About
Stu Nicholson
Stu Nicholson
Stu joined the Rail Passengers Association Board of Directors in 2024. He also serves as Communications Director for the Lakeshore Rail Alliance and is the former Executive Director of All Aboard Ohio.
A self-described “recovering journalist”, Stu previously spent a 22-year career in television news as an award-winning reporter.
Stu also has 15 years of experience in public relations and media relations as:
- Public Information Director (PIO) and Communications Director for the Central Ohio Transit Authority
- Public Info Officer for the Ohio Rail Development Commission
- Represented Ohio Governors Taft and Strickland on the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission
Favorite Original Quote: “Mobility is the essence of our freedom. To the extent we are made less mobile, we are less free. This best captures why I advocate for more and better passenger rail.”
"It is an honor to be recognized by the Rail Passengers Association for my efforts to strengthen and expand America’s passenger rail. Golden spikes were once used by railroads to mark the completion of important rail projects, so I am truly grateful to receive the Golden Spike Award as a way to mark the end of a career that I’ve spent fighting to invest in our country’s rail system. As Chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, it has been my priority to bolster funding for Amtrak, increase and expand routes, look to the future by supporting high-speed projects, and improve safety, culminating in $66 billion in new funding in the Bipartisan infrastructure Law."
Representative Peter DeFazio (OR-04)
March 30, 2022, on receiving the Association's Golden Spike Award for his years of dedication and commitment to passenger rail.