SLSI taps Leone to oversee research, organizational development

The Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI) has hired Julia Leone as manager of research and organizational development.

Leone will be responsible for working with senior leadership to establish and manage priorities and goals for process improvements; building systems to monitor, evaluate and report on progress; and direct efforts to ensure quality and consistency through the application of systematic approaches in its programmatic design and execution. She also will lead the SLSI's research efforts.

"Julia will be critical in assisting us in identifying and developing the next generation of programs, while ensuring that our current programs deliver on their objectives and support our mission to continuously increase safety culture on short-line railroads across the the U.S.," said SLSI Executive Director Tom Murta in a press release.

Leone has conducted research on decision-making, social exclusion, online learning and other topics.

"I am excited to be joining an organization with such a positive mission: the continuous improvement of safety and safety culture," she said. "I am looking forward to learning from the data, and translating that information into knowledge and action, identifying additional ways that the SLSI can be a partner to the short-line industry in driving safety culture forward."

The SLSI provides hazardous materials training, leadership development training and safety culture assessments at no cost to short lines.