Apply for Volunteer Staff at Rail Passengers Association

by Jim Mathews / President & CEO

I’m excited to share that our Rail Passengers Association’s new volunteer staff program is live and ready for applications!

For the past few years, I’ve had conversations with new members or financial supporters who want to volunteer their time as well as their dues money or donations and most of them start with the assumption that the only way to volunteer is to run for, and get elected to, our Council of Representatives. Not so!

Our Council is, of course, a great way to serve and that process, too, is open right now. If you’re eligible to run for a role as State Representative, the process to get on the ballot is open until December 1st. You can find out more about that here.

But my message today is about the many other ways you can put your talents to work in a way that not only helps the Association but helps you, too.

This is hands-on work, where volunteers actually build the campaigns, crunch the data, and write the briefs that shape the outcomes. We have roles open in data-entry, grants and fundraising, public relations and marketing, as well as numerous roles in technology – including a network administrator position in which we’re willing to support getting Microsoft (and other) certifications. We also have several opportunities working directly in policy and legislative affairs.

For a student, or an early career professional, or a mid-career person thinking of a career change, we can offer benefits that will help you even as your volunteer work helps us. Our volunteers’ work gets into congressional offices, DOT briefings, and FRA dockets, in front of national, state, and local leaders, and makes a real difference in rail policy.

There are also a few director-level positions reporting to me as CEO. I’m looking to bring on a volunteer Chief Technology Officer, a volunteer Director of Marketing, PR, and Communications, and a volunteer on-site events producer.

In addition, I’m looking to create a new department focused on formalizing the many informal interventions we handle today with operators, like Amtrak and Brightline, on behalf of our members when they experience customer-service issues. I’d like to bring on a volunteer Director of Consumer Affairs to lead this effort and to build a department dedicated to these kinds of consumer-advocacy needs.

Yes, these positions are unpaid. But the results they produce – for you as well as for Rail Passengers – are real. You’re going to make a real difference while generating work products, job references, enjoying networking opportunities, and maybe even acquiring a couple of technical certificates you can put to work right away in your “day” job. These offer portable, career-enhancing skills, plus national visibility.

I’m also planning to make it about a lot more than just work. We can make it social, with awards programs, virtual “rail happy hours,” conferences where volunteers are celebrated, behind-the-scenes tours to reward extra-curious volunteers, picnics, and anything else we can think of!

I’ve done a lot of volunteering in my personal life, as a firefighter, paramedic, search-and-rescue airman, working in the Warbirds control tower at the annual AirVenture air show in Oshkosh, and serving on the Amtrak Customer Advisory Committee (back when it still existed). Every one of those experiences shaped me, gave me new tools and skills, and opened doors when I needed them opened.

I know we don’t have the adrenaline of flying an airplane or running into a burning building — but what we DO have is influence, visibility, and clout. Our volunteers can help shape Federal transportation policy, secure grants, and improve service for millions of riders. That’s meaningful work. And I really want it to be YOUR work, a career-enhancing gateway into transportation policy and advocacy, just like it was for me.

Go take a look at the Volunteer landing page and see whether there’s a role you’d like to apply for. We’re ready to hear from you!