Kristin Bevil, Pinsly Railroad Company General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer and a 2024 Railway Age Women in Rail honoree, joins the Short Line Safety Institute’s (SLSI) Board of Directors. Also, Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) hires Claire Khouri as its first Chief of Strategy and Planning.
SLSI
Kristin Bevil is the newest member of the Board at SLSI, a non-profit corporation that conducts Safety Culture Assessments for short line and regional, passenger, commuter, tourist, and historic railroads; provides Hazardous Material Instructor and Leadership Development programs; and serves as the educational, training, and research source for short line and regional railroads concerning safety culture. She joins seven other industry leaders, including:
- Justin Broyles (Chair), Executive Vice President, Commercial Affairs, R.J. Corman Railroad Group
- John Angel, Vice President, Compliance and Training, Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Services, Inc.
- Chuck Baker, President, American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA)
- Janet Gilbert, Partner, Fletcher & Sippel LLC
- Mitch Harris, Vice President Safety & Compliance, Rio Grande Pacific Corporation
- Jared Martin, Vice President Operations, Modesto & Empire Traction Company
- Tom Murta, Executive Director, SLSI
Bevil began her career at Fletcher & Sippel LLC, advising Class I and short line railroads in the Midwest. She served as the first General Counsel at The Indiana Rail Road, and as General Counsel at Pioneer Lines, helping to manage 15 short lines until their divestiture. In her current role at Pinsly Railroad Company, Bevil provides guidance to the operations teams of seven short lines. Additionally, she is Vice President, Central Region on the ASLRRA’s Board of Directors, and an authorized volunteer for Operation Lifesaver.
“The SLSI is fortunate to be advised by individuals who have dedicated their careers to advancing the industry in the areas of safety and safety culture,” SLSI’s Tom Murta said. “Kristin Bevil’s experience in guiding short line railroad management in issues as diverse as litigation, governance, regulatory compliance and labor relations will provide a broader perspective to our team. These areas of operations are directly impacted by the strength of safety culture on a railroad.”
“Working with many railroads over the course of my career, I have seen the impact of a strong safety culture on operations, and the negative repercussions when safety culture is not nurtured and prioritized,” Kristin Bevil said. “I am pleased to contribute to and support the SLSI’s mission to provide Safety Culture Assessments and other training to help elevate and continuously improve safety culture across the short line industry.”
Separately, September marked the 10th anniversary of the SLSI.
TriMet
Claire Khouri has signed on as the first Chief of Strategy and Planning at TriMet, which provides light rail, commuter rail, bus and paratransit services in the Portland, Ore., metropolitan area. She not only will lead strategic planning and development, with oversight of the Planning Department and Engineering and Construction and Public Affairs divisions, but also will oversee the agency-wide program to move to a zero-emissions bus fleet.
Khouri served previously at Sound Transit in Seattle, Wash. She joined that agency in April 2018 and has held the positions of Deputy Executive Director of Portfolio Management and Integrity in the Portfolio Services Office, and Chief of Staff of Operations.
Before moving to the Pacific Northwest, Khouri worked in state-level politics in Michigan, her home state, for nearly 15 years. She was Deputy Director of Strategy for then-Gov. Rick Snyder for more than seven years. In addition to leading policy work on infrastructure, local and state government reform, higher education, and other various topics, her responsibilities included directing the implementation of performance management statewide and helping lead a bi-partisan infrastructure commission. Prior to her work in the governor’s administration, Khouri worked in the Michigan Senate as a legislative staffer.
Khouri holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree in public administration from University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.
“As TriMet’s Chief Strategy and Planning Officer, Khouri will be essential in identifying and implementing agency-wide initiatives and programs that help us better serve our riders and our region,” TriMet General Manager Sam Desue Jr. said. “Her transit, policy, and leadership experience will guide our strategic vision for the years to come especially around our infrastructure needs and partnership opportunities.”
“This role will combine my history in both transit operations and capital projects as well as my passion for tackling challenges, finding common ground and efficiencies, and using data to inform thoughtful decision-making,” Khouri said.
In other TriMet news, the agency recently launched new vending machines to improve access to Hop Fastpass fare cards, as well as a unified Security Operations Center.
