People on the Move: CCW, Forest River Inc., STV, RailPros

Complete Coach Works (CCW) has promoted James Carson to western regional sales manager for the company.

“This is a natural progression for James since he started his career at CCW in 2014 and has been involved in learning multiple facets of the business," said Michael Dominici, CCW’s chief financial officer. “James is well versed in both market and customer dynamics, as well as the internal technical workings of the company. We are confident that James will continue to grow professionally and be a positive contributor to the company under Pat’s leadership.”

“I am honored and excited to embark on a new journey being a part of CCW’s sales team. I look forward to pursuing and building upon the relationships with our existing customers, as well as building new relationships with leaders across the bus industry,” Carson said.  

Forest River, Inc. named Philip Podgorny as its new vice president of sales and business development for Forest River Commercial. With more than 30 years of experience in the automotive sector,  Podgorny joins the company with a decorated tenure at Ford Motor Company, where he most recently served as general manager for Ford Pro, Commercial and Government Sales, North America.

As vice president of sales and business development, Podgorny will play a pivotal role in driving the company’s growth and expanding its reach into new markets.

“We are thrilled to welcome Philip Podgorny to the Forest River family,” said President of Forest River Commercial David Wright. “Philip’s track record of success at Ford Motor Company speaks volumes about his leadership and strategic abilities. His deep understanding of the industry and his commitment to delivering exceptional products and services align perfectly with our vision for the future.”

Podgorny will focus on enhancing the company’s sales strategies, driving business development efforts and fostering innovation within the organization.

“I am honored to join the Forest River Commercial’s leadership team and excited about the incredible opportunities that lie ahead,” Podgorny said. “Forest River’s commitment to quality and customer satisfaction is unmatched and I look forward to contributing to its continued success and growth.”

Angel Peña and Matthew Lunemann, P.E., PMP, ENV SP have joined the STV firm team.

Peña will serve as vice president, rail and transit leader, for the firm’s transportation Texas/mountain region operating group. In the role, Peña will focus on overseeing client relationships and leading STV’s transportation expansion in the Lone Star State – from client services and financial performance to project oversight.

"Angel will be a transformational leader in our effort to meet the ever-changing needs of central Texas communities and beyond.” said J.J. Roohms, president of transportation Texas/mountain region at STV. “Angel is the ideal match for STV, with a proven track record of statewide and national successes strengthened by his unparalleled passion for advocating for more inclusive, authentic, solutions-oriented approaches in transit.”

Prior to STV, Peña dedicated more than 15 years to developing business strategy at the national, regional and local levels with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and District Department of Transportation. Most recently, he served in a multimodal transportation agency and performed system oversight for a transit system with one of the largest riderships in the country.

Peña is an active member of American Public Transportation Association (APTA).

Lunemann has joined the firm as vice president and engineering director in its tunneling and geotechnical group. In the role, Lunemann will oversee the group’s geotechnical initiatives in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, with a focus on civil infrastructure and renewable energy projects. 
 
“Matt is a seasoned veteran and a fantastic addition to our growing geotechnical engineering team,” said Frank Pepe, P.E., senior vice president and national director of tunneling and geotechnical group at STV. “From geotechnical engineering to coastal restoration and shoreline stabilization, embankment and dam design, as well as foundation engineering, Matt is a nationally recognized thought leader and has already successfully executed projects on behalf of some of our key clients in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.” 
 

Prior to joining STV, Lunemann was a geotechnical leader for a major engineering firm supporting projects in the roadways and bridges, tunnels, rail and transit, ports and marine, dams and utilities arenas. In New Jersey, he has supported key programs such as the South Jersey Transportation Authority’s Atlantic City Expressway Connector Tunnel; the Pulaski Skyway Rehabilitation in Newark, N.J. and the Ocean Wind 2 onshore substation evaluation and geotechnical investigation in Monmouth County, N.J. In Pennsylvania, he was task leader for the PAthways Tolling Structures and P3 Procurement Management across multiple Pennsylvania counties.  

RailPros has promoted Erika Bruhnke to chief sales and growth officer. Bruhnke is coming into a new position for RailPros, which will provide services to railroad and railroad-related businesses across North America. In the role, Bruhnke will be responsible for developing and executing strategies to drive revenue growth and expand RailPros’ market presence. She will oversee sales teams, business development efforts and customer acquisition, aiming to achieve revenue targets and ensure sustained business growth. 

“Erika’s leadership of RailPros’ Training Service business unit has been remarkable. She has developed the RailPros training division into a strong team of professionals, growing the business and favorably impacting safety across North America” said Kendall Koff, CEO, Railpros. “RailPros actively seeks leaders like Erika, who in their day-to-day stewardship of our business, exercise their skill in honoring our people-centric and service excellence commitments. I look forward to seeing her leverage these skills in this new role for RailPros.”

Bruhnke joined RailPros in 2018 as the vice president of training services, after working in progressively expanding roles for BNSF Railway for a decade. 

Bruhnke previously led the training and media services division of RailPros by focusing on fostering relationships with new clients, growing the training and media teams’ industry presence and expanding our first-class service offerings. She is also active in numerous industry organizations, sitting on the Board of Directors for the NRC, chairing the supplier committee for the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) and an active member of Committee 24 with American Railway Engineering and Maintenance of Way Association. She is also a past board member for the League of Railway Women.

“I am excited for this next step and am eager to represent the amazing and talented people of team RailPros,” Bruhnke said. “From this new perspective, I look forward to strengthening client relationships and will continue to advocate for the RailPros brand across the industry.”