WASHINGTON
– The National Railroad Passenger Corporation Board of Directors announced today
that it has chosen Joseph Boardman, a nationally recognized transportation
industry professional, to become president and chief executive officer of the
company, effective November 26.
Boardman offers nearly
34 years of experience in the surface transportation industry at city, county,
state, and federal government levels; most recently as the administrator at the
Federal Railroad Administration.
"In an attempt to maintain the
momentum at Amtrak, while finding a permanent CEO candidate, the board has
appointed Mr. Boardman for one year, but will conduct a search in the coming
months for a permanent CEO," said Board Chairman Donna McLean. She added
that "Amtrak is at a critical juncture and needs a vigorous management vision
and ability to take advantage of this unique time. The board has unanimously
chosen Mr. Boardman in this capacity because we have complete confidence that
his depth of experience and leadership skills will allow Amtrak to maintain
growth and implement the requirements of the recently enacted authorization
legislation,"
"Joe Boardman knows the industry
extremely well, but what makes him exceptionally qualified for the position is
that he has the unique perspective of having known Amtrak as a customer and
state partner, administrator, and has been involved with Amtrak, in one role or
another, over the course of many years," said board Vice Chair Hunter Biden.
"Joe is the right person to help Amtrak during this important period," he
added.
Having served as administrator of the
Federal Railroad Administration since April 2005, Boardman was the Department of
Transportation designee on the Amtrak board of directors. Prior to his tenure at
FRA, he served as commissioner of the New York State Department of
Transportation beginning in July of 1997. There, Boardman led a transformation
effort that better enabled the agency to respond to the challenges associated
with an expanding global marketplace. In this capacity, Boardman was deeply
involved in the operation of the large complement of Amtrak service in the
state. In addition, he was chief operating officer of Progressive Transportation
Service, Inc., a transportation management company. He was chairman of the
Executive Committee of the Transportation Research Board in 2005 and chair of
the American Association of the State Highway and Transportation Officials'
Standing Committee on Rail Transportation from
2000-2005.
"I am humbled that the board selected
me to lead the company, on an interim basis, at this very exciting time. Over
the past decade — in one capacity or another — I have been an active participant
in the affairs of Amtrak. I have come to know the company, the culture, a number
of employees, and I am keenly aware of the challenges facing us right now," said
Boardman. "In my view, a national intercity, interconnected passenger rail
service is critically important for the mobility and energy independence of the
United
States."
Joe Boardman fills the position
following the departure of Alex Kummant earlier this month. Chief Operating
Officer William Crosbie served as acting CEO in the interim. "The board is
grateful to Bill Crosbie for his dedication to Amtrak and for managing the
company during the transition," McLean
added.
Boardman is a lifelong resident of
New York, and is the second of eight children
born and raised on a dairy farm in Oneida County, which two of his siblings
currently operate. In 1966, he volunteered for service in the United States Air
Force, serving in Vietnam from 1968 to 1969. Upon
receiving an honorable discharge from the Air Force, he earned a Bachelor of
Science in Agriculture Economics from Cornell University in Ithaca,
N.Y., and a Master of Science in Management
Science from the State University of New York at Binghamton. He presently resides with his wife
Joanne in Washington,
D.C., and has three grown
children.