Rising Stars 2026: Cameron Ginther 

Cameron Ginther, 30 
General superintendent 
South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad 
 
Nominator’s quote: “Cameron has been instrumental in helping Watco secure grants and manage the associated rail projects to completion. He is actively involved in managing 12 projects in various stages that total just over $221 million in federal, state and Watco funds.” — Jimmy Patterson, Watco 

Education: Bachelor’s degree in integrated studies (sustainability, society and resource management), Pittsburg State University. 

Job responsibilities: His role is to support the Watco-owned South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad's (SKOL) maintenance-of-way (MOW), mechanical, operations and locomotive teams. That includes being heavily involved with hiring, training and working with his team, managing a $40 million FY22 CRISI project, and leading the team in planning and managing more than $4 million in capex projects.  

Career path: Ginther spent the first few years of his Watco career working with local teams that served customers in various locations in Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas. The customers he served shipped a range of commodities, from petroleum coke/ore to coils and cotton seed to oilfield pipe and pig iron. After 11 months working with the local team in Catoosa, Oklahoma, he spent five years supporting Watco railroads managing federal CRISI/STC grant and state-specific projects. He’s been in his current role since late April. 

What was your first job and what did you learn from it? 
My first job out of college was working for one of Watco’s flagship terminals and port locations in Amory, Mississippi. What I learned about myself is, I could achieve more by working with a strong team around me. During the 13 months my wife and I lived and worked in Amory, I learned how to be a servant leader and a true team member. Regardless of how crucial Pittsburg State was in molding me as a person and my 22 years [were] before that, some of the most important lessons were instilled in me in Amory — things a four-year degree could not teach me. 

What sparked your interest in the rail industry? What told you it could be a place for you to thrive? 
Between my junior and senior years of college, I worked for the SKOL MOW crew out of Pittsburg, Kansas. Post college, I spent two years in some of Watco’s key terminals and ports in Mississippi and Oklahoma; then I was offered a position to manage an FY19 CRISI project for the SKOL. I worked with the local and Watco teams to deliver a successful project that will continue to pay dividends down the road. That transitioned into me taking on a larger role managing the other federal (CRISI/STC) projects for Watco, and working with our railroads and support teams from all over the country. That work led to my current opportunity. 
 
I have the pleasure of working with some of the best railroaders the industry has to offer. I learned I enjoy a fast-paced environment where I can be involved in 10 different things any given day. It may seem like you are drinking from a firehose, but the life lessons I learned and the ability to work with the teams I do make it all worth it.  

What’s one of the most valuable lessons you’ve learned in your career? 
You could spend 30 years in railroading and still learn something new every day. As much as the industry has changed in the last 30 years, it’s truly amazing what it can teach you and provide if you are willing to learn. 

What are your passions outside of work? 
Family, the outdoors and traveling. My wife and I are blessed with three beautiful kids, and we get to live out our dream by owning a farm and living in the country, and raising them in rural America. We love hunting, fishing and taking care of our animals. Attending local sporting events, attending concerts and traveling is what we like to do to relax. 

How do you plan to keep making an impact in your corner of the industry? 
By making an impact on the people I support and work with, as well as by leaving the railroad in a better spot than when I got there. Those things take time, but they’re key goals that are very important to me and why I love doing what I do. 
 
What’s the biggest challenge facing the rail industry today? 
Finding quality people who value getting up every day and making an impact. Every person makes impacts in different ways and at different levels, but it is getting harder to find people with can-do attitudes and who are self-starters, people who are fine with rolling up their sleeves and being uncomfortable every now and again. It is something that has become unique in an industry that was once filled with those attributes and that very mindset.