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PITTSBURGH, PA
CONFERENCE AGENDA
FALL 2026 • OCTOBER 7–9, 2026
WEDNESDAY • OCTOBER 7
2:00 PM
Conference Registration Opens
Registration Desk Sponsored by The Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway Company
4:00 PM
The Joseph & Eileen Gearin Networking Reception
Sponsored By American Truck and Rail Audits, Inc.
6:00 PM
NEARS TopGolf Event!
TopGolf Pittsburgh
400 Presto-Sygan Rd
Bridgeville, PA 15017
Sponsored by Carload Express and FreightCar America
OR Dinner on your own in fabulous Pittsburgh
8:00 PM
NEARS Speakeasy Hospitality Lounge Opens
THURSDAY • OCTOBER 8
7:00 AM
Breakfast Starts
Available until 08:15am
Sponsored by The Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway Company
7:30 AM
Conference Registration Re-Opens
Registration Desk Sponsored by The Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway Company
8:00 AM
Welcome to NEARS, Safety Briefing, Housekeeping
Rob Pisani, 1st Vice President, NEARS
8:10 AM
Welcome to Pittsburgh
Marissa DeBona, Vice President, The Traffic Club of Pittsburgh
Introduction by Dennis Wilmot, President, Iron Horse Logistics Group
8:20 AM
NEARS Hall of Fame Awards
Barbara Horton, Rail & Stockpile Administration, American Rock Salt
Jan McNeal, Retired, Finger Lakes Railway
8:30 AM
Pickup at Hotel Front Entrance for Friends and Family Tour
8:45 AM
The State of Transportation
Michael Rutherford, Asst. Secretary, US Department of Transportation
Moderator: Tony Hatch, Principal, ABH Consulting
9:45 AM
Union Pacific Update and Fireside Chat with Kenny Rocker
Kenny Rocker, Executive Vice President Marketing & Sales, Union Pacific
Moderator: Jason Seidl, Managing Director Industrials, TD Cowen
10:45 AM
Networking Break
Sponsored by Knichel Logistics
11:00 AM
How We Overcome Rail Challenges in 2027 and Beyond
Farrukh A. Bezar, Managing Partner, Lynwood Partners, LLC
Moderator: Jason Seidl, Managing Director Industrials, TD Cowen
NOON
NEARS Networking Lunch and Vendor Fair
Lunch Sponsored by TrinityRail
1:30 PM
Celebrating the 250th Anniversary of America – The Union Pacific Steam Team
Ed Dickens, Senior Manager, Union Pacific Heritage Operations, Union Pacific
Austin Barker, Manager, Heritage Fleet, Union Pacific
Kirt Clark, Engineer, Heritage Fleet, Union Pacific
Introduction: Michael Koehler, Director Marketing & Sales, Union Pacific
Moderator: John Meyers, Director of Sales, D.M. Bowman
2:30 PM
An Hour with a Railroad Legend – Transportation Perspectives and Prognostication
Henry Posner III, Chairman, Railroad Development Corp.
Moderator: Jason Seidl, Managing Director Industrials, TD Cowen
3:30 PM
Networking Break
Sponsored By Knichel Logistics
RAIL SHIPPERS ONLY
3:45 PM
Shippers Forum Breakout – Bringing Shippers Together for Important Discussions
3rd Floor, Crawford Room
Moderator 1: Dennis Wilmot, President, Iron Horse Logistics Group
Moderator 2: Scott McCalla, Executive Director, NEARS
5:00 PM
The Joseph & Eileen Gearin Networking Reception
Sponsored By American Truck and Rail Audits, Inc.
6:00 PM
NEARS Scholarship Raffle Drawing
Sponsored by US Bank
6:30 PM
Dinner On Your Own In Fabulous Pittsburgh
8:00 PM
NEARS Speakeasy Hospitality Lounge Opens
FRIDAY • OCTOBER 9
7:30 AM
Networking Breakfast Starts
Available Until 08:15
Sponsored by The Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway Company
8:00 AM
Opening / Announcements
8:15 AM
Rail Energy – Keeping us powered with natural gas
Representative from EQT Corporation
Moderator: Thomas Coleman, Business Development, Northeast Freight Transfer
9:15 AM
Local Success Story – Growing Strong Sustainable Farms and Thriving Communities
Cyrus Robinson, Special Project Manager, Kreamer Feeds
Moderator: Joseph Kantz, Business & Development Manager, North Shore Railroad Co.
10:15 AM
The Much Anticipated and Always Informative Tony and Jason Show
Tony Hatch, Principal, ABH Consulting
Jason Seidl, Managing Director, TD Cowen
Moderator: John Meyers, Director of Sales, D.M. Bowman
11:00 AM
Closing Remarks and William J. Donovan Memorial Drawing
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