Senior

Staff

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Brandy D. Christian

CEO

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Brandy D. Christian

CEO

Brandy D. Christian, President and CEO of the Port of New Orleans, and CEO of the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad, leads the nation’s 10th largest port by general cargo tonnage, 17th largest container port and oversees movement of more than 50 million tons of cargo each year through the New Orleans Gateway via river and rail.

Port NOLA’s business lines also include a real estate portfolio of more than 2,500 acres of maritime and industrial property, and cruise, serving as the nation’s 6th largest ocean-going cruise port and enjoying fast-growing riverine cruise volumes. Christian directs infrastructure investments totaling nearly $2 billion to drive future growth, ensure family-supporting jobs, and provide opportunities for new logistics-related businesses.

Christian currently serves on the Green Marine Board of Directors, Railroad-Shipper Transportation Advisory Council, Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank Trade and Transportation Advisory Council, Louisiana Board of International Commerce, and the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors.

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Tomeka Watson Bryant

General Manager

tomeka.bryant@railnola.com 504-896-7411
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Tomeka Watson Bryant

General Manager

tomeka.bryant@railnola.com

Tomeka Watson Bryant serves as the General Manager of the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad, where she directs daily operations of the New Orleans Public Belt, including railroad strategy, safety strategy and process improvement initiatives. Watson Bryant, a second-generation railroader, brings both operations and commercial experience in the railroad industry to lead NOPB, a Class III railroad on the nation’s fourth largest rail gateway that connects with six Class I railroads and serves Port NOLA and local industry. Most recently, Watson Bryant served as Marketing and Sales Manager for the Public Belt and pioneered a successful safety program. Her professional background includes Class 1 railroad experience, launching her career as a Trainmaster for both CSX and NOPB. She holds a Master's in Business Administration from Pfieffer University, and a B.S. in Exercise Science from Elon University.

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Troy D. Banks

Director, Maintenance

troy.banks@railnola.com 504-896-7425
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Troy D. Banks

Director, Maintenance

troy.banks@railnola.com

Troy Banks, Director, Maintenance, identifies current and future maintenance, signalization, mechanical, and equipment requirements at the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad. He utilizes strong leadership skills, communication, and decision-making to communicate with and effectively motivate four (4) separate workforce departments.

These departments include Roadway, Bridge and Buildings, and Mechanical. He assures that all department projects are performed to the highest standard of quality. He also fully supports NOPB safety programs in pursuit of a “zero safety incident” objective.

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Ari Ferrand-Rodgers

Director of Organizational Development

ari.ferrand-rodgers@railnola.com 504-896-7458
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Ari Ferrand-Rodgers

Director of Organizational Development

ari.ferrand-rodgers@railnola.com

Ari Ferrand-Rodgers serves as the Director of Organizational Development at the Port of New Orleans and New Orleans Public Belt Railroad. Her primary responsibilities include improving diversity, equity, and inclusion, attracting new staff, and upskilling the current workforce, through training and development. She challenges traditional mindsets and strives to put in place initiatives aimed at retaining diverse talent.

Prior to joining NOPB Ari worked in the private sector where she addressed organizational issues and trained and guided team members on HR processes. Ari received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communications, with a concentration in Broadcast Journalism from Nicholls State University. She also earned a MBA with a concentration in Human Resources Management, from Capella University.

She holds a Human Resources certification through the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM-CP) and is a member of several professional organizations.

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Leroy Hensley

Superintendent, Transportation

leroy.hensley@railnola.com
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Leroy Hensley

Superintendent, Transportation

leroy.hensley@railnola.com

Leroy Hensley Jr., Superintendent of Transportation, began his career in railroading in April of 1997 with the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway (BNSF), in the Maintenance of Way Department. In 1998 he transferred to the Transportation Department at BNSF working as a Conductor. A few years later an opportunity came with the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad (NOPB) and he began a career with the organization. Hensley started his career with NOPB as a Conductor and was promoted to Trainmaster. He now serves as the Superintendent in the Transportation Department. His number one responsibility as Superintendent of New Orleans Public Belt Railroad is maintaining safety and efficiency. Ensuring transportation employees are working safe 100% of the time, building great relationships with customers to ensure operations remain fluid, and adequately handling as many railcars as possible are also key responsibilities.

Hensley also served in the United States Marine Corps and was honorably discharged in 1993.

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Carl Kocur

Vice President, Engineering

carl.kocur@railnola.com
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Carl Kocur

Vice President, Engineering

carl.kocur@railnola.com

Carl Kocur is the New Orleans Public Belt’s Vice President, Engineering. Kocur joined NOPB’s management team in November, 2014, coming from Palmetto Railways where he served as Director of Engineering and Maintenance. Kocur began his railroad career over 15 years ago as trackman and has also held the positions of equipment operator, regulator operator, tamper operator, track inspector and Roadmaster. He continued to expand his knowledge through several years spent working for a rail contractor building industry track in the Midwest. Prior to his career in the railroad industry, he worked as a safety instructor teaching OSHA courses. He holds a Bachelor's Degree from Butler University.

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Isaac McPherson

Director, Operation Planning

isaac.mcpherson@railnola.com 504-896-7447
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Isaac McPherson

Director, Operation Planning

isaac.mcpherson@railnola.com

Ike McPherson serves as New Orleans Public Belt’s Director of Operation Planning. McPherson began his rail career in 1998 as a switchman. He was then promoted to yardmaster, trainmaster, and Superintendent, a role he began in 2015. As Superintendent, McPherson manages operations and transportation needs for Downtown New Orleans as well as local customer business across the network. Prior to joining the New Orleans Public Belt, McPherson served as a Police Officer in Jefferson Parish.

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Claudia Simmons

Manager, Finance

claudia.simmons@railnola.com 504-896-7445
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Claudia Simmons

Manager, Finance

claudia.simmons@railnola.com

Claudia Simmons is the Manager of Accounting of the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad. She began her career at NOPB in 1993 after receiving her bachelor’s degree from the University of New Orleans. After working in various clerical positions, she accepted a position in management in June of 2013. Currently, she has over 20 years of experience in Accounting at NOPB.

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Jeffrey Thurston

Manager, Operating Practices

jeffrey.thurston@railnola.com
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Jeffrey Thurston

Manager, Operating Practices

jeffrey.thurston@railnola.com

Jeffrey Thurston, Manager of Operating Practices, is a United States Marine who served in the US and South America. He graduated from Auburn University with a Bachelor of Science in Logistics. His career in railroading began in 2007. He has worked as a Terminal Trainmaster and Division Trainmaster for BNSF in Birmingham, AL, and Avondale, La. He was recruited to bring his talents as a Trainmaster to the NOPB in 2015. In 2018, he was recruited by the Federal Railroad Administration to become an Operating Practices Inspector for Southern Louisiana. In March of 2022, he was once again recruited by the NOPB to return as the Manager of Operating Practices. In his current role at NOPB, Jeff is responsible for the safety and training of all employees. He also ensures the railroad is in compliance with all FRA reporting and operating regulations.