Kansas State University

MANHATTAN — Carl Ice, president and chief executive officer for BNSF Railway, will present "Building great leaders — lessons from the rail industry: driving a more engaged and productive team through leadership development" at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 10, in Fiedler Hall Auditorium at Kansas State University.

The event is part of the College of Engineering's Eyestone Lecture Series and is open to the public.

Ice, a 1979 graduate of Kansas State University in industrial engineering, was appointed to his current position of president and CEO for BNSF Railway in 2014. Previously, he served as president and chief operating officer since 2010, with responsibility for day-to-day operations of the company, helping to drive BNSF's strategies for safety, service, growth, efficiency and technology.

"Railroads are one of our nation's most long-lived industries and considered synonymous with the growth of the U.S. industrial economy," Ice said. "Today, railroads are more relevant than ever as they move 40 percent of intercity freight volume in the U.S., including playing a vital role in the recent domestic energy renaissance."

Ice will address the robust leadership development required as an essential component of building an enterprise that lasts over decades by being able to adapt to the inevitable changes in the economic landscape.

"This will be an exciting Eyestone Lecture with broad appeal to those interested in economic growth, leadership and development of an industry," said Noel Schulz, associate dean of research and graduate programs in the College of Engineering.

"Part of the K-State 2025 mission is to develop highly skilled and educated citizens to advance the well-being of Kansas, the nation and the international community — with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of life and standard of living for us all," she said. "Carl Ice certainly has the credentials to contribute to this goal by sharing his wealth of knowledge and experience in industry and leadership."

Ice's community and professional memberships have included the Technology Center Inc. board of directors; Association of American Railroads committee chairmanships; Kansas State University Foundation board of directors and trustee, College of Engineering advisory board chair, All-University Campaign steering committee and College of Human Ecology steering committee; Dallas-Fort Worth Salvation Army advisory board; Southern Methodist University Lyle School of Engineering executive board; and Shelter Inc. board of directors.

He and his wife, Mary, also a graduate of Kansas State University, live in Westlake, Texas.

The Eyestone Lecture Series, established in 2000, is funded by an endowment of the late Fred and Mona Eyestone. Fred Eyestone, a 1941 K-State graduate in electrical engineering, was a member of the College of Engineering Advisory Council and a Distinguished Service Award recipient.