CHICAGO — Former Metra CEO/Executive Director Don Orseno, who retired at the end of 2017, has rejoined the agency, this time as a member of the board of directors.
Orseno took a seat on the 11-member board at Metra’s monthly meeting Wednesday. He was appointed to by Will County (Ill.) Executive Larry Walsh to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of Tim Baldermann.
“I cannot tell you how pleased I am to have you back,” Metra Chairman Norman Carlson said, citing Orseno’s long career at Metra and knowledge of the agency. Orseno responded that he was “honored” to be there.
It took Orseno little time to readjust to Metra leadership, questioning staff several times about operations during the course of the meeting.
A lifelong railroader, Orseno headed Metra since August 2013. He began his career in 1974 as a ticket collector on Chicago Rock Island & Pacific Railroad commuter trains. After joining Metra in 1984, Orseno worked up through the ranks into senior leadership positions. He previously served as Metra’s deputy executive director and chief operating officer.
Orseno was succeeded as CEO by deputy Jim Derwinski. It was Derwinski who decided to recognize Orseno’s career by repainting MP36PH-3 locomotive No. 425 in the Rock Island’s historic red and yellow colors and naming it for him. It was the first of what are now three Metra locomotives with heritage schemes honoring the commuter railroad’s predecessors.
Upon retirement, Orseno told Trains News Wire that his toughest job at Metra was restoring the agency’s reputation after it was rocked by the 2010 vacation-pay scheme and suicide of former chief executive Phil Pagano, and a bitter battle between his immediate predecessor, Alex Clifford and some members of Metra’s board.
“There was lots of turmoil at the agency and the public had lost trust and the (Illinois) legislators had lost trust,” Orseno told News Wire. “We had to work very hard to rebuild that trust, and show we were doing the right thing for the right reasons.”
Orseno is well-known in the industry, having served as a member of the American Public Transportation Association’s Board of Directors, and as chairman of APTA’s Commuter Rail Committee and its Commuter Rail CEO Subcommittee.
He was a member of the Safety Operations and Management Committee of the Association of American Railroads, a member of the Transportation Technology Center board of directors, and a member of the Eno Center of Transportation board of advisors executive leader subcommittee. He is also the past president of the Association of American Railroad Superintendents and the Chicago Railroad Superintendents Association.
Congratulations however to Don. He is a commensurate railroader that brought Metra’s reputation back in turbulent times.
All ii is mostly a bumper post. It is a pass through type station at the most. That station cost taxpayers an extra $25 million settlement to a developer there. The design fouled potential air rights. Did the riders get their money’s worth? I don’t think so. No in the spirit of North by Northwest filmed at the old LaSalle street station.
If he’s a Rock Island fan he should do something about LaSalle Street “Station”. Starting with an apology, for this hole in the wall wouldn’t have been foisted onto customers of Metra’s higher-income lines like UP and BNSF.