CEAT Grad Named to Amtrak Board

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

AMTRAK WELCOMES TWO NEW BOARD MEMBERS Burke and Beall committed to continued growth of America’s Railroad WASHINGTON – Yvonne Brathwaite Burke and Christopher Beall are expected to soon assume their new responsibilities as members of the Amtrak board of directors. They were nominated by President Obama and recently confirmed by the United States Senate. Each will serve a five-year term. “Yvonne and Chris strengthen the make up of the board with greater geographic representation, bring a wealth of experience and transportation knowledge as well as a strong commitment to the continued growth of America’s Railroad,” said Chairman Thomas Carper. “We welcome our newest members and know they will contribute to the current and future success of the nation’s intercity passenger rail provider and high-speed rail operator.” “Amtrak is making sustained progress in many key areas and I am confident it will continue to do so in the coming years. Amtrak is a national railroad and it must remain so while it moves forward with its plans for next-generation high-speed rail,” said Ms. Burke who currently serves as a member of the California Transportation Commission. “I believe that Amtrak is a critical component of national transportation infrastructure and that it plays a vital role connecting communities and providing passengers with convenient access to job centers thus enhancing regional economies,” said Mr. Beall, a partner at Highstar Capital, L.P., an infrastructure investment firm specializing in the transportation, environmental services, and energy sectors. Chairman Carper noted that with the arrival of these new members, all nine director positions will be filled. They will join himself, Anthony R. Coscia, Bert DiClemente, Jeffrey R. Moreland, Nancy Naples, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray La Hood, and Amtrak President and CEO Joseph Boardman on the Amtrak board of directors. Burke and Beall join Amtrak as it moves forward into a new year building on the successes from 2012 including setting the ninth ridership record in the last ten years. Yvonne Brathwaite Burke Yvonne Brathwaite Burke is from Los Angeles, California. She is currently a member of the California Transportation Commission. From 1992 to 2008, she served as a Los Angeles County Supervisor representing the 2nd District and was Chair three times. On December 1, 2008, she retired from the Board of Supervisors. She also served for 16 years on the Los Angeles Metro Board of Directors, serving as Chair for one term. In 1973 she was elected to U.S. House of Representatives and was the first African-American woman to represent the West Coast in Congress. During her tenure in Congress, she served on the House Select Committee on Assassinations and the House Committee on Appropriations. While on the Appropriations Committee, she introduced an amendment to the Alaskan Pipeline legislation to establish a new precedent that provided for a set aside for minority and women businesses to participate in Federal contracts. In 1973, with the birth of her daughter Autumn, Burke became the first Congresswoman to give birth while in office and the first to be granted maternity leave by the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. She did not seek reelection to Congress in 1978, but instead ran for Attorney General of California. She won the Democratic nomination, but was defeated in the general election. She attended University of California at Berkeley and the University of California at Los Angeles, where she received a Bachelor's degree. She also received a Juris Doctorate from the University of Southern California Law School. Christopher Beall Mr. Beall joined Highstar Capital in 2004 and he serves on Highstar's Investment and Executive Committees. Mr. Beall has over 12 years of experience in direct investments, investment banking and finance. He currently serves on the Boards of Directors of Star Atlantic and the Ports America Companies. Prior to joining Highstar, he worked in the Global Natural Resources Group at Lehman Brothers, Inc., and in operations and engineering at Koch Gateway Pipeline Company, a natural gas transmission pipeline owned by Koch Industries, Inc. Mr. Beall received a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Oklahoma State University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. About Amtrak® Amtrak is America’s Railroad®, the nation’s intercity passenger rail service and its high-speed rail operator. A record 31.2 million passengers traveled on Amtrak in FY 2012 on more than 300 daily trains – at speeds up to 150 mph (241 kph) – that connect 46 states, the District of Columbia and three Canadian Provinces. Amtrak operates intercity trains in partnership with 15 states and contracts with 13 commuter rail agencies to provide a variety of services. Enjoy the journey® at Amtrak.com or call 800-USA-RAIL for schedules, fares and more information. Join us on facebook.com/Amtrak and follow us at twitter.com/Amtrak.