President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he will nominate Sarasota state Rep. Joe Gruters to serve on the board of Amtrak.
Gruters was the co-chair of Trump's campaign in Florida. His nomination must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
Amtrak is a passenger railroad company that is majority-owned by the federal government. It served 31.3 million customers in 2016, according to the company's website. Its trains run to 500 destinations in 46 states.
Gruters, a Sarasota CPA who also serves as chair of the Sarasota GOP, said Thursday that he is "honored and thrilled to be on President Trump's team."
"I'm excited about the future," Gruters added. "I think a lot of younger people and millenials are interested in alternative transportation. With President Trump's emphasis on infrastructure, I look forward to helping him achieve some of those goals as a member of the Amtrak board."
Gruters will remain in Sarasota and travel regularly to attend Amtrak's board meetings. He'll continue to serve in the state House. It's not clear when his confirmation hearing will be.
The issue of train safety was in the news again this week after an Amtrak train crashed in Virginia. The train was carrying Republican congressmen to a retreat. It hit a garbage truck, killing one person and injuring another.
"I'm looking forward to trying to make Amtrak efficient, effective and safe," Gruters said.