Retirement
Adams Retires After 42 Years in the Rail Industry Precisely 42 years to the day after he began his career in the railroad industry, Scott Adams, Watco’s Vice President of Engineering, retired and said goodbye to the company and team members he so greatly valued. That feeling though, is mutual. Damien Williams, Division Engineer, is one of many people who were mentored by Adams over the years and who will miss his leadership. “Scott is hands down been the best mentor/ trainer anyone can ask for, “said Williams. “I think that can be said companywide. He put things into perspective so that anyone could understand; he always took the time to teach. “Scott put a lot of thought into everything he did and made sure all the details were there. He did the research and made sure everything was the right fit.” Garrett Bolyard, Vice President of Operations, who will be taking over the position Adams left, has benefited from Adams’ leadership style. “I think that Scott is the example of that servant leader. He was always willing to assist when needed, he was willing to train and mentor, and most importantly, he was always available.”
Adams retired from Watco after being with the company for 17 years. Before joining the Watco team, Adams worked his way up through different divisions at Union Pacific Railroad (UP). He started with the UP on July 18, 1978, holding positions such as bridge and building section crew member, tie and rail inspector, roadmaster, and manager of track projects before joining Watco in 2003.
Bolyard stated that when he first joined Watco, he had no clue how railroads operated. “Scott drug me all over the Northwest area. We would hi-rail and he would draw me pictures to help me understand how everything worked. He never got frustrated while teaching me, and I can never thank him enough for everything he has done to share his knowledge.”
“When I started as chief engineer of track, we had seven railroads in the western and central parts of the country. I was traveling a lot to get to all of the different railroads,” said Adams. “I have no regrets regarding joining Watco. It was a great move, both personally and professionally. I’ve always felt appreciated and like I was more than a number. I’ve met some outstanding people, and I’ve been so proud of my team and of being a part of Watco.”
According to Bolyard, Adams has likely forgotten more than most in the industry will ever know. The connections that Adams has within the industry were invaluable, and he was able to reach out to folks and send resources whenever they were needed.
Now that Adams has finished traveling for work, he’d like to take time to travel for fun. He plans to spend time with this wife Cathy on visits to their son and daughter, who live in Portland. He’s also going to spend some time in the outdoors fishing, camping, and golfing.
14 The Dispatch | August 2020
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