Job history: Betsy joined GoRail in 2015 as a digital communications specialist. She engaged the public on rail issues and mobilized citizens and community leaders to support GoRail policy priorities via traditional media and digital channels. She modernized GoRail's communications infrastructure, increased GoRail's digital audiences, and more than doubled the size of GoRail's grassroots database. She was promoted to digital communications director in 2017, to assistant vice president of communications in 2022 and to VP of GoRail in 2025.

Why she's influential as an innovator: As a leading force behind Rail Champions, the rapidly growing industrywide grassroots program, Betsy is on the cutting edge of advocacy supporting pro-rail policies and opposing initiatives that could stifle innovation, investment and growth in the rail sector. This includes building Rail Champions to include more than 80,000 advocates across the nation and developing engaging new content to continuously grow the program. Betsy also manages GoRail's larger communications program and coordinates earned, social and paid media initiatives in collaboration with railroads and suppliers through their trade associations and individual companies' communications departments.

The communications program she oversees delivers a high number of earned-media placements each year, complemented by strong engagement rates across social platforms. Her work has positioned the GoRail website as a go-to source of credible information for grassroots supporters and grasstops influencers. Taken together, these outputs reflect a program that not only reaches wide audiences but also drives meaningful, policy-relevant engagement.