Interim Chief Operating Officer of the Coos Bay Rail LInk
Dan Lovelady

Dan Lovelady serves as the interim Chief Operating Officer of the Coos Bay Rail Link, owned by the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay.   He has more than 41 years of experience in short line railroad operations and management.  

Since the Port’s March 2009 acquisition of the 111-mile rail line between Oregon’s Bay Area and Eugene, Dan has been overseeing rehabilitation of the rail line in preparation for the anticipated reopening of freight rail service for the western Lane, western Douglas and Coos County region.  He currently serves as General Manager of the City of Prineville Railway and Chief Operating Officer of the Coos Bay Rail Link through an intergovernmental job-sharing agreement between the Port and the City of Prineville. 

Following Dan's hiring by the City of Prineville, he helped prevent the Prineville railroad’s potential abandonment, and under his management, the railroad increased revenue carloads from less than 100 to a projected 1,200 carloads annually.  Dan also was instrumental in the construction of a $7.5 million multimodal distribution center with ConnectOregon I and II grants.  In addition, Dan was successful in securing a $1.035 million American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 stimulus grant to rehabilitate the track structure of the Prineville Railway.  

Prior to signing on with Prineville, Dan was Chief Operating Officer for StatesRail, a short line railroad holding company, overseeing the operation of nine short-line railroads.  After StatesRail was acquired by RailAmerica Inc., Dan became General Manager of the Central Oregon & Pacific (CORP) Railroad, when the railroad’s gross revenues exceeded $30 million and there were more than 50,000 railcar loads annually. 

Dan holds an associate of arts degree from the College of the Siskiyous in Weed, Calif., is on the board of directors of the Oregon Rail Users League and is a member of the Oregon Department of Transportation Rail Division Advisory Team.   

Dan is married to his wife, Sherry, of 41 years, has two sons who are both locomotive engineers on a short line railroad, and four grandchildren.  He enjoys golfing, fishing and camping.

E-Mail: dlovelady@portofcoosbay.com