Four elevated to Transportation Division office

Following the retirement of former SMART Transportation Division President Mike Futhey and former Transportation Division Board of Appeals member Don Seyer, four members have been elevated to new International office positions.
Following a meeting of the Transportation Division Board of Directors earlier this month, Alternate Vice President Doyle Turner has been elevated to the office of vice president; Alternate to the Executive Board Chad Adams has been elevated to the office of alternate vice president; CSX GO 851 General Chairperson John D. Whitaker III has been elevated to the office of alternate to the executive board, and North Dakota State Legislative Board Secretary Tessa Burkle has been elevated to the board of appeals.

While serving as Transportation Division assistant president, John Previsich also held one of the vice president positions of the Transportation Division. When he was elevated to Transportation Division president following Futhey’s retirement, the vacancy in that vice president position was filled by Doyle Turner.
A member of Local 1962 in Toledo, Ohio, Turner became interested in union affairs and was elected local chairperson in 1992. He was elected local delegate to the UTU International convention held in 2003. He was elected general chairperson of CSXT Railway General Committee GO 347 in 1996 and continues to serve in that position. He also served as alternate vice president from 2003 to 2007.

Turner was elevated to the position of second alternate vice president – East, in October 2009 and re-elected alternate vice president in 2011. As a Transportation Division vice president, Turner also was appointed to the Transportation Division Board of Directors.
Adams was appointed alternate to the executive board by the board of directors in 2o12. A member of Local 331 at Temple, Texas, he also serves as BNSF GO 393 general chairperson and local delegate.
A member of Local 1106 at Rocky Mount, N.C., Whitaker has served as general chairperson of GO 851 since Jan. 1, 2011.

Burkle is a member of Local 1137 at Fargo, N.D. She had previously served as North Dakota state legislative director and local chairperson and remains Local 1137’s legislative rep. and delegate.
“I look forward to working with each of our new officers and thank them for their commitment to serving their fellow brothers and sisters of SMART. I am sure will all be assets to this administration,” Previsich said.