RailAmerica and Florida East Coast Railway announce senior executive team

RailAmerica and Florida East Coast Railway announce senior executive team

JACKSONVILLE, FL - RailAmerica, Inc. (RA), one of the nation's leading short-line and regional railroad operators, and Florida East Coast Railway (FEC), a regional freight railroad operating along the east coast of Florida, announced the senior executive team that will be responsible for leading the combined organizations from their new headquarters location in Jacksonville, Fla.

Both RA and FEC are owned by private-equity funds managed by affiliates of Fortress Investment Group. The team will report directly to John Giles, who joined RA as its President and Chief Executive Officer in February 2007.

"We've assembled a top-notch management team of professional railroaders," said Giles. "Our senior executives each bring more than 20 years of transportation or functional expertise to the RA and FEC organizations."

The senior team consists of the following individuals:

Senior Vice President Strategic Relations Paul Lundberg, whose responsibilities include, labor relations, state governmental relations and Class I railroad-partner relationships. Lundberg, who has over 35 years of transportation-related experience, earned a bachelor's degree in Communications from Northwestern University and master's degree in Business Administration from Northwestern's Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer Dave Novak, whose responsibilities include human resources, information technology, real estate, and planning. Novak, who has over 36 years of transportation-related experience, earned both a bachelor's and master's degree in Business from Indiana University.

Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Charles Patterson, whose responsibilities include marketing, sales, and industrial development. Patterson, who has over 27 years of transportation-related experience, earned a bachelor's degree from Davidson College and a master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Virginia.

Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Clyde Preslar, whose responsibilities include leadership of the tax, accounting, and finance disciplines. Preslar, who has over 28 years of experience in corporate finance, earned a bachelor's degree from Elon College and a master's degree in Business Administration from Wake Forest University.

Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer as well as President of FEC David Rohal, whose responsibilities include management of the transportation, mechanical, customer service, and equipment functions. Rohal, who has over 22 years of transportation-related experience, earned a bachelor's degree in American Studies from Yale University and a master's degree in Transportation, Marketing and Finance from Northwestern's Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

Senior Vice President and General Counsel Scott Williams, whose responsibilities include corporate governance, claims and risk management, regulatory and governmental affairs, and environmental matters. Williams, who has a combined 22 years working in -- or representing clients in -- the railroad industry, earned a bachelor's degree from Yale University and a Juris Doctorate degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law.