Office of Rail Transportation staff directory
Tammy Nicholson - director, Office of Rail Transportation
E-mail: tamara.nicholson@dot.iowa.govPhone: 515-239-1052
- Manages activities of the Rail Office.
- Liaison to Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).
- Member American Association of State Highway & Transportation. Official's (AASHTO) Standing Committee on Rail Transportation (SCORT) .
Maria Hobbs
E-mail: maria.hobbs@dot.iowa.govPhone: 515-239-1088
- Brokers the necessary agreements with railroads when a primary highway construction project involves the rail transportation system.
James Gibson - crossing safety manager
E-mail: james.gibson@dot.iowa.govPhone: 515-239-1549
- Manages the Federal-Aid Highway/Rail Crossing Safety Program, which funds improvements to install new crossing signal devices, upgrade existing signals, and to provide low-cost improvements; such as increased sight distance, widened crossings, increased signal lens size, or crossing closures.
Lisa Husmann - crossing safety assistant
E-mail: lisa.husmann@dot.iowa.govPhone: 515-233-7885
- Assists in administration of the Federal-Aid Highway/Rail Crossing Safety Program.
- Updates the Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Inventory and serves as liaison to the Iowa DOT's Office of Transportation Data who maintains the Inventory.
Mary Jo Key - grade crossing surface repair manager
E-mail: mary.jo.key@dot.iowa.govPhone: 515-239-1108
- Manages the Iowa Grade Crossing Surface Repair Program that provides financial assistance to railroads, cities and counties to rebuild pavement surfaces at grade crossings on secondary and city road systems.
- Manages the primary grade crossing surface repair program to rebuild the pavement surface at highway-rail grade crossings on Iowa's Primary Road System.
- Mangages federally funded grants for disaster relief for Iowa's railroads.
Zoeann Kramer - administrative assistant
E-mail: zoeann.kramer@dot.iowa.govPhone: 515-239-1491
- Manages payments for the Office of Rail Transportation.
- Assists the Iowa's grade crossing surface repair program manager.
Amanda Martin - freight and passenger policy coordinator
E-mail:amanda.martin@dot.iowa.govPhone: 515-239-1653
- Liaison to the Iowa Passenger Rail Advisory Committee
- Manages passenger rail projects and activities
- Coordinates freight rail planning and policy development
Cathy Mather - administrative support
E-mail: cathy.mather@dot.iowa.govPhone: 515-239-1140
- Secretary to the director's of the Office of Rail and Office of Aviation and Public Transit.
- Provides administrative support to other modal office personnel.
- Fields calls to the Modal Division's telephone numbers.
Diane McCauley - marketing and policy administrator
E-mail: diane.mccauley@dot.iowa.govPhone: 515-239-1670
- Manages marketing and communication efforts for the Office of Rail, including this Web site.
- Liaison to the Iowa Rail Advisory Committee.
- Monitors legislative and policy issues that impact rail transportation.
- Manages discretionary grant applications
- Monitors railroad abandonments
Tim Sandusky - track inspector
E-mail: tim.sandusky@dot.iowa.govPhone: (515) 290-1584
- Inspects railroad track and infrastructure in the southern portion of Iowa for compliance with the Federal Railroad Administration's Track Safety Standards Compliance Manual.
- Investigates railroad accidents under Federal Railroad Administration guidance.
Jeffrey Secora - track inspector
E-mail: jeffrey.secora@dot.iowa.govPhone: 515-290-7257
- Inspects railroad track and infrastructure in the northern portion of Iowa for compliance with the Federal Railroad Administration's. Track Safety Standards Compliance Manual.
- Investigates railroad accidents under Federal Railroad Administration guidance.
Travis Tinken - grade crossing project manager
E-mail: travis.tinken@dot.iowa.govPhone: 515- 290-5055
- Schedules, coordinates and supervises construction of highway-rail crossing pavement surfaces on the state Primary Road System.
- Inspects highway-rail surface repair projects.
- Inspects crossing safety improvement projects.
Laura Hutzell - rail development manager
E-mail: laura.hutzell@dot.iowa.govPhone: 515-239-1066
- Manages the Rail Revolving Loan and Grant Program, which provides assistance to businesses or railroads building or improving rail facilities.
Affiliated staff members
(Employees affiliated with other offices assisting in rail activities)Ed Engle, transportation engineer specialist
Office of System Planning
E-mail: ed.engle@dot.iowa.gov
Phone: 515-239-1058
- Responsible for technical and engineering aspects of passenger rail development
- Provides engineering expertise and support for Planning, Programming and Modal offices
Phil Meraz, rail regulation and analysis
Office of System Planning
E-mail: phillip.meraz@dot.iowa.govPhone: 515-239-1420
- Assist with passenger rail station development and pooled equipment specifications/procurement committee duties
- Coordinating development of the Rail Safety Action Plan
- Assist with passenger rail projects and activities
- Monitors and handles resolution of rail regulatory issues (blocked crossings, fencing, private/farm crossings, etc.) and investigates citizen complaints concerning rail operations
Craig O-Riley, transportation planner
Office of System Planning
E-mail: craig.oriley@DOT.iowa.govPhone: 515-239-1520
- Coordinates development of the Rail System Plan
- Manages receipt of railroad annual reports
