FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

September 21, 2005

CONTACT: Mike Whims, Chairman or John DeLora, Executive Director PHONE: (248) 892-4545 or (313) 575-6608

The membership of the Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers elected its Executive Committee for the 2005-2007 term at its September 17, 2005 annual meeting in Detroit. The re-elected officers include Michael Whims (Royal Oak), chairman; Michael Frezell (Lansing), vice chairman; James Wallington (Perry), secretary; John DeLora (Detroit), Executive Director/metro Detroit chapter chair; Richard Pekarek (Grand Blanc), east/central Michigan chapter chair, John Langdon (Holland), western Michigan chapter chair, and Clark Charnetski (Ann Arbor), at-large executive.

Newly elected Executive Committee members include Andrew Kent (Au Gres), Northern Michigan chapter chair; Kay Chase (Kalamazoo), at-large executive; Kazuya Fujita (East Lansing), at-large executive, and J.R. Valderas (Holland), at-large executive. The committee appointed David Randall (Livonia) as treasurer to replace the late Terry Donnelly (Marquette).

The Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers is an all volunteer, non-profit corporation established in 1973 to improve passenger train service, travel conditions for passengers, and to work for the preservation of historic rail stations.

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