Management Team
B. Allen Brown
Chairman, President & CEO, Railmark Holdings & Subsidiaries
B. Allen Brown
Chairman, President & CEO, Railmark Holdings & Subsidiaries
Mr. Brown is the founder of Railmark Holdings Inc. and serves as its visionary, developer, and President & CEO. He is a rail industry veteran and expert in railroad development in the United States and around the world. He has hands-on experience in every aspect of planning, building, developing, and maintaining a railroad network. During Mr. Brown's extensive railroad career, he has been personally involved in or led over 60 railroad acquisitions and divestitures and has had direct experience rejuvenating dozens of rail-oriented companies, developing a reputation as a railroad turnaround expert.
Mr. Brown's railroad career began shortly after the 1981 Staggers Act, which deregulated the US railroad industry. His international railroad experience began in Europe in the late 1990's, expanding to over 40 countries today. In 2007 Mr. Brown and Railmark entered the African market, performing a comprehensive rail development plan and economic analysis for the late President Mill's administration in Ghana. Over the next eleven years Mr. Brown and Railmark would perform rail development and detailed economic analyses for 15 additional governments on the African continent. Internally, Railmark has prepared similar rail economic information for practically all of Africa's 56 countries raising its level of proficiency with the plan to address an overall railroad network on the continent of Africa. Prior to Railmark, Mr. Brown served in various rail industry senior management positions, railroad company officer positions, and on the board of directors of a publicly-held railroad company and several privately-held rail and rail-related companies.
Mr. Brown maintains an extensive working relationship with domestic and international railroad leaders, industry professionals, railroads, and railroad service companies of all sizes. Throughout Railmark's 25+ year history he has invested in new railroad industry technologies and environmentally safe rail products, delivering many to the marketplace.
Mr. Brown holds a Master of Business Administration, concentration in Finance & Economics from the University of Evansville (Evansville, Indiana USA) and a Bachelor of Business Administration-Finance from the University of Kentucky (Lexington, Kentucky USA).
Mr. Brown's railroad career began shortly after the 1981 Staggers Act, which deregulated the US railroad industry. His international railroad experience began in Europe in the late 1990's, expanding to over 40 countries today. In 2007 Mr. Brown and Railmark entered the African market, performing a comprehensive rail development plan and economic analysis for the late President Mill's administration in Ghana. Over the next eleven years Mr. Brown and Railmark would perform rail development and detailed economic analyses for 15 additional governments on the African continent. Internally, Railmark has prepared similar rail economic information for practically all of Africa's 56 countries raising its level of proficiency with the plan to address an overall railroad network on the continent of Africa. Prior to Railmark, Mr. Brown served in various rail industry senior management positions, railroad company officer positions, and on the board of directors of a publicly-held railroad company and several privately-held rail and rail-related companies.
Mr. Brown maintains an extensive working relationship with domestic and international railroad leaders, industry professionals, railroads, and railroad service companies of all sizes. Throughout Railmark's 25+ year history he has invested in new railroad industry technologies and environmentally safe rail products, delivering many to the marketplace.
Mr. Brown holds a Master of Business Administration, concentration in Finance & Economics from the University of Evansville (Evansville, Indiana USA) and a Bachelor of Business Administration-Finance from the University of Kentucky (Lexington, Kentucky USA).
- Phone:(309) 370-5160
- Email:abrown@railmark.com
Thomas Agbor
Chief Financial Officer, Railmark Holdings & Subsidiaries
Thomas Agbor
Chief Financial Officer, Railmark Holdings & Subsidiaries
Mr. Agbor is the Chief Financial Officer of Railmark Holdings, Inc., and has been a Director of the Company since 2017. He has been actively involved in the negotiations and acquisitions of various projects in the entire Africa Region for Railmark through effective collaboration with his enormous Network of African Government & Private Sector institutions, Institutional Investment entities, Local Community and Religious Leaders.
Mr. Agbor is also President and Founder of Exodus Development Company Limited and Absolute Renewable Energy Group. He is Leading Partner in a Consortium of over 65 established and experienced Asian, European, and USA Architectural, Engineering, Construction, Development, and Investment companies. A profound visionary International Banker, Financier, Commodities Trader, and Investor in several businesses in the United States, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean.
Mr. Agbor has over 30 years of international banking experience in the financing of Large Corporate and Small/Minority Businesses globally and has travelled extensively worldwide participating in business negotiations. He was Manager and Officer of Corporate and Institutional Banking Division of Standard Chartered Bank, Cameroon and at Standard Charter’s London headquarters, and was recognized with the prestigious African Champion Award. Continued his banking career in the U.S. as Manager at Wells Fargo Bank, earning multiple accolades and awards.
Mr. Agbor holds a Bachelor’s Degree (Cum Laude) in Accounting and pursued an MBA Fellows in Finance from Johns Hopkins University - Carey Business School Baltimore, Maryland USA.
Mr. Agbor has over 30 years of international banking experience in the financing of Large Corporate and Small/Minority Businesses globally and has travelled extensively worldwide participating in business negotiations. He was Manager and Officer of Corporate and Institutional Banking Division of Standard Chartered Bank, Cameroon and at Standard Charter’s London headquarters, and was recognized with the prestigious African Champion Award. Continued his banking career in the U.S. as Manager at Wells Fargo Bank, earning multiple accolades and awards.
Mr. Agbor holds a Bachelor’s Degree (Cum Laude) in Accounting and pursued an MBA Fellows in Finance from Johns Hopkins University - Carey Business School Baltimore, Maryland USA.
- Phone:(270) 832-4046
- Email:tagbor@railmark.com
Jarrod Cavanaugh
Director of Rail Services
Jarrod Cavanaugh
Director of Rail Services
Mr. Cavanaugh serves as Railmark’s Director of Rail Services, having joined the Company in 2017, serving in various mechanical and rail operations management positions. In his capacity, Mr. Cavanaugh is responsible for Railmark’s shortline railroads, industrial switching division, mechanical services, and the Company’s repair shop network.
Mr. Cavanaugh is a 21+ year railroad industry veteran who began his career with CSX (12 years), eventually becoming Senior Manager for several CSX Mechanical Department locations. After departing CSX, Mr. Cavanaugh worked for industry-leading railroad contractors before finally joining Railmark in 2017. Throughout his railroad industry tenure, Mr. Cavanaugh has gained extensive experience in railcar repair, fleet management, derailment response, heavy repairs, auto handling, rail switching, project management, and customized railcar repair solutions.
Mr. Cavanaugh is a 21+ year railroad industry veteran who began his career with CSX (12 years), eventually becoming Senior Manager for several CSX Mechanical Department locations. After departing CSX, Mr. Cavanaugh worked for industry-leading railroad contractors before finally joining Railmark in 2017. Throughout his railroad industry tenure, Mr. Cavanaugh has gained extensive experience in railcar repair, fleet management, derailment response, heavy repairs, auto handling, rail switching, project management, and customized railcar repair solutions.
- Phone:(502) 762-2827
- Email:jcavanaugh@railmark.com
Kyle Christine
Director of Track Operations
Kyle Christine
Director of Track Operations
Mr. Christine serves as Railmark’s Director of Track Operations, having joined Railmark’s Track Construction & Maintenance team in the Great Lakes Region in 2019, and becoming Director of Track Operations in January 2022. In this capacity, Mr. Christine is responsible for the operations of Railmark Track Works Inc. and with the track and maintenance of way functions within all other Railmark subsidiaries.
During Mr. Christine’s Railmark tenure, he has worked to incorporate state-of-the-art track maintenance practices into Railmark’s servicing and has undergone extensive advanced track maintenance training. Mr. Christine has enhanced Railmark’s position as industrial track specialists with his experience in concrete and industrial plant equipment installation. Mr. Christine’s experience in industrial project management, safety, and crew management. Mr. Christine’s demonstrable success in industrial operations, skilled crew management, safety assurance, commercial relationships, and project management makes him well-suited to lead Railmark's track construction and maintenance teams across the U.S.
A life-long resident of Ohio, Mr. Christine received an Associate Degree from Hocking Tech in Nelsonville, Ohio in 2010. Mr. Christine holds certificates in welding, mobile equipment operations, and other industrial and railroad track maintenance functions.
During Mr. Christine’s Railmark tenure, he has worked to incorporate state-of-the-art track maintenance practices into Railmark’s servicing and has undergone extensive advanced track maintenance training. Mr. Christine has enhanced Railmark’s position as industrial track specialists with his experience in concrete and industrial plant equipment installation. Mr. Christine’s experience in industrial project management, safety, and crew management. Mr. Christine’s demonstrable success in industrial operations, skilled crew management, safety assurance, commercial relationships, and project management makes him well-suited to lead Railmark's track construction and maintenance teams across the U.S.
A life-long resident of Ohio, Mr. Christine received an Associate Degree from Hocking Tech in Nelsonville, Ohio in 2010. Mr. Christine holds certificates in welding, mobile equipment operations, and other industrial and railroad track maintenance functions.
- Phone:(440) 554-9166
- Email:kchristine@railmark.com
Jonathan Pesce
Director of Corporate Development
Jonathan Pesce
Director of Corporate Development
Mr. Pesce joined Railmark in 2021 as Marketing Manager, rising to Director of Marketing in January 2022. Mr. Pesce oversees Railmark’s marketing and customer engagement, primarily focusing on the company's subsidiaries Railmark Track Works Inc., Railmark Industrial Railway Inc., and Yreka Western Railroad. Mr. Pesce also leads the Company’s ECORail® Products Division and manages Railmark corporate communications.
Mr. Pesce comes to Railmark from the Communications and Technical side of the railroad industry, having consulted with many shortline, regional, switching, and rail service operations to implement radio communications and best practices for users and safety teams. Mr. Pesce's railroad industry and customer development experience makes him well-suited for managing marketing teams and customer relationships across Railmark's full-service range of railroad operations.
A life-long resident of Tennessee, Mr. Pesce received a Bachelor of Arts with a double-major in humanities from the University of Memphis (UofM) in Memphis, Tennessee, where he also studied French, making him a valued addition to Railmark's operations in Haiti and francophone Africa.
Mr. Pesce comes to Railmark from the Communications and Technical side of the railroad industry, having consulted with many shortline, regional, switching, and rail service operations to implement radio communications and best practices for users and safety teams. Mr. Pesce's railroad industry and customer development experience makes him well-suited for managing marketing teams and customer relationships across Railmark's full-service range of railroad operations.
A life-long resident of Tennessee, Mr. Pesce received a Bachelor of Arts with a double-major in humanities from the University of Memphis (UofM) in Memphis, Tennessee, where he also studied French, making him a valued addition to Railmark's operations in Haiti and francophone Africa.
- Phone:(270) 832-9888
- Email:jpesce@railmark.com
Venetta H. Keefe
Director of Passenger Services
Venetta H. Keefe
Director of Passenger Services
Ms. Keefe serves as Railmark’s Director of Passenger Services, having joined the Company in 2025. In her capacity Ms. Keefe oversees Railmark’s business unit Train Travel, Inc., which is responsible for providing the Company’s passenger rail services. Through Train Travel, Inc., the Company provides full-service passenger rail development services, passenger operations, marketing & promotion programs and operations maintenance services (both track and railcar mechanical) to transit agencies, governments, and retail train venues. The Company holds full travel agency accreditations.
Ms. Keefe is a collaborative rail transportation professional with extensive experience in passenger rail services and safety. She previously served as State Rail Director for the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) and as a Project Manager for the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). Her railroad career honors the legacy of her great-grandfather, Tom Harvey, a brakeman on the former Illinois Central Railroad.
At INDOT, Ms. Keefe oversaw regulatory requirements for railroads in 89 of Indiana’s 92 counties and launched the State’s first-ever sponsored passenger rail service, the Amtrak Hoosier State (Indianapolis–Chicago). Operating from 2013–2019, the service was built under PRIIA guidelines at a cost of $3.5 million annually, with $3 million provided by the State and the remainder by local governments along the route. She was among a small national group managing PRIIA train services.
In 2023, Ms. Keefe co-authored a successful Corridor Identification and Development (CID) Grant from the FRA for the Indianapolis–Chicago corridor, part of a new national program to fund intercity passenger rail projects. At the FRA, Ms. Keefe served as a Midwest Project Manager, overseeing nearly $305 million in federal passenger rail investments, including Wisconsin state projects and an Illinois passenger rail equipment grant.
She has also been active in national rail policy, contributing to the Transportation Research Board’s Freight Rail Committee, representing Indiana on the AASHTO Council on Rail Transportation, and serving on the board of the States for Passenger Rail.
Ms. Keefe is a collaborative rail transportation professional with extensive experience in passenger rail services and safety. She previously served as State Rail Director for the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) and as a Project Manager for the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). Her railroad career honors the legacy of her great-grandfather, Tom Harvey, a brakeman on the former Illinois Central Railroad.
At INDOT, Ms. Keefe oversaw regulatory requirements for railroads in 89 of Indiana’s 92 counties and launched the State’s first-ever sponsored passenger rail service, the Amtrak Hoosier State (Indianapolis–Chicago). Operating from 2013–2019, the service was built under PRIIA guidelines at a cost of $3.5 million annually, with $3 million provided by the State and the remainder by local governments along the route. She was among a small national group managing PRIIA train services.
In 2023, Ms. Keefe co-authored a successful Corridor Identification and Development (CID) Grant from the FRA for the Indianapolis–Chicago corridor, part of a new national program to fund intercity passenger rail projects. At the FRA, Ms. Keefe served as a Midwest Project Manager, overseeing nearly $305 million in federal passenger rail investments, including Wisconsin state projects and an Illinois passenger rail equipment grant.
She has also been active in national rail policy, contributing to the Transportation Research Board’s Freight Rail Committee, representing Indiana on the AASHTO Council on Rail Transportation, and serving on the board of the States for Passenger Rail.
- Phone:(270) 832-3696
- Email:vkeefe@railmark.com