OMNITRAX’S BILLIE JOHNSON NAMED
ASLRRA’S 2014 SAFETY PERSON OF THE YEAR
DENVER – OmniTRAX Inc., one of North America’s largest private railroad and transportation management companies, is proud to announce that Billie Johnson, General Manager for Newburgh & South Shore Railroad and Northern Ohio & Western Railway, is the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association’s (ASLRRA) 2014 Safety Person of the Year. Johnson will receive the award at the ASLRRA Convention in Orlando March 28-30, 2015.
“Billie continues to demonstrate the most outstanding safety achievements of any manager on our network of railroads. She is dedicated to safe operations on the Newburgh & South Shore Railroad and Northern Ohio & Western Railway, and emphasizes initiatives that improve associate safety in the workplace. I can’t think of a more deserving recipient of the ASLRRA Safety Person of the Year award,” said Kevin Shuba, CEO of OmniTRAX.
Johnson began her railroad career as a keypunch operator at the Chicago, Rock Island Railroad in 1969 and then rapidly was promoted to Terminal Manager. In 1981, she joined the Chicago Rail Link Railroad, and in 1991 she transferred to the Newburgh & South Shore Railroad working as a clerk, then a conductor, a certified engineer and then in 1995 was promoted to General Manager of the Northern Ohio & Western Railroad and later added Newburgh & South Shore Railroad.
“In the18 years I’ve spent working with Billie, she has always been a source of honesty and knowledge. She is willing to help where needed and is a vital member of our leadership team. The fact that she has never had any type of workplace injury, much less an FRA reportable injury, shows her dedication to safe operations,” said Bob Ellman, Vice President of Operations at OmniTRAX.
From 1995 to 2015, Northern Ohio & Western Railway had no FRA reportable derailments, 663+ days since a human factor incident and is 4,050+ days injury free. During that same time period, Newburgh & South Shore Railroad is 748+ days since the last human factor incident, 5,210+ days since the last reportable derailment and has had 6,589+ days since the last reportable injury.
“In the year I have worked with Billie it has been very evident that her determination to develop her properties and employees to be the safest in the industry is extraordinary. She treats her team members like they are family and it shows in her results,” said Bill Kelly, Vice President of Safety for OmniTRAX.
In addition to her job, Johnson is a long time member of the St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Tiffin, OH, where she is a volunteer and is instrumental in holding the annual festival along with numerous other activities. She has also served as a member of the Economic Development Board for the City of Tiffin.
