Amtrak CEO to retire

Amtrak CEO Joe Boardman is planning to retire in September 2016 after nearly a decade at the helm of the national railway system.

Boardman announced his retirement plans in a letter to the agency’s employees this week.

“At the meeting of the Amtrak Board of Directors this week, I informed them of my intention to retire from Amtrak in September 2016,” he wrote. 

{mosads}”At that time, I will have served nearly eight years as the president and CEO of our company,” Boardman continued in the letter. “When I look back at this time, I see so many accomplishments and so many changes we made to make America’s Railroad a stronger, safer and a more important part of our nation’s transportation system.” 

Boardman has served as Amtrak’s president and CEO of the company’s board of directors since November 2008. Prior to his appointment to the helm of Amtrak, Boardman was a member of Amtrak’s board of directors, and he is also a former administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration under former President George W. Bush. 

Boardman said in his letter announcing his retirement that he “spent a lot of time considering” his retirement plans. 

“I think in the railroad business, all of us know when it’s time to retire,” he wrote. I hear this often from you when I travel around the system. It’s not easy to find people to work in an environment that is as demanding as running a railroad and providing good customer service.” 

Boardman said he intends to serve out the remaining eight months of his term while Amtrak searches for his replacement.  

“One of the reasons why I gave our board notice so far in advance of my planned retirement is because I want them to have the time to think about the next leader they will select and have a chance to think about the kinds of qualities this leader will need as we move forward,” he wrote. “Having served on the Board prior to my time as CEO, I know that the selection of a President and CEO of Amtrak is perhaps the single most important decision that a board can make.”