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Amtrak names Charles W. ‘Wick’ Moorman as its new CEO

August 19, 2016 at 4:12 p.m. EDT

Amtrak has named a veteran railroad executive as its new president and chief executive, officials announced Friday.

Charles W. “Wick” Moorman, the retired chairman, chief executive and president of Norfolk Southern Railway will take over the top job at Amtrak in September. He will replace Joseph Boardman, who has served as Amtrak’s top executive since 2008.

“We are very pleased that someone with Wick’s experience and vision will lead Amtrak during this critical period as the company charts a course for future growth and improvement,” said Anthony Coscia, chairman of Amtrak’s board of directors in a news release. “Under CEO Joe Boardman, and with the support of the Administration and Congress, Amtrak has achieved record levels of performance and investment. The Board believes Wick can build upon this success in the coming year by launching initiatives to further enhance safety and customer service, modernize our operations, and guide our implementation of the FAST Act.”

Amtrak CEO Joesph Boardman announces his retirement

Moorman, 64, spent more than 40 years at Norfolk Southern before retiring at the end of last year. He started at the railroad based in Norfolk as a management trainee. He is a graduate of Georgia Tech and Harvard Business School and is a native of Hattiesburg, Miss. He serves on the boards of Duke Energy, Chevron, the Virginia chapter of the Nature Conservancy and the Georgia Tech Foundation.

“It is an honor and privilege to take on the role of CEO at Amtrak and I look forward to working with its dedicated employees to find ways to provide even better service to our passengers and the nation,” Moorman said in a prepared statement. “At Norfolk Southern, our team fostered change by placing a solid emphasis on performance across all aspects of our business which helped develop a stronger safety and service culture throughout the company. I look forward to advancing those same goals at Amtrak and helping to build a plan for future growth.”

Boardman announced last fall he would step down as Amtrak’s chief executive. “I have been humbled to lead this extraordinary organization over the past eight years,” he said. “I look forward to spending time with my family and wish Wick all the best as he brings his excellent experience to Amtrak.”

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