About
Board of Directors
Board Description
General members who are qualified may also opt to run for election to the positions of Officers or Directors of the Association. Officer and Director positions are elected by the Council of Representatives at the annual spring meeting, per the by-laws. The Board normally meets in-person during the Spring and Fall meetings and via electronic methods/teleconference once during other months. The in-person meetings are open to the general members. As the teleconferences have a strictly limited time period, non-Board members are allowed to participate only if invited. The Board may have up to 15 elected positions, of which seven are the Officers: the Chair, four Vice Chairs, Secretary, and Treasurer; and eight are Directors. The Immediate Past Chair and Treasuer serve as ex-officio, non-voting, members of the Board for the two years following their active, elected, service.
A directory of Board & Council Representatives with contact information is available to Rail Passenger Association members (login required).
The minutes from Board of Directors meetings are also available to Rail Passengers Association members (login required).
Become a Rail Passengers Association Board Member
To learn more about the qualifications to run and to self nominate, click here.
Members of Rail Passengers Association's Board of Directors
(Page Revised on 8/7/24)
Click on each name for a brief bio.
Officers
Term to Spring 2026
- Meredith Richards (VA), Chair
- Dan Bilka (SD), Vice Chair
- Harvey Bowen (WA), Vice Chair, Bylaws Committee Chair
- Ken Joseph (PA), Vice Chair
- Todd Liebman (AZ), Vice Chair
- William C. Dunn (VA), Secretary
- Alex Bedenko (PA), Treasurer
Directors
Term to Spring 2025
- Richard Bruss (PA)
- Michael Christensen (UT)
Term to Spring 2026
- Kevin Buettner (OH)
- Tom Compson (TX)
- Gary Lanman (OK)
Term to Spring 2027
- Anthony Lanzilotti (NJ)
- Christopher Nadelbach (NY)
- Stu Nicholson (OH)
Ex Officio
- Ken Briers (DC), Immediate Past Chair
"I wish to extend my appreciation to members of the Rail Passengers Association for their steadfast advocacy to protect not only the Southwest Chief, but all rail transportation which plays such an important role in our economy and local communities. I look forward to continuing this close partnership, both with America’s rail passengers and our bipartisan group of senators, to ensure a bright future for the Southwest Chief route."
Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS)
April 2, 2019, on receiving the Association's Golden Spike Award for his work to protect the Southwest Chief