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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.