UP
In the last 10 years, more than 31,000 college-educated young adults have left Nebraska, according to a state legislative report. As the “brain drain” of bachelor’s degree holders persists, UP is aiming to “attract and retain talented students through its key partnership with Omaha’s Creighton University.”
Born out of the railroad and the university’s shared commitment to enhancing diversity within the broader community, the Union Pacific Diversity Scholars Program equips students with tools to succeed and lead.
The prestigious four-year scholarship and mentoring program—funded in part by a multi-year contribution from Union Pacific’s Community Ties Giving Program—allows students to “engage in peer-to-peer mentoring, connect with community partners to grow their networks and gain valuable exposure to leaders across both organizations,” the Class I noted.
“With 80% of Creighton undergraduates coming from outside Nebraska and nearly 50% of business students beginning their careers in the Omaha metro area, this program represents a significant win for Nebraska’s ‘brain gain’ efforts,” said Creighton University Senior Director of Frontline Programs Andy Kammerer.
Since welcoming its inaugural class in 2020, the Diversity Scholars Program has mentored more than 20 students, including recent graduate Roland Onwona-Agyeman, who now works as a full-time account manager in the railroad’s Marketing and Sales Department.
After a successful 2 1/2 years interning in downtown Omaha with UP, Onwona-Agyeman said the experience “solidified his desire to be a leader in sales and the transportation industry.”
“The program provided me with important components of professional development and offered valuable exposure to industry leaders,” he said. “I’ve learned to implement these effective leadership strategies in my community and the workplace.”
Onwona-Agyeman plans to start his Master of Business Administration studies this fall, taking advantage of UP’s tuition-free program with the University of Nebraska at Omaha. His long-term professional goal: hold a leadership role within the company.
“Interning at Union Pacific enhanced my visibility and exposure to leadership, and now, as a full-time employee, I’m continuing to hone my leadership skills through professional development opportunities,” Onwona-Agyeman said. “The company’s culture encourages constant development and growth.”
In the fall of 2023, the Diversity Scholars Program merged with Creighton’s Next Generation Leaders Program, which, the Class I says, “ensures students have both the resources to succeed academically and the networks to thrive professionally.” The program has enrolled more than 80 students since it launched in 2022, and UP operates in the home states of 34 of those scholars.
Separately, Profiles in Diversity magazine has honored UP’s Todd Rynaski, Chief Accounting, Risk and Compliance Officer, as one of its 2024 Veteran Leadership Award recipients, recognizing the achievements of military veterans who are excelling in their chosen fields, the Class I recently announced in a LinkedIn post.
NS
“Over time, and primarily because I found leaders willing to risk a bet on me, I now find myself leading the commercial charge to connect our services with our customers’ needs,” said NS Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Ed Elkins, who recently joined NS Manager Coal Marketing Frances Munro, Group Vice President Alexander Luc, and AVP Network Operations Floyd Hudson for a panel discussion at the Class I’s all-employee Town Hall.
The conversation, Elkins said, centered around something he “believes in at the bottom of his heart—the value of strong relationships and dependable service.
“What stood out to me in our conversation is that the heart of Norfolk Southern is our people,” said Elkins in a Linked post. “It’s easy to talk about rail as a business of logistics and operations, but at its core, it’s about trust. Trust is what keeps our customers coming back and what allows us to attract new business. I want everyone at Norfolk Southern to understand what we are striving to deliver every day for our customers. It’s a simple formula and as relevant today as it was 36 years ago when I started: delivering service our customers can count on, from people they can trust. Whether it’s in coal, intermodal, automotive, agriculture, consumer goods, etc., our customers need to know that we can deliver for them, no matter what.”
“I’m proud of what our team has accomplished and even more excited about where we’re heading. We’re still writing this success story, and I can’t wait to see what we achieve next,” added Elkins, who has spent more than 36 years working at NS, starting as a brakeman, then as a conductor, and later as a locomotive engineer.
CPKC
CPKC International at Spruce Meadows has raised more than $157,000 to support women’s heart health in Alberta, the Class I recently announced in an X post.
According to the Class I, CPKC helped raise $157,475 for the Libin Cardiovascular Institute at the Spruce Meadows CPKC International Grand Prix in Calgary as the field this past Sunday jumped 15 rounds.
Martin Fuchs rode spectacularly to win his second consecutive CPKC International Grand Prix and the $3 million purse. “Congratulations to Martin and Leone Jei,” CPKC said in a release.
Working with the team at Spruce Meadows, CPKC raised funds for the critical work done by the team at the Libin Cardiovascular Institute in Calgary. CPKC’s Clear Rounds for Heart, an initiative of the CPKC Has Heart community investment program to support the heart health of people across North America, donates $10,000 for each clear round jumped, including those with time faults. Since its inception in 2014, CPKC’s Spruce Meadows program has helped raise more than $2.7 million for heart health research and care.
“We are grateful to CPKC for helping us advance the Institute’s mission with their ongoing support,” said Dr. Roopinder Sandhu, Director, Libin Cardiovascular Institute’s Women’s Cardiovascular Health Initiative (WCHI), which aims to save women’s lives by preventing and treating cardiovascular disease. “Proceeds from today’s event will support the WCHI, including its new clinic focused on treating women at risk or with heart disease. Together, we can transform women’s heart health across their lifetime.”
The Libin Cardiovascular Institute is a joint entity of Alberta Health Services and the University of Calgary that connects world-class cardiovascular research, first-rate patient care and education in Southern Alberta, serving a population of about two million. Their more than 1,500 members include physicians, clinicians and other health professionals, researchers and trainees.
During the CPKC International Grand Prix at The Masters, CPKC donated to the Libin Cardiovascular Institute for each of those who participated in CPKC Has Heart activities, including Interactive Heart Model Building and hands-only CPR.
“Thank you to the fans cheering on all of the great riders and helping to support women’s heart health in Alberta,” added CPKC.
