Laura Mason,
Executive Vice President, Capital Delivery,
Amtrak
Laura Mason is Executive Vice President (EVP), Capital Delivery, serving in this role since January 2022. Laura leads an organization focused on developing and executing all non-recurring and non-Information Technology capital projects, which together allow Amtrak to deliver high-quality service to its customers. Focus areas include fleet acquisitions and facility expansions and upgrades, major stations programs, infrastructure projects — including the Gateway Program — and major third-party projects. With over $40 billion of critical infrastructure, facility and fleet investments in planning and development, Laura leads Amtrak’s efforts to turn its ambitious plans into reality.
Laura joined Amtrak in June 2021 as EVP, Major Program Delivery and was responsible for delivering transformational programs and renewing strategic assets supporting the nation’s intercity passenger rail system.
Prior to Amtrak, Laura served in a variety of leadership roles with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), commonly referred to as Metro, a tri-jurisdictional government agency that operates transit service in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. As EVP of Capital Delivery, she was responsible for project management, engineering and construction of major capital projects, infrastructure renewal, capital program planning, and the scheduling and contracting strategy for WMATA’s entire capital program.
In other roles at WMATA, Laura oversaw engineering, maintenance, transportation and control center functions for fixed infrastructure and rolling stock. As Chief of Maintenance of Way Engineering, she drove rail safety and reliability through improved maintenance, track allocation and new technology. From 2016 to 2017, Laura served as director of Safe Track, a year-long emergency track work program to accelerate three years of work into one year.
Before going to WMATA, Laura spent 12 years at Bechtel Corp., an American engineering, procurement, construction and project management company, where she served in a wide range of roles.
Laura graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Electrical and Biomedical Engineering. She earned her Master of Business Administration from Stanford University. She is also a founding member of Engineers Without Borders — Gabon.