People on the move: FRPRD, NFI

The Front Range Passenger Rail District (FRPRD) and NFI have made new appointments to their respective leadership teams. 

FRPRD appoints permanent general manager  

FRPRD has appointed Salvatore Pace as its new permanent general manager. Pace is a former Colorado House minority leader and Pueblo County commissioner. 

FRPRD is the largest special district in Colorado and is charged under state law with developing and operating intercity rail service from Wyoming to New Mexico, with planned stops in Fort Collins, Longmont, Loveland, Boulder, Westminster, Broomfield, Louisville, Denver, Littleton, Douglas County, Colorado Springs, Pueblo and Trinidad, Colo. 

Pace co-authored the 2009 FASTER amendment that first funded Colorado Department of Transportation’s (CDOT) Transit and Rail Division, leading negotiations during the pandemic to establish the FRPRD itself and serving as co-chair of Colorado Gov. Jared Polis’ Transition Committee to advance rail initiatives. Pace co-founded the Southwest Chief Coalition and played an instrumental role in saving Amtrak’s Southwest Chief route from discontinuation. 

“Few leaders have accomplished more for passenger rail — and no one is better prepared to lead the Front Range Passenger Rail District than Sal Pace,” Polis said. “From helping launch CDOT’s Transit and Rail Division to saving Amtrak’s Southwest Chief, Sal has demonstrated time and again to Coloradans that he can turn vision into reality. Colorado is fortunate to have his leadership, experience and relationships at the table. Sal Pace is exactly the kind of results-driven, collaborative leader we need to make Front Range passenger rail a reality.” 

Before serving as a State Representative and Pueblo County commissioner, Pace served as chief political  advisor to Congressman John Salazar (D-CO-3). He has played a leadership role on numerous successful ballot campaigns and negotiated 15 community improvement projects, including funding the station-area plan currently contemplated for Front Range Passenger Rail.  

As general manager, Pace will focus on several key priorities:   

• Preparing a district-wide referendum for voter approval.   
• Leading outreach to mayors, legislators, county commissioners, business leaders, labor unions and community organizations.   
• Building public trust through visible progress on the Northwest Route through Joint Service.
• Ensuring comprehensive station area plans for all communities in the district. 

“Front Range Rail will benefit every Front Range resident by reducing traffic, improving air quality and lowering household transportation costs,” Pace said. “My priority is to build the broad, bipartisan coalition needed to advance this transformative project and refer a successful ballot measure to the voters of the district.”  

NFI appoints president of transportation management (TM) 

NFI has appointed Chuck Papa as president of TM.  

With over 28 years of experience driving transformation at Uber Freight, Transplace and Penske Logistics, Papa will lead the strategic expansion of NFI’s TM division, scaling its 4PL capabilities to help customers navigate increasingly complex supply chain challenges. 

“Transportation management has become a critical catalyst for NFI’s overall growth; it’s the unifying force across our entire logistics ecosystem,” said NFI CEO Sid Brown. “Chuck brings the vision and operational rigor to unite our offerings and deliver measurable value for our customers.”  

Since launching its TM service in 2014 with a single client, NFI says it has steadily expanded the division through early technology investments, modern TMS implementation and a culture of operational excellence. Under Papa’s leadership, NFI says TM will expand its customer base, deepen analytics and automation and unlock synergies across end-to-end capabilities.  

“Joining NFI at this inflection point is an incredible opportunity,” Papa said. “We’re building a next-generation TM business – one that blends data, technology and human expertise to simplify the complexity and drive outcomes. By integrating 4PL services, we’ll empower our customers to make smarter decisions, reduce risk and scale with confidence. Our goal is simple: to be the most trusted partner for supply chain transformation. That means investing in talent, technology and transparency – and delivering results that matter.”