The National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) has awarded its 2020 Field Employee of the Year to Herzog Vice President of Field Operations Mickey Tomlin. Mickey has 41 years of railroad experience and has been a key player on Herzog’s signals and communications team for the last nine years.
Mickey began his career as a crewman on the BNSF Railroad in 1979. As the industry progressed from relay logic to programmable logic controllers and now to Positive Train Control (PTC), Mickey has adapted to the changing technology by utilizing his hands-on experience. With Mickey’s leadership, Herzog became the first non-railroad entity with a connection to the Federated Network for PTC Hosting, and the first non-railroad to obtain Federation of the PTC messaging system. Today, Mickey provides executive oversight and support functions for Herzog’s national construction, signal maintenance, and capital construction projects that include TEXRail, SunRail Phase 2, SANDAG CMGC 1, Brightline Phase 2 Expansion, and Silver Line.
“Mickey understands his success was paved by those before him,” noted Herzog Senior Vice President of Central/East Regions Scott Norman. “His goal every day is to help the next group succeed, which benefits those individuals as well as our entire industry. He has a genuine love for railroading, which has prompted him to focus on bettering and mentoring those around him.”
With a consistent drive and commitment to safety, quality, dependability, and integrity, Mickey’s reputation always precedes him. Those that have worked with, or for, Mickey revere his knowledge and understanding of the railroad industry. Joe Stephens, a 2020 Progressive Railroad Rising Star honoree, credits Mickey with the success of his career to date. “Much of what I have learned about negotiations, railroad construction, phasing of work, managing of personnel, estimating work, etc., I learned from Mickey,” explained Stephens.