People news from Reading & Northern Railroad, Georgia Ports and NCTD

Reading & Northern Railroad has promoted Jim Raffa to chief marketing officer. Most recently, Raffa was executive vice president of marketing and sales. In his new capacity, Raffa will assist CEO Andy Muller Jr., EVP Christina Muller-Levan and President Wayne Michel on strategic and commercial issues, including railroad acquisitions and the impact of the potential Union Pacific Railroad and Norfolk Southern Railway merger. Raffa began his railroad career in 1989 with Reading & Northern’s predecessor, the Blue Mountain & Reading Railroad, as a trackman. After the Reading & Northern Railroad was formed in December 1990, he transitioned to coal traffic manager and real estate manager. In 2007, Raffa accepted an ownership position with Lehigh Railway and Luzerne & Susquehanna Railway. In 2020, after the sale of those rail lines, Raffa returned to Reading & Northern to manage the petrochemical and minerals accounts. He was named EVP last year.

Georgia Ports Authority has appointed Kevin Price as president reporting to CEO Griff Lynch, effective July 1, with a longer-term transition plan to assume the role of president and CEO in mid-2027. Currently president of Gateway Terminals in Savannah, Price has over 30 years of experience in leadership roles, including as chief operating officer of Virginia International Terminals, prior to Gateway. "[Price] is a proven industry executive whose extensive terminal operations expertise, in-depth knowledge and strong working relationships in Savannah and beyond make him a natural choice for the role. Kevin and I will ensure a seamless transition over the next 18 months,” said Lynch in a press release. 

North County Transit–San Diego Railroad (NCTD) has hired Baker Alloush to serve as director of facilities. He has more than 15 years of experience in facilities and maintenance operations management, and led initiatives in formulating, tracking, facilitating and closing work orders involving large-scale departmental moves and technology updates. Most recently, Alloush served as director of facilities and maintenance operations at Coachella Valley Unified School District. "Baker brings extensive experience in public sector facility management and planning, which will be instrumental in ensuring our environments are responsive to customer needs and empower our teams to thrive,” said Alex Denis, NCTD chief operating officer of general services, in a press release.