PLOVER Wis. — The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) announced its fourth annual list of Top Women to Watch in Transportation March 22. The 73 women noted on the list were selected by the editorial staff of WIT’s Redefining the Road magazine based on their recent career accomplishments and efforts to promote gender diversity.
“This accomplished group of women represent a wide range of skill sets and expertise, and highlight how women bring diverse thought, value and results to businesses in the industry,” said Ellen Voie, WIT president and CEO. “These impressive women have made a tremendous impact in their fields during this pandemic and are pushing the envelope for women in the industry. We are thrilled to recognize and celebrate their accomplishments.”
Those named to the 2021 Top Women to Watch in Transportation list work for a broad range of company types, including motor carriers, third-party logistics companies, equipment manufacturers, retail truck dealers, professional services companies, technology innovators and private fleets. Their job functions include corporate management, operations and safety, sales and marketing, human resources, engineering and product development; in addition, there are professional drivers noted on the list.
“This year, we received a record-breaking number of nominations who rose to the challenge in a particularly difficult, stressful year during the COVID pandemic,” said Brian Everett, group editorial director and publisher of Redefining the Road magazine. “Through this year’s evaluation process, we identified 73 amazingly resourceful, creative, talented women who stand out as top performers in the field of transportation.”
Of the 73 Top Women to Watch in 2021, 11 employees of Yellow Corp. were selected:
- Andrea Anderson, equipment manager;
- Patrice Brown, assistant general counsel;
- Heather Callaway, audit manager;
- Lea Dawson, executive vice president, general counsel and secretary;
- Summer Dean, talent acquisition director;
- Lucia Dorr, talent development specialist;
- Maria Grasty, operations manager;
- Tamara Jalving, vice president, safety;
- Melissa Jass, senior organizational development business partner;
- Heather Noland, human resources director; and
- Deanna Parker, payroll director
“It’s always exciting when a third party recognizes the contributions of our employees, who in this case are among the trucking industry’s top professionals,” said Darren Hawkins, Yellow Corp. CEO. “The contributions of these women, not only to Yellow but to our entire industry, are truly remarkable, as they champion diversity and inclusion across all levels of the company and in our communities.”
Yellow expanded its resources for women by creating a Women’s Inclusion Network, an employee resource group designed to foster relationships, enhance the employee experience, support women behind the wheel and develop a strong pool of future leaders in what’s traditionally been a male-dominated industry.
“We recognize the value women bring to the table, and our newly expanded Women’s Inclusion Network offers mentoring, safety training, leadership development and enrichment opportunities that help drive our recruitment and retention strategy for women,” said Sarah Statlander, the company’s vice president of human capital and talent acquisition. Statlander was recognized on WIT’s Top Women to Watch in Transportation list for 2020.
Five employees of Ryder are noted on the list:
- Amy Carroll, director of sales;
- Marilyn Pape: manager of strategic analytics;
- Lindsey Trent: manager of business and customer development;
- Jessica Weaver: manager of group logistics; and
- Stacey Weidner: senior director of human resources.
“These five astounding women have been invaluable leaders across Ryder’s business in their commitment to advancing gender diversity within the transportation industry, an integral part of our core values,” said Delores Lail, Ryder’s senior vice president of sales for the east region and a member of the WIT board of directors. “From building successful teams and mentoring female colleagues to driving innovation and fostering key customer relationships, Ryder celebrates this accomplished group of women and remains dedicated to fostering a culture that empowers our employees to succeed at all levels.”
In 2019 and 2020, Ryder was a recipient of WIT’s Top Companies for Women to Work for in Transportation, an award honoring companies for commitment to the employment of women in the trucking industry. As an active participant of the WIT Association,
PACCAR Parts, Schneider National, Visible Supply Chain Management and Fleet Advantage are also honoring employees who made this year’s list.
PAACAR Parts honors Brook Vasquez, who serves as the company’s director of operations in Europe and is responsible for operations at six aftermarket parts distribution centers, including supply chain management and logistic functions to support DAF trucks worldwide. Vasquez focuses on maximizing customer uptime by providing industry-leading parts availability and speed of delivery.
“Brooke Vasquez is an inspiration to others and is dedicated to her customers and team members. She sets clear expectations, leads by example and is a valuable member of our global organization,” said David Danforth, PACCAR Parts general manager and PACCAR vice president.
“I have worked at PACCAR Parts facilities all over the world and that experience has given me a well-rounded perspective of the trucking industry. I can relate to other women in the industry and offer advice on how they can advance in their careers,” Vasquez said. “I enjoy mentoring employees and empowering them to take charge of their career development.”
Carmen Cucinello, vice president of operations at Schneider National, is being recognized for supporting gender equality in the trucking industry.
“The fact that this spotlight exists for women within the transportation industry is exciting, and much deserved,” said Cucinello, who began her career at Schneider more than 25 years ago. “I strongly admire the women in this industry and have been motivated by their achievements throughout my career. Being included with this esteemed group is an incredible honor.”
Schneider President and CEO Mark Rourke praised Cucinello.
“Carmen brings passion, innovation, creativity and humor to everything she does,” Rourke said. “She is an outstanding role model. I couldn’t be more inspired by her hard work and pure grit.”
Emma Leonard, who serves as executive vice president of transportation and procurement for Visible Supply Chain Management, was recognized for her efforts to spur the company’s growth, save customers money and mentor other female leaders.
“Emma has exhibited strong leadership abilities by building and managing a cross-functional team of transportation professionals, analysts and managers. She has successfully implemented a new parcel pricing strategy and scaled that strategy to support Visible’s aggressive growth,” said Casey Adams, president of Visible. “Her efforts have played a major role in achieving double-digit revenue growth year over year.”
Leonard advocates for gender equality in the supply chain space through her involvement in AWESOME (Achieving Women’s Excellence in Supply Chain Operations, Management and Education). She is also a pillar for local women in logistics by mentoring her peers. She organizes and facilitates local meetups and networking events.
Ludmila Manin, a remarketing sales associate for Fleet Advantage was also noted on WIT’s Top Women to Watch in Transportation for 2021.
The only woman on the team, Manin was the top salesperson in 2020, selling more than $6.3 million dollars in off-lease equipment into the secondary marketplace. She also played a direct and instrumental role in the financial integrity of the company and its clients.
“2020 was our largest year to date with over 1,500 off-lease vehicles,” said Francis Maloney, remarketing sales manager for Fleet advantage. “We were in a low-valued used truck market, and Ludmila and our remarketing sales team recruited, hired, trained and implemented a consistent sales and marketing process.”
Other people recognized as WIT’s Top Women to Watch in Transportation for 2021 include:
- Carmen Anderson, company driver for America’s Service Line;
- Amy Barzdukas, chief marketing officer for Omnitracs;
- Jessica Brooks, vice president of customer experience for J.B. Hunt;
- Chavela Brown, area vice president for Penske Truck Leasing;
- DeeDee Cox, vice president of human resources for Old Dominion Freight Line;
- Kimberly Craib, assistant vice president of terminal operations for Day & Ross;
- Candi Cybator, director of marketing for PITT OHIO;
- Susie DeRidder, company driver for Armour Transportation;
- Bonnie Diaz, CDS, NE SHE&S manager for Linden Bulk Transportation;
- Laura Dickinson, vice president of safety and compliance in North America for Day & Ross;
- Lisa Disbrow, director of public affairs for Waste Management Inc.;
- Deb Donohue, company driver for Denney Transport;
- Donna England, vice president of safety and member services for Tennessee Trucking Association;
- Suzann Fakhoury, vice president of operations for Crossroads Equipment Lease and Finance;
- Leigh Foxall, CEO and founder of Truck Parking Reservations;
- Melissa Gaglione, president of Safety4her;
- Nicole Glenn, president of Candor Expedite;
- Lindsey Grammel, vice president of global brand development for TruNorth
- Reghan Grasty, associate general counsel for Apex Capital Corp.;
- Arelis Gutierrez, president of Aria Logistics;
- Leslie Kilgore, vice president of engineering for Thomas Built Buses, Daimler Trucks North America;
- Dayna Harap, co-founder and vice president of sales and marketing for Direct Expedite;
- Katie Helton, chief administrative officer for Jack Cooper Transportation;
- Jennifer Hoffman, director of agent services for Trinity Logistics;
- Ashley Jankowski, vice president of Bat Logistics
- Elaine Kapusta, managing director of finance for FedEx Custom Critical;
- Samka Keranovic, vice president and COO for US Truck Driver Training School;
- Donna Kintop, senior vice president of client experience for DDC FPO;
- Shelley Koch, president and owner of K & J Trucking Inc.;
- Katie Lee, director of national accounts and truckload for Day & Ross;
- Erin Luke, assistant director of North America materials for Peterbilt Motors;
- Tracy Mack-Askew, general manager and strategy executive for Daimler Trucks North America;
- Lisa Massello-Hodges, safety manager for Asset Based Intermodal;
- Whitney McClendon, CEO of Eemerg Roadside Assistance Marketplace;
- Morgan McCoy, human resources manager for NAPA Transportation;
- Jennifer Mead, CEO of S-2international;
- Krystal Menzo, president of Global Express Transportation;
- Justina Morosin, vice president of commercial transformation for Navistar;
- Amanda Morrison, senior vice president of Grammer Logistics;
- Lindsay Paul, logistics operations manager for Quadway Freight;
- Charlee Poineau, program manager for TuSimple;
- Claudia Ratica, director of talent management for TravelCenters of America;
- Jill Schmieg, founder and chief strategist of Sol de Naples Marketing;
- Jin Stedge, CEO of TruNorth Transportation Co.;
- Vivian Sun, head of business development for TuSimple;
- Bonnie Supan, vice president of operations and finance for Brenny Transportation;
- Joyce Tam, director of product management for TuSimple;
- Tiffany Trent-Abram, senior manager of product management for Amazon;
- Nicole Wiggins, corporate diversity and inclusion director for Navistar;
- Darlene Wolf, senior vice president of strategic partners for Arrive Logistics;
- Jennifer Wong, head of sustainability for Convoy;
- Chelsea Woodhead, chief people officer for Arrive Logistics; and
- Andrea Woodruff, vice president of administration, compensation and procedure for John Christner Trucking.
All 73 women will be recognized at the upcoming 2021 Women In Trucking Accelerate! Conference, which is scheduled for Nov. 7-9 in Dallas.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
