Metro-North hires chief safety officer

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
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Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (MTA) Metro-North Railroad named Justin Vonashek as the agency's new vice president of system safety, where he will oversee all efforts to ensure the safety of its customers and employees as it continues to improve work practices and invest in new technology and equipment.

 

Vonashek will report to Metro-North President Joseph Giulietti and work closely with MTA Chief Safety Officer David Mayer and MTA Senior Advisor of Corporate Safety Initiatives Anne Kirsch.

“Metro-North is committed to safety in all of our operations and we are pleased to bring Justin on board to lead those efforts,” said Giulietti. “We look forward to the experience and insight he brings from having worked in major cities such as Boston and Chicago.”

Before joining Metro-North, Vonashek was the chief safety, security, emergency preparedness and regulatory compliance officer at Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Commuter Rail in Boston. Aside from developing and monitoring safety goals for the organization, he was also responsible for ensuring compliance with Federal Railroad Administration and Environmental Protection Agency regulatory requirements.

Vonashek began his career at Metra in Chicago in 2005 as a transportation specialist, eventually serving as director of regulatory compliance from September 2011 until February 2014.

“I look forward to collaborating with Metro-North’s team of men and women who have the institutional knowledge to drive change when it comes to safe and efficient operations,” said Vonashek. “It will be exciting to help advance the next generation of safety technology that Metro-North has already begun.”

Vonashek will begin at Metro-North on January 4, 2016.

 

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