council of chiefs (advisory Board)

Gregory Robinson is a seasoned professional with over 40 years of experience in rail transportation and aerospace engineering. He graduated from Florida A&M University with a degree in electronic engineering and has held various leadership positions in companies such as McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Corporation and Miami-Dade Transit. As the General Superintendent of Rail Transportation, he was responsible for overseeing control centers, rail yards, and train operations. Gregory recently joined the (Transportation Resource Associates) as a Senior Consultant and he is also a proud member of COMTO (Community of Minority Transportation Officials) and has previously served as the President of its Miami Chapter.

An accomplished professional with a (BA) in Human Development and Education from Binghamton University. With over 12 years of experience as a Trainmen, he has honed his leadership and organizational skills in a dynamic industry. 

Co-founder of the Trainmen Social Club, Troy has been instrumental in fostering community among railroad professionals and their families. His passion for education and community service is evident in his role as a leader and director of several nonprofit organizations in the DC Metropolitan area. Over the past 18 years, Troy has dedicated himself to helping over 3,000 students gain acceptance into colleges and universities, making a significant impact on the lives of young people in his community.

Troy’s commitment to education and community development continues to inspire those around him, as he strives to create opportunities for future generations.

Johnny “JD” DeQuair has motivated people from the dunghill to the top of the hill. His zeal for education has catapulted him to learn how to read and write as an adult. Learning to read and write as an adult had not shaken his determination. This hurdle has earned him the respect of others desiring to make a positive change in their decision-making process and has turned his fear into a force to be reckoned with.

His inner strength has not allowed others or the system to discourage him from advancing. With this same determination, this dynamic leader has enrolled himself in a local community college in Maryland (Baltimore City Community College) with nearly 30 credits, with pending goals to enter a four-year university within the next few years.

He hails from the artistry city, New Orleans, Louisiana, where the inception of entrepreneurship and motivational speaking began. Born to a single mother and raised in abject poverty in one of the worst housing projects in New Orleans, located in the lower 9th ward—where the theme is: “I’m from that nine and I don’t mind dying.” In addition to being rejected by his father and misunderstood by his mother, J.D. found himself on his own at the tender age of fifteen.

Living independently and mislabeled as a special education student carried the stigma of a slow learner. It ruined his self-image and shattered his confidence, but not his determination. He has risen from the ranks of poverty, illiteracy, homelessness, and being underprivileged with an indestructible sense of confidence and a relentless will to win that has fortified him and ignited him to emerge victorious in life and in business.

“When you believe someone—you nod your head, but when you believe "IN" someone—you roll up your sleeves.”