Leadership

The leaders of Railroad Chaplains have all had railroad experiences that help qualify them to give oversight and guidance to this unique transportation support organization. These railroad men have recruited, trained, and assigned nearly 100 of the finest chaplains who were selected from 2,500 Marketplace chaplains to serve in this special assignment with railroads. The Railroad Chaplains form the lifeline of compassion, care and love for families who suffer grief and loss from a railroad train incident. These chaplains, at the request of the involved railroad, go to families to express the genuine sympathy and condolences of the railroad officials, and train crew members. They often plan and perform funerals at the request of the family. They offer help in every practical way possible.

GIL A. STRICKLIN, Chairman, CEO, and Senior RRC Chaplain

Stricklin is one of only a few RRC leaders and Chaplains who has had “hands on” work experience in railroading. This railroad veteran started at a very early age, as he was born into a railroad family with his father working fifty years for The Katy—Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad Company, headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Young Stricklin worked a variety of jobs for the Katy: serving on a Signal Gang, as a Mail Handler, and a Car Shop Laborer. He spent eight summers helping build box cars, stringing copper wire to control signals, and then making sure Christmas mail was delivered on time. While in graduate school in Fort Worth, Texas, he hired on with the Burlington, Rock Island and Chicago Railroad as a brakeman. This train crew member ran both north and south out of a city known as “Cow Town.” This railroad chaplain leader knows railroading and the joys and dangers in this transportation enterprise. It was his idea to offer chaplains to railroads as a humanitarian support service to families suffering from a train encounter. Today, nearly 100 specially trained railroad chaplains stand ready 24/7/365 to offer care, and compassion to those suffering sorrow and loss.

JOE MAYDEN. Executive Vice President and General Manager of RRC

As an 11 year old boy, when his parents took him and his older brother on a Pullman sleeper car from Kansas City to Los Angeles on “the Santa Fe Super Chief,” he has been a roaring railroad fan. Today he is heavily involved with two major Class 1 railroads throughout most of the USA. BNSF and Canadian Pacific (USA Operations) are the recipients of his administrative and compassionate skills of caring. As the General Manager of RRC, Mayden is responsible for the entire operation of this unique service for hurting people to include: third parties, railroad employees and families. He is the training coordinator for the all the chaplains’ staff, both for new chaplains as well as continuing education for the experienced staff. Since RRC began in November 2006, he has made more than 400 individual assignments of chaplains to go to homes and hospitals of families suffering sorrow and loss. It takes a “special individual” who has a “big heart of sympathy” to lead a Team of individual chaplains who are reaching out to give hope to hurting hearts weekly, and often daily. “To Be There For Others” is the theme of RRC, and one chaplains practice both day and night; and it is Mayden who leads them. Joe is married and has two grown children and five grandchildren.