Taking on the “temporary term positions” are Sharon Clark, a former Senior Vice President with responsibility for transportation, compliance, and regulatory affairs at Perdue AgriBusiness LLC; Rob Reilly, a former railroad executive with BNSF and CN; and Chris Bertram, who has held senior transportation policy and finance positions in the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, and the Executive Branch, according to the Board. Their addition, it noted, “underscore[s] Chairman Fuchs’ commitment to leveraging expert advice, analysis, and ideas on mission-critical initiatives and agency functions.”
Clark, Reilly, and Bertram will work closely with Fuchs “to provide strategic counsel and support initiatives to streamline processes, improve collaboration and transparency, and ensure a more efficient and effective regulatory environment for the nation’s surface transportation network,” the STB reported. “Their expertise will be key to bringing innovative solutions and best practices to the agency, benefiting the public through a more robust and reliable transportation system.”
The three “bring extensive experience, immense knowledge, and invaluable perspectives that will greatly benefit the Board’s reform efforts,” Chairman Fuchs said. “I am grateful that these accomplished and distinguished executives will help the Board become more efficient and effective for all stakeholders.”
Clark is said to have wide-ranging experience in grain merchandising, commodity trading, transportation, and regulatory affairs and compliance. She served several trade organizations, including the National Grain & Feed Association’s Foundation, Executive Committee, and Board of Directors, earning a Distinguished Service Award in 2023. She also was Chair of the NGFA Arbitration Appeals Panel from 2017 to 2023, and a member of the NGFA Rail Arbitration Committee from 1999 to 2022. Additionally, Clark has been on the STB Railroad-Shipper Transportation Advisory Council and in leadership roles for the National Grain Car Council. She previously worked for The Andersons, Inc. and Cargill, Inc. Clark earned an MBA with a concentration in logistics from the W.P. Carey School of Business, Arizona State University, and a B.S. in management from Minnesota State University, Mankato.
Reilly served most recently as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at CN, “where he led a safety culture change that resulted in all-time best safety records with significant reductions in injuries and accidents while leading CN to multiple service and efficiency records,” the STB said. Reilly began his railroad career in 1989 at the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Company (now BNSF) and held key positions across BNSF, ultimately serving as Vice President of Operations responsible for North America’s busiest rail segment—the Southern Transcon linking Los Angeles and Chicago. In 2022, he was recognized by Railway Age readers as one of the Most Influential Leaders in the rail industry. Prior to that, he held a variety of leadership positions including General Manager positions in Los Angeles, Calif., and Chicago, lll., as well Assistant Vice President of Locomotives. He also served as Chairman of the Belt Railway of Chicago. Reilly is a graduate of Washburn University School of Business and Stanford University Executive Program.
Bertram served previously as Staff Director for the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in the U.S. House of Representatives. During his tenure, the Committee’s legislative accomplishments included the enactment of the FAST Act, the longest surface transportation bill in 17 years; the reauthorization of the STB and Amtrak; and the enactment of WRRDA, the first water resources authorization legislation since 2007. Bertram has also held the roles of Assistant Secretary for Budget and Programs and Chief Financial Officer for the U.S. Department of Transportation, where he was responsible for a budget of nearly $70 billion. Additionally, he served the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Office of Management and Budget in the Executive Office of the President. Bertram has been a member of the Northeast Corridor Commission, and he was the recipient of the Secretary of Transportation’s Gold Medal—the Department of Transportation’s highest award. He received a MPP from Harvard University and a B.A. from Trinity University in San Antonio, Tex.
