American Public Transportation Association president and CEO Bill Millar will speak in Northwest Indiana on Thursday, May 12 as part of the 12th annual Golden Spike seminar.

APTA is the nation’s leading force in advancing public transportation. Millar will speak at a luncheon of the Golden Spike Seminar of the Indiana High Speed Rail Association. Open to the public, the luncheon will be held at the Harre Union at Valparaiso University, starting at noon. Reservations are $30 per person.

Earlier in the day, Japan’s rail manufacturing industrialist and president and CEO of Nippon Sharyo USA Akira “Kevin” Koyasu will speak to the Golden Spike Seminar breakfast. This event is also open to the public. Reservations for the breakfast are $20.

Koyasu will be introduced to the breakfast by Gerald Hanas, executive director of the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, a customer of the company.

To RSVP for either event, contact the Indiana High Speed Rail Association at Dennis@indianahighspeedrail.org or call 219-8871351

In other news involving the Indiana High Speed Rail Association, the organization has produced an educational brochure, “What does the Midwest Regional Rail System Mean for Indiana?” and will make it available for the first time to those seminar on Thursday and Friday.

The new document answers many questions about the proposed Midwest Regional Rail System project and describes how the traveling public will benefit from the mode of transportation. It is authored by the association’s founder and vice president of business relations, W. Dennis Hodges, who is also a commercial writer from Merrillville. The new brochure will be available online after the Golden Spike Seminar.

During the month of May, the Indiana High Speed Rail Association is also offering a special Golden Spike Seminar memberships, with first-time members able to join for $10 for the first year. For more information about the Golden Spike Seminar, the educational brochure and membership, call 219-887-1351 or email Dennis@indianahighspeedrail

Posted 5/10/2011