Amtrak Board Nomination Hearing Opening Statement — page 1

OPENING STATEMENT TO THE UNITED STATES

SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE

AND TRANSPORTATION

ROBERT A. GLEASON, JR

NOMINEE FOR APPOINTMENT TO THE AMTRAK BOARD OF

DIRECTORS

THANK YOU CHAIRMAN CRUZ, RANKING MEMBER CANTWELL, AND

THE REST OF THE COMMITTEE FOR ALLOWING ME TO COME

BEFORE YOU TODAY.

I WANT TO THANK SENATOR DAVID MCCORMICK FOR

INTRODUCING ME TODAY.

I AM PLEASED TO HAVE MY WIFE JEANNE AND OTHER MEMBERS

OF MY FAMILY HERE SUPPORTING ME TODAY, AS WELL AS

REPRESENTATIVE JOHN JOYCE.

MY PASSION FOR TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNITY

DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN A LIFELONG JOURNEY -- ONE DEEPLY

ROOTED IN MY EXPERIENCES SERVING IN GOVERNMENT AT THE

COUNTY , CITY, STATE, AND NATIONAL LEVELS . GROWING UP IN

JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, I SAW FIRST HAND HOW

TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CAN EITHER CONNECT OR ISOLATE

COMMUNITIES. IT IS THIS PERSONAL UNDERSTANDING THAT

DRIVES MY COMMITMENT TO BRINGING BETTER PASSENGER

RAIL SERVICE TO SMALL TOWNS ACROSS AMERICA.

Amtrak Board Nomination Hearing Opening Statement — page 2

IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, MY HOME

TOWN OF JOHNSTOWN WAS CONNECTED TO THE REST OF

WORLD BY THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD. TRAINS WITH ICONIC

NAMES LIKE THE RED ARROW, BROADWAY LIMITED, THE FORT

PITT, AND THE CLEVELANDER, 25 DAILY PASSENGER TRAINS ALL

STOPPED IN JOHNSTOWN. I WAS A REGULAR RAIL PASSENGER

TRAVELING BACK AND FORTH TO PHILADELPHIA TO ATTEND THE

UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA'S WHARTON SCHOOL OF

FINANCE AND COMMERCE.

OUR TOWN WAS BYPASSED BY THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY

SYSTEM AND MOST AIRLINES OVERFLEW US. THE REGION

BEGAN A DOWNHILL SLIDE. AS PASSENGER TRAIN SERVICE

DWINDLES, WE ARE ONLY SERVED BY 2 TRAINS A DAY.

IN ADDITION TO MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES WITH THE BENEFITS

OF RAIL CONNECTIONS AND THE POTENTIALLY DEVASTATING

EFFECTS OF A COMMUNITY NOT BEING ON THE MAIN

TRANSPORTATION GRID, I AM HONORED TO BE NOMINATEDTO JOIN

THE AMTRAK BOARD TO CONTINUE IN PUBLIC SERVICE. MY CIVILIAN

GOVERNMENT EXPERIENCE, MAKES ME WELL QUALIFIED FOR

THE ROLE OF AMTRAK DIRECTOR. I ALSO PROUDLY SERVED

OUR COUNTRY AS A CAPTAIN IN THE UNITED STATES AIR

FORCE, FOR 4 YEARS ACTIVE DUTY AND 6 YEARS IN THE

RESERVES.

Amtrak Board Nomination Hearing Opening Statement — page 3

I CURRENTLY SERVE MY COMMUNITY AS PRESIDENT OF THE

BOARD OF EDUCATION AND I SERVED 10 YEARS AS A BOROUGH

COUNCILMAN.

I HAVE SERVED AS SECRETARY OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF

PENNSYLVANIA, A MEMBER OF THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE

TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE, A MEMBER OF THE

PENNSYLVANIA STATE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE AND

FOUR YEARS AS A MEMBER OF THE 5 PERSON PENNSYLVANIA

TURNPIKE COMMISSION. I ALSO SERVED AS A MEMBER OF

THE NATIONAL MOTOR CARRIER ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

IN 1982, I WAS APPOINTED TO ONE OF THE FIRST STATE

GOVERNMENT COMMITTEES IN THE NATION TO STUDY HIGH

SPEED RAIL. THE 9 MEMBER COMMITTEE WAS APPOINTED BY

GOVERNOR THORNBURGH WITH A CHARGE TO STUDY THE

FEASIBILITY OF CONSTRUCTING A HIGH SPEED PASSENGER

RAIL LINE FROM PHILADELPHIA TO PITTSBURGH. THIS

WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE WILL CERTAINLY HELP ME AS A

MEMBER OF THE AMTRAK BOARD.

ECONOMICALLY, PASSENGER RAIL CAN BE A POWERFUL ENGINE

FOR GROWTH. DELIVERING A RAIL PROJECT GENERATES

THOUSANDS OF CONSTRUCTION, ENGINEERING, AND

OPERATIONAL JOBS. ONCE OPERATIONAL, TRAINS ATTRACT

RIDERS WHOSPEND MONEY IN LOCAL ECONOMIES,

ESPECIALLY NEAR STATIONS. ENTIRE COMMUNITIES CAN BE

REVITALIZED BY THE PRESENCE OF RELIABLE TRAIN SERVICE.

Amtrak Board Nomination Hearing Opening Statement — page 4

IN SHORT, WHEN DONE RIGHT, PASSENGER RAIL DOESN'T

JUST MOVE PEOPLE -- IT DRIVES PROSPERITY.

IF CONFIRMED AS A DIRECTOR OF AMTRAK, I WILL WORK

DILIGENTLY TO IMPROVE AND EXPAND PASSENGER RAIL

SERVCE ACROSS AMERICA IN A FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE

MANNER. AMTRAK BENEFITS GREATLY FROM TAXPAYER

DOLLARS, AND I WILL MAKE SURE THAT MONEY IS SPENT IN AN

EFFICIENT AND PRODUCTIVE MANNER. I HAVE SPENT A LIFETIME

IN PUBLIC SERVICE LIVING WITH PENNSYLVANIA'S SUNSHINE

LAWS, SO I AM PROUD TO SUPPORT MORE BOARD

TRANSPARENCY.

IN CONCLUSION , I HOPE TO GAIN THIS COMMITTEE’S APPROVAL TO

JOIN THE AMTRAK BOARD BECAUSE I FIRMLY BELIEVE THE UNITED

STATES NEEDS PASSENGER RAIL SERVICE, AND THAT IT CAN BE

DELIVERED IN AN EFFICIENT AND RESPONSIBLE WAY. THANK

YOU.

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Amtrak Board Nomination Hearing Opening Statement

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