Lena Owens

Recruiter Agency Accounts

TransTech Truck Driver Training School (North Carolina)

Lena Owens is an Experienced Recruiting Leader with TransTech Truck Driver Training School based in North Carolina. Trans Tech, Inc. provides comprehensive Class A CDL training programs with modern facilities, small class sizes, late-model equipment, and instruction from professional, certified trainers. Trans Tech also offers full-time classes that last four weeks and part-time evening/weekend programs that last eight weeks.

Lena is a leader in the transportation/trucking and logistics industry, bringing experience in working with Nonprofit Organizations, Social Services, Case Management, and Community Outreach. She is a human resources professional with a Master of Arts (MA) degree in Human Services from Liberty University.

In her role, she is responsible for building a workforce of well-trained commercial truck drivers.

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lena-owens-bsw-ma-ba5b6311b/

LinkedIn Website: https://trans-tech.net/

Rockson Arnold

CEO & Creative Director Rockeagle Pictures

(Michigan)

Rockson Arnold is an actor and director known for The Good Neighbor, Cinematostrophe, Inferno X - Film Concept (2018), and The Grieving Seeker. Coming from an IT background, he had worked in the Tech industry for a number of years while partly engaging in filmmaking. He made his first documentary film in 2008 as part of a research project for a college institution in Michigan and has since worked on several documentary projects and short films as an actor and director. In 2014, he made a complete career shift from Tech to Entertainment. He continues to grow his film, picture, and entertainment business with a major focus on building a thriving film industry in Michigan.

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rockarnold/

Website: https://rockeaglepictures.com/home-1

Dr. Jonathan Woods

Senior Fellow

American Council on Education (Washington D.C.)

Jonathan Woods is a Senior Fellow with the American Council on Education. He is a veteran of the U.S. Navy and holds academic degrees in general studies from Reedley College, adult learning from Southern Illinois University, business administration from Jacksonville University, and educational administration from the University of Florida. Woods has served as university faculty, curriculum developer, and as branch head, regional director, and policy chief for Navy education and training programs.

Dr. Woods is the former director of the Career Readiness Suite, which includes both academic and non-academic credentials within the office of Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Force Education & Training). He entered federal service in 2004 and has directed voluntary education activities at the Installation, Region, Service, and Agency level. His programs affect the investment of roughly $700M in annual federal funding and touch about 800,000 Service members each year.

His decorations include the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Civilian Service, the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Medal (two awards), the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and several unit and campaign awards.

Crystal Odom-McKinney

National Director

Easterseals (Illinois)

As national director of the largest federally funded program for older adults who seek employment and training assistance and civic engagement, Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), Crystal provides oversight and support to Easterseals multistate partners and territories for workforce programs for people with disabilities, veterans, and older adults.

For 12 years and counting, she has actively served as a Board member for the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP) Region 5. Crystal is an alumna/ sponsor of the American Society on Aging's New Ventures in Leadership Program; a member of the Chicago Jobs Council's Front Line Focus Workforce Development Professionals Mentoring Program, and the Chicago Foundation for Women Willies Warriors Leadership Cohort.

With over 20 years of experience in non-profit management and expertise in working with diverse populations, Crystal understands what truly drives community collaborations. Crystal earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Tennessee State University and her Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Lewis University. Crystal is a veteran of the United States Armed Forces (Operation Desert Shield/Operation Desert Storm).

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/codom/

Eric Shepard

Executive Director

Foundation For Talent Transformation (Florida)

Eric Shepherd, Author of Talent Transformation, has been in the tech space for decades, from product development to CEO, and now runs a personal and team transformation non-profit organization (Foundation for Talent Transformation).

Eric Shepherd’s journey in the computer industry began in the late 80s, when he gained experience across various domains, from software development and hardware to sales and marketing. As the CEO of a software company specializing in assessments, he traveled the world and interacted with large organizations, building a deep understanding of talent management and team dynamics. His extensive background led him to write the book “Talent Transformation” and establish the Foundation for Talent Transformation.

In prior decades, technical skills were highly valued in the job market. However, with the rise of automation, repetitive tasks are now performed by machines, freeing humans to focus on their innate abilities, such as creativity, innovation, teamwork, and communication. The challenge lies in the fact that traditional education systems must adequately prepare individuals for this new reality. Consequently, there is a growing need to nurture 21st-century skills like cooperation, collaboration, conflict resolution, courage, and curiosity.

In his book, Talent Transformation, Eric unearths the twelve fundamental factors for long-term organizational success. The book reveals how to keep pace with the future of work and overcome the challenges posed by the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Covering the major technical and functional skills, it also examines the social and emotional demands of workplace culture. This enlightening guide explains how leaders can harness the tools and performance strategies for lasting success in the twenty-first century.

Eric is the Founder and Executive Director of The Foundation for Talent Transformation, which is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to helping people understand themselves, relate well to others, and define their path to success. The organization provides apps, quizzes, and webinars, offering people the practical guidance and inspiration needed to thrive instead of merely survive.

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shepherd-eric/

Website: https://www.talenttransformation.com/

Doug Smith

Director of Learning Success XR Guru (Ohio)

Doug Smith, MBA, is the Director of Learning Success at XR Guru. Doug has helped hundreds of enterprise organizations and educational institutions incorporate pre-made and custom immersive learning and training modules into organizational processes. As an industry leader, he has presented XR information at conferences globally.

XR Guru is the #1 AI-powered one-stop shop XR Platform offering simplified creation, enhanced collaboration, and a diversified collection of immersive experiences. They use Virtual Reality (VR) to advance workforce training through immersive simulations and interactive experiences. VR enhances learning retention and engagement, providing safe environments for hands-on practice. Employees can acquire practical knowledge more efficiently, which improves performance and productivity.

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougsmithxr/

Website: https://www.xrguru.com/

Bobby Brown

U.S. Job Corps Center Director Serrato Corporation

(Texas)

Bobby Brown is the Center Director of the North Texas Job Corps facility. With roughly 30 years of experience in Job Corps, he is an established leader who understands the mechanics of operating an effective workforce development program.

One of his newest innovative programs was the creation of an Aircraft Sheet Metal Repair program. Through the Advanced Airframe and Powerplant Mechanics training program, students operate on jet and piston aircraft, gaining skills in replacing and repairing aircraft parts, as well as diagnosing mechanical and electrical problems. This is a fast-track program with 12 months of instruction in general, airframe and powerplant courses, and the training area is offered exclusively at North Texas Job Corps Center. This partnership fills a need within the airline industry and offers students access to high-wage, high-skilled, and in-demand jobs.

Through the conversation, Bobby discusses his journey from being an electrician and boiler operator to a leader in Job Corps. He provides an insightful overview of the U.S. Job Corps program from his 30 years and discusses how Job Corps is impacting young people and workforce development around the country. Job Corps is the nation’s largest free, residential career training and education program for low-income young adults ages 16 through 24. With 10 industries to pick from and countless careers to explore, Job Corps has an opportunity for anyone ready to work hard and grow. For over 60 years, Job Corps has helped thousands of students pave their path to success.

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobby-brown-982656100/

Company Website: https://serratocorp.com/

U.S. Job Corps Website: https://www.jobcorps.gov/

Janina Jacobs - June 2, 2025

Entrepreneur and Investor (Michigan)

As an entrepreneur with several businesses in the golf industry, food service (owned a popular Detroit restaurant for 41 years), real estate development, the concert/music arena, and creating events of all kinds, her greatest talent lies in recognizing ways operations can be enhanced while connecting people working in the same direction on various projects.

Jacobs, a native of Detroit who lettered three years on the Wayne State University men's golf team. During her three years, Jacobs became the first woman to play collegiate golf (as well as at her high school) and earn a varsity golf letter at Wayne State. Jacobs earned two varsity men's golf letters in the 1974-75 and 1975-76 seasons. She became the second woman to play on a men's varsity and the second woman to earn a varsity letter at Wayne State.

In 1975, Jacobs won the Central Michigan Invitational and participated in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (NAIAW) tournament. In addition, she was nominated for the United Foundation's "Sportswoman of the Year" in 1978. She also became the first woman golfer ever to be featured on the cover of Private Clubs Magazine, Jacobs is the founder of the Metro Detroit Chapter of the Executive Woman's Golf Association which is a national organization which facilitates business women entering into the world of "client" golf.

Janina also has extensive work in media with previous roles as a WJR-AM-760 radio host and CBS-Detroit-TV golf program host. Today Janina continues her work in in media as a multi- media consultant specializing in golf, business and women's issues. She is a freelance writer, her work has appeared in national, regional and local publications (including a monthly column in the Detroit Free Press).

Expanding on her broad career, Jacobs is a professional musician and performer who distributed her first album, ""The Treasure - An Inspirational Collection,"" under her own label, Parrot Records. And she is the Director of Music at St. Basil Parish in Eastpointe, Michigan.

As a business owner, media influencer, entrepreneur, and investor, Janina continues serving her community, State, and Country through a variety of projects and initiatives.

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janina-jacobs-03b34511/

Martin Garsee Executive DirectorNational Association of Publicly Funded Truck Driving Schools (Texas)Martin Garsee serves as the Executive Director of NAPFTDS and the Director of Transportation Training at Houston Community College.

The National Association of Publicly Funded Truck Driving Schools (NAPFTDS) is an organization for the promotion of public education for the transportation industry. Through membership, educators can network with other truck driving schools across the country to provide the highest quality, most cost-effective, and up-to-date training available.Trucks deliver 70 percent of all freight tonnage and 80 percent of U.S. communities receive their goods exclusively by truck. There are currently 3.5 million commercial drivers, averaging $50,000 annually. Over the next ten years the American Trucking Association (ATA) projects a need for 96,178 new drivers per year. These opportunities exist because of industry growth (36%), retirement (37%), drivers not meeting current guidelines (16%) and changing careers (11%).In both of his roles, Martin Garsee is a leading export in commercial truck driving. His leadership is paving the future and creating the workforce needed in the trucking and transportation industry.LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-garsee-78436a69/Website: https://napftds.org/

Jessica Bartnick Founder and CEOFoundation For C.H.O.I.C.E.(Texas)By serving at risk youth through a one-to-one mentoring program, Foundation For C.H.O.I.C.E. (Consider How One Individual Changes Everything) creates opportunities for a college education through professionally supported relationships, inspiring the student to makepositive choices for their future.Through a structured 27-week course, Foundation For C.H.O.I.C.E. and their volunteer mentors empower hand-picked, at-risk students who demonstrate responsibility, motivation, and determination to overcome their own personal circumstances.The program emphasizes the importance of high school academics and creates extended learning opportunities linked to college and career readiness focusing on consistency and measurable results based on curriculum developed weekly mentor-student meetings and progress reports.LinkedIn Profile: Jessica Bartnick LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-bartnick-85b58217Website: Foundation for Choice Website:https://www.foundationforchoice.org/