American High Speed Rail Alliance Names Former Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater to Advisory Board

[WASHINGTON, DC] The American High Speed Rail Alliance (AHSRA) today announced the appointment of Rodney E. Slater, Partner, Patton Boggs, LLP, and former U.S. Secretary of Transportation to its Advisory Board. Secretary Slater joins more than 25 prominent figures and transportation industry leaders who provide guidance to the Alliance on its mission-to advocate for the development and implementation of a high speed passenger rail network in the United States.

As Secretary of Transportation under President Bill Clinton, Slater demonstrated his ability to build bi-partisan coalitions as he worked with Congress to pass several historic legislative initiatives, including the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), which guaranteed a record $200 billion in surface transportation investment through 2003 and authorized six high speed rail corridors. During his tenure, Slater submitted the first comprehensive plan for high speed rail and announced the designation of new high speed rail corridors and extensions to the existing corridors. During this time, Slater led the Clinton administration's efforts to significantly expand the nation's high speed rail network by introducing Amtrak's Acela Express service along the northeast corridor-the first high-speed rail system in the United States. Under his leadership, the federal transportation budget doubled and in the department's best in government strategic and performance plans, the scope and definition of transportation was expanded to include a focus on safety, mobility and access, economic development and trade, the environment and national security.

Previous to his tenure as transportation secretary, Slater served as Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, where-as the agency's first African-American Administrator in its century-long history-he oversaw the development of an innovative financing program that resulted in hundreds of transportation projects being completed two to three years ahead of schedule with greater cost efficiencies. Over that time, the federal transportation budget increased an unprecedented 104 percent. Additionally, the department's FY2001 budget of nearly $60 billion is the largest ever.

As a Partner at Patton Boggs, LLP, Secretary Slater helps clients integrate their interests in the overall vision for the transportation system of the 21st Century-a vision he set as transportation secretary to promote a safer, more efficient, environmentally sound and sustainable worldwide transportation infrastructure. Slater also helps state and local government clients address the vexing challenge of closing the gap between transportation demand and capacity by employing public/private strategies and innovative financing solutions. Secretary Slater's practice focuses on many of the policy and transportation objectives that were set under his leadership, including high speed rail corridor development and overall transportation safety and funding.

I am pleased to join AHSRA as it continues to build upon and advance the goal of a high speed passenger rail network in the U.S., said Rodney E. Slater, Partner, Patton Boggs, LLP. I had the privilege to lead this effort as a member of former President Bill Clinton's cabinet and believe that the current momentum will move us ever closer to fully realizing that goal. As Secretary of Transportation, I called for a new spirit of leadership from industry and the science and research communities under our Partnership for a New Generation Vehicle (PNGV). I hope to call upon a similar spirit of innovation to assist the Alliance in its efforts with the rail community.

The Advisory Board provides guidance to the Alliance on its mission and advocacy efforts. The members of the Advisory Board support the Alliance's policy agenda, participate in strategic planning sessions, maintain a dialogue with stakeholders in the high speed rail industry and help to establish a permanent Governing Board of Directors for the Alliance.

Other Advisory Board members include:

Chairman: The Honorable Al Swift, Former Congressman, 2nd District, Washington State
Chuck Baker, President, National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC)
Brian Caine, Manager, Business Development, Lockheed Martin Corporation
Dr. Charles Emely, Ph.D., Executive Director and CEO, The American Railway Engineering and Maintenance of Way Association (AREMA)
Melvin Clark, Jr., Esq., CEO, G.W. Peoples Contracting Co., Inc.
Nora Friend, Vice President of Public Affairs, Talgo
Lewis Goetz, FAIA, FIIDA, President & CEO, Group Goetz Architects
Nicholas Hann, Executive Director, Macquarie Capital Advisors
Francis Jelensperger, Vice President, Program Director, High Speed Rail, Parsons Corporation
Eric Keen, Executive Vice President, National Director, Transportation Business Group, HDR, Inc.
Ron Kloos, International Vice President, Transportation Communications International Union (TCU)
The Honorable Quentin Kopp, Board Member, California High-Speed Rail Authority
Dennis Martire, Vice President and Mid-Atlantic Regional Manager, Laborers' International Union of North America
Zach Mottl, Chair, Government Affairs Committee, Tooling and Manufacturing Association (TMA)
Paul Nowicki, Assistant Vice President, Government and Public Policy, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF)
Dan Pickett, International President, Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen
Michael Pracht, President & CEO, US Railcar Company
John Risch, U.S. Alternate National Legislative Director, United Transportation Union (UTU)
John Sikaitis, Senior Vice President, Director of Office Research, Americas, Jones Lang LaSalle
Patrick Simmons, Director, Rail Division, North Carolina Department of Transportation
David Soule, Executive Director, Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association (REMSA)
Marise Stewart, Director of Government and Industry Relations, Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD)
Petra Todorovich, Director, America 2050
John Tolman, Vice President & National Legislative Representative, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen (BLE-T)
George Weber, Chief, Bureau of Railroads, Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT)
Jim Wolfe, President & CEO, Knight Engineers & Architects

Secretary Slater's extensive experience and leadership in the transportation industry makes him a valuable addition to the Alliance's Advisory Board, said Mary Ellen Curto, Executive Director of AHSRA. We look forward to working with Secretary Slater and to his guidance as we work to advance high speed rail in America.

The American High Speed Rail Alliance is a non-profit advocacy organization whose members are dedicated to creating and sustaining a clean and energy-efficient advanced national high speed passenger rail system in the United States. The AHSRA works on behalf of, and in partnership with, its members and other like-minded stakeholders to support policies and execute programs that ensure the creation and operation of a world-class high speed rail system that is interconnected with all passenger transportation systems throughout the United States. For more information, visit www.americanhsra.org.