The major hurdle of Amtrak’s future in regards to Congressional funding and reauthorization has been crossed.

To ensure a prosperous future for Amtrak, two important processes must take place. First, the new Amtrak Reform Board of Directors, consisting of seven members appointed by the White House in consultation with the Senate, must take place. By Congressional mandate, this board must be constituted by July 1, 1998 for Amtrak to be considered for their federal appropriation in FY 1999. Second, the new Reform Board must select a successor to Thomas Downs.

Because the Clinton administration reacts strongly to public opinion, it must see a public clamor for appropriate new board members. While most members of the current board are eligible for nomination to the Reform Board, it is desirable that a completely new slate of directors be nominated.

By law, as spelled out in the Amtrak Reauthorization Act, each nominee must possess the technical, financial, and other expertise necessary to qualify for a corporate board seat. Excluded (with the exception of the Secretary of Transportation) are employees of the federal government, Amtrak employees, freight railroad managers, railway labor officers, and pure political appointees. The test for the nominee is that each must possess the technical, financial, and other expertise necessary to make decisions regarding a multi-billion dollar corporation.

Other criteria equally important, includes:

• Be both financially and politically savvy; they must understand how the process works and not have a lengthy learning curve. The final rescue of Amtrak cannot last longer than five years; in corporate terms, this is a very short period of time.
• Understand passenger railroads and how the passenger system works in relationship to other modes of transportation and how the system works in relationship to the needs of host freight railroads. One of Amtrak’sgreatest faults is its lack of institutional memory. So many Amtrak senior, middle, and low-level managers have come and gone without leaving a written legacy that Amtrak constantly blunders into the same mine fields again and again because no one left behind a sign saying “stay away”.
• Be willing to make bold and/or difficult decisions without fear of great political backlash. While, as above, they must be politically savvy, they must also be ready to make the right decisions and defend the decisions while they go through an incubation period on their way to a profitable blossoming.
• Be secure in the knowledge that Amtrak’s salvation is in growth, not shrinking. A full network of routes with multiple frequencies is the best long-term plan. The new board members must know this too, and position the company for growth.

The White House clipping service reads hundreds of newspapers from all over the country, and notes threads of interest. Letters to the editor and editorial page op-ed pieces on the subject outlined above will catch their eye.

While telephone calls and e-mail to Congress were effective during the legislative process, this part of the process requires opinions and facts expressed in writing in public places, including newspapers, editorial comments as given on local broadcast newscasts, and, of course, the internet.

So, for the end of the year, it’s time to continue the process of taking Amtrak to the next level and help influence who the new Reform Board of Directors will be. Everyone can agree it is imperative these appointees not be the usual political favors, but rather, truly qualified individuals who will steer the company in the right direction and make the best choice for who will be Amtrak’s next president.

Bruce Richardson