How One Union Pacific Locomotive Engineer is Making Arkansas Safer

John Varnell doesn’t just talk about safety, he lives it. Whether he’s mentoring the next generation of railroaders, partnering with logging crews to improve grade crossing awareness or showing up for the Pine Bluff community in Arkansas, the locomotive engineer has built a reputation for leading with heart, accountability and action.

That commitment helped earn Varnell Union Pacific’s J.C. Kenefick Safety Award, the railroad’s highest union employee safety honor. Through his work with local logging companies and community partners, Varnell helped drive a major reduction in crossing incidents while strengthening relationships beyond the railroad. But ask people around him what makes the biggest difference, and they’ll tell you the same thing: John cares.

The J.C. Kenefick Safety Award was one of 10 awards presented at Union Pacific’s second annual CEO Excellence Awards ceremony.