North American Rail Shippers: Elections, Honors and Awards

The North American Rail Shippers Association (NARS) elected new officers at its recent annual meeting in May. The association also honored members with two major awards and chose its 2022 scholarship recipients.

The 2022–2023 NARS officers are: President Bruce C. Mann, Port Houston; First Vice President John Meyers, DM Bowman Company; Second Vice President Kate Luce, Mississippi Export Railroad; Secretary Ray Hufnagel, Plastic Express; Treasurer Torri Stuckey, bp; and Immediate Past President Tom Tisa, CSX.

“I’m excited about the ability of our new board to continue to build on the past success of NARS,” said Mann. “This is the most diverse board in the 93-year history of NARS.”

Mann said a few years ago Kate Luce, one of the few woman CEOs in the industry at the time, joined the NARS Board.

“This year, it’s my honor, privilege, and pleasure to announce the addition of Torri Stuckey, who is the Head of North America Rail at bp, and is the first Black officer for NARS. Together with the rest of our board, I believe the future is bright for NARS,” said Mann.

Each year, NARS recognizes exemplary leadership in the rail shipping community through the NARS Person of the Year Award and the Edward R. Hamberger Lifetime Achievement Award.

For 2022, the NARS Person of the Year is Tom Tisa for his outstanding service both to NARS and the overall freight rail industry. Tisa is Head of Business Development at CSX and has served on the NARS board for many years—including multiple terms as president.

“After the height of the COVID pandemic, Tom oversaw our first in-person annual meeting in more than two years. It was the most successful annual meeting that NARS has ever held, with record attendance,” said Mann.

Susan Cox is the recipient of the 2022 Edward R. Hamberger Lifetime Achievement Award. Cox has been co-executive director of the Southwest Association of Rail Shippers (SWARS) since 2019. She recently retired after 40 years of service with Chevron Phillips Chemical Company and Phillips Petroleum Company. She was an active member of SWARS throughout her career and mentored many colleagues who continue to turn to her for professional advice.

“Susan spent her career at Chevron being a leader in the world of rail shipping. She was a highly respected colleague to other shippers and partner to railroads,” said Mann. Over the last few years, serving as the co-executive director of SWARS, she has been a terrific resource for the industry and not only SWARS but NARS as well. We will truly miss her presence and voice.”

During the annual meeting, NARS announced its 2022 class of scholarship recipients. The 10 college students were selected based on their academic achievement, extracurricular activities, and community service. They are a blend of traditional undergraduate students as well as some working on advanced degrees in fields associated with the transportation industry.

The recipients of the NARS scholarships are:

• Kyra Cunningham, Pennsylvania State University
  
• Caden Hazenstab, Pennsylvania State University
  
• David Hinkle, Lehigh University
  
• Usama Khalil, Rutgers University Business School
  
• Nicholas Mayorga, Liberty University
  
• Jackie Molina, University of Southern California
  
• Alayna Munoz, York College of Pennsylvania
  
• Denisha Philistin, George Washington University
  
• Nevil Thomas, Michigan State University
  
• Teleri Wilt, Massachusetts Maritime University