AITX
At AITX, Erica Ray has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Leasing–East, leading commercial strategy and execution across Eastern North America.
With nearly 20 years of experience in the rail industry, Ray served most recently as Vice President, Leasing–Eastern Canada, where she expanded AITX’s customer base and deepened key partnerships across the region. Prior to joining the railcar lessor, she held leadership roles at MRC (Modern Rail Capital) and spent nearly a decade at Norfolk Southern in roles spanning Finance, Engineering, and Sales & Marketing.
Ray holds a BBA from Georgia State University and is currently pursuing her Executive MBA at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management.
“Erica is all about building strong relationships and creating value for our customers,” said Tina Beckberger, Chief Commercial Officer at AITX. “She leads by example—always focused on solving real customer challenges, supporting her team, and strengthening ties across our key markets. Her insight and energy make a real difference, especially in a region that’s moving fast.”
Earlier this year, AITX appointed Doug MacDonald to its Board of Directors and Folu Adepitan as Vice President of Leasing, South.
GDC
In August, James Starace will join GDC as Chief of Program Delivery, overseeing the department responsible for design and construction of the Hudson Tunnel Project (HTP). He will lead all aspects of remaining design and engineering, construction, interface management, and other technical work areas. Starace will also work closely with GDC’s Supporting or Executing Partners (SEPs)—Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), Amtrak, and New Jersey Transit—to identify and proactively mitigate risks that could impact the project’s schedule or budget. Starace will serve on GDC’s executive leadership team.
Starace comes to GDC from HNTB, where he has worked with the New Jersey Turnpike Authority’s program team on the $11 billion Newark Bay-Hudson County Extension Improvements Program. He has more than 40 years of experience delivering large-scale transportation projects in the New York/New Jersey region. During his extensive tenure at the PANYNJ, Starace held a variety of senior-level positions, including leading the 550-person Engineering Department for more than seven years as Chief Engineer.
Starace has worked on many of the region’s significant infrastructure projects, including the new Goethals Bridge, the Newark Liberty International Airport Terminal A, LaGuardia Airport Redevelopment, the Bayonne Bridge “Raise the Roadway” project, the redevelopment of John F. Kennedy Airport, the PATH nine-rapid transit car program, the Holland Tunnel Electrical and Mechanical rehabilitation, and construction of the AirTrain Terminal at Jamaica Station.
Hamed Nejad is transitioning to the role of Chief Engineer at GDC, overseeing technical elements of project design and construction, including design review, value engineering, quality control, permitting and environmental compliance, and safety and construction management.
Nejad had served since September 2024 as Acting Chief Technical Officer at GDC. He oversaw work to advance two HTP construction packages past 50% completion: the start of the first tunnel boring project, and the award of the largest HTP construction contract to date.
Prior to joining GDC, Nejad worked on multiple heavy civil construction projects across the U.S., Australia, and the Middle East, including the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) East Side Access program, the Harold Structures Eastbound Reroute, the I-84 bridge replacements, and the Belt Parkway Bridge project.
New York GDC Commissioner and Co-Chair Alicia Glen, New Jersey GDC Commissioner and Co-Chair Balpreet Grewal-Virk, and GDC Amtrak Commissioner and Vice Chair Tony Coscia said: “The HTP is not only the most urgent passenger rail project in the country, it is also one of the largest and most complex. We need the best of the best leading the way. Jim brings deep experience working on many of the most significant infrastructure projects on both sides of the Hudson River, and we are thrilled to welcome someone with his background and expertise to the project. His experience will be critical as we continue to advance construction in the years ahead.”
GDC CEO Tom Prendergast said: “A generational project of this magnitude and complexity requires top-notch engineering talent. With tunnel boring through the Palisades on the horizon, excavation well under way in Manhattan, and the under-river tunneling contract to be awarded later this year, there is no room for error. Jim brings 40 years of experience to the table from his tenure at the PANYNJ, including the new Goethals Bridge, Newark Liberty International Airport Terminal A, and the AirTrain Terminal at Jamaica Station. Hamed, who has been acting in the role of Chief Technical Officer since last year, has played a key role in advancing multiple packages through procurement and into construction. I have full faith that Jim and Hamed will get this incredibly important project done right, and on scope, schedule, and budget.”
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to lead GDC’s technical and engineering team in delivering the HTP,” James Starace said. “After decades spent building large infrastructure projects in New York and New Jersey, I know the unique challenges that come with working in this region, and how to work within them. The HTP is the most urgent transit project of our time, and I look forward to working with the team to get the job done for the riders who deserve a 21st century rail experience.”
“Building the HTP has been a major goal of mine for years,” Hamed Nejad said. “I’m proud that the project is moving full steam ahead now. As its technical demands continue to grow, it is an honor to be tasked with working with Jim Starace to bring together the ten construction packages that make up the project to deliver reliable rail transportation and economic resilience to our region and nation.”
Separately, Catherine Rinaldi was recently appointed Executive Vice President of GDC, a new position. She served previously as President of MTA Metro-North Railroad.
Join GDC’s Catherine Rinaldi at the 2025 Railway Age / RT&S Women in Rail conference, to be held Oct. 15-16 at a new, larger venue in Chicagoland. She will be a featured speaker at this must-attend event, which highlights diverse experiences and practical strategies for moving the industry forward. Spanning two days, the Women in Rail conference features dynamic panels, a celebratory awards luncheon, and the chance to network with a wide-reaching group of like-minded rail professionals.
Also, join GDC’s Tom Prendergast at Railway Age’s Next-Gen Rail Systems Conference (formerly Next-Gen Train Control), to be held Oct. 30-31, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency Jersey City, Jersey City, N.J. For the 30th annual conference, Railway Age is expanding the program to encompass the entire system, examining how signaling and train control technologies are modified and improved by telematics, artificial intelligence, deep data analysis, cybersecurity measures and more. Presented by leading experts, Next-Gen Rail Systems will feature in-depth technical sessions and comprehensive project updates on evolutionary and revolutionary developments in advanced and emerging technologies.
Further Reading: Gateway: HTP Makes Concrete Progress, GDC Awards Manhattan Tunnel Project Contract, and GDC Issues RFQ for New Jersey Surface Alignment Project.
Quandel Consultants
Chicago-based rail and transit firm Quandel Consultants has hired Ray Lang to lead business development for passenger rail services. Lang will focus on the East Coast, Mid-Atlantic and Pacific Northwest as key areas of opportunity, particularly in track upgrades and bridge work, as well as in high-speed rail projects in other parts of the country, according to the firm, which plans and designs transportation systems across the nation.
Lang served Amtrak for 30 years, most recently as Vice President of Amtrak’s State Supported Service Line from 2020 to 2025. Lang worked with 21 partners in 18 states to negotiate annual agreements covering the operation of services on 29 routes around the country. These services accounted for approximately 49% of Amtrak’s ridership, generating approximately $350 million in state operating and equipment capital payments to Amtrak each year. Previously, Lang spent 26 years in the Amtrak Government Affairs department, most recently as Senior Director, National State Relations, from 2006 to 2020.
From 2020 to 2025, Lang served as Vice Chair of SAIPRC (State Amtrak Intercity Passenger Rail Committee) as the committee revised the cost allocation methodology Amtrak uses to charge state partners for Amtrak’s services, among other initiatives. Lang was Commissioner of Colorado’s Southwest Chief and Front Range Passenger Rail Commission from 2014 to 2020, working to preserve Southwest Chief service and develop new corridor service along the Front Range. From 2012 to 2017, Lang was Chicago Union Station Company President, liaising between Amtrak and the City of Chicago for policy and planning.
Lang received a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a Certificate in Change Management from the Wisconsin School of Business.
“Ray Lang is a highly respected leader and unparalleled advocate for passenger rail as a mode of transportation,” said Charles Quandel, CEO of Quandel Consultants. “We are very excited for Ray to represent the firm in meetings and conversations with decision-makers nationwide, to promote our services and expertise.”
“Quandel Consultants is a highly respected Midwest firm, which I’ve enjoyed collaborating with over the years,” Lang said. “I’m looking forward to supporting the firm in marketing its offerings, particularly to states with large passenger rail programs.”
“Intercity passenger rail is servicing more passengers than ever,” Lang added. “As such, there is a great need to keep expanding rail infrastructure and grow track capacity to accommodate more frequent and more reliable passenger trains. I’ll be connecting Quandel with state government partners and institutional entities to manage this demand and growth.”
