Propel Conference 2025, October 6 2025, Convene Chicago, IL

A Leadership Summit for High-Potential Rail Professionals

A Event

Returning to Chicago
Monday, October 6, 2025

Convene, 311 W Monroe St, Chicago, IL

Following the success of the 2024 Propel Leadership Summit, the excitement for the 2025 event is already building as we reflect on a transformative day for high-potential rail professionals. Attendees gained valuable insights, built lasting relationships, and deepened their leadership skills through engaging sessions and discussions.

With this year's event on the horizon, we are eager to continue empowering the rail industry's future leaders with even more opportunities for learning, growth, and connection at the 2025 Propel Summit in downtown Chicago this fall.

Reserve Your Spot »

Hear from Pat Foran, Editor-In-Chief of Progressive Railroading magazine, about last year's event.

Pat Foran
Editor-in-Chief
Progressive Railroading Magazine

From the Editor - Propel: An Interactive Summit of the Finest Kind

On Oct. 7, Progressive Railroading presented Propel, a one-day leadership summit designed for high-potential rail professionals, at Convene in Chicago's loop.
We want [Propel] to be for emerging leaders - people who might have already been identified through their own enterprise, their own organization, as high-potential contributors to their organizations, as Wendy Dietzler, senior director of events and education for Trade Press Media Group and Progressive Railroading, told my colleague Bridget Dean last month in a LinkedIn post. But, also people on their own who are very, very driven to advance their careers in rail.

Hear from Bridget Dean, Associate Editor of Progressive Railroading magazine, for a look back and a glimpse into what's next.

Bridget Dean
Associate Editor
Progressive Railroading Magazine

Between the skill-building workshops, attendees participated in roundtable discussions on career development and enjoyed a fireside chat moderated by Progressive Railroading Editor-in-Chief Pat Foran with two of our Rising Stars, James Carey, assistant VP of external relations at Union Pacific Railroad, and Jacob Elium VP of network planning and operations at Norfolk Southern Corp.
We'd love to have this year's (attendees) come back, she [Dietzler] says. We're going to have different content, (but) we'll have the same goals of growing your skillset to further contribute to your organization and evolve into a leadership role.

Top Reasons for Attending Propel 2024:

Networking and Workshops/Skill Sessions

The small size of the event allowed for meaningful networking and great discussions.
- Propel 2024 Attendee

I found the building strong teams and enterprise mindset modules to be extremely helpful and relevant to my work. It has me evaluating my own performance around how I set expectations for my direct reports.
- Tiya Cunningham-Sumter, Acting Director of Learning and Support at Chicago Transit Authority

The presentation and activities on expectations and trust were a great illustration of the importance of both.
- Propel 2024 Attendee

100% of Survey Respondents in the 2024 Attendee Survey Would Recommend Propel to their Colleagues

It is important to hear other perspectives from outside your organization. It helps form expectations and standards for our individual career challenges and progress.
- Gene Barber, Commercial Finance & Marketing Manager at R. J. Corman Railroad Group

I appreciated the training and group sized. The group was also very interesting with a variety of backgrounds.
- Propel 2024 Attendee

They [my colleagues] would benefit from the skill building sessions and insights of other Rail leadership.
- Shequira Hall, Senior Fleet Management Specialist at GATX Corporation

100% of Survey Respondents in the 2024 Attendee Survey Expressed Interest in a Future Propel Event

I really like the way the program was organized. The class participation component was very interactive. I was very engaged.
- Terry Wilkerson, Acting Director 0f Transit Instruction at Chicago Transit Authority

I believe that connecting with industry peers outside one's own company is crucial for personal and professional growth in the rail industry. Events like this are valuable because they provide a platform for fostering those essential connections. Therefore, I will always make an effort to support an event like this.
- Falyn Coleman-Wright, VP of Business Development- Rail at API (Accommodations Plus International)

I left Propel really motivated and inspired to expand my leadership strengths. There were practical tools I see myself implementing Immediately.
- Tiya Cunningham-Sumter, Acting Director of Learning and Support at Chicago Transit Authority

Matt Meuleners

Executive Partner and Leadership Trainer
FOCUS Training

With over 24 years of experience as a speaker, trainer, and Talent Development professional, Matt Meuleners is an expert in leadership development who specializes in: program design and delivery, L&D consulting, training audits, and leader coaching.

Matt holds an MBA from the University of Wisconsin: Milwaukee and a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin: Madison. He taught Training & Development at Marquette University as an adjunct professor and is a Past President of the SEWI chapter of the Association of Talent Development.

An Executive Partner with FOCUS Training, Matt leads the professional development market team and serves as Lead Instructor for the Accelerate and Elevate Institutes where he trains and coaches managers and high-potential talent from the nations top companies.