Rail Experience: Renner began his rail career in 1998 as a conductor with Norfolk Southern Railway. He joined CSX a year later, eventually becoming a trainmaster. He earned qualifications as a remote control operator and an onboard work order instructor, allowing him to ride local jobs and mentor employees one on one across the entire eastern U.S. In 2016, he joined Patriot Rail as regional operations manager, later becoming regional vice president of transportation-east. Most recently he was promoted to VP of transportation for the entire organization. He now oversees the company's training and leadership development programs to ensure managers across the organization adopt a consistent, effective approach to employee development.

Mentorship Role: Renner mentors by explaining why decisions are made — not just what needs to be done. Whether it's safety practices, operational changes or customer service standards, he helps team members understand the bigger picture. This approach has helped newer managers and supervisors grow more confident and make better independent decisions. He identifies employees with leadership potential and prepares them for growth through coaching on communication, prioritization and accountability, often providing individuals opportunities to lead initiatives with his guidance rather than stepping in himself. Renner uses struggles as mentoring opportunities to work through challenges one on one, helping mentees analyze what went wrong. When a location or team is experiencing inconsistent performance, Renner focuses first on mentoring local leadership and rebuilding trust within the team. This approach has stabilized operations and creates lasting improvements. He encourages his mentees to take ownership of their roles and fosters a culture of accountability and pride in work across his teams.