Amtrak taps Boardman as new president/CEO

The National Railroad Passenger Corp.’s (Amtrak) board of directors chose Joseph Boardman to be its new president/CEO, effective Wednesday.

“In an attempt to maintain the momentum at Amtrak, while finding a permanent CEO candidate, the board has appointed Mr. Boardman for one year, but will conduct a search in the coming months for a permanent CEO,” said Board Chairman Donna McLean.

Boardman, who has more than 34 years of experience in the transportation industry, previously served as administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and was the Department of Transportation designee on the Amtrak board of directors.

Prior to his tenure at FRA, Boardman served as commissioner of the New York State Department of Transportation, where he led a transformation effort that better enabled the agency to respond to the challenges associated with an expanding global marketplace.

Boardman fills the position following the departure of Alex Kummant earlier this month. Chief Operating Officer William Crosbie served as acting CEO in the interim.