Larry Gross
President & Founder, Gross Transportation Consulting

Larry Gross is President and Founder of Gross Transportation Consulting of Durango, CO, an independent consulting practice specializing in the North American intermodal sector. Larry, aka “The Intermodalist,” brings with him a wealth of knowledge as a forty-three-year veteran of the freight transportation sector.

Sherie Costa
Product Owner – Intermodal, Mastery Logistics Systems

Sherie Costa is the Intermodal Product Owner at Mastery Logistics Systems. She is responsible for understanding the intermodal marketplace and ensuring that MasterMind® TMS is in the best position to help its users manage the ever-evolving complexities of intermodal. Driven by solving problems, Sherie always seeks creative technology solutions and creates customer-focused user experiences to drive the intermodal industry forward.

Matthew Wittemeier
Director – Marketing and Sales, INFORM Software Corporation

Matthew Wittemeier, CPM, is Director of Marketing and Sales at INFORM's Terminal & Distribution Center Logistics Division where he also sits on the board tasked with driving the company’s customer- facing business strategy. In his time with INFORM, he has become a thought-provoking contributor to many industry publications and conferences, and is co-author of the multi-award winning 2038: A Smart Port Story – a novella about the future of technology in terminal operations and the social challenges it may bring. In addition, he is a member and judge at The Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA), is a Certified Practicing Marketer, and sits on several boards. He holds a Bachelor of Management and Professional Studies.

Andrew Knouse
Group Manager – Road Equipment Maintenance and Planning, Norfolk Southern Corporation

Andrew Knouse is the Group Manager of Road Equipment Maintenance and Planning for Norfolk Southern Railroad. I currently work for Norfolk Southern Railroad in Atlanta, GA where I started my career as a management trainee in 2008 after graduating with a degree in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech.  I later received my MBA from Georgia State University and I currently reside in Roswell, GA with my wife and 3 kids.

Chris O’Hea
Vice President of Maintenance & Operational Finance, C&K Trucking, LLC

Christopher O’Hea is currently the Vice President of Maintenance & Operational Finance for C&K Holdings, a Medlog Company, and is based in New Jersey. Chris oversees several business units for C&K Trucking, AV Logistics, SEI Acquisition, and Pacific Green which include maintenance & repair, asset management for company-owned and leased equipment, equipment procurement, as well as several other functions throughout our companies. Chris started his career at Mediterranean Shipping Company in 1996 and in 2008 moved over to the intermodal drayage sector where he has worked various roles since, including with the C&K group since 2012.

Doug Turpening
Regional Safety Manager, STG Logistics

Doug Turpening is Regional Safety Manager for STG Logistics (formerly XPO Logistics). He is retired from the Ohio State Highway Patrol Commercial Enforcement Unit and is past president of the National Safety Council of Ohio. He serves on the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s Vehicle Committee as well as the IANA Safety Committee.

Bill Hamlin
Founding Partner, Gray Wolf Group, LLC

William A. (Bill) Hamlin has 40 years of experience in the maritime, port operations, intermodal, and cruise industries serving in various executive roles including President Americas for APL, President of Eagle Martine Services, COO of Horizon Lines and ITS ConGlobal, VP of Global Equipment and Inland Operations for Sea-Land Service, and EVP of Fleet Operations and New Building at Norwegian Cruise Lines. Bill was a past chair of the IANA Operations Committee and served on the Board of the Pacific Maritime Association and The Pacific Maritime Shippers Association. He is a graduate of the University of Maine.

Chad Hewitt
Senior Rail Project Manager, HDR

Chad Hewitt is a Professional Civil Engineer for HDR with over twenty-five years of experience designing, building, and maintaining intermodal facilities across North America. Chad has a pragmatic approach to providing operationally centered solutions, with a focus on technology implementation within the built environment. He has overseen a number of design-build projects that provided for the electrification of lift equipment in both domestic and marine terminals.

Darrell Ruban
Association Administrator for Safety, FMCSA

Darrell Ruban is the Associate Administrator (AA) for the Office of Safety at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA) within the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). He is FMCSA’s first AA since the Office of Safety was created two years ago. He has been with the Federal Government for over 34 years and worked in the transportation industry prior to working for the USDOT.

Mark McKendry
Senior Vice President – Intermodal, NFI

Mark McKendry is the head of intermodal at NFI and is responsible for NFI’s operations teams across North America. Prior to joining NFI, he spent 15 years at CPKC Railway supporting and growing its intermodal product offering. Mark possesses a deep understanding of railroad operations, sales, and IT processes and how they can benefit shippers; as such, he often speaks on the state of the 'freight economy,' the efficiencies and inefficiencies of rail transportation, and macro trends affecting the mode.

Duke Acors
Director of Strategic Operations, Georgia Ports Authority

Duke Acors is the Director of Operations for the Georgia Ports Authority where he is directly responsible for GPA’s Ocean Terminal, Brunswick, Rail, and Gate operations. Since joining GPA in 2019, Duke has held a number of roles, specifically focused on GPA’s rail strategy and intermodal operations. Prior to joining GPA, Duke spent over 14 years working for both CSX Intermodal Terminals and APM terminals in various operational roles and holds an economics and business degree from the Virginia Military Institute.

Tony Apa
President, Mark-it Express

Tony Apa Jr's journey began in the transportation industry, starting with hands-on roles in his family's business including obtaining his CDL license and driving regional delivery routes at 18. He earned a degree in Integrated Supply Matrix Management from Western Michigan University and proceeded to rise through the ranks of the family business, helping grow revenue by 400% in 4 years. He helped construct the deal that led to the sale of Fore Transportation Inc, before establishing Mark-IT Express Group, an asset-based 3PL with a full-service brokerage and a warehousing and fulfillment center based in Chicago, in 2009, where he serves as President.

Gerry Bisaillon
Senior Vice President, RPX Optimization

Gerry Bisaillon is currently serving as the Sr Vice President of RPX Optimization LLC, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Remprex LLC. In this role, he provides expert consulting services on terminal planning, engineering design and process optimization using his over 25 years of experience in terminal operations, transportation, and logistics. Based out of Chicago, Gerry is an active member of the Intermodal Committee of the Association of American Railroads and has served on numerous committees for IANA including as past chair of the Operations Committee.

Jarod Brown
Director – Safety and Operator Development, South Carolina Ports Authority

Jarod Brown is Director of Safety and Operator Development at the South Carolina Ports Authority. While serving as the lead safety and training officer at one of the top 10 preferred US ports, his primary mission is to keep all South Carolina Port terminal users safe. Additionally, a significant part of his role is to ensure South Carolina Ports remains an industry leader with a well-trained and efficient team of equipment operators.

Mark Smith
Vice President – Operations, FYX Fleet Roadside Assistance

A seasoned professional with 29 years’ experience in depot, rail, and leasing, Mark Smith, VP of Operations for FYX Fleet Roadside Assistance, thrives on continuous improvement in maintenance and operations. He is passionate about the intermodal industry and enjoys the diverse experiences and connections he has built with colleagues throughout his career.

Bill Traub
Chief Strategy Officer, P&B Intermodal

Bill Traub is the Chief Strategy Officer at P&B Intermodal Services where he works primarily on new business and systems development. Prior to his current role at P&B, he spent 11 years at CSX Intermodal Terminals, working in the intermodal equipment maintenance and operations area. He has held leadership positions in industry committees for the Association of American Railroads (AAR) and IANA, proudly served in the United States Navy as a submarine officer for 27 years, and holds a B.S. in Marine Engineering from the United States Naval Academy and a Master of Engineering Management from Old Dominion University.

Marc Blubaugh
Partner, Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP

Marc S. Blubaugh is a Partner and Co-Chair of the firm’s Transportation & Logistics Practice Group, which has been designated by U.S. News & World Report as the “Transportation Law Firm of the Year” numerous times. Mr. Blubaugh has also been recognized as one of the “Best Lawyers in America” in the area of Transportation Law and has been ranked in Band 1 (the highest ranking) on a national basis by Chambers.  He currently serves as outside General Counsel to IANA and TIA (the Transportation Intermediaries Association), is a Past President of both the Transportation Lawyers Association and the Columbus Roundtable of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (where he currently serves on the board), and is actively involved in a wide variety of other transportation and logistics-related organizations.

Mike O'Malley
Senior Vice President, Government & Public Relations, HR, DCLI

Mike O’Malley serves as a Senior Vice President for DCLI where he has responsibility for the company’s Legal, Human Resources, Safety, and Government & Public Relations functions. In this role, he serves as the primary point of contact with government officials and other external stakeholders while helping to recruit, retain, and develop employees to enable the company’s continued growth. His career includes more than two decades in public affairs, transportation, and supply chain-related leadership positions, including roles at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), CSX, and the Railway Supply Institute.

Mr. O’Malley holds a BS in Finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, and an MS in European Studies from the London School of Economics.

Tom Saunders
Head of Government Affairs, Ports America

Since January 2017, Tom Saunders has overseen federal, state, and local government relations for Ports America, the leading container terminal operator in the United States with a network of 28 container terminals and 18 U.S. ports holding approximately one-third of the U.S. container market share. Tom currently serves as Chair of the Board for the National Association of Waterfront Employers (NAWE), is a board member of the Coalition for America’s Gateways and Trade Corridors (CAGTC) as well as the Propeller Club of Washington DC, and is treasurer on the board of the New Jersey State Society (NJSS). Last November, Tom was honored by the National Institute for Lobbying and Ethics (NILE) with the 2023 Top Lobbyist award for his federal maritime/intermodal/goods movement policy and regulatory advocacy.

David "Woody" Woodruff
Assistant Vice President & Head of Public and Government Affairs - U.S., CN

David “Woody” Woodruff is a seasoned public policy professional with more than 20 years of experience leading and mentoring teams for some of the world’s most recognized brands and Congress’ most accomplished leaders. Currently, he serves as Assistant Vice President and Head of U.S. Public and Government Affairs at CN, where he leads the railroad’s public policy efforts and is responsible for federal, state and local stakeholder relationships throughout their 14-state network. Prior to joining CN, David served as Senior Director for Government Relations at Archer Daniels Midland and Manager of Government Relations for Volkswagen of America, and was previously Director of Communications for the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and Press Secretary to U.S. Congressman Fed Upton of Michigan.