Michael J. Rush currently serves as senior vice president – safety and
operations for the Association of American Railroads (AAR), the world’s
leading railroad policy, research and standard setting organization for the
freight and passenger railroads of the United States, Canada and Mexico.

In this position, Rush serves as the industry’s liaison with regulatory bodies
including the U.S. Department of Transportation, Environmental Protection
Agency, and Department of Homeland Security. Among other
responsibilities, Rush oversees the rail industry’s interchange standards,
homeland security plan, and environmental protection and safety programs.

Rush has 37 years of experience at AAR. Prior to his current position, Rush
served as associate general counsel. In this role, Rush counseled AAR and
its member railroads on environment and safety issues and other corporate
matters of concern. An expert in regulatory law, Rush represented AAR in
various regulatory agency and legislative activities, testifying at hearings and
drafting comments, briefs, and Congressional testimony.