Leadership
2020 Association Leadership
The Association is guided by its elected Officers and State-Wide Regional Coordinators. All serve in a volunteer, non-compensated capacity. In fall of 2020 ESPA’s Officers approved a proposal to establish a part-time Executive Director post for the organization and doing so retained the services of retired public transportation professional and long-time ESPA member, Steve Strauss, to fill that role.
Officers
Gary Prophet | Ossining, NY | President |
Benjamin Turon | Ballston Spa, NY | Vice President, Social Media Coordinator |
Andrew Cabal | Syracuse, NY | Treasurer, Rail Passengers State Representative |
Chris Nabelbach | Kew Gardens, NY | Secretary, Rail Passengers State Representative |
Richard Kulla | Pawling, NY | Financial Secretary, Rail Passengers State Representative |
Anthony Rudmann | Colonie, NY | Director of Legislative Affairs |
Bruce Becker | East Amherst, NY | Immediate Past President |
Executive Director
Steve Strauss | Queens, NY | Part-Time ESPA Executive Director |
Regional Coordinators
Donald Nimphius | Miller Place, NY | Suffolk Coordinator |
John Raha | Bethpage, NY | Nassua Coordinator |
Orrin Getz | New City, NY | Rockland Coordinator |
Steve Strauss | Kew Gardens, NY | New York City Coordinator (Intercity Rail), Rail Passengers State Representative |
Roy Davis | Dunkirk, NY | Chautauqua Coordinator |
David Skoney | Cheektowaga, NY | Buffalo Coordinator |
Gary Gianotti | Utica, NY | Utica Coordinator |
Stanley Kozaczka | Cazenovia, NY | Central New York Coordinator, Rail Passengers State Representative |
Rob Piecuch | Horseheads, NY | Southern Tier Coordinator |
Ben Gottfried | Richfield Springs, NY | Susquehanna Region Coordinator |
George Haikalis | New York, NY | Manhattan Coordinator (Transit and Commuter Rail) |
Kent Patterson | Yorktown Heights, NY | Westchester Coordinator, Rail Passengers State Representative |
Michael McNulty | Saranac Lake, NY | North Country Coordinator |
Jeff Oswald | Halfmoon, NY | Bicycle Coordinator |
Others
Carl Grimm | Croton, NY | Rail Passengers State Representative |
Alexander Ivanoff | Ithaca, NY | Rail Passengers State Representative |
Tom Martinelli | Wappenger Falls, NY | Rail Passengers State Representative |
ESPA Executive Director Steve Strauss
In fall of 2020 ESPA’s Officers approved a proposal to establish a part-time Executive Director post for the organization and have retained the services of retired public transportation professional and long-time ESPA member, Steve Strauss, to fill that role. In creating the Executive Director post ESPA President Gary Prophet said, “This is another step that our organization has taken in 2020 along with the re-launched website, on-line dues and donation portal and updated newsletter, to build ESPA’s capabilities and advance rail advocacy in the State.”
Strauss has a 35+ year career in public transportation and intercity passenger rail work. In 2019 he moved back to NYC after retiring from his position as Deputy Associate Director of the Transit Delivery Division of the District Department of Transportation (DDOT). In this position he managed the District’s annual capital and operating contributions to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority, oversaw contracts for the operation of the DC Circulator bus system and was responsible for the District’s School Transit subsidy program. During his time at DDOT Steve managed the expansion of the DC Circulator transit system from five routes and 49 buses to six routes and 63 buses with procurement assistance from WMATA.
Steve also served as the District’s primary specialist on High Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail (HSIPR) activities. Most of DDOT’s Intercity Passenger Rail focus centered on maintaining Union Station as a high quality intermodal transportation center and adding trans-Potomac rail capacity for Amtrak and VRE passenger trains. In 2009 Steve wrote two successful HSIPR grant applications for a total of $7.0 million, more than the entire state of Texas received from this program.
Earlier in his career Steve worked for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority for ten years in a variety of increasingly more responsible positions in the budget and planning departments. He was also an Assistant Director of Government and Community Relations at New York City Transit, an operating subsidiary of the MTA, for nine years. In 2002 Steve ran for an open seat in the New York State Assembly and from 2006 to 2008 Steve was the transportation policy advisor to New York City Comptroller William Thompson.