OnTrackNorthAmerica - User contributions [en]

Collaboration Will Take Us Where Competition Can’t

2025-07-30T19:43:23Z

Aegerev:

[[File:-1 Connecting - Copy.jpg|right|450x450px|alt=Michael Sussman explaining his methodologies to various stakeholders.|Collaboration Is the Key To Success. ]]
<big><big><big>'''''The New Paradigm for a World That Works for Everyone'''''</big></big></big>

At the heart of OnTrackNorthAmerica’s work are the twin practices of collaboration and coordination. We believe this combination is a superior means of ensuring that government and business serve the best interests of all stakeholders and, ultimately, the entire community. But are collaboration and coordination even possible given the competitive climate that capitalism has fostered for almost two centuries? And, on a more organic level, are people inherently altruistic, or are they self-centered?

In America, in particular, we have been taught that striving for individual success is beneficial for everyone, as a productive capitalist society depends on it. The scientific basis for this precept is ostensibly “survival of the fittest,” which has come to be widely accepted as the fundamental finding of Charles Darwin’s research. The modern interpretation of survival of the fittest posits that humans, like other species, are naturally selfish and that selfishness drives progress. But is it possible that this belief is not only mistaken, but that it exerts an undue and debilitating influence on society? And does it actually represent Darwin’s findings?

Most people would be surprised to learn that Charles Darwin never used the phrase survival of the fittest in the original volume of his seminal work, ''On the Origin of Species''. Contrary to prevailing belief, Darwin’s observation of natural selection did not highlight individual competition. Darwin observed that in nature, the community provides the best perches, food, and resources to the strongest members, which confers on them reproductive advantages, so they ultimately produce the healthiest offspring. Harmony ''within'' the community, not domination ''of'' the community, is what Darwin observed. Moreover, he wrote that individuals in nature are inherently social, which is ultimately what produces and sustains well-being for the whole community.

So, how did we come to misapply Darwin’s transformative work? Why did we orient commerce and governance around competition and mistrust rather than cooperation and trust? What would have us think that we must pit individuals, companies, organizations, political parties, and countries in an endless competition?

“Darwinism” gained popularity during the mid-19th century, when American and British industrialists sought a belief system to justify their massive accumulation of wealth and power. They sponsored members of a new intellectual field called Social Philosophy to promote a misreading of ''On the Origin of Species''. One of the movement’s leading figures, Herbert Spencer, originated the term survival of the fittest, and because the public’s access to Darwin’s book was limited, those in power used this disinformation campaign to influence public support for their versions of capitalism and democracy.

We all suffer under the influence of Spencer’s false and destructive misinterpretation of nature and, indeed, humanity. Modern governance and commerce have since developed around an over-reliance on competitive debate, competing factions, and constant jockeying for attention and favors. However, competition stifles the collective potential of a society and is ultimately highly inefficient for towns, counties, states, countries, and their businesses.

The most effective and efficient organization of all components of a sustainable industrial system is only possible through collaboration and coordination.

Of course, competition has its place in sports, games, and some aspects of business. However, orienting our civilization’s primary functions around competition is outmoded and unsustainable.

The mounting environmental stresses of the world’s exploding population and the ever-increasing competition to exploit the globe’s abundant, yet finite, treasure trove of natural resources threaten our peace and prosperity.

There is a better way.

It is more crucial than ever to discard outdated and limiting assumptions and embrace a new paradigm, a paradigm of commitment to our community, both locally and globally. It is time to redesign our systems of governance and commerce around collaboration and cooperation, to ensure sustainability and prosperity for everyone.

What is OnTrackNorthAmerica’s role in this essential shift in priorities? We begin by convening stakeholders in productive dialogue using our question-based dialogue method, IntelliSynthesis®. By their nature, questions are inherently interactive, opening our minds to intelligent thought, exploration, and shared knowledge. By synthesizing, cataloging, and utilizing this collective intelligence, diverse stakeholders can solve problems and implement action plans effectively.

Our work is informed by close interactions with more than 11,000 individuals across the continent who have overwhelmingly expressed their heartfelt desire for a world that works for everyone. As Darwin discovered almost two hundred years ago, a society advances when its members orient around essential collaboration and coordination, striking a balance with useful competition.

Home Page

2025-07-30T19:29:18Z

Aegerev: Removed the <a> tag. I wanted to create a table of contents... but no luck.

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Welcome to CAPSI, the Continental Action Plan for Sustainable Industry}}<h1>The Continental Action Plan for Sustainable Industry </h1>
<center><h3>Where stakeholders throughout North America redesign sustainable industrial systems that work for everyone.</h3></center>

This is the breakthrough society needs to solve the urgent challenge of expanding economic vitality while preserving our environment. From natural resources, agriculture, and raw materials to production, distribution, consumption, and recycling, our society can redesign its fragmented industrial systems. We must act quickly. Our first Industry Action Plan (IAP) is [[VitalRail]], which focuses on optimizing railroads as the backbone of a multimodal transportation network that serves all industries.

== What do we mean by "industrial systems"? ==
"Industrial systems" comprise the complete set of commercial, policy, and planning activities involved in delivering materials and products for modern civilization’s survival and fulfillment. This encompasses all inputs and impacts, including land use, transportation, recycling, and disposal. What occurs between properties is often as significant as what happens at a property.

== What do we mean by "redesign"? ==
"Redesigning" industrial systems means working together to find and utilize ways to increase efficiency and reduce negative impacts. It begins with stakeholders establishing collective goals and pragmatic measures while recognizing the reality of prior strategies and investments. Redesigning may require judicious reconstruction, repurposing, and/or relocating some facilities. For instance, to create the most effective strategic mineral supply chain, we would intentionally position lithium mines, battery plants, vehicle factories, and recycling facilities to optimize systemwide logistics. We call this design process "Collaborative Industrial Optimization." Redesigning also calls for a paradigm shift wherein organizations and individuals are incentivized to contribute to systemwide sustainability.

== What do we mean by "sustainable"? ==
"Sustainable" is the primary design goal of industrial systems: supporting the long-lasting, harmonious co-existence of humans and nature within our abundantly resourced, yet finite ecosystem.

== Who are the stakeholders? ==
You are all stakeholders, along with everyone involved in or affected by our industrial systems. Developing IAPs for sustainable industries requires complete stakeholder representation. OnTrackNorthAmerica has already cataloged more than 38,000 stakeholders across North America’s industrial, political, and geographic landscape. For each IAP process we initiate, we invite additional stakeholders to work toward complete representation from all sectors, including academia, advocacy organizations, business, community, funders, government, labor, and media.

== How do we work together as stakeholders? ==
We convene stakeholders in [[IntelliConferences and IntelliSynthesis|IntelliConference®]] forums that apply [[IntelliConferences and IntelliSynthesis|IntelliSynthesis®]], our breakthrough question-and-response dialogue method, to foster efficient input from large groups of diverse stakeholders. We invite participants from all relevant sectors in a given system or region to ensure that all perspectives are represented and have a voice. Each stakeholder agrees to read and respond to rounds of questions within seven days. The facilitation team creates and shares a digest of each round of responses, saving participants time. Outlier perspectives are considered for the value they may offer the group. The IntelliConference and IntelliSynthesis processes are explained in greater detail elsewhere on this website.

== Why include Canada, the United States, and Mexico? ==
Although Canada, the United States, and Mexico already engage in extensive cross-border trade, they can greatly benefit from the enhanced coordination provided by our IAPs. These are designed for specific industrial systems and geographic regions while maintaining crucial links to related plans, rather than creating isolated solutions. Unlike traditional studies that often remain unused on a shelf, our dynamic process delivers immediate, measurable results through continuous stakeholder engagement.

Home Page

2025-07-30T19:28:19Z

Aegerev: Added links to wiki pages for VitalRail and IntelliSynthesis

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Welcome to CAPSI, the Continental Action Plan for Sustainable Industry}}
<a href="#section-id">Section Title</a>

<h1>The Continental Action Plan for Sustainable Industry </h1>
<center><h3>Where stakeholders throughout North America redesign sustainable industrial systems that work for everyone.</h3></center>

This is the breakthrough society needs to solve the urgent challenge of expanding economic vitality while preserving our environment. From natural resources, agriculture, and raw materials to production, distribution, consumption, and recycling, our society can redesign its fragmented industrial systems. We must act quickly. Our first Industry Action Plan (IAP) is [[VitalRail]], which focuses on optimizing railroads as the backbone of a multimodal transportation network that serves all industries.

== What do we mean by "industrial systems"? ==
"Industrial systems" comprise the complete set of commercial, policy, and planning activities involved in delivering materials and products for modern civilization’s survival and fulfillment. This encompasses all inputs and impacts, including land use, transportation, recycling, and disposal. What occurs between properties is often as significant as what happens at a property.

== What do we mean by "redesign"? ==
"Redesigning" industrial systems means working together to find and utilize ways to increase efficiency and reduce negative impacts. It begins with stakeholders establishing collective goals and pragmatic measures while recognizing the reality of prior strategies and investments. Redesigning may require judicious reconstruction, repurposing, and/or relocating some facilities. For instance, to create the most effective strategic mineral supply chain, we would intentionally position lithium mines, battery plants, vehicle factories, and recycling facilities to optimize systemwide logistics. We call this design process "Collaborative Industrial Optimization." Redesigning also calls for a paradigm shift wherein organizations and individuals are incentivized to contribute to systemwide sustainability.

== What do we mean by "sustainable"? ==
"Sustainable" is the primary design goal of industrial systems: supporting the long-lasting, harmonious co-existence of humans and nature within our abundantly resourced, yet finite ecosystem.

== Who are the stakeholders? ==
You are all stakeholders, along with everyone involved in or affected by our industrial systems. Developing IAPs for sustainable industries requires complete stakeholder representation. OnTrackNorthAmerica has already cataloged more than 38,000 stakeholders across North America’s industrial, political, and geographic landscape. For each IAP process we initiate, we invite additional stakeholders to work toward complete representation from all sectors, including academia, advocacy organizations, business, community, funders, government, labor, and media.

== How do we work together as stakeholders? ==
We convene stakeholders in [[IntelliConferences and IntelliSynthesis|IntelliConference®]] forums that apply [[IntelliConferences and IntelliSynthesis|IntelliSynthesis®]], our breakthrough question-and-response dialogue method, to foster efficient input from large groups of diverse stakeholders. We invite participants from all relevant sectors in a given system or region to ensure that all perspectives are represented and have a voice. Each stakeholder agrees to read and respond to rounds of questions within seven days. The facilitation team creates and shares a digest of each round of responses, saving participants time. Outlier perspectives are considered for the value they may offer the group. The IntelliConference and IntelliSynthesis processes are explained in greater detail elsewhere on this website.

== Why include Canada, the United States, and Mexico? ==
Although Canada, the United States, and Mexico already engage in extensive cross-border trade, they can greatly benefit from the enhanced coordination provided by our IAPs. These are designed for specific industrial systems and geographic regions while maintaining crucial links to related plans, rather than creating isolated solutions. Unlike traditional studies that often remain unused on a shelf, our dynamic process delivers immediate, measurable results through continuous stakeholder engagement.

File:Michaelsussman.jpg

2025-07-30T16:11:54Z

Aegerev:

This is an image of OnTrackNorthAmerica's founder, Michael Sussman.

About OnTrackNorthAmerica

2025-07-30T16:10:30Z

Aegerev:

<center>[[File:OTNA Logo.jpg|center|frameless|654x654px]]</center>

<h1> About OnTrackNorthAmerica (OTNA) </h1>
'''OnTrackNorthAmerica (OTNA)''' produces Industrial Systems Initiatives such as '''VitalRail''' and companion IntelliConference Series. The Continental Action Plans for Sustainable Industry (CAPSI) is the strategic thinking community, a part of OTNA, that designs Industrial Systems Initiatives and IntelliConference Series.

 
[[File:Michaelsussman.jpg|thumb|alt=Michael Sussman|Michael Sussman]]
'''OTNA''' was founded by '''Michael Sussman''' in 2007 as a nonprofit 501c3 industrial policy institute co-leading society in redesigning industrial systems to support sustainable life. Michael Sussman began his career in transportation in 1994 by launching [https://strategicrail.com Strategic Rail Finance], a trusted advisory firm, and has since advised on infrastructure-related projects, companies, and systems for private and public sector clients in forty-three U.S. states and four Canadian provinces.

At OTNA, we value objectivity, non-partisanship, and autonomy from any financial, political, or personal interests. We are committed to industrial systems that are financially profitable and sustainable.
OTNA has developed state and regional plans, tools, analyses, and paradigms supporting these values. 
* In 2023, OTNA led a four-county stakeholder process in New Mexico in the aftermath of a 350,000-acre forest fire resulting in the [[New Mexico Sustainable Forestry Business Plan|New Mexico Forestry Business Plan]].
* In 2021, OTNA convened hundreds of transportation stakeholders to create [[Nevada’s 2021 State Rail Plan]], a new whole-systems paradigm for statewide rail-enabled economic development.
* On December 11, 2008, OTNA [https://capsi.ontracknorthamerica.org/images/a/a2/Resolution-OnTrackNorthAmerica.pdf gathered industry and government leaders in the U.S. Capitol Building] to set a new collaborative framework for freight rail transportation efficiency.
* On December 8, 1998, OTNA convened [https://capsi.ontracknorthamerica.org/images/e/ef/1998-Invitation-US-Congressional-Briefing-OnTrackNorthAmerica.pdf a rail transportation educational event in the U.S. Capitol Building] for 55 congressional staff.

OnTrackNorthAmerica Frequently Collaborates with Partners in Academia 

* Dr. Barbara Gray, founder of Penn State University’s Center for Research in Conflict and Negotiation, has contributed significantly to OTNA’s work.
* The University of Tennessee’s [https://isse.utk.edu/ Institute for a Secure and Sustainable Environment] provided research assistance for OTNA’s Land Freight Lifecycle Impact Calculator.
* Philadelphia’s Temple University hosted Michael’s talk, [[How Collaboration, Trust, and Railroads Will Save the World|“How Collaboration, Trust, and Railroads Will Save the World,”]] on December 5th, 2023.
* The Transportation Research Forum honored Michael with its 2024 annual [https://trforum.org/presidents-award/ President’s Award].
* Michael serves on the Industry Advisory Board of the six-university consortium, [https://fersc.utk.edu/ Center for Freight Transportation and Efficient & Resilient Supply Chains]

He has contributed to improving public policy by meeting with staff or leaders of 69 U.S. Senate and 195 U.S. House offices. 

* In March of 2011, Michael was the only private sector invitee to a [https://capsi.ontracknorthamerica.org/images/6/6b/2011-Invitation-US-Congress-Rail-Workshop-OnTrackNorthAmerica.pdf U.S. House Railroad Subcommittee Staff Workshop] to explore ways to improve the FRA RRIF loan program.
* On February 17, 2011, [https://capsi.ontracknorthamerica.org/images/f/f7/2011-Testimony-US-Congressional-Hearing-OnTrackNorthAmerica.pdf he testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Railroad Subcommittee] on reforms to the Federal Railroad Administration’s Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) program.
* On October 19, 2005, [https://capsi.ontracknorthamerica.org/images/a/ab/2005-Testimony-Surface-Transportation-Board-OnTrackNorthAmerica.pdf he spoke before the Surface Transportation Board] on the 25th anniversary of the Staggers Rail Act of 1980.

Representative acknowledgments of these efforts:

* Thank you letters from [https://capsi.ontracknorthamerica.org/images/d/d3/Thank-You-Letter-US-Rep-Wolf-OnTrackNorthAmerica.pdf Republican House Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Frank Wolf] and [https://capsi.ontracknorthamerica.org/images/3/3e/Thank-You-Letter-US-Sen-Rockefeller-OnTrackNorthAmerica.pdf Democratic Senator Jay Rockefeller’s Chief of Staff].
* In 2003, he contributed to Washington State produce shippers by designing and writing important elements of the [https://capsi.ontracknorthamerica.org/images/f/f4/2003-Reference-Letter-2-WSDOT-OnTrackNorthAmerica.pdf Washington State Produce Railcar Pool Act] as passed by the 2003 state legislature.
* In 1999, he worked with the Federal Railroad Administration to eliminate audited financial statement requirements for Class II and III railroads from the [https://capsi.ontracknorthamerica.org/images/7/78/OMB-Caused-the-Delay-OnTrackNorthAmerica.pdf Railroad Rehabilitation & Improvement Financing Act (RRIF loan program)].
* In November of 1997 he was responsible for making freight rail projects eligible in [https://capsi.ontracknorthamerica.org/images/1/11/OnTrackNorthAmerica-105v106.pdf H.R.115 – the National Infrastructure Development Act].

Michael‘s writing has been published in many transportation industry journals:

* [https://capsi.ontracknorthamerica.org/images/7/75/December_2014_Railway_Age_Perspective.pdf Railway Age, December 2014, “Revitalizing Direct Rail Service”]
* [https://capsi.ontracknorthamerica.org/images/e/e3/A-RRIF-Centered-Capitalization-OnTrackNorthAmerica.pdf Railway Age, April 2011, “A RRIF-Centered Capitalization Growth Strategy”]
* [https://capsi.ontracknorthamerica.org/images/b/b8/Leveraging-Capital-for-the-Entire-Industry-OnTrackNorthAmerica.pdf Railway Age, September 2008, “Leveraging Capital for the Entire Industry”]
* [https://capsi.ontracknorthamerica.org/images/2/23/Regional-and-Short-Line-RRs-in-the-US-OnTrackNorthAmerica.pdf Transportation Quarterly, Fall 2002, “Regional and Short Line Railroads in the United States”]
* [https://capsi.ontracknorthamerica.org/images/e/ee/Assessing-the-Process-of-Creating-the-RRIF-Program-OnTrackNorthAmerica.pdf Association of Transportation Law, Logistics & Policy, Fall 2000, “Assessing the Process of Creating the RRIF Program”]
* [https://capsi.ontracknorthamerica.org/images/f/f9/Getting-a-Lenders-Attention-OnTrackNorthAmerica.pdf Progressive Railroading, June 1998, “Getting a Lender’s Attention”]
* [https://freightforum.org/its-not-just-amazon-its-all-of-us/ It’s Not Just Amazon, It’s All of Us, May 7]

==== Board of Trustees ====
<big>''Michael Sussman''</big>

Chairman, OnTrackNorthAmerica and Chairman & CEO, Strategic Rail Finance

<big>''Eugene N. (“Gene”) Cipriani''</big>

Attorney; former advisor to the United States Railway Association (U.S.R.A.); former in-house corporate counsel for Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA)

<big>''Daniel R. Elliott''</big>

Transportation Attorney, Former Chairman of U.S. Surface Transportation Board

<big>''R. Powell Felix''</big>

Founder, Indiana Boxcar Corporation

<big>''Jim Hoecker''</big>

Founder, Hoecker Energy Law & Policy PLLC, former Chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

<big>''Arthur Menko''</big>

Founder and President of Telcodata and Business Planning, Inc

<big>''J. Vann Cunningham''</big>

Assistant Vice President, Economic Development, at BNSF Railway – Retired; Fellow Member, International Economic Development Council; Former TVA Chief of Regional Planning; Former Practice Principal in economic development and site selection, Lockwood Green Consulting 

==== Advisory Board ====
<big>''Daniel Burgess''</big>

Local Chairman, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, Division 456

<big>''Dr. Beverly A. Cigler''</big>

Professor of Public Policy & Administration, Penn State Harrisburg

<big>''Steve Gothreau''</big>

Norfolk Southern Rail Train & Engine Service (Retired)

<big>''Philip Mortimer''</big>
Director, TruckTrain Industries

<big>''Mingzhou Jin, Ph.D.''</big>
Associate Head Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Tennessee

<big>''Brian Rademacher''</big>

CEcD Economic Development Director, City of Ormond Beach

<big>''Karen Risa Robbins''</big>

Principal, Washington Progress Group

<big>''Peter Schwartzman''</big>

Associate Professor & Chair, Knox College Environmental Studies Program

<big>''Dr. Joseph Schwieterman''</big>

Director, DePaul University, Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development