Rising Stars 2025: Rebecca Riehl

Rebecca Riehl, 38
Director, passenger services & customer experience
Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH)

Nominator’s quote: “Rebecca is making a huge impact on the lives of nearly 200,000 daily rail customers by creating and implementing cutting-edge changes across PATH, the fifth-busiest commuter railroad in the United States. While a leader of considerable drive, vision and skill, she is at heart a team-builder who has developed an industry-leading CX team almost from scratch.” — Scott Ladd, PATH

Education: Bachelor’s degree, diplomacy and international relations, Seton Hall University; master’s degree, public policy, University of Michigan; certificate in museum studies; secondary teacher certification in social studies, New Jersey.

Job responsibilities: Responsible for leading the implementation of an enterprise-wide customer experience improvement program for millions of PATH customers. This includes overseeing PATH’s revenue collections and passenger service teams, conducting customer advocacy, and advancing data-driven voice-of-customer best practices.

Briefly describe your career path.
My career mantra has been “leap,” even if you don’t feel ready. I started my career as a high-school history teacher in an urban school under AmeriCorp’s Teach for America Program. Starting my career as a teacher, where at any given time a group was looking to me for guidance and decisions, really honed my leadership skills and taught me how important resiliency is to achieve big goals in challenging environments.

During graduate school, when I wasn’t earning my keep as a graduate student instructor for various undergraduate history courses, I interned at Amnesty International, focusing on women’s rights, and Ford’s Theater, working on educational programing. After graduate school I joined the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey’s Leadership Fellows Program; a two-year rotational program where I gained exposure to various lines of business, including PATH.

After my fellowship was completed, I landed at PATH as a financial analyst working on our Superstorm Sandy grants portfolio, but soon took opportunities to work in marketing and customer service, eventually becoming the chief of staff to the director/general manager. I then became a general manager in the Port Authority’s Office of the Corporate Secretary for four years before taking my current role.

What sparked your interest in the rail industry?
Public transit is the nexus between all my past experiences and passions: human rights, history, museum studies, international development and urban education. Public transit isn’t often considered sexy, but it is a cornerstone that provides critical access to resources people need and helps connect communities. I did not plan to work in the rail industry specifically, but I knew I wanted to work in the public sector. Working at PATH as part of the Port Authority’s rotational Leadership Fellows program, I was drawn to the people who work there and the fast-paced, challenging nature of operating one of the country’s densest and oldest railroads 24/7. It’s rewarding to work with our customers and local communities, and I enjoy leading a team that is dedicated and passionate about their work.

What was your very first job and what did it teach you?
I’ve been working since I was 14 years old. My first job was on the Boardwalk in Ocean City, New Jersey. I worked at a small jewelry stand where I would create custom jewelry by writing peoples’ names on grains of rice by hand — the most popular souvenir that summer! I learned the importance of customer service, attention to detail, and how to work with people from all different backgrounds and perspectives.

What’s something people might be surprised to learn about you?
I actually come from a maritime family. My dad, uncle and grandfather were merchant marines and my mom’s family grew up on the beaches of New Jersey. My family has been on the ships sailing under PATH’s rail bridges for generations. I’m a water baby and love to swim, sail, fish and generally be on water.

What’s one of the most valuable lessons you’ve learned so far in your career? You don’t have to be an expert to make an impact, and don’t take things personally. If you’re not sure where to start, listen a lot and go see what’s happening with your own eyes- whether that be a field visit or analyzing hard data. Keeping the long-term goal in mind will allow you to lead with vision and clarity, and adapt to challenges, changes and new mandates along the way.

When things get tough — at work or in life — how do you stay motivated and resilient?
I focus on the people and the larger goals. I love connecting with my colleagues and our local communities; when things get challenging and tough decisions need to be made, you’ll be able to lean on the relationships you’ve built to overcome conflict to keep moving forward. I love mentoring my staff and others to help them grow and pursue their passions.

Self-care is also important. It’s easy to get burned out in today’s world, and being true to yourself and knowing how you work best and when you need a break are very important to staying motivated and resilient. And on a lighter note, for me personally, there’s rarely something that a margarita, a nap or a run won’t fix.

If you could share a meal with anyone in the world today, who would it be and why?
I would love to have dinner with Ina Garten. The food would of course be delicious, and I’d love to talk with her about leading through authenticity, creating connections with people in everyday spaces, building trust through thoughtful innovation, and challenging tradition with empathy and vision.

What do think is the rail industry's biggest challenge today?
Implementing digital transformation and meeting customer expectations. In today’s world, where real-time tracking and seamless communication are the norm, railroads are under pressure to deliver more transparent, tech-driven customer experiences with real-time adaptability.

Many legacy systems can’t keep pace with modern demands. As a CX leader, I see the urgent need for digital investment — whether through predictive analytics, self-service tools, or integrated platforms that give railroads more control over delivering safe reliable service, and customers a more seamless and personalized experience.