Propel 2025: A day of skill-building, leadership development and connection for rail professionals
10/15/2025
By Bridget Dean, Associate Editor
Everyone’s rail story is different. At Propel, a RailTrends® summit, railroaders with a range of career paths converge to strengthen their leadership and communication skills, foster relationships with peers and hear from experts in the field.
The second annual Propel was held in downtown Chicago on Oct. 6.
Kicking off the day was a panel entitled “The Inside Track: Career Lessons from Across Rail’s Ecosystem” featuring Maryclare Kenney, vice president of sales and marketing at CSX; Linda Laurello, CEO of Delta Railroad Services; Falyn Coleman-Wright, VP of business development at Accommodations Plus International; and Jonathan Beck, director of business solutions at TransmetriQ — A Railinc Brand.
Each panelist shared how their varying starts in the industry and their experiences with leadership and mentorship shaped their career. The takeaway? There’s no “right” path into the rail industry.
Post college, Kenney served in the U.S. Army for seven years, left to work at Pepsi Co. in sales and marketing, and landed a similar role at CSX while seeking a more fulfilling career. Delta’s Laurello, meanwhile, had family in the industry and worked her way up from the accounting department. Coleman-Wright was recruited out of college by Norfolk Southern Railway for its management trainee program. Beck started a moving company as a college student, then progressed through roles in the logistics field before landing at TransmetriQ.
Each of the four panelists had words of advice to share, from opinions on how to improve the talent pipeline to stories about staying resilient through changes — both personal and professional.
“No matter what your background is, there’s a place in the industry for everyone,” said attendee Brittini Knox, a recruiter with the Personnel Consulting Group, while reflecting on the panel. “[The industry is] extremely diverse, but it all serves the purpose of moving things along.”
Workshopping future leaders in rail
Propel’s slate of speakers was complemented by a two-part workshop by Matt Meuleners from FOCUS Training. Meuleners led the attendees through personalized Clifton Strengths assessments.
Propel attendees heard from Zachary Boehme, senior vice president of sales-railroad at Watco (center) and Laura McNichol, SVP and chief sustainability officer at Watco (right). The fireside chat was moderated by Pat Foran, editor-in-chief, Progressive Railroading magazine (far left).John SengdalaphetAn online skill assessment questionnaire by Gallup Inc., the tool was provided to all Propel attendees ahead of the event. The assessment reveals each taker’s top five of 34 possible strengths, such as discipline, communication or empathy. Participants then were able to reflect on how their strengths show up in their work and personal lives and could connect with fellow attendees with similar strengths.
“It’s good to understand [the] people you’re leading, and what their strengths are — how they relate to you and how you relate to them with your strengths,” said Jarvis Wenger, senior sales manager at duagon North America after the conference. He added that Meuleners’ workshop was his main reason for returning for the second iteration of Propel — and for bringing a colleague with him.
A conversation on mentorship
The day’s second rail professionals’ panel highlighted the role of mentorship and connection in the industry and featured Laura McNichol, senior VP and chief sustainability officer at Watco, and Zachary Boehme, senior VP of sales-railroad at Watco.
While they both hold senior VP status, their career paths were quite different. McNichol entered the rail industry after a career in another field, while Boehme had been in sales and transportation prior to his role at Watco. The two discussed how Boehme had risen to his senior VP role in a relatively short period of time. A lot of it came down to his willingness to reach out to other people in the industry, ask questions about their career and learn how to be a leader from those he knew.
“Leadership isn’t just a managerial function. Leadership is a way of life and a lifestyle. ... How I approach it is shaped by just upbringing. People that have mentored me. Good leaders that I’ve worked under, bad leaders that I’ve worked under. I think sometimes that’s the best teacher,” said Boehme.
As part of Matt Meuleners’ workshop, attendees each took the CliftonStrengths assessment, which provided them with insight into what their top skills are.John SengdalaphetMcNichol shared how trusting others as a leader can be rewarding. She emphasized assuming good intent.
“Trust is the big factor,” she said. “Think about your bosses who you know have trusted you, right? And those that may have questioned things way too much. I know when you’re trusted and trust others, you really get a lot out of them.”
Following McNichol and Boehme’s insightful conversation, Meuleners led the second half of his workshop, which touched on the topics brought up by the two Watco team members.
Mueleners highlighted how employees, even those who aren’t in leadership positions, can improve workplace flow by assuming good intent, communicating effectively and recognizing that managers often have their own pressures and priorities. Through personal stories from leading his own organization, Mueleners shared how employees can improve their relationship with company leadership.
“Say out loud to your leader, ‘I want us to have a positive working relationship. I want to figure out how to make you more successful in your role,’” he said. “The moments that people have chosen to do this with me have been moments of deep relief.”
Creating a professional presence
The day ended with a presentation by Michele Malski titled “Elevate Your Brand: Strategic Presence for Career Growth.”
Malski, founder of Succession Planning for Railroads Investing in the Next Generation (SPRING), drew on her expertise as a recruiter to give attendees advice on improving their online professional presence. Not only did she provide examples of how to make resumes and LinkedIn profiles stand out without any red flags, Malski personally offered her resume-proofing services to Propel participants. Attendees gained tools and practical advice for applying for new roles, elevating their professional online presence and navigating modern hiring practices.
