CHICAGO—April 26, 2023 (James Street Media Services)—The North American Rail Shippers Association (NARS) will host its annual meeting May 24–26, 2023 in Chicago. It will be held in conjunction with Traffic Club of Chicago’s Annual Dinner and Golf Outing.

Those interested in attending are encouraged to register soon before prices increase in May for this always-popular gathering of industry insiders.

"Our theme for this year's meeting is 'A New Era in Railroading’,” said NARS President Bruce Mann. “With the changes and challenges currently facing the freight rail industry, we need to continue working together to build relationships between the railroads, shippers, regulators, and the public. The NARS Annual Meeting is a great place to do that.”

The agenda features high-level executives from large railroads, major shippers, and industry experts, including:

•    Arthur Adams, Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing, CSX
•    Terry J. Atkinson, Assistant Vice President–Industrial Products, Union Pacific Railroad
•    Tomeka Watson Bryant, General Manager, New Orleans Public Belt Railroad
•    Katie Farmer, President & CEO, BNSF
•    Lance Fritz, President & CEO, Union Pacific Railroad
•    Rick Galvan, The Greenbrier Companies
•    Tony Hatch, ABH Consulting
•    Joe Hinrichs, President & CEO, CSX
•    Adam Nordstrom, Principal, Viking Navigation
•    Martin Oberman, Chairman, Surface Transportation Board
•    Dean Piacente, President & CEO, OmniTRAX
•    Jean Savage, CEO & President, Trinity Industries, Inc.
•    Alan Shaw, President & CEO, Norfolk Southern
•    Torri Stuckey, Head of Merchandise Marketing, CSX
•    Shermann "Dilla" Thomas, Chicago Historian & Founder, Chicago Mahogany Foundation
•    Roger C. Tutterow, Ph.D., Professor, Michael J. Coles College of Business, Kennesaw State University

NARS will also be presenting its 2023 scholarships to college students based on their academic achievement, extracurricular activities, and community service. Scholarship candidates typically represent a blend of traditional undergraduate students as well as some working on advanced degrees in fields associated with the transportation industry.

NARS Annual Meeting Details
Dates
Wednesday–Friday, May 24–26, 2023

Location
Marriott Marquis Chicago
2121 S. Prairie Ave
Chicago, Illinois
Reservations online, and please book before May 1, 2023 to take advantage of the discounted group rate of $289.

Cost
$575 registration fee until May 10, 2023. On May 11, registration increases to $600.

Registration
• Online conference information and registration

• Email: nars@railshippers.com

• Phone: 872-212-4134

Traffic Club of Chicago Annual Dinner & Golf Outing
Separate registration required. Information available online.

About The North American Rail Shippers Association
The North American Rail Shippers Association (NARS) is comprised of a network of five regional North American associations including the Pacific Northwest Association of Rail Shippers (PNWARS), the Midwest Association of Rail Shippers (MARS), the Southwest Association of Rail Shippers (SWARS), the Northeast Association of Rail Shippers (NEARS), and the Southeast Association of Rail Shippers (SEARS). Headquartered in the Chicago area, NARS brings together representatives from this network of more than 7,000 members of the rail shipping and railroad community in an annual forum, which enables open discussion of rail transportation issues. For more information, please visit the NARS website at www.railshippers.com.

MEDIA CONTACT
Bill Fahrenwald
James Street Associates
708-528-0681
bill@jamesstreet.net