Curtis Hooper Named a 2025 Progressive Railroading Rising Star

NS proudly announces that Curtis Hooper has been named a 2025 Rising Star by Progressive Railroading, placing him among 25 emerging leaders under the age of 40 who are making significant contributions to the North American rail industry. His peers nominated him for his leadership, innovation, and transformative impact on the future of rail technology.

Curtis Hooper is Norfolk Southern’s Manager of Core Network Infrastructure, where he plays a pivotal role in transforming the company’s digital foundation and driving technological resilience. Since joining the company as an intern in 2018, Curtis has advanced through roles with increasing responsibility, delivering technology solutions that improve digital reliability, network efficiency, and the end-user experience.

In his various roles within the Digital & Technology division’s infrastructure team, Curtis has played a key role in Norfolk Southern’s technology modernization. Notably, for Intermodal operations, he supported the deployment of advanced solutions like stacking cranes, digital inspection portals, and autonomous vehicles, enhancing efficiency at major terminals including Austell, Chicago, and Rossville. Additionally, Curtis led the implementation of modern network infrastructure at the company’s headquarters campus, delivering robust connectivity to empower agile, innovative workspaces. His collaborative approach has improved both operational performance and customer experience.

In his current role, Curtis leads Norfolk Southern’s core digital network team, where he is focused on improving cybersecurity, driving automation, and rapidly migrating the company’s most critical infrastructure to modern platforms. His efforts are improving digital service availability and ensuring the company’s core networks are equipped to meet the demands of a fast-changing technology landscape.

Complementing these efforts, Curtis is stewarding Project Mosaic—a strategic initiative designed to modernize Norfolk Southern’s application delivery infrastructure. Mosaic introduces a decentralized, automated architecture that enables and secures AI and machine-driven workloads, laying the groundwork for the intelligent infrastructure required to support the next generation of digital solutions. By streamlining IT operations, minimizing technical debt, and reducing risk, Mosaic strengthens Norfolk Southern’s ability to innovate, scale technology efficiently, and respond rapidly to evolving business needs.

Curtis’s influence also extends to culture. Through his leadership, he has helped define a more forward-thinking, values-driven vision for the Digital and Technology (D&T) division, launching grassroots efforts to amplify employee voice, shape transparent communication practices, and strengthen the connection between frontline feedback and executive action. These efforts have driven a stronger “speak-up” culture, increased organizational trust, and fostered a more inclusive and innovation-ready environment within D&T.

As a Rising Star, Curtis embodies the future of the rail industry—one that honors its legacy while embracing bold, digital innovation. His contributions are positioning Norfolk Southern as a tech-forward leader and setting a powerful example for the next generation of rail professionals.