Guest Speaker

James has been with FRA for 12 years and has been the Staff Director for the Grade Crossing and Trespasser Outreach division for over 4 years.  

Mike Long is the FRA Director of Outreach Programs and Engagement.  As such, he is responsible for safe rail operations, as well as outreach to the rail industry, associations and labor.

Adrian Knight, President and Chief Executive Officer for SleepSafe Drivers®, is a Certified Respiratory Therapist with over 33 years of experience in the Home Care and the Sleep industry.  Adrian has also designed, implemented and managed Fatigue Management Programs for both for-hire as well as private transportation fleets across the U.S.

P. Sean Garney is a co-director of Scopelitis Transportation Consulting.  He began his career in the trucking industry making local deliveries over 20 years ago. Since, he has held roles loading trucks, brokering freight and as an industry advocate, among others. Prior to joining STC, Garney worked for NIC Federal, the government contractor that operates FMCSA’s pre-employment screening program.  Prior to that, Garney served as Director of Safety Policy for the American Trucking Associations (ATA).

Daniel Patterson is the Director of Safety at Western Express Inc. headquartered in Nashville, TN. Western Express has a 3,600-truck fleet operating over the road in both van and flatbed. Daniel started as the Director of Safety in 2018. Since that time Western Express has invested heavily in technology both on the truck and in the back office to improve safety on the road. Daniel served 8 years in the United States Marine Corps, most recently as a Staff Sergeant and Combat Engineer. 

Chief Bryan Laurie leads the BNSF Police Team which has 200 police officers in 28 states and two Canadian Provinces, with responsibility for over 32,500 miles of rail. He began his railroad career in 2013 and has held the following positions within the railroad: Chief of Police; Assistant Chief of Police, NE Corridor; Deputy Chief of Police, Chicago, IL; Senior Manager of Homeland Security-NW Territory; Manager of Homeland Security-NW Territory; Special Agent in Charge/Captain-ROTC, Topeka KS; Special Agent-ROCC, Ft.

A Physical Therapist with over 30 years of experience in injury prevention and development of treatment protocols for injured workers. Drew’s knowledge and experience is in on-site clinical services, ergonomics and wellness strategies, and compliance.