Retirement life's on track for Norfolk Southern exec

[peachfuzz]

Be sure and read the comment section at the bottom of the page link.  Seems some folk don't exactly agree with the article.

http://hamptonroads.com/2007/12/retirement-life%2526%2523039%3Bs-track-norfolk-southern-exec#comment-580958

David R. Goode was a railroad man for 41 years, working his way up to be president, chief executive and chairman of Norfolk Southern Corp.

Nearly two years into retirement, Goode said he's staying busy in what he calls his "new life." He serves on the board of directors of four companies, including those of corporate giants Caterpillar and Delta Air Lines. He's signed on as a director for two civic organizations, the Chrysler Museum of Art and the University of Virginia's Miller Center of Public Affairs. He has also joined a transportation policy panel.

And, of course, he's working to improve his golf game. So far, the effort has been unsuccessful. His handicap remains at 17.

When Goode retired from the Norfolk-based railroad, the fourth-largest in the country, he ended what many considered to be a successful career. A tax attorney by training, he left in early 2006 after reaching

Norfolk Southern's mandatory retirement age.

"It's hard to imagine a business activity that you would enjoy more than running Norfolk Southern," he said this month.

Goode, 66, and his wife, Susan, continue to call Norfolk's Algonquin Park neighborhood home. "We've just been very happy living here," he said.

Now that he's released from the grind of corporate life, Goode said the couple is able to travel more. They bought an apartment in New York City on Central Park South, near Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, Goode said. Also, they have a condominium in Key West, Fla., where they plan to winter for most of January and February.

Such are the perks that come with being a multimillionaire. In 2006, Goode's Norfolk Southern compensation totaled at least $13.2 million, according to a regulatory filing. That figure includes salary, incentives, perks and the estimated value of stock options and awards granted during that year. Norfolk Southern had operating revenue of $9.4 billion in 2006.

Goode still maintains an office in Norfolk Southern's downtown tower - but it's on the 13th floor, down from the 19th floor suite he once occupied. He's usually free for lunch when he's in town, he said.

"That was never the case when I was active," he said. "I never had time for a leisurely lunch."

He occasionally talks to his successor, Wick Moorman, whose performance he praised. "I think Wick has done an outstanding job as CEO," Goode said. "I'm very pleased and proud of him."

Considering Moorman and his top lieutenants, "I think Norfolk Southern is in very good hands," he said.

One of Goode's latest projects is helping develop a new vision for U.S. transportation policy by serving on a panel for the Bipartisan Policy Center. The center is a Washington group founded by four former senators, Democrats George Mitchell and Tom Daschle and Republicans Howard Baker and Bob Dole.

Over the years, Goode stressed the need for cooperation among the various Hampton Roads cities. In retirement, he said he's continued to talk to people on the topic but has chosen not to get actively involved with any efforts to achieve that goal. He hasn't had the time, though he may in the future, he said.

"My plate has been pretty full in retirement with my board activities and trying to spend a little more time with my family and trying to play a little more golf," he said.

Goode is spending some of this downtime thinking with his wife about how they might give back to the local community. He said he isn't sure what form that may take, except that he does not want to spend any more time in boardrooms.

"I'm always available to talk to people and contribute however we can," he said. "We're in the position to do things financially."

He has also been accompanying Susan to meetings of some of the groups she's involved with, such as Americans for the Arts, a national arts advocacy organization, and the Virginia Historical Society.

"I sort of enjoy being the spouse," he said.