ARH names Advisory Board

To assist the company in meeting its strategic objectives, the railroad holding company Anacostia Rail Holdings (ARH) has created an Advisory Board made up of individuals with extensive leadership experience in the railroad industry.

The members of the Advisory Board include Ronald L. Batory, Rodney Case, Andrew Fox, and Dean H. Wise.

ARH Chairman Peter Gilbertson sees the creation of the Advisory Board as an important tool in fulfilling Anacostia’s corporate strategy.

“We are privileged to have this talented group of railroad executives assist us in strategic thinking about rail safety, revenue growth, and technology,” says Gilbertson. “They have diverse backgrounds and reputations as thought leaders.” The advisors, he notes, will report to Anacostia’s board of directors and will also advise senior officers.

Ronald Batory comes to the board with more than 45 years of experience in the industry, including 23 years working for both eastern and western Class I railroads. In 1994, he was named president of The Belt Railway Company of Chicago, followed by his appointment as president and chief operating officer of Consolidated Rail Corporation. In February 2018, the U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed him as the 14th administrator of the FRA, a position he held until January 20, 2021.

Rodney Case spent 30 years of his career in leadership positions in the rail freight sector, including 17 years with Canadian Pacific, for which he ultimately led service design functions. He later headed up service design on a two-year contract for FRET SNCF, the French national freight railway. From 2006 to 2021, Case fulfilled various roles with the global advisory firm Oliver Wyman, ultimately serving as lead partner in charge of operations on six continents.

Andrew Fox previously was managing director at Anacostia Rail Holdings, a position he held until 2018. Previously he was CEO and president of ARH’s Chicago South Shore & South Bend and Pacific Harbor Line railroads. Before coming to Anacostia, he held a variety of management positions during a 23-year career with Southern Pacific. Fox has held a number of key positions among industry associations and companies, including past director of the American Short Line & Regional Railroad Association.

Dean Wise advises several companies in the transportation, logistics, and infrastructure industries. He is a former vice president of network strategy at BNSF Railway and has held positions with consulting firms Norbridge, Inc. and Mercer Management (now Oliver Wyman), as well as with Conrail and Southern Pacific. He serves on the board of directors of Precision Terminal Logistics, the University of Denver Transportation Institute, and the American Geographical Society.