Progressive Railroading has been reporting on workforce development in the railroad industry for the past several years. In 2013, we set out to discover not only how rail businesses are trying to recruit and retain new railroaders, but who some of the industry's up-and-comers might be. As a result, the "Rising Stars" program was launched to identify individuals under the age of 40 who already are making a difference in the rail industry.
The magazine defines a "Rising Star" as someone under 40 years of age who has made, or is making, a positive impact on his or her company, organization, department or team, and is viewed by others — peers, colleagues, supervisors, clients or associates — as an up-and-coming leader in the rail industry.
We celebrated the 2018 Rising Stars at a recognition dinner to be held Sunday July 22, 2018 at the W Lakeshore Hotel in Chicago, IL.
Earlier this year, Progressive Railroading received more than 150 nominations for its sixth annual Rising Stars recognition program.
The program honors railroaders under the age of 40 who have made, or are making, a positive impact in the rail industry.
Over several weeks, the magazine's staff chose 20 winners from the pool of candidates. To reach our decision, we weighed each nominee's contributions to the rail industry, career achievements, leadership, professional association activity and community involvement.
As in years past, the 2018 honorees hold jobs in nearly every sector of railroading. Their reasons for joining the industry are as diverse as their careers: Some have followed in the footsteps of family members, while others ended up in the industry by chance. Still others took railroading jobs at the advice of friends or mentors.
Follow the links below to learn more about this year's Rising Stars. The stories were based on the winners' responses to questions from Senior Associate Editor Julie Sneider and Associate Editor Daniel Niepow. Interviews have been edited for length and clarity.
Celebrate the recipients of Progressive Railroading's 2018 Rising Stars awards with the purchase of a Rising Stars sponsorship. The event recognizes individuals — under the age of 40 — who are making positive contributions to the rail industry. This year, the winners were acknowledged at a special dinner Sunday, July 22, at the W Lakeshore Hotel in Chicago, IL.
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