74 impressive individuals have been recognized as 2025 “Top Women to Watch in Transportation” who have successfully accomplished amazing things in their careers and exemplify WIT’s mission.
Vanessa Angulo sponsored the creation of the Women in Fleet campaign, an initiative aimed at attracting more women to driver roles, helping to address industry-wide workforce gaps. She also spearheaded the integration of several acquisitions into Sysco’s talent acquisition framework, guiding those organizations to improve their recruitment strategies with a particular focus on attracting and retaining women in front-line operations roles.
Pamela Baker has been pivotal in enhancing safety protocols by 20% within her targeted market, which encompasses 4.06 million truck drivers in the US, while effectively addressing the needs of transportation carriers. In the realm of Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports (DVIR), Baker transformed the traditionally manual process of reporting and filing paperwork into a fully automated system through her innovative transportation app, CARAi. This automation has led to a 20% to 30% reduction in administrative downtime.
Tamsin Bencivengo has been a driving force behind Penske’s diversity and inclusion initiatives, working to create opportunities not only for women but for all underrepresented individuals. She has crafted numerous videos that showcase associate success stories and career paths, celebrating achievements and providing inspiration for others. Through her leadership, Bencivengo actively encourages the employment of women in the transportation industry, promotes their accomplishments, and helps to minimize obstacles they face.
Nicole Boyd increased her knowledge by qualifying as LHY Drive and first female APEX Technician in Air Products history. In addition, she is the first female driver safety specialist in the company’s history. Boyd created a driver qualification tracking system that led to terminals having visibility or product qualifications for all drivers and organizes all North America driver safety refocus initiatives which have decreased preventable accidents.
Lina Castaneda has led transformative change at Tai Software, achieving remarkable milestones that reflect her visionary leadership. She expanded her team from just five members to an impressive 35, creating two entirely new departments dedicated to EDI integrations and training. This growth not only scaled Tai’s operations but also ensured the company was equipped to meet the demands of a rapidly expanding customer base.
Marcela Castano championed an effort within the technology organization to build a demonstration tire with 75% certified sustainable content. This work eventually led to the first production tire (Turanza EV) with certified sustainable content. Marcela developed, deployed and led Bridgestone Americas efforts to certify 9 manufacturing locations to the ISCC+ Sustainability standard, thus enabling the enterprise to make third-party-certified sustainability claims to the marketplace.
Joanna Cooper successfully oversaw the launch of the Freightliner Plus series—enhanced versions of the M2 and SD models—introducing major updates to the interior and electrical systems of these popular trucks. She serves as the Treasurer on the Women in Manufacturing (WiM) board of directors where her leadership has been instrumental in promoting gender diversity and supporting women in the manufacturing industry. In the past year, Cooper has been featured in various publications, including Forbes and Authority Magazine.
Theresa Davinroy has grown Tri-National’s recruiting footprint and expanded the company’s presence in the marketplace. An entirely new LTF (look-tone-feel) has established TNi’s media presence, more than doubling the number of driver applications while boosting post interactions with B2C and B2B content. Davinroy is behind TNi being recognized for recent awards, including WIT’s “2024 Top Companies for Women to Work in Transportation”, Inbound Logistics “Top 100 Trucking Companies” and the St. Louis Post Dispatch Top Workplace Award in 2023.
Jessica Dotson generated a pipeline of nearly 300,000 prospects for Multi Service Fuel Card in her first 18 months in her current role. In 2024, as a first-year member of the Women in Trucking Foundation board of directors, Dotson raised more than $20,000 to help women in the industry and has since been appointed to vice-chair for her 2025 term. Appearing on various podcasts such as What the Truck?!?, Freight Nation and 2 Dawgs, 1 Pod, Dotson is a consummate trucking industry professional consistently advocating for drivers.
Janice Doyon has seen an 18.7% increase in the Northeast Region for which she is doing double duty since her promotion to Director of Regional Logistics. For FY 24 she helped the region grow logistics income by 11%. All together for FY25 YTD, the regional logistics teams under Doyon’s leadership is up 10.8%. During this time, she has also assisted with the placement and advancement of three local logistics team members within the Northeast region.
Abbie Dunaway is a leader of what can be and exemplifies positivity in complex and difficult situations. Initially, she was a project manager before joining the Mcleod BI Team, making a difference on day one. She has slowly but surely become a visionary for BI at Mcleod as the company has grown and morphed.
Amanda Ellis has played a pivotal role in collaborating with a global team of design and production experts to develop a new service event management platform for Bridgestone’s partners and customers. Ellis provided insight that contributed to cutting-edge UI/UX and front-to-back-end capabilities, informed by customer feedback. Her leadership ensured the delivery of a superior product and user experience that drives value for customers and her business alike.
Ashley Ellison successfully led operations for the Dedicated Grocery Business, achieving high standards of excellence and efficiency. Her outstanding contributions and dedication earned her a promotion to Vice President of Dedicated Operations, where she oversees a fleet of more than 2,000 trucks and drivers along with several hundred team members across multiple accounts. By fostering relationships with some of the largest shippers in the industry, Ashley helps to create solutions that meet their needs.
As the Terminal Supervisor of the Convent, LA ASU facility, Sarah Falcon manages the safe distribution of LIN, LOX, and LAR throughout the Southeaster Region of the US and the maintenance of all terminal and distribution equipment assigned to the site. In the summer of 2023, Falcon’s role expanded to include terminal management responsibility over the Brookhaven, MS CO2 facility, including CO2 distribution and associated terminal maintenance requirements. In total, Falcon manages nearly 30 personnel and nearly 20 tractor/trailer units in her current role.
Under Kathie Falcone’s leadership, the Fleet Services team charted record revenues in 2024, up several percentage points year-over-year in a relatively flat industry. To better serve customers, Falcone expanded the fleet sales team headcount by 25%, including two new executive roles. A female now fills one of the executive roles adding more diversity to the management team and additional career opportunities for employees and other professionals in the transportation industry.
Kim Fisk was recently promoted to President of Triumph Factoring, a recognition of her skills as a leader and as an excellent manager of implementing the new path forward for Triumph. Fisk was critical in developing and guiding two new products at Triumph this past year: LoadPay and Instant Decision, two game-changing technologies that will shake up the factoring industry. Kim also led the move to automation on invoice and paperwork review (RPA), which has saved team members significant amounts of time, and enabled them to focus on more strategic priorities.
Angie Freeman has been the mastermind behind Women’s leadership development at CH Robinson. She co-founded a long running program called Leadership Networking Circle. The program is an annual cohort of 20 nominated female leaders from across the globe and invites participants into an intensive experience harnessed in education, upskilling, leadership principals, and growth.
Karen Fuller led a strategic initiative that resulted in a 15% reduction in maintenance costs. By analyzing financial data, optimizing resource allocation, and introducing new technologies and procedures, she improved fleet maintenance operations across multiple terminals. This achievement directly contributed to better financial performance, while maintaining the quality of service for customers and the safety of drivers. Fuller has been a champion of creating a positive work culture within the maintenance department. Through her leadership, communication, and team-building efforts, employee satisfaction increased by 20%.
Lori Furnell launched Driver.jobs, a platform and community specifically designed to support and connect this growing segment of the workforce. She also created the Haul of Fame, a space dedicated to celebrating the industry’s unsung heroes—from Drivers of the Month to Carriers of the Year—highlighting their stories and contributions. Additionally, Furnell has developed an innovative platform that uses the latest technology to match drivers and companies based on individual needs and preferences.
Kameel Gaines launched and hosted the Rig on Wheels Show which debuted in July 2023. This widely-followed podcast and live-streaming platform addresses pressing industry issues such as recruitment, retention, diversity, and technology in trucking. The show has garnered significant engagement and serves as a platform for elevating voices within the industry. Gaines also published several well-received articles for the Forbes Business Council, focusing on logistics, leadership, and actionable insights for trucking companies.
Sara Graf established a sustainability task force comprising more than 40 leaders from various departments to develop Estes’ sustainability roadmap and commitments. She also oversees Estes’ partnership with Watershed, a leading enterprise sustainability platform, enabling the company to benchmark emissions data and set reduction targets. Her contributions to SMC3’s sustainability best practices group have advanced industry standards for emissions reporting, positioning Estes as a leader in sustainability within the LTL industry.
Laura Granadosoversees two departments that are 100% female-led, an impressive achievement in the trucking sector. She has cultivated an environment where women feel supported and equipped to thrive in their roles. Recognizing the challenges of balancing professional and personal responsibilities, Granados has implemented policies that provide flexible schedules and robust support for employees with families. These initiatives have resulted in high employee satisfaction, low turnover rates, and enhanced performance.
Kat Guerrero recently graduated from the Minnesota Trucking Association NEXTLeader Program. During this 12-month program, Guerrero learned to build teams, become a person of influence, negotiate with confidence, cultivate relationships, lead meetings effectively, interact with legislators and government agencies, strategically think and plan, and communicate effectively. Guerrero also wrote and published Blue Collar Kids, a series of children’s books that introduces trucks, truck driving, supply chain, and various other skilled trades to kids at a young age.
Candy June Hackworth and two others were the only members when she started the first chapter of Women in Navistar (WIN) in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Today, that number has grown to 20, and thanks to Hackworth’s efforts, plans are now being finalized to open WIN activities to the plant’s hourly workforce. Doing so will give women on the shop floor, in hardware and other areas a chance to take part in networking and growth opportunities that they would not have access to otherwise.
Heather Hines has been integral in the planning, development and launch of products that have created efficiencies for Arrive’s Business Development and Carrier Account teams. These initiatives demanded meticulous planning and cross-departmental collaboration to ensure the products not only addressed the company’s current needs but were also scalable for future growth. Her leadership and expertise have been instrumental in the success of these projects, driving greater efficiency and productivity across the organization.
Betsy Hone was one of a select few women chosen to represent trucking companies in North Carolina at the Call on Raleigh event. This event, focused on collaborating with state policy makers to address the complex regulatory requirements, fees, and challenges within the logistics sector, provided Hone with an opportunity to advocate not only for Old Dominion Freight Line but for the broader industry. Her contributions were also instrumental in amplifying the voices of companies that were unable to attend.
Under Tracy Hughes’ leadership, Estes implemented Virta as part of their employee health coverage. Virta is a virtual health clinic that helps improve lifestyle and can reduce medications for qualifying employees and dependents. Since launching the program, participating Estes employees and dependents have lost more than 12,000 pounds and have been able to get off of many medications. Thanks to Hughes’ passion for employee wellness, the health and productivity of those participating in Virta have been greatly impacted.
Carrie Johnstone significantly expanded the My Estes platform, an online platform designed to help customers manage and track their shipments efficiently. Through a My Estes account, users can access various applications that streamline the process of managing and tracking freight shipments. Johnstone’s work has been instrumental in helping improve customer access to data and shipment information, resulting in improved customer satisfaction scores.
Katie Justman is involved with the advancement of the Schneider Women’s Network with a mission to drive impact by inspiring women leaders who have the ability to influence, develop and enrich other women across the organization in order to attract, develop and retain the best talent and ensure nothing stands in the way of women growing their careers at Schneider. Justman helps spearhead the Schneider Women’s Network’s Individual Development Plan efforts, a program that helps Schneider associates identify meaningful, growth-oriented goals and develop a path to activate and achieve those goals.
Kristine Kennedy is the owner, president and CEO of Highway Heavy Hauling which she has grown to 40 employees and more than 300 pieces of equipment. The company has had no DOT accidents in the last 18 months. She received the Women of Vision Award 2024 presented to her by the Daily Journal of Commerce and successfully purchased her main competitor and merged two teams together to form the only Heavy Hauling company in Portland, Oregon.
Anita Kim has spearheaded pivotal initiatives that bridge the gap between policy development and real-world implementation. One of her most significant achievements was helping to lead Torc’s Texas Road Tour in July 2024, an outreach program designed to engage first responders and local officials across the state. Kim has also been a key contributor to industry dialogue, participating as a featured panelist at the 2024 Innovation Invitational and presenting to the SE Florida Model Users Group.
Jennifer King has propelled her sales team to top 10 finishes in the company. She played a key role in a recent acquisition, ensuring that the new sales representatives seamlessly integrated into the company by becoming well-acquainted with our products and processes. King has developed her status at Penske as not just a sales leader, but a mentor to other women in the field. She gives back to the local colleges by volunteering to judge sales events and active on LinkedIn recognizing accomplishments of her team.
Judith J. Knudsen, CEO and owner of eTruck Transportation, LLC based in Omaha, NE, recently announced that the Electric Drive System (EDS) for the preowned Freightliner Class 8 semi truck is available for order. Judith’s unique approach to creating a electric Class 8 semi and Class 6 box truck will bring a very unique EV truck to market. She uses existing trucks as her starting point. Much faster and very affordable for the customer.
Becky Kraemer staffed her department after industry consolidation increased the workload by 20% overnight which entailed using current resources for training new employees. In the same timeframe, a new IT project to enhance paperless claims processing program required Kraemer’s input and testing of each release. This required OT from the staff and creative work assignments to meet internal and external customer needs.
Jackie Lawrence has expanded her scope of responsibility to include both leadership of Inclusion and People Business Partnership for J.B. Hunt. In this role, she helps facilitate people strategy within each business unit. This allows the company to better integrate its inclusion work into all people processes in ways that enhance business objectives. Over the course of 2024, Lawrence has built education and connectivity inside her team and better organization of work around business priorities.
Trisha Leckow has spent much of her most recent time with Echo on actively building and expanding Echo Accelerator, the company’s Transportation Management System. Rather than build from the ground up, which would force much of Echo’s business to take a leave of absence while the industry continued forward, Leckow and her team, which began as three groups and has since doubled, aims to modernize the system as they go, introducing new capabilities and technology along the way.
Kelly Lee developed a successful mentorship program that pairs aspiring professionals with seasoned mentors, enhancing retention and career growth. Her leadership boosted record-breaking operational efficiency while maintaining high service standards. Lee also played a pivotal role in workforce development recruiting and onboarding highly qualified women into key roles while fostering a more inclusive workforce. Through community engagement, she organized workshops and networking events to inspire women to explore careers in transportation.
Elizabeth Lopez has achieved a significant career milestone by being promoted to Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Sun State International a year ago, following her role as Controller. This promotion is the result of a 25-year journey with the company, where she began as a nighttime receptionist while still in high school. Through relentless dedication, perseverance, and exceptional talent, Lopez has worked her way up, earning each promotion through her outstanding contributions and leadership.
Jenny Lovering was selected to serve on the National Board of Wreaths Across America (WAA), a non-profit organization whose mission is to remember the fallen, honor those who served, and teach the next generation the value of freedom. In this role, Lovering has expanded not only the private fleet’s role but also the entire company’s involvement in National Wreath Laying Day. To date, the Walmart team has donated $126k in local grants to WAA, plus a corporate donation of $150k.
Brenda’s Meija played a key role in developing and supporting Gatik’s third-party safety assessment framework, which was announced in October 2024. This framework represents a groundbreaking step toward fostering transparency, trust, and compliance within the AV industry. Meija spearheaded the internal collaboration required to stand-up this framework, aligning cross-functional teams to ensure it met the highest industry standards. Her leadership was instrumental in the formation of this initiative and has helped set a new benchmark for safety and compliance in autonomous trucking.
In her short time as COO, Erin Mitchell has been working to implement additional paths for driver training, a standard wage and skill progression, and benefits programs that will help level the playing field and attract women and minority drivers. As she’s built the operations leadership team, more than half of her people-leader positions filled in the last year have been filled by women – including several high profile roles.
Laura Muir is the treasurer on the Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada Board creating a sense of urgency and direction that has not been achieved since the curation of the federation. Helping bring on new members and drive for accountability and stability, she is both stepping into a role that needs to be taken while promoting and raising the women around her. Muir regularly speaks at high schools, colleges and universities and attends industry events to sit on panels and discuss the elephant in the room.
Annette Munger and her team are leaders in Driver Retention at R.E. Garrison, driving innovative strategies to enhance driver satisfaction and engagement. Munger was instrumental in the development and implementation of WorkHound, a platform that allows drivers to provide anonymous feedback. This initiative has not only improved communication but has also led to tangible results, including an estimated $75,000 savings in retention costs.
Under Kandice Nadeau’s leadership, her team directly supported a 6-9% year-over-year sales growth for Dedicated Contract Carriage and a 95-98% customer retention rate. Her implementation of LEAN initiatives and other efficiency measures have eliminated 6500+ hours of labor annually and accommodated 50% volume growth with only 13% growth in staff for the product team. Backhaul operations have seen 30% volume growth with only 5% team growth in a very challenging freight environment.
Zeliha Ozgul-Mamishi implemented a new training strategy for International’s 3,000-person research and development team which required working closely with leaders and engineers at all levels to identify technical training needs that equaled any external vendor offerings. She also maximized the return on learning of a $1.4M training budget through efficient contract negotiation and effective application of learner feedback. Her approach to training contributed positively to the organization’s scores in this area in this year’s companywide Employee Experience survey.
Kait Parker played an instrumental role in RXO’s acquisition of Coyote Logistics. As a long-time Coyote employee, Kait was uniquely positioned to build the strategy for evolving the Middle Market and Enterprise Operations functions to better align with RXO’s structure – helping drive efficiency and enable a more seamless transition. To support, Kait developed a system to measure internal operations productivity and used this data to identify roadblocks and reward top performers during a critical transition period for the business.
Angelic Perez was recently promoted to Transportation Hub and Feeder Manager for AZ, UT, and NV. She has led her team to achieve top three results for Safety, Service, and Production in nine of the last 12 months, with her team ranking fourth overall for 2024. Angelic’s team has reduced safety incidents by more than 50% year over year and has consistently exceeded performance expectations, meeting cost targets every month. She also led teams in California to develop driver skills, with more than 100 participants enhancing their abilities behind the wheel of UPS vehicles.
Olivia Raymond was promoted to Senior Director, Engineering and PMO, where she plays a critical role in supporting organizational strategy and leading the company’s strategic project portfolio. Her leadership has been instrumental in delivering key customer-focused initiatives that improved service quality, set company records and elevated the customer experience. In 2024, Raymond’s team achieved zero voluntary turnover, seven Employee Excellence Awards and three Executive MVP honors. She led the network expansion project, overseeing the opening of 28 new service centers.
Stacy Reinsel has successfully managed more than $50mm in revenue, delivering consistent growth and profitability. She has spearheaded the strategic expansion of key accounts, resulting in revenue growth and relationship building, through the ability to identify and nurture high-value accounts. With a strategic vision, Reinsel has driven the revenue growth by expanding service offerings, leveraging new technologies, and entering new markets. Her ability to align organizational goals with the market demands has been instrumental in achieving financial success.
As the Vice President of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic District at Clean Harbors, Lauren Reynolds manages more than 250 employees with a $120 million dollar budget across 22 branch locations. Under her guidance, Clean Harbors has seen significant advancements in operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. Her strategic initiatives have streamlined processes, reduced costs, and enhanced service delivery. This includes pushing to restore buildings that would eventually be used to support women in the field as locker space.
Laura Ricart-Ugaz played a pivotal role in optimizing for the North American market the S13 integrated powertrain, the most advanced and streamlined powertrain International has ever produced. Thanks to the S13, customers are seeing significant fuel efficiency improvements and are increasing profitability and sustainability both on- and off-highway. Similarly, Ricart-Ugaz has championed multiple aerodynamic programs since the LT truck series launch, always pushing boundaries to optimize performance.
Shannon Rigg led Trimac’s most significant changes, including managing the integration of new acquisitions and overseeing a major reorganization within the company to standardize processes. She has played a critical role in restructuring departments and improving the customer experience by reducing manual processes. Rigg also continues to champion the Women Building Futures program, which has helped expand women’s roles in the trucking industry.
Astin Robertson has been instrumental in leading her company’s driver and non-driver recruiting efforts. She helped lead the team driver count to the top of the industry, while keeping the unseated dedicated truck percentage at approximately 1%. Additionally, she was instrumental in the ability to double the truck count at one of her company’s DOTs in a noticeably short time. She has also assisted with significant decreases in driver and non-driver turnover over the past 18 months which has resulted in the lowest turnover numbers in company history.
Krisnhalyn Rosales has consistently exceeded the company’s KPIs in performance, safety, and cost targets, ranking in the top 5 in her zone. She pioneered and implemented the “Compass” leadership program, which focuses on developing part-time and full-time supervisors through one-on-one mentorship. This 8-week program pairs PT and FT supervisors strategically based on their assessed strengths and areas of development, providing PT supervisors with opportunities to learn and network with senior leadership.
Maggie Seaman started the PENSKE PINK OUT which has grown to become a staple movement to her company during breast cancer month. Seaman is known for being helpful to other women, humble and willing to help in anyway she can. She promotes women to be included in all positions, has been in various roles and is a huge presence within her community.
Jennifer Seiwell was promoted from field sales to national accounts, then promoted from there to Director of 3PL Vertical. In 2024, she was promoted to Director of Field Sales. This has all happened in the past four years. Seiwell is full of energy and a great leader as many people listen to her and follow her lead. She is not scared to jump into the trenches and get her hands dirty alongside her direct reports.
Jamie Sheffieldplayed a key role in three pilot projects, delivering improvements that enhanced customer experience and operational efficiency. In her previous role as Director of Sales, Sheffield managed a region with 28 local account executives, mentoring her team to exceed revenue goals for three consecutive years. Since transitioning to Director, Strategic Business Development, Sheffield has contributed to developing and implementing new product offerings, generating $49 million in revenue during their first year.
Simone Souza was key in the reduction of raw material costs through significant supplier negotiations. She has been critical in mitigation of supply chain risks through supplier audits and relationships. She was recently promoted to executive director level, again crashing the glass ceiling to become responsible for all strategic sourcing for raw materials in the U.S. and Latin America. She is also responsible for indirect procurement in Latin America.
Casey Spadafina has expanded service technician training opportunities geographically in both the Nashville and Denver Peterbilt Technician Institute (PTI) locations. These new locations are in addition to the Chicago and Dallas-Fort Worth PTI locations. More than 1,000 Peterbilt certified service technicians have graduated from those two locations. Spadafina’s efforts have also facilitated Peterbilt’s successful partnerships with organizations that assist transitioning military talent with leveraging their transferable skills into service technician careers within the Peterbilt dealer network.
Shannon Struzik formalized professional development initiatives for company directors to enhance emotional intelligence and develop strategic planning skills. In addition, she developed career-pathing programs for all divisions with clearly articulated learning and development goals including metrics to foster career enhancement and upward mobility. In September 2024, Shannon facilitated a session with her executive leadership team peers to create a succinct and actionable strategic plan for the company.
Melissa Suedbeck was instrumental in TAD achieving its goal to reduce accidents and injuries by 20%. Her team met their weekly goals more than 90% of the time and she consistently set stretch goals, held her team accountable and recognized and thanked those who were meeting their goals each week. Suedbeck was also a key player in creating and leading the training and development core theme group. She was also selected to serve in 2024 as a board advisor for the U of M Mankato’s Women in Leadership Program.
Cheryl Sunshine leads with integrity and fosters a culture of collaboration, accountability, and growth. Under her leadership, her team had a strong year on their key performance indicators, demonstrating her ability to motivate and align the team with the company’s goals. Sunshine is an advocate and volunteer coordinator for “Free the Food Coalition” a non-profit organization focused on feeding the homeless that was founded by one of the Redding, CA technicians.
Stephanie Teasley was promoted to Director II in January 2024. Within the last 14 months, she has made major strides with the onboarding of three new customers, with four locations, five managers, and 36 drivers to J.B. Hunt. Teasley also sits on the board of J.B. Hunt’s GROW (Growing and Retaining Outstanding Women) employee resource group, as a field-based employee, she has helped GROW increase awareness and engagement with other field operations employees.
Nichole Tennyson is part of DTNA Executive Operating Committee and has been acknowledged for her indispensable contributions to the leadership team, highlighting her diverse legal experience, collaborative manner, and inclusive style, which have been well received across the global enterprise. Her mentorship efforts have helped her mentees navigate complex challenges, increase their leadership skills and expand their network, enabling successful opportunities for career advancement and professional development.
As an Executive Sponsor of the Key Account Sales Program (KASP) since 2020, Sheena Thieschafer has been pivotal in the professional development of up and coming talent supporting customer-centric sales strategies that have driven measurable improvements in client satisfaction and retention. Thieschafer led initiatives within the Women in Sales ERG to develop professional development resources, directly impacting engagement and the career growth of female sales professionals.
Angela Tillery has been a pivotal figure in driving talent development, operational excellence, and leadership growth at FedEx. She played a crucial role in helping the Fortune 50 employer right size and reorganize its HR team. She took the lead on launching several learning portals designed to help employees enhance their professional growth and development. Additionally, Tillery led focused “Power Hour” meetings for FedEx service center managers and managing directors overseeing the FedEx Freight Operations talent network.
Karen Tsang led the successful implementation of the Process Discipline Index, setting clear targets and supporting teams across Trimac to not only meet but exceed their objectives. Her strategic leadership and focus on continuous improvement have been integral to Trimac’s ability to enhance operational efficiency, ensuring that the company is well-positioned for scalable growth. Additionally, Tsang was an executive sponsor of the 2024 United Way campaign, demonstrating her dedication to supporting community initiatives.
Stephanie Tsao brings a unique blend of legal and technical expertise, honed through software engineering experience and tenure at both BigLaw and in-house environments. She is a trusted advisor to Plus’ executive team, providing guidance and risk assessments on critical business decisions and structuring complex corporate and commercial transactions or partnership deals with world-class transportation companies to advance the commercialization of autonomous driving.
Karla Viglasky implemented a comprehensive data warehouse that pulls together 12+ different data sets to provide her business, agents, drivers, and customers with better visibility across the ecosystem of transportation. Additionally, she implemented a new TMS system (Mastery) for one of her key agents. This proof of concept provided a significant increase in the agent’s efficiency and has led to business growth for the agent. Due to the success of this project, this system will now be implemented across all of her company’s lines of business in 2025.
Easte Wheeler successfully completed Old Dominion’s rigorous Management Trainee Program, a demanding initiative that required balancing motherhood and relocation while mastering various operational departments. Following her graduation, she earned a promotion to Line Haul Manager, becoming the first woman to hold this role at her terminal. She was also a panelist at the April 2024 MTSU Supply Chain Summit, where she participated as the youngest female on the panel, sharing her insights and experiences as a woman in transportation.
Oshawna White’s ability to develop solutions to complex problems has been well demonstrated many times over, perhaps most prominently as it relates to the safety of her teams. In 2023, she organized a safety engagement session with her Lancaster driver team, pulling regional leadership and EHS together for a three-day session focused on personal safety, driver safety and safety culture. This effort resulted in a measurable improvement at her site and has since been formally replicated at other locations as part of a larger corporate safety initiative.
As a critical driver in the company’s record growth for the past seven years, Lynne Wilson’s guidance was invaluable during the pandemic. During these unprecedented and challenging years, she secured financial commitments to assist her company’s clients in attaining refrigerated transportation equipment. Wilson is passionate about developing creative strategies to help PLM customers manage this risk and continue to grow.
Erin Young’s career is marked by a series of progressive leadership roles, each showcasing her ability to innovate and drive results. Her recent promotion to Chief Operating Officer in January 2025 reflects her exceptional contributions and the trust she has earned as a visionary leader in the transportation industry. Over the past year, Young has been instrumental in developing processes and creating efficiencies across her company’s internal operations, driving improved performance and collaboration.
Joy Young has been instrumental in scaling the retail maintenance effort at Torque by Ryder. Using her extensive project management experience and deep knowledge of the transportation industry, she streamlined operations, optimized supplier relationships, and drove cost reductions. Her ability to manage complex projects and improve processes led to more efficient, reliable service for Ryder’s retail customers. Young’s leadership and strategic approach have had a lasting impact, positioning Torque for continued growth and success in a highly competitive market.
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Vanessa Angulo sponsored the creation of the Women in Fleet campaign, an initiative aimed at attracting more women to driver roles, helping to address industry-wide workforce gaps. She also spearheaded the integration of several acquisitions into Sysco’s talent acquisition framework, guiding those organizations to improve their recruitment strategies with a particular focus on attracting and retaining women in front-line operations roles.
Pamela Baker has been pivotal in enhancing safety protocols by 20% within her targeted market, which encompasses 4.06 million truck drivers in the US, while effectively addressing the needs of transportation carriers. In the realm of Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports (DVIR), Baker transformed the traditionally manual process of reporting and filing paperwork into a fully automated system through her innovative transportation app, CARAi. This automation has led to a 20% to 30% reduction in administrative downtime.
Tamsin Bencivengo has been a driving force behind Penske’s diversity and inclusion initiatives, working to create opportunities not only for women but for all underrepresented individuals. She has crafted numerous videos that showcase associate success stories and career paths, celebrating achievements and providing inspiration for others. Through her leadership, Bencivengo actively encourages the employment of women in the transportation industry, promotes their accomplishments, and helps to minimize obstacles they face.
Nicole Boyd increased her knowledge by qualifying as LHY Drive and first female APEX Technician in Air Products history. In addition, she is the first female driver safety specialist in the company’s history. Boyd created a driver qualification tracking system that led to terminals having visibility or product qualifications for all drivers and organizes all North America driver safety refocus initiatives which have decreased preventable accidents. 
Lina Castaneda has led transformative change at Tai Software, achieving remarkable milestones that reflect her visionary leadership. She expanded her team from just five members to an impressive 35, creating two entirely new departments dedicated to EDI integrations and training. This growth not only scaled Tai’s operations but also ensured the company was equipped to meet the demands of a rapidly expanding customer base. 
Marcela Castano championed an effort within the technology organization to build a demonstration tire with 75% certified sustainable content. This work eventually led to the first production tire (Turanza EV) with certified sustainable content. Marcela developed, deployed and led Bridgestone Americas efforts to certify 9 manufacturing locations to the ISCC+ Sustainability standard, thus enabling the enterprise to make third-party-certified sustainability claims to the marketplace. 
Joanna Cooper successfully oversaw the launch of the Freightliner Plus series—enhanced versions of the M2 and SD models—introducing major updates to the interior and electrical systems of these popular trucks. She serves as the Treasurer on the Women in Manufacturing (WiM) board of directors where her leadership has been instrumental in promoting gender diversity and supporting women in the manufacturing industry. In the past year, Cooper has been featured in various publications, including Forbes and Authority Magazine.
Theresa Davinroy has grown Tri-National’s recruiting footprint and expanded the company’s presence in the marketplace. An entirely new LTF (look-tone-feel) has established TNi’s media presence, more than doubling the number of driver applications while boosting post interactions with B2C and B2B content. Davinroy is behind TNi being recognized for recent awards, including WIT’s “2024 Top Companies for Women to Work in Transportation”, Inbound Logistics “Top 100 Trucking Companies” and the St. Louis Post Dispatch Top Workplace Award in 2023.
Jessica Dotson generated a pipeline of nearly 300,000 prospects for Multi Service Fuel Card in her first 18 months in her current role. In 2024, as a first-year member of the Women in Trucking Foundation board of directors, Dotson raised more than $20,000 to help women in the industry and has since been appointed to vice-chair for her 2025 term. Appearing on various podcasts such as What the Truck?!?, Freight Nation and 2 Dawgs, 1 Pod, Dotson is a consummate trucking industry professional consistently advocating for drivers.
Janice Doyon has seen an 18.7% increase in the Northeast Region for which she is doing double duty since her promotion to Director of Regional Logistics. For FY 24 she helped the region grow logistics income by 11%. All together for FY25 YTD, the regional logistics teams under Doyon’s leadership is up 10.8%. During this time, she has also assisted with the placement and advancement of three local logistics team members within the Northeast region.
Abbie Dunaway is a leader of what can be and exemplifies positivity in complex and difficult situations. Initially, she was a project manager before joining the Mcleod BI Team, making a difference on day one. She has slowly but surely become a visionary for BI at Mcleod as the company has grown and morphed.
Amanda Ellis has played a pivotal role in collaborating with a global team of design and production experts to develop a new service event management platform for Bridgestone’s partners and customers. Ellis provided insight that contributed to cutting-edge UI/UX and front-to-back-end capabilities, informed by customer feedback. Her leadership ensured the delivery of a superior product and user experience that drives value for customers and her business alike.
Ashley Ellison successfully led operations for the Dedicated Grocery Business, achieving high standards of excellence and efficiency. Her outstanding contributions and dedication earned her a promotion to Vice President of Dedicated Operations, where she oversees a fleet of more than 2,000 trucks and drivers along with several hundred team members across multiple accounts. By fostering relationships with some of the largest shippers in the industry, Ashley helps to create solutions that meet their needs.
As the Terminal Supervisor of the Convent, LA ASU facility, Sarah Falcon manages the safe distribution of LIN, LOX, and LAR throughout the Southeaster Region of the US and the maintenance of all terminal and distribution equipment assigned to the site. In the summer of 2023, Falcon’s role expanded to include terminal management responsibility over the Brookhaven, MS CO2 facility, including CO2 distribution and associated terminal maintenance requirements. In total, Falcon manages nearly 30 personnel and nearly 20 tractor/trailer units in her current role.
Under Kathie Falcone’s leadership, the Fleet Services team charted record revenues in 2024, up several percentage points year-over-year in a relatively flat industry. To better serve customers, Falcone expanded the fleet sales team headcount by 25%, including two new executive roles. A female now fills one of the executive roles adding more diversity to the management team and additional career opportunities for employees and other professionals in the transportation industry. 
Kim Fisk was recently promoted to President of Triumph Factoring, a recognition of her skills as a leader and as an excellent manager of implementing the new path forward for Triumph. Fisk was critical in developing and guiding two new products at Triumph this past year: LoadPay and Instant Decision, two game-changing technologies that will shake up the factoring industry. Kim also led the move to automation on invoice and paperwork review (RPA), which has saved team members significant amounts of time, and enabled them to focus on more strategic priorities.
Angie Freeman has been the mastermind behind Women’s leadership development at CH Robinson. She co-founded a long running program called Leadership Networking Circle. The program is an annual cohort of 20 nominated female leaders from across the globe and invites participants into an intensive experience harnessed in education, upskilling, leadership principals, and growth.
Karen Fuller led a strategic initiative that resulted in a 15% reduction in maintenance costs. By analyzing financial data, optimizing resource allocation, and introducing new technologies and procedures, she improved fleet maintenance operations across multiple terminals. This achievement directly contributed to better financial performance, while maintaining the quality of service for customers and the safety of drivers. Fuller has been a champion of creating a positive work culture within the maintenance department. Through her leadership, communication, and team-building efforts, employee satisfaction increased by 20%.
Lori Furnell launched Driver.jobs, a platform and community specifically designed to support and connect this growing segment of the workforce. She also created the Haul of Fame, a space dedicated to celebrating the industry’s unsung heroes—from Drivers of the Month to Carriers of the Year—highlighting their stories and contributions. Additionally, Furnell has developed an innovative platform that uses the latest technology to match drivers and companies based on individual needs and preferences.
Kameel Gaines launched and hosted the Rig on Wheels Show which debuted in July 2023. This widely-followed podcast and live-streaming platform addresses pressing industry issues such as recruitment, retention, diversity, and technology in trucking. The show has garnered significant engagement and serves as a platform for elevating voices within the industry. Gaines also published several well-received articles for the Forbes Business Council, focusing on logistics, leadership, and actionable insights for trucking companies.
Sara Graf established a sustainability task force comprising more than 40 leaders from various departments to develop Estes’ sustainability roadmap and commitments. She also oversees Estes’ partnership with Watershed, a leading enterprise sustainability platform, enabling the company to benchmark emissions data and set reduction targets. Her contributions to SMC3’s sustainability best practices group have advanced industry standards for emissions reporting, positioning Estes as a leader in sustainability within the LTL industry.
Laura Granados oversees two departments that are 100% female-led, an impressive achievement in the trucking sector. She has cultivated an environment where women feel supported and equipped to thrive in their roles. Recognizing the challenges of balancing professional and personal responsibilities, Granados has implemented policies that provide flexible schedules and robust support for employees with families. These initiatives have resulted in high employee satisfaction, low turnover rates, and enhanced performance.
Kat Guerrero recently graduated from the Minnesota Trucking Association NEXTLeader Program. During this 12-month program, Guerrero learned to build teams, become a person of influence, negotiate with confidence, cultivate relationships, lead meetings effectively, interact with legislators and government agencies, strategically think and plan, and communicate effectively. Guerrero also wrote and published Blue Collar Kids, a series of children’s books that introduces trucks, truck driving, supply chain, and various other skilled trades to kids at a young age.
Candy June Hackworth and two others were the only members when she started the first chapter of Women in Navistar (WIN) in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Today, that number has grown to 20, and thanks to Hackworth’s efforts, plans are now being finalized to open WIN activities to the plant’s hourly workforce. Doing so will give women on the shop floor, in hardware and other areas a chance to take part in networking and growth opportunities that they would not have access to otherwise. 
Heather Hines has been integral in the planning, development and launch of products that have created efficiencies for Arrive’s Business Development and Carrier Account teams. These initiatives demanded meticulous planning and cross-departmental collaboration to ensure the products not only addressed the company’s current needs but were also scalable for future growth. Her leadership and expertise have been instrumental in the success of these projects, driving greater efficiency and productivity across the organization.
Betsy Hone was one of a select few women chosen to represent trucking companies in North Carolina at the Call on Raleigh event. This event, focused on collaborating with state policy makers to address the complex regulatory requirements, fees, and challenges within the logistics sector, provided Hone with an opportunity to advocate not only for Old Dominion Freight Line but for the broader industry. Her contributions were also instrumental in amplifying the voices of companies that were unable to attend.
Under Tracy Hughes’ leadership, Estes implemented Virta as part of their employee health coverage. Virta is a virtual health clinic that helps improve lifestyle and can reduce medications for qualifying employees and dependents. Since launching the program, participating Estes employees and dependents have lost more than 12,000 pounds and have been able to get off of many medications. Thanks to Hughes’ passion for employee wellness, the health and productivity of those participating in Virta have been greatly impacted.
Carrie Johnstone significantly expanded the My Estes platform, an online platform designed to help customers manage and track their shipments efficiently. Through a My Estes account, users can access various applications that streamline the process of managing and tracking freight shipments. Johnstone’s work has been instrumental in helping improve customer access to data and shipment information, resulting in improved customer satisfaction scores.
Katie Justman is involved with the advancement of the Schneider Women’s Network with a mission to drive impact by inspiring women leaders who have the ability to influence, develop and enrich other women across the organization in order to attract, develop and retain the best talent and ensure nothing stands in the way of women growing their careers at Schneider. Justman helps spearhead the Schneider Women’s Network’s Individual Development Plan efforts, a program that helps Schneider associates identify meaningful, growth-oriented goals and develop a path to activate and achieve those goals.
Kristine Kennedy is the owner, president and CEO of Highway Heavy Hauling which she has grown to 40 employees and more than 300 pieces of equipment. The company has had no DOT accidents in the last 18 months. She received the Women of Vision Award 2024 presented to her by the Daily Journal of Commerce and successfully purchased her main competitor and merged two teams together to form the only Heavy Hauling company in Portland, Oregon.
Anita Kim has spearheaded pivotal initiatives that bridge the gap between policy development and real-world implementation. One of her most significant achievements was helping to lead Torc’s Texas Road Tour in July 2024, an outreach program designed to engage first responders and local officials across the state. Kim has also been a key contributor to industry dialogue, participating as a featured panelist at the 2024 Innovation Invitational and presenting to the SE Florida Model Users Group.
Jennifer King has propelled her sales team to top 10 finishes in the company. She played a key role in a recent acquisition, ensuring that the new sales representatives seamlessly integrated into the company by becoming well-acquainted with our products and processes. King has developed her status at Penske as not just a sales leader, but a mentor to other women in the field. She gives back to the local colleges by volunteering to judge sales events and active on LinkedIn recognizing accomplishments of her team.
Judith J. Knudsen, CEO and owner of eTruck Transportation, LLC based in Omaha, NE, recently announced that the Electric Drive System (EDS) for the preowned Freightliner Class 8 semi truck is available for order. Judith’s unique approach to creating a electric Class 8 semi and Class 6 box truck will bring a very unique EV truck to market. She uses existing trucks as her starting point. Much faster and very affordable for the customer.
Becky Kraemer staffed her department after industry consolidation increased the workload by 20% overnight which entailed using current resources for training new employees. In the same timeframe, a new IT project to enhance paperless claims processing program required Kraemer’s input and testing of each release. This required OT from the staff and creative work assignments to meet internal and external customer needs.
Jackie Lawrence has expanded her scope of responsibility to include both leadership of Inclusion and People Business Partnership for J.B. Hunt. In this role, she helps facilitate people strategy within each business unit. This allows the company to better integrate its inclusion work into all people processes in ways that enhance business objectives. Over the course of 2024, Lawrence has built education and connectivity inside her team and better organization of work around business priorities.
Trisha Leckow has spent much of her most recent time with Echo on actively building and expanding Echo Accelerator, the company’s Transportation Management System. Rather than build from the ground up, which would force much of Echo’s business to take a leave of absence while the industry continued forward, Leckow and her team, which began as three groups and has since doubled, aims to modernize the system as they go, introducing new capabilities and technology along the way. 
Kelly Lee developed a successful mentorship program that pairs aspiring professionals with seasoned mentors, enhancing retention and career growth. Her leadership boosted record-breaking operational efficiency while maintaining high service standards. Lee also played a pivotal role in workforce development recruiting and onboarding highly qualified women into key roles while fostering a more inclusive workforce. Through community engagement, she organized workshops and networking events to inspire women to explore careers in transportation. 
Elizabeth Lopez has achieved a significant career milestone by being promoted to Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Sun State International a year ago, following her role as Controller. This promotion is the result of a 25-year journey with the company, where she began as a nighttime receptionist while still in high school. Through relentless dedication, perseverance, and exceptional talent, Lopez has worked her way up, earning each promotion through her outstanding contributions and leadership.
Jenny Lovering was selected to serve on the National Board of Wreaths Across America (WAA), a non-profit organization whose mission is to remember the fallen, honor those who served, and teach the next generation the value of freedom. In this role, Lovering has expanded not only the private fleet’s role but also the entire company’s involvement in National Wreath Laying Day. To date, the Walmart team has donated $126k in local grants to WAA, plus a corporate donation of $150k.
Brenda’s Meija played a key role in developing and supporting Gatik’s third-party safety assessment framework, which was announced in October 2024. This framework represents a groundbreaking step toward fostering transparency, trust, and compliance within the AV industry. Meija spearheaded the internal collaboration required to stand-up this framework, aligning cross-functional teams to ensure it met the highest industry standards. Her leadership was instrumental in the formation of this initiative and has helped set a new benchmark for safety and compliance in autonomous trucking. 
In her short time as COO, Erin Mitchell has been working to implement additional paths for driver training, a standard wage and skill progression, and benefits programs that will help level the playing field and attract women and minority drivers. As she’s built the operations leadership team, more than half of her people-leader positions filled in the last year have been filled by women – including several high profile roles.
Laura Muir is the treasurer on the Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada Board creating a sense of urgency and direction that has not been achieved since the curation of the federation. Helping bring on new members and drive for accountability and stability, she is both stepping into a role that needs to be taken while promoting and raising the women around her. Muir regularly speaks at high schools, colleges and universities and attends industry events to sit on panels and discuss the elephant in the room.
Annette Munger and her team are leaders in Driver Retention at R.E. Garrison, driving innovative strategies to enhance driver satisfaction and engagement. Munger was instrumental in the development and implementation of WorkHound, a platform that allows drivers to provide anonymous feedback. This initiative has not only improved communication but has also led to tangible results, including an estimated $75,000 savings in retention costs. 
Under Kandice Nadeau’s leadership, her team directly supported a 6-9% year-over-year sales growth for Dedicated Contract Carriage and a 95-98% customer retention rate. Her implementation of LEAN initiatives and other efficiency measures have eliminated 6500+ hours of labor annually and accommodated 50% volume growth with only 13% growth in staff for the product team. Backhaul operations have seen 30% volume growth with only 5% team growth in a very challenging freight environment.
Zeliha Ozgul-Mamishi implemented a new training strategy for International’s 3,000-person research and development team which required working closely with leaders and engineers at all levels to identify technical training needs that equaled any external vendor offerings. She also maximized the return on learning of a $1.4M training budget through efficient contract negotiation and effective application of learner feedback. Her approach to training contributed positively to the organization’s scores in this area in this year’s companywide Employee Experience survey.
Kait Parker played an instrumental role in RXO’s acquisition of Coyote Logistics. As a long-time Coyote employee, Kait was uniquely positioned to build the strategy for evolving the Middle Market and Enterprise Operations functions to better align with RXO’s structure – helping drive efficiency and enable a more seamless transition. To support, Kait developed a system to measure internal operations productivity and used this data to identify roadblocks and reward top performers during a critical transition period for the business. 
Angelic Perez was recently promoted to Transportation Hub and Feeder Manager for AZ, UT, and NV. She has led her team to achieve top three results for Safety, Service, and Production in nine of the last 12 months, with her team ranking fourth overall for 2024. Angelic’s team has reduced safety incidents by more than 50% year over year and has consistently exceeded performance expectations, meeting cost targets every month. She also led teams in California to develop driver skills, with more than 100 participants enhancing their abilities behind the wheel of UPS vehicles. 
Olivia Raymond was promoted to Senior Director, Engineering and PMO, where she plays a critical role in supporting organizational strategy and leading the company’s strategic project portfolio. Her leadership has been instrumental in delivering key customer-focused initiatives that improved service quality, set company records and elevated the customer experience. In 2024, Raymond’s team achieved zero voluntary turnover, seven Employee Excellence Awards and three Executive MVP honors. She led the network expansion project, overseeing the opening of 28 new service centers. 
Stacy Reinsel has successfully managed more than $50mm in revenue, delivering consistent growth and profitability. She has spearheaded the strategic expansion of key accounts, resulting in revenue growth and relationship building, through the ability to identify and nurture high-value accounts. With a strategic vision, Reinsel has driven the revenue growth by expanding service offerings, leveraging new technologies, and entering new markets. Her ability to align organizational goals with the market demands has been instrumental in achieving financial success.
As the Vice President of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic District at Clean Harbors, Lauren Reynolds manages more than 250 employees with a $120 million dollar budget across 22 branch locations. Under her guidance, Clean Harbors has seen significant advancements in operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. Her strategic initiatives have streamlined processes, reduced costs, and enhanced service delivery. This includes pushing to restore buildings that would eventually be used to support women in the field as locker space.
Laura Ricart-Ugaz played a pivotal role in optimizing for the North American market the S13 integrated powertrain, the most advanced and streamlined powertrain International has ever produced. Thanks to the S13, customers are seeing significant fuel efficiency improvements and are increasing profitability and sustainability both on- and off-highway. Similarly, Ricart-Ugaz has championed multiple aerodynamic programs since the LT truck series launch, always pushing boundaries to optimize performance.
Shannon Rigg led Trimac’s most significant changes, including managing the integration of new acquisitions and overseeing a major reorganization within the company to standardize processes. She has played a critical role in restructuring departments and improving the customer experience by reducing manual processes. Rigg also continues to champion the Women Building Futures program, which has helped expand women’s roles in the trucking industry. 
Astin Robertson has been instrumental in leading her company’s driver and non-driver recruiting efforts. She helped lead the team driver count to the top of the industry, while keeping the unseated dedicated truck percentage at approximately 1%. Additionally, she was instrumental in the ability to double the truck count at one of her company’s DOTs in a noticeably short time. She has also assisted with significant decreases in driver and non-driver turnover over the past 18 months which has resulted in the lowest turnover numbers in company history. 
Krisnhalyn Rosales has consistently exceeded the company’s KPIs in performance, safety, and cost targets, ranking in the top 5 in her zone. She pioneered and implemented the “Compass” leadership program, which focuses on developing part-time and full-time supervisors through one-on-one mentorship. This 8-week program pairs PT and FT supervisors strategically based on their assessed strengths and areas of development, providing PT supervisors with opportunities to learn and network with senior leadership.
Maggie Seaman started the PENSKE PINK OUT which has grown to become a staple movement to her company during breast cancer month. Seaman is known for being helpful to other women, humble and willing to help in anyway she can. She promotes women to be included in all positions, has been in various roles and is a huge presence within her community.
Jennifer Seiwell was promoted from field sales to national accounts, then promoted from there to Director of 3PL Vertical. In 2024, she was promoted to Director of Field Sales. This has all happened in the past four years. Seiwell is full of energy and a great leader as many people listen to her and follow her lead. She is not scared to jump into the trenches and get her hands dirty alongside her direct reports.
Jamie Sheffield played a key role in three pilot projects, delivering improvements that enhanced customer experience and operational efficiency. In her previous role as Director of Sales, Sheffield managed a region with 28 local account executives, mentoring her team to exceed revenue goals for three consecutive years. Since transitioning to Director, Strategic Business Development, Sheffield has contributed to developing and implementing new product offerings, generating $49 million in revenue during their first year. 
Simone Souza was key in the reduction of raw material costs through significant supplier negotiations. She has been critical in mitigation of supply chain risks through supplier audits and relationships. She was recently promoted to executive director level, again crashing the glass ceiling to become responsible for all strategic sourcing for raw materials in the U.S. and Latin America. She is also responsible for indirect procurement in Latin America.
Casey Spadafina has expanded service technician training opportunities geographically in both the Nashville and Denver Peterbilt Technician Institute (PTI) locations. These new locations are in addition to the Chicago and Dallas-Fort Worth PTI locations. More than 1,000 Peterbilt certified service technicians have graduated from those two locations. Spadafina’s efforts have also facilitated Peterbilt’s successful partnerships with organizations that assist transitioning military talent with leveraging their transferable skills into service technician careers within the Peterbilt dealer network.
Shannon Struzik formalized professional development initiatives for company directors to enhance emotional intelligence and develop strategic planning skills. In addition, she developed career-pathing programs for all divisions with clearly articulated learning and development goals including metrics to foster career enhancement and upward mobility. In September 2024, Shannon facilitated a session with her executive leadership team peers to create a succinct and actionable strategic plan for the company. 
Melissa Suedbeck was instrumental in TAD achieving its goal to reduce accidents and injuries by 20%. Her team met their weekly goals more than 90% of the time and she consistently set stretch goals, held her team accountable and recognized and thanked those who were meeting their goals each week. Suedbeck was also a key player in creating and leading the training and development core theme group. She was also selected to serve in 2024 as a board advisor for the U of M Mankato’s Women in Leadership Program.
Cheryl Sunshine leads with integrity and fosters a culture of collaboration, accountability, and growth. Under her leadership, her team had a strong year on their key performance indicators, demonstrating her ability to motivate and align the team with the company’s goals. Sunshine is an advocate and volunteer coordinator for “Free the Food Coalition” a non-profit organization focused on feeding the homeless that was founded by one of the Redding, CA technicians.
Stephanie Teasley was promoted to Director II in January 2024. Within the last 14 months, she has made major strides with the onboarding of three new customers, with four locations, five managers, and 36 drivers to J.B. Hunt. Teasley also sits on the board of J.B. Hunt’s GROW (Growing and Retaining Outstanding Women) employee resource group, as a field-based employee, she has helped GROW increase awareness and engagement with other field operations employees.
Nichole Tennyson is part of DTNA Executive Operating Committee and has been acknowledged for her indispensable contributions to the leadership team, highlighting her diverse legal experience, collaborative manner, and inclusive style, which have been well received across the global enterprise. Her mentorship efforts have helped her mentees navigate complex challenges, increase their leadership skills and expand their network, enabling successful opportunities for career advancement and professional development.
As an Executive Sponsor of the Key Account Sales Program (KASP) since 2020, Sheena Thieschafer has been pivotal in the professional development of up and coming talent supporting customer-centric sales strategies that have driven measurable improvements in client satisfaction and retention. Thieschafer led initiatives within the Women in Sales ERG to develop professional development resources, directly impacting engagement and the career growth of female sales professionals.
Angela Tillery has been a pivotal figure in driving talent development, operational excellence, and leadership growth at FedEx. She played a crucial role in helping the Fortune 50 employer right size and reorganize its HR team. She took the lead on launching several learning portals designed to help employees enhance their professional growth and development. Additionally, Tillery led focused “Power Hour” meetings for FedEx service center managers and managing directors overseeing the FedEx Freight Operations talent network.
Karen Tsang led the successful implementation of the Process Discipline Index, setting clear targets and supporting teams across Trimac to not only meet but exceed their objectives. Her strategic leadership and focus on continuous improvement have been integral to Trimac’s ability to enhance operational efficiency, ensuring that the company is well-positioned for scalable growth. Additionally, Tsang was an executive sponsor of the 2024 United Way campaign, demonstrating her dedication to supporting community initiatives.
Stephanie Tsao brings a unique blend of legal and technical expertise, honed through software engineering experience and tenure at both BigLaw and in-house environments. She is a trusted advisor to Plus’ executive team, providing guidance and risk assessments on critical business decisions and structuring complex corporate and commercial transactions or partnership deals with world-class transportation companies to advance the commercialization of autonomous driving.
Karla Viglasky implemented a comprehensive data warehouse that pulls together 12+ different data sets to provide her business, agents, drivers, and customers with better visibility across the ecosystem of transportation. Additionally, she implemented a new TMS system (Mastery) for one of her key agents. This proof of concept provided a significant increase in the agent’s efficiency and has led to business growth for the agent. Due to the success of this project, this system will now be implemented across all of her company’s lines of business in 2025.
Easte Wheeler successfully completed Old Dominion’s rigorous Management Trainee Program, a demanding initiative that required balancing motherhood and relocation while mastering various operational departments. Following her graduation, she earned a promotion to Line Haul Manager, becoming the first woman to hold this role at her terminal. She was also a panelist at the April 2024 MTSU Supply Chain Summit, where she participated as the youngest female on the panel, sharing her insights and experiences as a woman in transportation.
Oshawna White’s ability to develop solutions to complex problems has been well demonstrated many times over, perhaps most prominently as it relates to the safety of her teams. In 2023, she organized a safety engagement session with her Lancaster driver team, pulling regional leadership and EHS together for a three-day session focused on personal safety, driver safety and safety culture. This effort resulted in a measurable improvement at her site and has since been formally replicated at other locations as part of a larger corporate safety initiative.
As a critical driver in the company’s record growth for the past seven years, Lynne Wilson’s guidance was invaluable during the pandemic. During these unprecedented and challenging years, she secured financial commitments to assist her company’s clients in attaining refrigerated transportation equipment. Wilson is passionate about developing creative strategies to help PLM customers manage this risk and continue to grow.
Erin Young’s career is marked by a series of progressive leadership roles, each showcasing her ability to innovate and drive results. Her recent promotion to Chief Operating Officer in January 2025 reflects her exceptional contributions and the trust she has earned as a visionary leader in the transportation industry. Over the past year, Young has been instrumental in developing processes and creating efficiencies across her company’s internal operations, driving improved performance and collaboration. 
Joy Young has been instrumental in scaling the retail maintenance effort at Torque by Ryder. Using her extensive project management experience and deep knowledge of the transportation industry, she streamlined operations, optimized supplier relationships, and drove cost reductions. Her ability to manage complex projects and improve processes led to more efficient, reliable service for Ryder’s retail customers. Young’s leadership and strategic approach have had a lasting impact, positioning Torque for continued growth and success in a highly competitive market.
