FOR RELEASE
Contact: Janie Sheng (202) 245-0221
04/15/2008 (Tuesday)
No. 08-10


FedRelay 1 (800) 877-8339
www.stb.gov



SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD ANNOUNCES A NEW OFFICE OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE, GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS, AND COMPLIANCE


Surface Transportation Board Chairman Charles D. Nottingham today announced that the Board's Office of Compliance and Consumer Assistance and Office of Governmental and Public Affairs have been merged to create a new office—the Office of Public Assistance, Governmental Affairs, and Compliance.


One of the main goals of the reorganization is to expand the Board's Rail Consumer Assistance program, which will now seek to reach a much broader audience. Instead of a Rail Consumer Assistance Program and a separate Public Assistance hotline, this new, merged program will address both operational and service issues among all Board stakeholders, as well as questions pertaining to Board procedures.


In addition to the expanded Rail Consumer Assistance program, the Office of Public Assistance, Governmental Affairs, and Compliance will house other external operations, including governmental affairs, communications, and compliance, as well as internal operations, such as rail operations analysis, tariffs, the Board's library, and mediation coordination.


The Director of the Office of Public Assistance, Governmental Affairs, and Compliance is Matthew Wallen. Mel Clemens has assumed the new position of Senior Advisor to the Board.


Contact information:


Director Matthew Wallen: (202) 245-0238

Deputy Director for Operations and Records, Larry Herzig: (202) 245-0278

Deputy Director for External Affairs, Lucy Marvin: (202) 245-0238

Rail Consumer Assistance program: (202) 245-0238, or toll-free (866) 254-1792
(Tom Brugman, Section Chief)

Mediation Coordinator and Records Officer, Nancy Beiter: (202) 245-0235

Communications Director, Dennis Watson: (202) 245-0238


The Surface Transportation Board is located at 395 E Street, SW in Washington, DC 20423-0001.


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