On the recordSeptember 26, 2016
today I wish to honor the dedication of Joseph Boardman, the president and chief executive officer of Amtrak. After nearly 8 years of service, Mr. Boardman will retire from Amtrak this month. He is the second longest serving leader in Amtrak's history. Mr. Boardman has spent his life in transportation and public service. As a boy, Mr. Boardman would watch the buses passing on Route 69 as he was working in the fields on his family farm. His father persuaded him of the importance of transportation and started him down to the road to a career in public transportation. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1966 and served the United States in Vietnam. He received his bachelor's degree at Cornell and his master's from SUNY Binghamton. Mr. Boardman's transportation career began as a bus driver. Later, he went on to manage the transportation authorities for the cities of Rome and Utica. He also worked in Broome County as the commission of transportation services, before starting his own transportation company in 1995. Mr. Boardman later went on to serve as the longest serving Commissioner of Transportation in New York State's history. In 2005, he became the Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration. During his transportation career, Mr. Boardman has been a fierce advocate for improving safety.…
