I've been very unimpressed with the last 8 years or so of "drift" at Amtrak, with no sign of any effective strategic vision, and not much sign of any skillset able to create or implement one.

I've even met with Joe Boardman privately, and heard him speak on numerous occasions. And unfortunately, I always came away from these encounters shaking my head at his lack of strategic vision, lack of political understanding, weak support for the successful State corridors, and his often convoluted thinking on what Amtrak's "priorities" should be.

Seeming to bumble from crisis to crisis is not an effective "management" strategy. Although that would appear to be the management track record at Amtrak, of late. So after 8 years of "drift" there is certainly plenty a lot of room for this "new improved" leadership at Amtrak, to do a better job.....

It was the best of times.... It was the worst of times.......