Hanna is relatively new to railroading and rail preservation. Seeking to revive a childhood interest in trains and take much needed breaks from her PhD work, she began volunteering at a non-profit railroad preservation organization in 2019. Quickly, this work became a passion fostered by the numerous mentors who stopped to teach the art of needle scaling, angle grinding, welding, hot riveting, and machining. Based on this mentoring, Hanna has become a passionate member of the rail preservation community, working to advocate for under represented groups in the field.

Outside of railroading, Hanna received her PhD at the University of Maine examining the history of volcanic and anthropogenic aerosol impacts in the Arctic using Alaskan ice cores. From these cores, she collected a new lead (Pb) concentration and isotope record spanning from 340 to 2022 CE. This record allowed her to trace changes in pollution sources through time as they arrive in Alaska, effectively tracing the changing human impact on the environment in this location. She also works as the scanning electron microscope lab technician at Amherst College department of geology.

Leah co-owns The Station Inn Bed & Breakfast in Cresson, PA with her husband J. Alex Lang. Leah’s passion lies in connecting people and “making the invisible visible.” Her love for The Station Inn is centered around the inn’s unique ability to bring people together and the vast rail-centered community it has generated over the past 30 years. In her professional life, Leah leads Partnerships & Corporate Engagement for EDUCAUSE, a non-profit association for higher education technology professionals. Supporting the rail industry’s professional pipeline through connection and education with NGR is a perfect alignment of Leah’s “super powers” and passions.

Rudy is an accomplished railroad historian, researcher, author, and publisher. As a 2012 honors graduate of Moravian College's history program, Garbely also studied historical methods and preservation at the National Museum of Industrial History and the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania as part of his formal education. He spent the first six years of his professional career working in the railroad industry, gaining valuable insight and experience while holding mechanical, operating, and marketing positions.

Garbely founded The Garbely Publishing Company in 2012. He has since written over a dozen critically acclaimed books on railroad history and has published over 40 additional railroad books for other authors. Garbely’s company serves as the marketing and website contractor for over 30 railroad preservation organizations throughout the northeast.

Outside of his contracted services, Garbely and his wife, Carolyn Hoffman, are extremely involved as volunteers for several non-profit railroad organizations near their home in Dingmans Ferry, Pennsylvania and in the surrounding region. Besides his work with NGR, Garbely currently serves as president of TOYX, treasurer of the Delaware & Hudson Railway Historical Society, and senior advisor for The Conrail Historical Society.

Glenn’s passion for trains and railroading have brought him in many directions. Glenn is perhaps most known for his work in prototype Lego train modeling, having been seriously involved in the hobby for over 17 years. Within Lego trains, Glenn has been involved in multiple community movements including websites, online communities, and awards programs, and several personal endeavours including producing instructions and kits for his original designs. The problem solving skill set developed from the hobby led Glenn to graduate York College of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering. He has thoroughly enjoyed working in the rail industry ever since.

Glenn joined the rail preservation scene in 2020, volunteering with the Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum assisting with public tours. He began delivering his own original tour program in 2021, hiring on part-time at the beginning of the 2022 season, and continuing to guide tours and assist with events as much as possible. Glenn joined the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society in 2023 and has assisted with restoration work, served as a car host, and most recently as Passenger Services Manager (PSM) on excursions behind Nickel Plate Road 765. 

“I’m excited to serve NGR and its mission. Bringing the perspective from the modern rail industry as a day job is valuable, as I think I can show younger interested individuals that ‘trains’ can be a full time job that doesn’t strictly involve turning wrenches or brake wheels all day.”

Glenn has been a board member of NGR since Spring 2025 and serves as the secretary for 2026.

Bio coming soon!

Brent’s passion for the railroad industry has been a constant throughout his life, fostered by parents who supported his early fascination with trains. His earliest memories include trips to North Canaan, Connecticut, riding the Housatonic Railroad’s tourist trains, browsing the shelves of Berkshire Hills Hobby Supply, and dining in the town’s iconic 1872 railroad station. At age thirteen, he began volunteering at the Railroad Museum of New England in Thomaston, Connecticut, where he went on to serve in a range of operational and leadership roles, including conductor, trainmaster, rules examiner, trustee, and president.

In 2007, Brent began his professional career as a secondary-level social studies teacher. During this time, he spent his summers working as a conductor and engineer at the Valley Railroad in Essex, Connecticut, further deepening his practical railroad experience. In 2016, Brent met his wife, Ally, and later moved to Pittsfield, Massachusetts, purchasing a home alongside the same railroad that had inspired him as a child. He soon became involved with the Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum, where he currently serves as Manager of Special Projects and as a member of the Board of Directors.

While teaching was deeply rewarding, the nightly rumble of freight trains past his home inspired Brent to turn his lifelong passion for railroads into a full-time career. Hired by the Housatonic Railroad Company as a dispatcher, he gained hands-on experience in short-line operations and a deeper understanding of workforce recruitment and retention challenges. Seeking to contribute at the policy level, Brent later joined the Connecticut Department of Transportation’s Office of Rail, a position he continues to hold today.

Reflecting on his broader engagement with the industry, Brent notes, “NGR’s mission speaks directly to the future of the rail industry. As a railroader, preservationist, and educator, I believe the organization is uniquely positioned to develop talent, share knowledge, and ensure the industry’s continued strength.”

Brent holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Bates College, a Master of Arts in American Studies - Museum Studies from Trinity College, and a Master of Arts in School Development and Leadership from Harvard University.

Bio coming soon!