Most of you know that I work in the rail industry as a Quality Assurance Engineer. I've been in the industry for about 12 years now, starting off my first five years as a QC Inspector at a Baltimore based supplier;
RailPlan. From RailPlan I went to a major car builder;
Kawasaki Rail Car. I worked as a QA Engineer for four years at Kawasaki, on various railcar projects with NYCT, PATH & WMATA. In 2012 I left Kawasaki and took a job with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (
WMATA) as a QA Engineer. With each leap in my career came more responsibility, better pay and a resultant increase in my knowledge base for rail cars, components and quality management systems. This career path has been good for me. I have a genuine interest in trains (instilled in me by my father’s Lionel trains he would set up at Christmas time) and a detail oriented mindset, essential for anyone working in the quality field.
Yesterday marked my last day of employment with WMATA. Monday I will be starting my new job at
Knorr Brake Corporation as the
Manager of Supplier Quality. I will truly miss the people that I have worked with in the Authority but I am confident that I will be successful and happier in this new venture. I was given a great send-off the other night at a restaurant. The Superintendent of Car Maintenance had a plaque made for me. After he spoke very kindly of me he gave me the plaque, saying that the plaques were typically retirement gifts and that a plaque had never been given for anyone working at the Authority for such a short amount of time (less than two years!). I was honored that I had made such an impression. The plaque will be hung in my new office at Knorr. I think it's fantastic, one of the coolest things I've ever received. The machinists that work in my yard machined the wheel out of aluminum and ran a program to inscribe my dates of service and their gratitude. I really love it!
Above: (Left to right) Hakim & Steve and Mike D and myself.
I will miss the friends I have made and worked with at WMATA. My manager, Steve is one of the best men I have ever worked under. As an assistant scoutmaster, he and I had several Boy Scout stories to tell. He like myself, made the trip out to
Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico and hiked over the Tooth of Time. I respect him for his work ethic, moral character, guidance and genuine personality. There is a bond here that will always be. I’ll miss Steve, but we’ll keep in touch.
Knorr is a very large supplier in the rail industry, manufacturing brake systems, door systems, HVAC systems and inverters. I will be responsible for controlling their suppliers through auditing and other best practices. I am really anxious to make a name for myself at Knorr.
