Metro Transit
Ronald Forrest on June 2 will take on the role of Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Metro Transit in St. Louis, Mo., one of five Bi-State Development enterprises, which also include Gateway Arch, Riverboats at the Gateway Arch, St. Louis Downtown Airport, and St. Louis Regional Freightway. Charles Stewart, the current EVP and COO, will aid in the transition until his retirement at the end of June.
Metro Transit runs MetroLink, a 46-mile, 38-station light rail system; MetroBus, a 400-vehicle bus fleet with a service area of about 600 square miles; Metro Call-A-Ride, a wheelchair lift-equipped paratransit service; and Transit Assets operations.
Forrest has more than 25 years of public transit leadership experience. Most recently, he served as Deputy COO at Metro Transit in Minneapolis, Minn., where he and his team were responsible for delivering approximately 60 million customer trips annually in the Twin Cities region.
“Chuck [Stewart] has been a pivotal figure in Metro Transit’s growth and success over the last several years, and his dedication to public service has left a lasting impact on our organization as well as the communities we serve,” said Taulby Roach, President and CEO of Bi-State Development. “We are deeply grateful for his contributions and wish him all the best in his well-deserved retirement.”
“We are excited to welcome Ronald to our transit team,” Roach continued. “His extensive expertise in operations management and his dedication to innovation and customer-centric solutions will be invaluable to our mission of delivering world-class transit services.”
Added Sam Gladney, Chair of the Bi-State Development Board of Commissioners: “We look forward to Ronald joining the team next month. His forward-thinking leadership and proven track record of operational success will be critical as we shape the future of public transit and remain dedicated to exceeding the expectations of the communities we serve.”
ASLRRA
ASLRRA on May 15 reported that Senior Vice President, Membership and Business Development Kathy Keeney is celebrating 10 years of Association service this spring, although she “has been collaborating with the Association for much longer, helping with management and sales for the annual conference years before she officially joined.”
In her current role, Keeney works with ASLRRA’s members and prospective members, onboarding new companies and supporting others. She also directs exhibit and sponsorship sales for the annual conference and serves as staff liaison to the Supplier Committee. According to ASLRRA, she even puts “her journalistic acumen to use,” helping to proofread ASLRRA communications.
“I’ve worked with Kathy Keeney throughout my time at ASLRRA and she has always encouraged me every step of the way,” ASLRRA Director, Membership and Technology Danialle Lovik said. “Her knowledge and support of the rail industry is endless and admirable. Kathy has been a fantastic mentor over the past five years and I’m grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with a true trailblazer.”
Following is a special ASLRRA interview with Keeney, which first appeared in the Association’s latest Views & News newsletter. Railway Age reproduces in its entirety.
ASLRRA: How did you get your start in the railroad industry?
KK: I started in Washington, D.C., as an entry-level journalist for a transportation publishing company, writing news articles and feature stories for a weekly magazine and a daily newsletter. Among my first assignments were reporting on filings and decisions from the old Interstate Commerce Commission and summarizing railroad contracts. For me, it was the perfect training to learn about the transportation industry, especially short line railroads. I was fortunate to cover short lines at a time when the industry was growing dramatically, fueled by passage of the Staggers Rail Act of 1980.
ASLRRA: What has been the work or initiative that you’ve been most proud of over the past 10 years?
KK: Probably the thing that I’ve found most rewarding was working with our President, Chuck Baker, to launch the Short Line Hall of Fame five years ago. That was an idea that came from our members. It’s been inspiring to see ASLRRA honor legends who helped to build the short line industry through grit, vision and dedication, often one carload at a time.
ASLRRA: What do you enjoy most about your work at ASLRRA? What do you enjoy most about working with short lines?
KK: I enjoy the variety of my job. No two days are the same. Everything I do revolves around membership, whether helping a member register for an event, selling a booth or sponsorship, or speaking with prospects about the many benefits of joining ASLRRA. Short line railroaders are a delight. They really appreciate it when we help them solve a problem or provide timely and effective customer service.
ASLRRA: As you look to the rest of the year and beyond, what are you excited about for railroading/member engagement?
KK: We have some great events coming up for our members. This summer we have a joint committee meeting in Indianapolis with a special train excursion. We’ll have regional meetings in Charlotte and New Orleans this fall. And then it’s full steam ahead to our annual conference and expo in Minneapolis in the spring of 2026.
ASLRRA: What would our members be surprised to know about you?
KK: I’m a proud aunt of two sets of twin nieces. I’m a huge football fan. My college teams are Notre Dame and Alabama. Those loyalties collided when they played each other for the national championship in January 2013! My pro team is the Baltimore Ravens. As for baseball, I’m a Baltimore Orioles fan. I grew up in the D.C. suburbs and my first job was in Washington, so working in D.C. for ASLRRA the past 10 years has in many ways brought my career full circle. My husband, Dave, has been a big supporter of my railroad career, traveling with me to numerous rail events and serving as a volunteer at many ASLRRA annual conventions. We celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary this year.
