James Hertwig plays Santa for kids and is president and CEO of Jacksonvile-based Florida East Coast Railway

When it comes to making Christmas extra special for children, Florida East Coast Railway's top executive James Hertwig and his wife, Debbie, play the Santa couple, with whistle stops from Jacksonville to Miami, including stops in between to places like New Smyrna Beach, as shown here, covered by Headline Surfer, the 24/7 Internet newspaper, which has covered his visits for three years now.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- James Hertwig plays the train Santa delivering Toys for Tots once a year during the holiday season, but in everyday life, he's president and CEO of Florida East Coast Railway, the leadership position he's held since 2010, having brought 40 years of freight transportation experience to the post.

Hertwig began his career in the transportation industry in 1971 as a dock foreman with Associated Transport in Erie, Pa. He then spent 13 years holding key management positions at CF Motor Freight, a nationwide less-than-truckload carrier. He also spent eight years as president and CEO of Con-Way Intermodal, a multimodal truckload service provider and international non-vessel operating common carrier.

From 1994 to '95, Hertwig served as president and CEO of Carolina Freight Carriers Corporation in addition to chairman and CEO of Red Arrow Freight Lines, two large regional LTL carriers. He then spent almost nine years as president of Landstar Logistics, a transportation services company and one of the largest truckload carriers in North America.

Prior to joining FEC, Hertwig served as President of CSX Intermodal, Inc., a leading supplier of rail-based freight transportation in North America headquartered in Jacksonville.  

Hertwig has served on the board of directors for the Florida Trucking Association and the executive committee of the Transportation Research Board. He also currently serves on the board of directors of the Intermodal Transportation Institute at the University of Denver and is beginning his third term on the board of directors for the Intermodal Association of North America.

Hertwig and his wife, Debbie, make their home in Jacksonville Beach.

Related Main Story Coverage: 

FEC Railroad delivers Toys for Tots in New Smyrna Beach stop during daylong trek from Jacksonville to Miami

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