NJ Transit
The NJ Transit Board of Directors on Oct. 10 announced that Franck Beaumin has been selected as the agency’s Customer Advocate.
Beaumin brings an international background in mass transit to New Jersey, according to NJ Transit. His experience covers a broad spectrum from bus rapid transit (BRT) in Bangladesh; to customer experience at a major transit operator in Paris, France; to overseeing customer communications with Keolis Commuter Services, which operates the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) 14 commuter rail lines serving the Greater Boston region and Rhode Island.
“I am thrilled that Franck Beaumin is bringing his global expertise to New Jersey,” said New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Commissioner and NJ Transit Board Chair Fran O’Connor. “This is an important role, and Franck will be an asset in advocating for our customers.”
“We are excited to welcome Franck Beaumin as the new Customer Advocate,” said NJ Transit Board of Directors member Shanti Narra. “Franck brings a unique and customer-focused perspective with his transit background in Europe as well as in Boston. We look forward to how he’ll apply that experience in the interest of our customers here in New Jersey.”
Beaumin was born and raised in France where he pursued higher education in law, earning a license degree in Public Law before continuing his studies at the Institute of Political Science in Rennes, France. There he focused on Urban Networks in Developing Countries and Planning Policies, graduating with two master’s degrees.
Following his higher education, Beaumin worked as a consultant on a $500 million-dollar BRT project in Bangladesh. On this project, he coordinated a 15-member team to develop a network operational plan. Beaumin moved on to transit operator Keolis in Paris where, as a Customer Service Project Manager and Customer Experience Manager, he launched client communication, website and passenger information platforms, as well as oversaw the selection of customer information digital screens and customer communications.
Beaumin came to the U.S. to continue his work with Keolis at the MBTA in Boston where he most recently served as a Passenger Communications Manager. In this role he led a 30-member team providing real-time information to customers through subscriber alerts and social media posts. Beaumin also monitored and evaluated the performance of the Customer Service Department and improved the investigation process to resolve customer feedback in less than five business days on average.
“I am honored to become the new Customer Advocate for NJ Transit,” said Beaumin. “I am looking forward to engaging with our customers and working with the operational teams on every mode to improve the passenger experience at every step of the journey.”
Patriot Rail
Patriot Rail on Oct. 7 announced that Thomas J. Tisa will join the company as its new CCO, effective Nov. 1.
Tisa brings more than 30 years of industry experience to the company, having held key positions in sales and marketing at CN and CSX, and most recently played a critical role leading the CSX Short Line Development team and strategic initiatives. “His extensive background in industrial development and boosting supply chain networks, with relationships from coast to coast, will be invaluable in driving Patriot Rail’s commercial success,” the short line and regional freight railroad operator noted.
“We are delighted to welcome Tom to our team as our Chief Commercial Officer,” said Patriot Rail CEO Brandy Christian. “His wealth of experience and industry knowledge will expand our presence and strengthen Patriot Rail’s position in the market.”
Patriot Rail’s current CCO, Robert Turnauckas, will assume a new position as President, Scenic Rail Excursions. Turnauckas brings a unique background to the role having previously held the Chief Marketing and Communication Officer position at Metrolink in southern California along with more than 25 years of leadership in the tourism and hospitality industry with prominent organizations such as Ritz-Carlton Resorts, Marriot Hotels and Sea World.
Over the past several years, Patriot Rail’s scenic rail tourist business has experienced remarkable growth, according to the company. In addition to the company’s “award-winning” excursion service in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia, Patriot last year acquired a scenic railway franchise in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and plans to reestablish tourist train service operating out of Gettysburg, Pa. With these initiatives, Patriot Rail says it has established a new Excursion division within the company, which “necessitates dedicated and experienced leadership to meet growing demand and advance Patriot Rail’s thriving tourist rail program.”
“We are so pleased to have Bob take on this new role as President, Scenic Rail Excursions,” said Christian. “His unparalleled background in hospitality, customer service and passenger rail is the perfect fit for driving the company’s excursion business forward.”
These executive leadership changes, the company says, “reflect Patriot Rail Company’s commitment to strategic growth, delivering first class service, and ensuring the company remains at the forefront of the short line industry.”
STV
STV recently announced that Sean Libberton has joined the firm as Vice President and National Transit Corridor Strategy and Development Leader. In this role, Libberton will partner with transit clients to “help identify and advise on funding and corridor development strategies for bus and rail transit programs across North America.”
Libberton is a renowned expert in federal transportation funding programs and the transit provisions of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), particularly the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Capital Investment Grants (CIG) program. He brings more than 30 years of experience in planning, policy and project management within the transportation industry—including 20 years with FTA—and possesses specialized expertise in transit project development, including corridor planning, federal environmental review and project evaluation/prioritization.
“Sean has a profound understanding of the federal side of project development, especially how the FTA funds and finances transit programs,” said Phil Hanegraaf, FAICP, Senior Vice President and National Planning Director at STV. “Sean will help our transit clients unlock the full potential of their communities by leveraging our existing planning teams as well as our infrastructure economics and grant advisory expertise.”
Prior to joining STV, Libberton served as a national transit practice consultant for a U.S. infrastructure services firm where he provided technical input, strategic advice and leadership for transit corridor investments across the nation. These include BRT projects in Atlanta, Indianapolis, Raleigh and Salt Lake City and complex rail programs in Chicago, Seattle and the San Francisco Bay Area. Libberton has also helped secure billions in federal discretionary funding for transit and rail clients, including leading Amtrak’s recent successful $4.7 billion Federal-State Partnership grant application for the Frederick Douglas Tunnel program in Baltimore, the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) largest IIJA award to date.
Libberton is a member of the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) Policy and Planning Committee. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in urban planning/political studies from the University of California San Diego and his Masters of Urban and Regional Planning from Virginia Tech.
