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• AARS 124th Annual Meeting

  • Start
    26 Jul 2021
  •  
    5:00 PM (CDT)
  • End
    28 Jul 2021
  •  
    11:00 AM (CDT)
  • Location
    Chicago, IL

  Save the date for the AARS 124th Annual Meeting, July 26-28, 2021 in Chicago right on Wacker Dr. near Michigan Ave. at the Swissotel!

  NOTE:  Due to issues related to COVID-19, the 2020 Annual Meeting has been canceled.

  The 2021 meeting will open with a reception on July 26 at 5:00 p.m.
  

  AARS will host the Progressive Railroading Rising Stars Award Dinner as part of the AARS Annual Meeting on July 26 at 6:30 p.m.

  Registration to the AARS Annual Meeting includes a ticket to the Rising Stars dinner.  For more information about the Rising Stars dinner, visit http://www.progressiverailroading.com/risingstars/about.asp
  

  The meeting program will continue July 27 at 8:00 a.m. and will conclude on July 28 at 11:00 a.m. 

  Registration will open in January, 2021.

  Golf Outing:  On July 28, the AARS will hold its annual golf outing to benefit the AARS Scholarship Fund.  More information to come.

  Hotel Information

  The meeting will be held in downtown Chicago at the Swissotel.  Reservation information to come.

  AGENDA

  The agenda for the 124th Annual Meeting July 26-28, 2021 is to be published beginning in January, 2021.  

  Below is the agenda from the 123rd Annual Meeting in Norfolk, VA to provide you with an idea of a typical AARS Annual Meeting.  Learn more about the 2019 meeting proceedings by viewing our AARS Journal coverage of the meeting by clicking here.

  Monday, July 22

  Industry Tour of Norfolk Harbor! 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.

  Tour Sponsored by:  

  5:00 pm Opening Reception and Technical Showcase
  

  6:30 pm Progressive Railroading Rising Stars Awards and Dinner

  Tuesday, July 23

  7:00 am Continental Breakfast and Technical Showcase sponsored by 

  8:00 am Keynote Speaker

  Jim Squires, President, CEO & Executive Chairman, Norfolk Southern

  9:00 am Break in Technical Showcase

  9:30 am Regional Perspective

  David Gooden, Division Superintendent, Norfolk Southern

  10:15 am Rising Stars Panel: Achieving Success in the Rail Industry

  Kelley Carr, Sr. Manager – Positive Train Control, Safety, Compliance & Training, Amtrak

  Scott Schiemann, Chief Engineer, Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad

  James Schwichtenberg, Vice President, Chief Safety Officer, CSX

  
  

  11:45 am Break in Technical Showcase 

  12:00 Annual Industry Luncheon & Lantern Awards 

  Charge to Superintendents

  Ed Harris, EVP Operations, CSX

  1:30  Onboarding a Shortline

  Stefan Loeb, EVP and Chief Commercial Officer, Watco Companies

  John Rickoff – President & CEO Lake State Railway

  Mark Rosner – President & CEO Carload Express

  
  

  2:30  Break in Technical Showcase 

  3:15 pm 

  Panel Presentation: Precision Scheduled Railroading

  
  

  -          Dave Ferryman, VP Commercial & Technology, EVRAZ N.A. (confirmed)

  -          Brian Murray, Regional Superintendent, CSX

  
  

  4:15 p.m. Update on the “Railroad Renaissance” Tony Hatch, ABH Consulting

  Wednesday, July 24

  7:00 am Continental Breakfast and Technical Showcase in Great Room, 6th floor

   8:00 am   Attracting & Retaining New Employees

  
  

  Bill Fountain, Director of Recruitment, Genesee & Wyoming

  Rachael Peterson, EVP People Services, Watco Companies

  Dan MacKay, AVP Human Resources, Norfolk Southern

  9:00 a.m.  Enhancing Your Safety Culture within Your Railroad – Panel

  Darrell Snyder, VP Mechanical, Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad

  Clay Smith,  Manager of Safety & Training, Florida East Coast Railway

  Ken Glover, VP Safety, Genesee & Wyoming

  10:30 am Business Session

  11:00 am Adjourn

  11:30 pm Bus Loads for Annual Golf Outing, departing at 11:45 a.m.

  Bus departs  for the AARS Annual Golf Outing to benefit the Frank J. Richter Scholarship
  

  1:15 p.m. Shotgun Start at River Front Golf Club, Suffolk, VA

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

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• 2020 Human Factors Seminar

  • Start
    09 Nov 2021
  •  
    8:00 AM (UTC-06:00)
  • End
    10 Nov 2021
  •  
    5:00 PM (UTC-06:00)
  • Location
    Sheraton at University City, Philadelphia, PA
  • Spaces left
    75

  Register

  NOTICE 

  In the interest of protecting our members in light of COVID-19 concerns and to adhere to government regulation on restrictions on groups of 50 or more, this seminar has been rescheduled to November 9-10, 2021.   If you had registered for the original 2020 dates, your registration will automatically be transferred to the new November dates.  If you must cancel due to a conflict with the new dates, please contact Carrie Foor at cfoor54@msn.com or 331-643-3369 and a credit will be issued. Thank you for your understanding as we try to make the best choices for our members during this unprecedented time.  

  Seminar DATES:  November 9-10, 2021

  This 2-day seminar will provide education regarding human factor issues related to accident causation.  The seminar is hosted in partnership between AARS and the International Association of Railway Operating Officers (IAROO).

  The first day is presented by Gary Wolf, President, Wolf Railway Consulting, the rail industry's preeminent expert on railroad accident investigation and causation. The second day is presented by Randy Jamieson, and Dr. Daniel Smilek, PhD, Principals of Atticus Consulting Group LLC. Randy has 30+ years of experience in railway operations and safety. Dr. Smilek is a leading researcher of human attention.  Together they will present the Comprehensive Attention Performance Training Program (“CAPT Program”) as outlined below.

  NOTE:  Registration is limited!  Register early to secure your spot.

  AARS and IAROO retain the right to deny registration to attendees who are not members of either organization and/or are not directly responsible for operations functions within the rail industry.  

  Registration Fee:  $749 for AARS and IAROO members, $849 for non members and includes the two-day seminar with lunch each day.  (AARS annual membership is $75.)

  AARS members register by logging in via this site.  IAROO members should select the IAROO member option after they obtain a special code for registration from IAROO.  

  Quantity Discount:  For every 5 registrants, get one registration free.  

  Questions:  Call Carrie Foor, AARS Executive Director, 331-643-3369

  Hotel:  The seminar will be held at the Sheraton Philadelphia at University City, Philadelphia.  The room rate will be $179/night.  To reserve your hotel room, call the hotel directly at (215) 387-8000.  Mention you are with the American Association of Railroad Superintendents seminar room block to get the special rate.

  The hotel is just a few blocks from the 30th and Market St. station.  

  Hotel Address: 3549 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104
  

  Seminar Topics:

  Day 1. Agenda – Presented by Gary Wolf

  •      The nature of human failure
  •      Overview of top human factor causes
  •      Statistical review of where we are in the rail industry with human failure
  •      The old way vs. new way of dealing with human failure
  •      The role of discipline in human failure accidents
  •      Failures of typical investigative techniques
  •      Looking at the organization as a source of human failure
  •      What is a safety culture
  •      Safety leadership – What are the tenets of good safety leadership
  •      Safety Management Systems (SMS)
  •      Behavior Based Safety (BBS)
  •      Root Cause Analysis of Human Factor Accidents
  •      Detailed walk through for conducting investigation of human failure incidents
  •      The importance of rules testing and how to make good rule tests
  •      Tips for prevention of typical human failure derailments/incidents
  •      Case study – Class tabletop simulation of a human factor accident investigation

  
  

  
  

  Day 2. Agenda - Presented by Randy Jamieson and Dr. Dan Smilek

  The CAPT Program consists of eleven (11) interrelated modules that build on one another to introduce and explain key aspects of the science of human attention and their underlying role as root cause of human factors-related accidents and injuries. These modules are as follows:   

   1.       Introduction to Human Attention-related Railroad Accidents

  2.       Limits of Visual Perception

  3.       Limits of Human Spatial Attention

  4.       Dangers of Operation Overload and Multitasking

  5.       Dangers of Operational Underload and Mind Wandering

  6.       The Link Between Stress and Human Attention

  7.       Worry, Rumination and Unfinished Tasks and How They Affect Attention Performance

  8.       How Habits Can be Exploited by Unusual Situations to Create Attention-related Errors

  9.       Fatigue, Nutrition, Exercise and Their Role in Attention Performance

  10.    Training Attention Control

  11.    Deliberate Practice and the Power of Intrinsic Motivation

  Feedback from Participants the CAPTÔ Program:

  “I’ve attended a lot of training programs over the years, really a lot, and this is the best training I have ever had!”

  …. Railroad Manager

  “This is not just a tool.  This is integral to better living!”

   …. Locomotive Engineer

  “Management really needs to understand the importance of this work.  There is a need to provide this education to managers so that they know how attention works”.  “

  …. Railroad Manager

  
  

  
  

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