AREMA President Interview Questions

AREMA: How did your day job prepare you for your role as AREMA President?

HUDAK: I have done a lot of project management. This requires working with many different stakeholders internal and external of BNSF Railway. Many of these stakeholders do not work in my organization so I learned to lead through collaboration and understanding their needs that align with a project’s overall goals. AREMA, being an organization of volunteers, works in similar ways. Finding common ground and helping others get energized through their own motivations helps volunteers create collective success.

AREMA: What are your thoughts on able to progress as much as I had hoped was to continue AREMA’s journey in support of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. AREMA has been striving to be inclusive and is more diverse today than ever before. However, I feel there is still much we can do to better position the association to ensure everyone feels welcome and has a voice.

AREMA: What did you accomplish during your term in office? What are you most proud of having accomplished?

HUDAK: I helped to launch the Manual Health initiative a few years ago and continue to help ensure this remains successful. The hard-working committee volunteers should be proud of the solid path of continuous improve -

Regulations and Procedures, was completed in June when the Functional Group Board of Directors approved them. We are on schedule to complete the strategic plan early in 2024.

AREMA: Where do you see the organization going from here? Five years from now? Ten years from now?

HUDAK: AREMA always has and will continue to adapt and be responsive to the changes in the industry to ensure we provide the best possible value to our membership. As our membership characteristics change, we will need to find new ways of supporting our mission. As the railroads continue to leverage the help of engineering consultants so might AREMA need to find opportuni - the past year as president of AREMA?

HUDAK: It was a busy year. The headquarters staff had a few positions open up and new staff were hired. We were all finding our new normal after getting the pandemic behind us. I like a fastpaced environment, so I took on several additional engagements where I saw value for AREMA. Meeting with two AREMA student chapters and attending the annual Railroad Environmental Conference at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign helped to demonstrate AREMA’s support for our university membership.

AREMA: Have you reached all the goals you set? Was there anything you wanted to do that you did not get around to or could not do?

HUDAK: I do feel I made good progress on putting a few initiatives in motion and setting AREMA up for success in the future. Some of the goals I had in mind will take form in the updated strategic plan, once it is finished and approved by the Board of Governors. The one area I was not ment over the past few years.

I brought to AREMA’s attention the efforts underway by the railway industry to become more sustainable and reduce their carbon footprint. Committee 13 - Environmental prepared the Sustainability and Resilience Position Paper on behalf of AREMA to help launch our effort to address these two important topics more fully in our manuals and educational offerings. The paper was approved by the Functional Group Board of Directors this spring and sets forth a journey for how AREMA can support the industry in designing, constructing, and maintaining even more sustainable and resilient railway infrastructure.

At the beginning of my term, I set up a Strategic Planning Committee to update our strategic plan that will establish how we will continue our mission into the coming years. This effort will continue past my term as president and is something I will continue to participate in during my year as Past President. Our first objective, to complete updating the AREMA Technical Committee ties to engage them more in our leadership roles.

AREMA: What do you see in the future for AREMA? What do you think AREMA needs to do in the future to succeed?

HUDAK: As has been communicated this past year, AREMA will no longer be part of Railway Interchange after the 2023 exhibition. This will free up resources and staff to provide more services and bring more value to our membership. This will set up AREMA for success for years to come and strengthen our position as the preeminent railway engineering association. Engaging with students and the younger generation must continue, as they are our future. We must find ways to attract them to the railway engineering profession by showing them the opportunities and rewards that come with working in our industry and participating in the AREMA community. This might also include reaching out to primary and secondary education students to generate interest in railroads.