Operation Lifesaver names new state coordinators in Oregon, Pennsylvania and Texas
WASHINGTON, DC, January 23, 2018 — Operation Lifesaver, Inc. Interim President Wende Corcoran announced three new state program leaders for the nonprofit rail safety education organization. Steve Kreins now directs Oregon Operation Lifesaver (OR OL) as state coordinator, Brock Kerchner is the new Pennsylvania Operation Lifesaver (PA OL) state coordinator and Jessica Devorsky will start February 1 as state coordinator for Texas Operation Lifesaver (TX OL).
Kreins, who lives in Scappoose, succeeds retiring OR OL state coordinator Claudia Howells, who has led the program since 2005. A Union Pacific locomotive engineer with 13 years of experience and an instructor in the Rail Workers Hazardous Materials Training Program, Kreins has been involved with Operation Lifesaver for five years as an authorized volunteer and member of the board of directors. Kreins also serves as a Legislative Representative for Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) local division 236 and is a member of BLET’s Oregon State Legislative Board.
“Having first-hand experience in crossing incidents as an engineer, this program is extremely important to me. I look forward to advancing Operation Lifesaver’s goals of reducing fatalities and injuries in the state of Oregon,” Kreins said.
Kerchner, a senior account director for iHeart Radio and Mechanicsburg resident, also is co-host of an online sports program and audio-visual coordinator for the Mechanicsburg Area School District. He takes over the PA OL program from previous state coordinator Thomas Algatt, who was appointed in 2014. Algatt has left PA OL for another position but will remain on the organization’s board. Kerchner has been involved with Pennsylvania OL since 2014 as a volunteer, and has previous experience in the music business, as well as customer service and organization management.
“As rail transportation continues to grow in Pennsylvania, PA OL’s goal is to continue highway-rail crossing safety and trespass prevention through community outreach,” Kerchner stated.
Devorsky, a Waco resident, is an experienced community manager with skills in nonprofit organization management. She comes to Texas OL from The American Cancer Society in Waco, where she was a development manager responsible for event fundraising, volunteer training and retention. She previously worked with the City of Waco’s Homeless Management Information System and as a case manager for the Heart of Texas Homeless Coalition. She will succeed Dal Tingle as TX OL state coordinator when he retires February 1. Tingle previously served for 17 years as TX OL assistant state coordinator, working with his wife Sally, the former state coordinator.
Devorsky said, “I am excited to continue the great work of Texas OL, providing Texans crucial information to keep themselves safe near railroad tracks and crossings.”
Said OLI’s Corcoran, “We look forward to working with these three new state coordinators to advance Operation Lifesaver’s efforts in their states. We are also grateful to the previous state coordinators, Claudia Howells, Tom Algatt and Dal Tingle, for their important contributions to improving safety.”
Kreins can be reached at oregonlifesaver@gmail.com or 503-396-1978. Kerchner can be reached at coordinator@oliofpa.org or 717-745-8522. After February 1, Devorsky can be reached at jessica@devorsky.com or 254-723-4121.
About Operation Lifesaver - Operation Lifesaver is a nonprofit public safety education and awareness organization dedicated to reducing collisions, fatalities and injuries at highway-rail crossings and preventing trespassing on or near railroad tracks. A national network of trained volunteers provides free presentations on rail safety and a public awareness campaign, “See Tracks? Think Train!” equips the public with tips and statistics to encourage safe behavior near the tracks. Learn more at http://www.oli.org; follow OLI on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.
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