Biography →

Dr. Bob Andrews has spent a lifetime transforming his personal passions into successful business and philanthropic pursuits. During his career, Bob has fought refinery and chemical plant fires, chased fugitives with his K-9 partner, investigated train wrecks, designed complex fire protection systems, restored vintage Pennsylvania Railroad Pullman cars, and kept our first responders safe. Bob is a passionate life-long learner and a highly regarded international lecturer having presented in the United States, Jamaica, France, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Poland, and Germany.

Bob’s formal education includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Fire Protection Engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park (Dec 1980) and a Master of Science degree in Executive Fire Service Leadership from Grand Canyon University, Phoenix, AZ (Dec 2002). He earned a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree from Temple University’s Fox School of Business and Management, Philadelphia, PA, in May 2022.

Additionally, Bob is a graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program (2002) and a graduate of Michigan State University’s Railway Management Program (Feb 2009). In 2023, Bob was appointed to a three-year term as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Fire Protection Engineering in the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Bob has been a licensed Professional Engineer (fire protection branch specialty) in Texas for 38 years. He has been a Licensed Texas Peace Officer for 32 years and holds both Master Peace Officer and Instructor certifications. He is an internationally recognized police dog trainer and is currently commissioned as a Reserve Deputy Fire Marshal with the Bexar County (TX) Fire Marshal’s Office (non-paid peace officer). He is a proud Philadelphia native, and is equally proud to be an adopted Texan.

Bob is a Member (owner) of the Catalpa Falls Group, and also serves as its Managing Partner and Chief Engineer.

Biography →

Roy Blanchard provides general management, marketing, and strategic planning support for shortline railroads. A happy extension of this work is a rapidly-expanding portfolio of projects assisting rail transportation users in commercial and technical matters from rate negotiation and sidetrack construction to demurrage management and supply chain support.

Roy publishes The Railroad Week in Review, an electronic compendium of railroad industry news analysis and comment. He is also a Railway Age Contributing Editor and for 15 years wrote a semimonthly column on industry best practices in addition to occasional feature articles.

Roy enjoys long-standing personal relationships with the senior management teams of the North American Class I railroads. With a behind-the-scenes understanding of Class I commercial, operating, and financial goals Roy has been particularly effective in creating strategic partnerships between his clients and their Class I connections.

Roy earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a concentration in Business Administration from The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA (1960). Upon graduation, he received an ROTC commission in the U.S. Army as a Second Lieutenant. His seven-year Army service included posts in the United States, serving as an advisor to the Italian Army in the use of U.S. artillery, and then deployment to Vietnam where he earned a Bronze Star. Roy left the U.S. Army with the rank of Captain.

Biography →

Dr. Tony Cash is an experienced fire, life safety, and emergency planning professional with considerable exposure to a broad range of safety regulatory activities in a wide range of private and public sectors.

His most recent engagement was as the chartered fire engineer (CEng) for Heathrow Airport Ltd, the UK’s international “front door” hub airport. While there, he was the subject matter expert specifically responsible for all aspects of fire protection and fire engineering across the entire campus, including fire strategies; engineering standards; fire detection; fire suppression; fire ventilation; life safety systems; fire resisting construction & reaction-to-fire properties of materials; fire signage and emergency lighting; as well as supporting operational teams and the Heathrow wider organization to ensure robust asset management.

He was, before Heathrow, employed as expert fire engineer at Bombardier Transportation (Derby-based manufacturer of metro and mainline rail vehicles) and earlier enjoyed a period of consultancy and employment as infrastructure director for Trenton Fire. Immediately before joining Trenton Fire, Tony worked for London Underground (LU) and Transport for London (TfL) as senior fire engineer and fire compliance manager (2006 – 2017). During this time, he was responsible for the supervision of the design, supply, installation, commissioning, testing, handover, and maintenance of fire assets by LU’s public-private partnership (PPP) collaborators and the Public Finance Initiative (PFI) suppliers. As fire compliance manager, he was accountable for the process of managing changes in the fire precautions at London Underground stations, train crew accommodations, head office premises, group property, and depots. His team coordinated and expedited plan reviews with the local fire authority and Tony managed the issue and revision of building fire plans, working closely with the London Fire & Emergency Planning Authority’s (LFEPA) transport fire safety team. Notable among his many accomplishments, Tony coordinated the fire safety provisions for the Piccadilly Line extension to Heathrow Terminal 5, the entry into service of Farringdon, Tottenham Court Road, and Victoria stations, and the refurbishment/renewal of building services assets during the first review period of PPP for Tube and the PFI for Power and other premises.

In Tony’s early career, he was a flight standards officer in the Aerodrome Standards Department of the United Kingdom’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). He has experience in drafting, publishing and implementing the UK Air Navigation Order, the Air Navigation (Dangerous Goods) Regulations, and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air.

Tony’s formal education includes a Bachelor of Science Degree (Honours) in Chemistry from the University of London, Royal Holloway and Bedford College (1983) and a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of Leeds, Department of Physical Chemistry (1987). His doctoral studies were funded by the Ministry of Defence (Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, Materials Quality Assurance Directorate). Tony’s dissertation, Thermal Analysis of Petroleum Materials (fuels, engine oil and lubricants), involved theoretical and practical assessment of rates of reaction using classical analytical techniques including combustion calorimetry, differential thermal analysis, and pressure differential scanning calorimetry. His research involved the design, production and quality assurance of pressurized vessels to “space station”-style specifications. Tony’s research included investigations into the thermal insulating properties of mineral fibers and thermal barriers used in jet aircraft as a result of the forensic investigation into the contribution of smoke and toxic fumes to the deaths incurred during the Manchester Air Crash of 1985.

Tony is a Chartered European Chemist and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, a Chartered Fire Engineer and a Fellow in the Institution of Fire Engineers, and a member of the British Standards Institute. He is also the international president of the Rail Industry Fire Association (RIFA) and the vice president-elect of the London branch of the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE). Tony also serves as the United Kingdom’s Expert/Member of European Standard CEN/TC 256/WG 1, Railway Applications (Fire Protection).

Tony is currently the managing director of UK-based Dr. Tony Cash and Associates, and also serves as Executive Rail’s Senior Associate – UK/Europe.

Biography →

Dr. Michael Corey is the co-founder of LicenseFortress. For over twenty-five years, Michael has been a frequent speaker at technology and business conferences throughout the world – from Australia to Brazil – and is also a regular columnist for Big Data Quarterly magazine.

In 2015 and 2017, Michael was recognized as one of the top 100 most influential people in the cloud industry. He is a recognized Oracle ACE, a recognized VMware vExpert, and a former Microsoft Data Platform MVP. Michael is the original Oracle press author, and his newest book is Virtualizing SQL Server with VMware: Doing IT Right from VMware Press. He has received the only Lifetime Achievement Award ever bestowed by the International Oracle Users Group.

Michael’s formal education includes an Associate of Computer Science degree from Quincy College, MA (1981), a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science with a concentration in Accounting from Bentley University, Waltham, MA (1984), and a Master of Business Administration Degree from Post University, Waterbury, CT (2018). Additionally, Michael attended the Entrepreneurial Management Program at Babson College, Wellesley, MA (1995 – 1998). He earned a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree from Temple University’s Fox School of Business and Management, Philadelphia, PA, in May 2021.

In both 1997 and 1998, Michael received the National 500 Technology Award for the growth of his company, Database Technologies. Between 1992 and 1997 the company was the 51st fastest growing tech company in the United States realizing a revenue growth of more than 4,690%. From 2006 to 2012, Michael served as a gubernatorial appointee to the Massachusetts Robert H. Goddard Council for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

Biography →

Dr. John Gale, Vice President - Aviation for American Express leads AmEx's international flight department from three aviation bases in the New York City area. Most recently, John served as Director of Aviation for Nike in Portland, Oregon.

John has held numerous senior leadership roles in Fortune 100 companies as well as the military, notably as a Director and Senior Director of Aviation, Global Operations, Maintenance and Logistics. Originally from upstate New York, John has lived all over the United States and has spent a significant amount of time in various places around the globe primarily in Asia and the Middle East.

John is an International Captain, an FAA designated flight instructor and a former United States Marine Corps Officer with over 8,000 hours of total flight time, having earned type ratings in 9 different aircraft. John is an active member of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), former New Jersey Aviation Association board member, and recently served as an officer of the Pacific Northwest Business Aviation Association’s board of directors.

John’s formal education includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Finance from LeMoyne College, Syracuse, NY (May 1988), a Master of Business Administration degree from Boston University, Boston, MA (Sept 1996), and a Master of Science degree in Strategic Planning and Public Relations from The George Washington University, Washington, D.C. (May 2015). John earned a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree from Temple University’s Fox School of Business and Management, Philadelphia, PA, in May 2022.

Additionally, John has earned a professional certification in Business Leadership and Change Management from Cornell University, completed the Aviation Safety Officer curriculum at the United States Naval Post Graduate School, and is a National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Certified Aviation Manager (CAM).

Biography →

Dan retired from the railroad industry with over 45 years of service. He served in various positions in the operating department, with 14 years of that being in the safety department. Dan and his late wife, Janice, owned three passenger cars dating back to 1972; Opequon, an ex-B&O sleeper; LaGrange, an ex-ACL diner; and Chouteau Club, an ex-CN parlor car rebuilt to a buffet diner-lounge. Dan is based in St. Louis and is a Member (owner) of The Catalpa Falls Group.

Biography →

A veteran of the railroad business, George Payne and his wife Marcia have owned the Catalpa Falls longer than the Pennsylvania Railroad did. Train enthusiasts both, George and Marcia have preserved and cared for the Catalpa Falls since 1972. Now as a partner of The Catalpa Falls Group, George’s extensive train knowledge serves as an essential element in helping the firm deliver authentic experiences to travelers.

Biography →

Mr. Wullich is a native of Batavia, NY and is a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) and a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in New York and Virginia. An Eagle Scout and graduate of St. Bonaventure University, he has owned over 26 pieces of historic rail equipment throughout his preservation efforts, including the former California Zephyr dome-observation car Silver Solarium until recently sold.

Like many people, Roy’s interests with trains began with a Lionel train set around the Christmas tree. Mr. Wullich started working with the Western New York Railway Historical Society in Buffalo, NY with railcar preservation and excursion operations in 1982. Roy has continued working with various excursion, charter and special trains; historical preservation projects; as well as various roles in both museum and operations management. He has also been a contractor to several Class One railroads including eight years with Canadian Pacific’s 2816 steam program and Holiday Train. Roy is a member and has served, and continues to serve, as an Officer of and on the Boards of several non-profit organizations, private foundations and railroad preservation organizations.

Mr. Wullich has also held various senior management positions at several international companies including Intel, KPMG and Price Waterhouse. A member of the Railroad Passenger Car Alliance since 1988, Mr. Wullich was President of the Railway Passenger Car Alliance (RPCA) from January 2008-January 2012 and continues to serve as an active RPCA Board Member for over 25 years. During his tenure as President, he significantly increased the visibility of the Organization at the national level within the rail industry and has added several Class One railroads and key suppliers to the membership through his personal and professional relationships.

Additionally, Mr. Wullich serves both as Corporate Secretary and as a Board Member of the Tom E. Dailey Foundation. The Foundation, awards grants in several eligible categories including rail preservation. Since it’s creation in 2013, the Foundation has awarded over $925,000 in grants.

Mr. Wullich resides in Quinton, VA and is a CPA with Virginia based ProSport CPA, a boutique accounting firm specializing in personal tax and financial matters for Professional Athletes and Entertainers worldwide.

Biography →

Coming soon!

Biography →

Coming soon!

Biography →

Coming soon!

Biography →

Coming soon!