“Safety Partnerships: Together Towards Tomorrow”

In this opening session of "Safety Partnerships: Together Towards Tomorrow," the 2021 Operation Lifesaver, Inc. Virtual Leadership Conference, attendees were given a tour of the virtual conference platform, welcomed by Board Chair Jo Strang and Executive Director Rachel Maleh and updated on OLI's most recent efforts and new resources.

SPEAKERS:

Jo Strang, OLI Board Chair and Senior Vice President, Safety & Regulatory Policy, American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association

Rachel Maleh, Executive Director, Operation Lifesaver, Inc.

In this panel session, speakers talked about non-traditional partnerships as well as creative tips and tricks for sharing the rail safety message.

MODERATOR:

Nicole Brewin, Senior Vice President of Government & Public Affairs, Railway Supply Institute

PANELISTS:

Nancy Sheehan, Executive Director, California Operation Lifesaver; Nadji Kirby, Senior Program Manager for Domestic Road Safety, Safe Kids Worldwide; Joshua Vance, Sr. Director of Safety, Intermodal, J.B. Hunt; Isabelle Fonverne, Senior Advisor, Safety and Interoperability, International Union of Railways

This panel discussion reviewed first responder resources to reduce incidents when responding near railroad tracks and trains in Estonia and the U.S. as well as OLI's Railroad Investigation and Safety Course (RISC).

MODERATOR:

Stephen Covey, Chief of Police and Chief Security Officer, CN

PANELISTS:

Tamo Vahemets, Chairman, Operation Lifesaver Estonia; Mark Sexton, Executive Director, Oklahoma Operation Lifesaver; Jessica Feder, Executive Director, Indiana Operation Lifesaver

Key federal partners from the Federal Railroad Administration, Federal Transit Administration and Federal Highway Administration discussed ways in which the agencies' partnerships with Operation Lifesaver help make communities safer.

MODERATOR:

Shayne Gill, Program Director for Multimodal Transportation, AASHTO

PANELISTS:

Gail Lyssy, Acting Associate Administrator for Transit Safety and Oversight and Chief Safety Officer, Federal Transit Administration; Cheryl J. Walker, Associate Administrator for Safety, Federal Highway Administration; and Amit Bose, Deputy Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration.

This panel discussion focused on how transit agencies throughout the U.S. educate their riders and other audiences on safety and suicide prevention, working with Operation Lifesaver and other partners.

MODERATOR:

Polly Hanson, Senior Director of Security, Risk, and Emergency Management, American Public Transportation Association

SPEAKERS:

Hilary Konczal, Chief Safety and Environmental Officer, Metra Commuter Rail; Tasha Bartholomew, Communications Manager, Caltrain; and Ed Abel, Director of Operational Safety, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority.

What is engineering’s role in saving lives at highway-rail grade crossings and trespass prevention? Panelists discussed the latest engineering and tech advances in rail safety.

MODERATOR:

Katie Chimelewski, Director, Safety & Certification, American Road and Transportation Builders Association

PANELISTS:

Dr. Iker de Luisa Plazas, Director General, Association of Mexican Railroads (AMF); Starr Kidda, PhD, Human Factors Division Chief, Federal Railroad Administration Office of Research, Development & Technology; and Rick Campbell, Senior Project Manager, Alfred Benesch & Company.