BNSF News

2010 Rules Scholar Winners Announced

2010-01-28

The Northwest Division has broken the Kansas Division's multi-year winning streak.

The six-member team from the Northwest Division took home first place honors at the end of the Rules Scholar competition on Tuesday, Jan. 26.

The annual competition, in its 10^th year, gives teams of first-line supervisors from across the system a chance to test their knowledge of various safety and operating rules. The cross-functional teams include supervisors from Transportation, Engineering, Mechanical and Dispatching. Second place honors went to the Gulf Division while third place was awarded to the Kansas Division.

"Knowledge and application of our operating rules play a significant role in safe operations," said Mark Schulze, vice president, Safety, Rules and Operations Support. "Supervisors especially play a critical role in ensuring employees know how to work safely. While it is fun for these supervisors to prepare for the competition, the impact they have in sharing that knowledge helps reduce injuries and may even save lives."

List of winners

• First place: Mike Rogers, road foreman of engines, Transportation; Nate Hutchins, signal supervisor, Engineering; Casey Wright, roadmaster, Engineering; Sarah Holen, locomotive foreman, Locomotive Shops; Sean Huls, car foreman, Mechanical Field Operations; Matt Sugerman, chief dispatcher, Transportation.
• Second place: John Kennedy, trainmaster, Transportation; Arthur "Lee" Clary, signal supervisor, Engineering; Thomas Salisbury, assistant roadmaster, Maintenance Performance and Support; John McCoy, locomotive foreman, Mechanical; John Cooper, car foreman, Mechanical; Ladonna Andress, chief dispatcher, Transportation.
• Third place: Tyson Sheffield, road foreman of engines, Transportation; Keith Wheeler, signal supervisor, Engineering; John Thomas, roadmaster, Maintenance Performance and Support; Josh Pope, locomotive foreman, Mechanical; Thomas Murray, car foreman, Mechanical; Edward Caley, chief dispatcher, Transportation.

About the photo: Members of the winning Northwest Division Team pose with representatives of BNSF leadership. Seated left to right are Sarah Holen, locomotive foreman, Locomotive Shops; Sean Huls, car foreman, Mechanical Field Operations; Matt Sugerman, chief dispatcher, Transportation; Casey Wright, roadmaster, Engineering; Mike Rogers, road foreman of engines, Transportation; and Nate Hutchins, signal supervisor, Engineering.

Standing with the winners (from left) are Sam Sexhus, regional vice president, Operations; Mark Schulze, vice president, Safety, Training and Operations Support; Greg Fox, vice president, Transportation; Chris Roberts, vice president, Mechanical and Value Engineering; John Lanigan, executive vice president and chief marketing officer; Carl Ice, executive vice president and chief operations officer; and Tom Hund, executive vice president and chief financial officer.

BNSF Headquarters

BNSF Railway Company
2650 Lou Menk Dr. 2nd Floor
P.O. Box 961057
Fort Worth, TX 76161-0057
Phone: (817) 352-1000

For more information on the company and its transportation solutions, visit the BNSF Web site at www.bnsf.com