GREEN GROUP - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Marketing - Freight
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Operations - Heavy Highway
Bob Wills has been with Herzog for over 40 years and has held many different positions within the company. He began his career in 1976 as an equipment operator in the CarTopper division (presently Herzog Railroad Services, Inc.) and is now the Vice President of Operations for the Heavy Highway division.
In his current role, Bob provides management oversight for construction operations and scheduling for local asphalt projects, crews, and plant production. Bob and his team work on all state Department of Transportation projects for Missouri and Kansas, municipal authorities, commercial and private jobs throughout Northwest Missouri and Northeast Kansas regions.
Bob's past rail construction experience included working as a supervisor on the initial SCRRA San Bernardino Line Commuter Rail Project from Bassett to Pomona, CA. He was responsible for traffic management and directed the work of the grading crews in preparation for rail installation along the 16-mile corridor.
He is active in several industry associations including the AGC of Missouri, the Missouri Asphalt Pavement Association, the Kansas Asphalt Pavement Association, and the National Asphalt Pavement Association.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Chairman
- Chairman and CEO of Herzog
As Chairman and CEO of Herzog, Brad Lager presides over all of Herzog's companies and their subsidiaries. Brad, along with the respective leaders within each Herzog company, is responsible for the day-to-day execution of Herzog's overall strategic plan, direction, and operational management.
Brad's tenure with Herzog first began while serving as an outside director for Herzog Contracting Corp. His advisory position evolved into an official leadership role in 2014 when he was appointed President of Herzog Technologies, Inc. where he continued to increase Herzog's footprint in wayside signal and communications; GIS data collection and management; and PTC services. In 2017, Brad transitioned into enterprise-level management and oversight of the Herzog companies.
Before joining Herzog, Brad held positions at Northwest Missouri Cellular and Cerner Corporation while serving in the Missouri House of Representatives and the Missouri Senate. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Management Systems from Northwest Missouri State University.
As Chief Operating Officer, Bret oversees day-to-day transit operations for Herzog Transit Services, Inc. and its subsidiary company, TransitAmerica Services, Inc. His team provides operations and maintenance services for 13 transit properties in major cities across North America. Prior to nationwide reductions in service in 2020, Herzog transported nearly 37 million passengers annually.
Bret is a member of several industry associations including the American Railway Engineering & Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA), American Public Transportation Association (APTA), and the National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association (NRCMA).
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Project Delivery - Heavy Highway
Bryan is a construction professional with more than 20 years of experience in the industry. In his role as Vice President, he is the chief estimator and project manager for the heavy highway division. Bryan leads the bids for all state Department of Transportation projects for Missouri and Kansas, city authorities, commercial and private jobs throughout Northwest Missouri and Northeast Kansas regions. For Herzog's asphalt projects, he oversees project controls and setup, issuance of subcontracts, purchase orders, contract negotiations, managing daily operations, owner communications, and closeout.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Project Execution - National Construction
Craig received a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of New Hampshire Durham and his Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. He is also an active member of the American Railway Engineering & Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA).
David (Dave) Addison joined the Herzog team in 2010 after 20+ years in the construction business. Dave handles monthly and annual financial statement consolidation and analyzes the daily financials for all Herzog entities. He assists in forecasting earnings and cash flow plus a multitude of weekly and monthly ad-hoc reporting responsibilities.
Dave works with our external auditing firm to complete annual audits and maintain GAAP compliance as accounting and tax law change. He also ensures that all Herzog organizations stay compliant with federal/state/local taxing regulations and oversees Herzog's individual company controllers.
Prior to Herzog, he was the Director of Finance at Lafarge North America which is a worldwide manufacturer of cement, concrete, aggregates, and asphalt.
Dave received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Accounting from Peru State College in Peru, NE.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Major Infrastructure - National Construction
Deron Haptonstall has more than 38 years of experience in the construction industry, with the last 28 years focused on rail construction. Deron is responsible for leading our joint ventures on projects focusing on commuter rail, light rail, rail yard, tunnel trackwork, and bridgework. His dedication to quality, customer relationships, and interface coordination has been well proven.
Deron is a resource and mentor to all project managers throughout the National Construction organization. Deron has quickly advanced his career and led projects collectively totaling more than $1.6 billion including Brightline Phase 2 Expansion - Zone 4, FDOT Central Florida Commuter Rail Transit Phase 2 South (SunRail 2), Silicon Valley Berryessa LRT Extension Design-Build, and the Port of Los Angeles Berth 200 Rail Yard.
Deron is a past member of the AGC Los Angeles District Board of Directors and served as a Director on the AGC of California State Board.
Job Titles:
- CFO
- Senior Vice President of Finance
- Treasurer
Eric has responsibility for the planning, implementation, and management of all finance and accounting activities for Herzog. Eric is deeply involved in all aspects of the Herzog organization as he and his team provide unprecedented levels of financial insight. He also oversees budgeting, forecasting, labor and overhead cost evaluations, pricing models, project ROI modeling, annual CapX plans, and all M&A activities. He is responsible for the effective cash management of all Herzog companies and advises the CEO on key initiatives where appropriate.
Eric has a background in operational management with a significant number of efficiency and optimization project results.
Prior to joining Herzog, Eric has held senior leadership positions for the last 20 years. He served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at WireCo as well as the President and CEO of Van AM Tool & Engineering, LLC both Missouri-based companies.
Eric brings extensive knowledge and experience in the optimization of organizations, factory and distribution operations, asset management, capital deployment, strategic management, facilitation of cross-functional teaming initiatives, and development of key customer relationships in multi-national, multi-cultural boundaries.
Eric received a Bachelor of Science in Electronics Engineering Technology from Missouri Western State University and a Master of Business Administration degree with honors from the Rockhurst University Executive Fellows Program. Eric currently sits on the MWSU Foundation Board of Directors as well as the Tulsa, Oklahoma-based manufacturing company, Apsco.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President
- Senior Vice President of Enterprise Assets
As senior vice president, George Williams oversees all aspects of Herzog's enterprise-wide assets. George and his team are responsible for the procurement, maintenance, cost management, and disposition of Herzog's equipment and vehicles. George's group establishes and implements company equipment standards, policies, and the best mechanical practices across North America to support Herzog operations.
George has more than 33 years of experience in all phases of equipment service management, preventative maintenance, repair, and operator training. From 2010 to 2019, he served as the Vice President of Herzog Railroad Services, Inc. where he provided executive oversight on daily operations and contract negotiations for Herzog's specialized maintenance-of-way equipment for Class 1 and short line railroads. George's management initiatives have continuously led to increased efficiency, reduced costs, and enhanced equipment functionality for Herzog's operating companies.
Job Titles:
- Executive
- Member of the American Railway Engineering
- Senior Vice President of Track / Infrastructure Maintenance
Gerry Di Ioli provides executive oversight of Herzog's maintenance-of-way services, capital rehabilitation planning, and associated work under our transit and track infrastructure maintenance contracts throughout the United States. Gerry is also responsible for system safety program planning, financial analysis and planning, and operating rules and regulations.
Gerry is a current member of the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA). He is a former member of the AGC of California, serving on the board as both president and director.
Glen Dargy has led Herzog's Advanced Systems group since its inception in 2009. In his role as vice president, Glen oversees and coordinates the development of custom software and hardware solutions for railroad clients. He is the driving force behind the technology integration for Herzog's next generation of railroad maintenance-of-way equipment. As Herzog develops new artificial intelligence and object recognition tools, Glen is also revamping our methodologies and practices around data management and analytics. His efforts have resulted in select services moving towards a predictive maintenance model.
Glen's group has initiated the alignment and integration of data repositories across Herzog's divisions to ensure delivery of valuable, information-rich solutions to the rail industry. His team's work in Positive Train Control (PTC) system integration has led to the development of industry-leading technologies for effective, timely, compliant PTC implementation. This includes design, development, quality assurance, deployment, and production management for PTC systems, GIS rail feature data collection, back office, dispatching, and onboard systems.
Glen graduated with Bachelor of Science in Computer Science & Management from Park University in Parkville, MO. He is an active member and participant on industry committees for the American Railway Engineering & Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA), American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA), Interoperable Train Control (ITC), and SecureRail.
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President for Herzog 's National Construction
J.C. Brummond currently serves as Executive Vice President for Herzog's National Construction division, which performs civil and rail construction in North America. His leadership experience spans more than 46 years in various management positions. J.C. devotes his time to developing customer and contractor relationships, strengthening ties with top tier subcontractors, and representing Herzog on the board of directors for many of our joint venture projects.
J.C. possesses a unique understanding of the construction industry from conceptual design through construction, turnover, and commissioning. His cornerstone principle is to mandate and facilitate meaningful, transparent communication throughout the design and construction process. Most of his experience falls within heavy civil construction, although he has worked on numerous light rail and commuter rail alternative delivery projects (CM/GC, GC/CM, design-build, and CM @ Risk). His experience base is broad and encompasses planning, preparing proposals, as well as managing labor, equipment, and financial resources for the design and construction of projects valued over $1B.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Engineering and R & D
Jake Herzog leads our research & engineering group which develops innovative maintenance-of-way equipment solutions for railroad customers. He is the grandson of the company's founder, William E. (Bill) Herzog. Jake is responsible for long-term strategy, project definition, scope control, budgetary oversight, prototyping, and commissioning. He was instrumental in the inception and development of the Automated Conveyor Train℠, which led to the issuing of his first patent. He continues to drive Herzog's engineering efforts to new levels of safety, quality, and innovation.
Prior to his current role, Jake worked as an estimator in the preparation of railroad and heavy civil construction estimates ranging from $1M to $2B in value. He also provided construction field supervision and management expertise in the buildout of numerous Herzog facilities.
Jake received his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of Missouri and a member of the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA).
Job Titles:
- Member of the American Railway Engineering & Maintenance - of - Way Association
Jerry Scott has more than 39 years of experience and has held various positions before being promoted to Senior Vice President of Operations in 2021. In his current role, Jerry is responsible for operational oversight for all of Herzog's railroad MOW equipment servicing Class 1 railroads and short lines across the United States and Canada. In addition to this expanded role, Jerry continues to manage operations for Herzog's specialized material handling equipment which includes the Multi-Purpose Machine®, CarTopper® Material Handling Services, and Clip Car.
In his early career, Jerry worked as a CarTopper operator. He also spent time working on asphalt crews in the Heavy Highway division. Over the past four decades, Jerry has witnessed the development of nearly all of Herzog's equipment innovations as the company has grown and evolved.
Jerry is also an active member of the American Railway Engineering & Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA).
Job Titles:
- Chief Commercial Officer - Freight Systems
- President of the North American Maintenance Railway Club
Jim Hansen's 43+ years of rail industry experience stretches back to the mid-1970s, where he began his career in the maintenance-of-way welding department for the Burlington Northern (BN) Railroad. After more than a decade at BN, he assumed a sales position with ESCO Equipment Service Company, rising to vice president of national sales. Hansen later served four years as the North American sales manager for Stanley Railroad Products. In 2007, he transitioned into business development for North America, at RailWorks Corporation, where he served as vice president for nine years.
In his current role at Herzog, Jim is responsible for overseeing all commercial/marketing efforts for freight railroads. He is a strong proponent of innovation in MOW technology for Herzog's equipment solutions and serves as an advocate for the industry on U.S. rail regulatory issues.
Hansen has been the President of the North American Maintenance Railway Club (NAMRC) for more than 25 years. Under his leadership, the membership of the club has grown from close to 100 members to over 600 members today.
He was recently appointed to Chairman of the Board for the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) and continues to serve as Vice Chair for the Association of American Railroads (AAR) Associate Advisory Board.
Job Titles:
- Estimator for Herzog Contracting Corp
Joe Stephens began his career as an estimator for Herzog Contracting Corp in 2009 and quickly developed a comprehensive understanding of the various scopes of work involved on major CM/GC and design-build projects for all types of rail transportation systems across the country. Four years later, Joe transitioned into estimating for Herzog's signals & systems company, Herzog Technologies, Inc., which focuses on Positive Train Control (PTC), wayside signal and communications (S&C), Geographic Information System (GIS) data collection, and software development for railroads and transit clients.
As Chief Estimator and subsequently Director of Project Planning, Joe proved instrumental in the growth of the S&C business unit. In 2019, Joe was promoted to Vice President, and given increased oversight and involvement in business development, proposals, estimating, contract negotiations, assisting with project operations budgets, design progression and coordination, scope modifications and related pricing, project document review, and schedule analysis.
Joe was an integral member of the teams that worked on some of Herzog's largest S&C contracts to date, including the SANDAG CM/GC 1 projects, TEXRail Commuter Rail, DART Silver Line, Virgin Trains USA Zone 4, and the Central Florida Commuter Rail (SunRail) Transit Project Phase 2 South maintenance projects.
Before completing his Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering Technology with a Minor in Construction Management from Missouri Western State University, Joe was an aerospace medical technician in the United States Air Force.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Track / Infrastructure Maintenance
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President of Heavy Highway Division
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President of Rail Systems - National Construction
Mickey Tomlin has 41 years of experience in all phases of railroad system construction and maintenance. As a senior vice president, Mickey presides over operations and is responsible for helping achieve financial goals and objectives and increasing operating performance. He possesses key technical knowledge of various signal appliances and the overall knowledge of their applications.
Mickey provides executive oversight for construction, signal maintenance, and capital construction projects for large-scale commuter rail lines. A few of Mickey's past projects include TEXRail, SunRail Phase 2, and DCTA A-Train. He provides ongoing direction and final approval of all pre-testing and commissioning of the signal and communications systems on all rail lines.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships
Norm Jester has more than 46 years of experience with operations and maintenance services for freight, commuter rail, light rail, metrorail, and streetcar systems. In 1994, Norm served as Herzog's first General Manager on the Tri-Rail commuter rail system that runs between Miami and West Palm Beach, FL. Norm's lengthy career in the industry has covered all areas of rail transit development including engineering, construction, safety, rail car procurement, systems, training and day-to-day operations for all transit technologies.
His technical experience combined with his network of industry contacts amassed throughout his career made Norm a natural fit for transitioning from operations and maintenance to his current position as Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships. While Norm's primary focus has shifted from operations to business development, he still is instrumental in the development of streetcar project proposals and start-ups for streetcar projects.
He earned his transportation management certificates from the Northeastern University Mass Transit Management Seminar and the Chicago Transit Authority Technical Institute. Norm is active in the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), serving on several transit committees. He is also a past board member for the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRCMA).
Ryan Crawford oversees contract development, equipment leasing, and operational management for all of Herzog's ballast services. Ryan works to find optimal ballast delivery solutions for our Class 1 and short line clients and manages Herzog's 4,000+ railcar fleet across the US, Canada, and Mexico. Herzog's GPS Ballast Trains, Automated Conveyor Train℠, Solar Ballast Car, and specialty railcars fall under his purview.
Ryan started his career at Herzog in 2003 as a GPS ballast train technician. After a few short years performing mechanical inspections on railcars, he was promoted to manage Herzog's railcar facility in 2008. In this role, he was responsible for daily operations and the production of specialized maintenance-of-way equipment. After 2011, Ryan progressively took on more management responsibilities in ballast field operations and railcar leasing, culminating in his most recent promotion to Vice President in 2019.
In 2018, Ryan was recognized as a 10 Under 40 Fast Tracker by Railway Age for his work in the growth of Herzog's ballast operations. He is a member of Committee 1 - Roadway & Ballast Track Functional Group for the American Railway Engineering & Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA).
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President of Enterprise Risk & Administration
Ryan currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Enterprise Risk and Administration for all Herzog entities. He and his team have the responsibility for negotiating, procuring, and managing all insurance and bonding programs for Herzog and joint venture efforts. Additionally, Ryan is the executive in charge of multiple shared service groups including human resources, recruitment, corporate IT, contracts, and claims. He also serves as the EEO officer for most of Herzog's operational companies.
Ryan is a licensed insurance producer and is Construction Risk Insurance Specialist (CRIS)-certified. He leads the awareness and development of risk management best practices in compliance with enterprise risk requirements. Ryan advises and enhances the development and use of risk management practices, processes, tools, and technologies to further identify and mitigate risks associated with the portfolio of projects from initiation of the project pursuit, through execution and closeout. He has developed a multitude of relationships within the insurance market in the US and abroad, enabling Herzog to strategically assemble a variety of complex insurance programs and provide uniquely advantageous risk management solutions.
Prior to joining Herzog in 1998, Ryan earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Missouri Western State University (MWSU). Ryan is a member of Phi Delta Theta International Fraternity, the Insurance Risk Management Institute (IRMI), and the Association of General Contractors Risk and Bonding. He is an advisory board member for the Computer Guidance Corporation and for the Craig School of Business at MWSU.
Scott Norman has been closely involved in the construction industry for more than 40 years. He has dedicated his career to building customer relationships and identifying key pursuits for U.S. transit projects. As Executive Vice President of Construction, Scott leads national construction efforts in North America and has the business responsibility for all national construction work. He is responsible for leading operations, partnership development, customer relationships, and identifying key projects.
Since assuming his executive management responsibilities with Herzog, he has been actively involved in over $6B of contract work in both conventional and alternative delivery construction contracts for rail transportation and light rail transit projects.
He began his career with Herzog in 1999 where he started as a project manager in San Diego, CA. In 2010, Scott was appointed Vice President of Estimating and Project Development and promoted to Executive Vice President of Construction in 2023.
Prior to Herzog, Scott worked for Hood Corporation out of Whittier, CA where he progressed through the ranks from Laborer to Project Manager to Chief Estimator. Scott holds a certificate in Construction Management from San Diego State University.
Scott Perry provides executive oversight for procurement, finance, and operational performance for all transit operations under Herzog Transit Services, Inc. and its subsidiary company, TransitAmerica Services, Inc. His team provides operations and maintenance services for 13 transit properties in major cities across North America. Prior to nationwide reductions in service in 2020, Herzog transported nearly 37 million passengers annually.
Scott is a transit veteran with more than 20 years of hands-on-management experience for passenger rail systems and has been an employee of Herzog since 1998. His background includes train operations and maintenance, dispatching, maintenance-of-way, signalization, safety, and large-scale railroad construction/rehabilitation projects on active rail corridors.
He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Missouri Western State University and has held qualifications as a conductor, locomotive engineer, and train dispatcher.
Stan served as the Chairman and CEO of Herzog Contracting from 2009 until his passing in August 2019. His experience and leadership guided the organization to exponential growth, expanding its capabilities and service locations for rail and highway construction, environmental work, mass transit operations, maintenance-of-way services, and railcar leasing.