people and budgets well over $3 million. He now oversees two Genesee & Wyoming railroads. Since joining Genesee & Wyoming in 2011, Connell has worked injury-free. Under his leadership, the Puget Sound & Pacific Railroad has remained injury-free for more than 1,000 days, while the Cascade & Columbia River Railroad has gone more than 1,100 days without a single reportable injury. In addition, Connell was able to significantly reduce operating costs at Puget Sound & Pacific through October of 2015. Connell is also an active volunteer for Operation Lifesaver (OLI), working diligently to educate the general public on rail crossing safety. This year alone, he and his team have shared the OLI message with more than 1,000 people in the area. Dave Hill, 30 Assistant Division Engineer, Amtrak B&B, Mid-Atlantic Division
Hill began his career in the Amtrak managementtraining program and has worked diligently to bring the railroad’s 100-year-old-plus infrastructure to a state of good repair. One example would be the extensive work being done to maintain the Civil War-era Baltimore & Potomac (B&P) Tunnel. Hill has been giving back to his railroad community by mentoring new hires and insuring that they are familiar with and working safe along the right-of-way. Hill, a licensed civil engineer with a degree from the University of Pittsburgh, says his goals are to achieve promotions and to eventually become the Vice President of Operations at Amtrak. He leads a workforce of about 85 skilled workers, each of whom he knows personally, and his number one priority is their safety. Hill is one of a handful of very young managers who had to prove himself by working harder and smarter. This has made him become very proficient and respected in his current position. February 2016 Railway Age 19