Leadership

Dan is a board member with the Rail Passengers Association. He holds his master’s in architecture from South Dakota State University and is working on architectural licensure. Dan was in the pilot class of the Department of Architecture, gaining first-hand experience in establishing new programs, what is required to succeed, and how to react as directives suddenly change. He has been involved with rail advocacy and public discourse since 2013. He has been involved in multi-million dollar projects from schematic design through construction administration and close-out.

Patrick is co-Executive Director of AAWA, a Transportation Safety & Security Specialist at Sound Transit, and a former operator with Sound Transit’s T Line Link light rail. He is an experienced nonprofit administrator and writer. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Saint Martin’s University in Lacey. Patrick has a strong background in advocacy for economically and environmentally sustainable transportation solutions with a focus on passenger rail. He has spent a significant amount of time abroad and is inspired to apply creative solutions to help solve America’s transportation and land use problems. His writing has been published in the American Public Transportation Association’s Speedlines newsletter.

Mike has been employed as the Executive Director of the Utah Rail Passengers Association since its creation in 2018. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Geography from Brigham Young University, a Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Science from Northwest Missouri State University, an Interdisciplinary Graduate Certificate in Sustainability from the University of Utah, and a Master of City and Metropolitan Planning from the University of Utah. Mike is a member of the American Planning Association, the Congress for the New Urbanism, Strong Towns, the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals, and the national Rail Passengers Association. He currently serves on the board of the Utah chapter of the Congress for the New Urbanism, on the board of the Utah Transit Riders Union, and on the board of the national Rail Passengers Association. In September 2021, Mike was appointed to Salt Lake City's Planning Commission.

Mike claims Malad City, Idaho, as his hometown and has lived in Utah since 1999 and in Salt Lake City’s Rose Park neighborhood since 2003. An avid transit and bike rider, Mike got rid of his car in 2017 and hasn’t looked back.

Charlie is co-Executive Director of All Aboard Washington (AAWA), which promotes safe, reliable, frequent, competitive, and convenient passenger rail services that improve the equity, economy, and environment for all Washingtonians. Charlie is also the founder and co-owner of CHCS Consulting, which provides research, organizational development, publicity, marketing, and website services to a diverse national client base of businesses and nonprofit organizations. He holds a Ph. D. in communication from the University of Maryland, and has a certificate in organizational development and training from Georgetown University.

Meara is a co-founder of Laramie Passenger Rail Advocates, a rail-focused community interest group in Laramie, WY. Meara holds a Master's Degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Oklahoma and, as a Librarian and former AmeriCorps Service Member, is experienced in community organizing and engagement. Meara has been involved in passenger rail advocacy efforts since 2019 and through their work has helped build multiple grassroots rail transportation movements in communities across America.

Dynamic and results-driven leader with over 15 years of experience managing teams and operations in high-stress environments, she has a proven track record in public safety, mitigation, collaboration, coordination, and tactical, operational, and strategic planning. As an Administrator and Board of Directors Chair, she has excelled in communications and community relations, coordinating and maintaining cooperative working relationships with Federal, State, County, City, Tribal, and Non-Profit entities. She has developed and led community programs, served as an educator, and specialized in emergency management, grant writing, compliance, and management.

Committed to safety, efficiency, and quality, she believes in ecological stewardship, social justice, cultural diversity, and adaptive, innovative, creative thinking to create future solutions. She co-authored the Washington State Huckleberry House Bill, which was enacted into law.

Gleb Sych is a medical student at the Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences, currently completing his clinical rotations in Olympia, WA. He serves on the Economic Inequity & Health Taskforce of Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility and is also a board member of All Aboard Washington. Gleb's primary interests lie in family and addiction medicine, and he is an advocate for improving public transportation accessibility and reforming Washington state's tax code.