Conference Speakers
Keynote Speakers
Jim Knight
Culture That Rocks: Set List on How to Amp Up the Company’s Culture (to Eleven) and Deliver Sustainable Results
This high-energy, impactful and interactive keynote presentation focuses on individuals, departments and entire companies who are charged with creating, maintaining, or revolutionizing an organization’s culture, ensuring it stays relevant in the 21st century. The session delves into every area of a company’s environment and reveals realistic solutions for systemic change.
Keynote speaker and best-selling author, Jim Knight will act as a thought-starter for the session. He will use the visceral backdrop of Rock ‘n Roll and several well-known brands, including Hard Rock International—via his 21-year run with that brand as the head of Global Training & Development—to discuss key strategies to transform any organization’s culture, regardless of the company’s cultural history or status
Biography
With his energetic rock ‘n roll spirit and key business insights drawn from his decades as a Hard Rock International executive, Jim Knight shares strategies for developing leadership, transforming corporate cultures, and amping up customer service to achieve exceptional and sustainable results.
Although his illustrious career started at Gatorland Zoo in Florida (he has scars to prove it), Jim cut his teeth in the hospitality training industry and eventually led Global Training for Hard Rock International for two decades. Jim’s customized programs show how to amp up organizational culture, deliver world-class differentiated service, and build rock star teams and leaders.
Jim’s role at Hard Rock involved many facets of organizational training including creating and managing all staff and management training materials and programs; facilitating Hard Rock’s Corporate University; overseeing management training locations; producing training videos; directing company e-Learning initiatives; facilitating leadership transitions; and traveling to properties to deliver onsite classes and measure company standards.
Jim has a music degree in Vocal Performance and Education, and taught in the Florida public school system for 6 years. His bestseller Culture That Rocks highlights how organizations can stand out in a competitive marketplace by making sure their work cultures are “in tune” and “working off the same song sheet.”
Jim was recognized by Training Magazine as representing one of the top 125 training companies in the world out of all industries and businesses. He has since been featured in Forbes Magazine, Inc. Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, Nation’s Restaurant News, Business News Daily and Fox Business News.
Speaker Lineup
Senior Vice President, Incentives
TRC Companies, Massachusetts
Manager of the Account Executive Team
Tyler Technologies
Retired Indiana State Director
Indiana Department of Education
National Account Manager, Parts
IC Bus, IL
Segment Manager, K-12
Geotab, Ontario
Chief Operating Officer
Gray Ram Tactical, Missouri
Manager, Medium/Heavy Vehicle Test Development
National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, Virginia
Director of Transportation
South Carolina Department of Education, South Carolina
Vice President Sales Aftermarket and Service
Thomas Built Buses, North Carolina
Sales Manager
First Light Safety Products, Manitoba, CA
Director of Transportation
Newport News Public Schools, Virginia
Field Support Representative
Zonar Systems, Washington
Jason Corbally
President and Chief Operating Officer
Edulog, Montana
Tony Corpin
Publisher
School Transportation News, California
Consultant
School Bus Training Company, Iowa
Jim Crowcroft
General Sales Manager
Thomas Built Buses, North Carolina
Matt Dickey
Regional Vice President of Sales
Zonar Systems, Washington
Denise Donaldson, CPST
Editor & Publisher
Safe Ride News, Washington State
Terrell Doolin
Professional Services Manager
Transfinder, New York
Crystal Duchane
Account Representative & Supervisor
Tyler Technologies, Texas
Barbara Duffield
Executive Director
School House Connection, Washington, D.C.
Chris Dutton
Director of Product Management Visibility Solutions
Safe Fleet, Missouri
Jim Ellis
Director of Pupil Transportation
Henrico County Public Schools, Virginia
Alan Fidler
Fleet Manager
Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township, Indiana
Richard Fischer
Consultant & School Bus Safety Trainer
Colorado
Chris Fox
Senior Product Manager, Visibility Solutions
Safe Fleet, Missouri
Paul Gandrud
National Sales Executive
Transportant, Kansas
Derek Graham
Consultant
DG CONSULTING SERVICES LLC, North Carolina
Andrew Grasty
Director of Transportation
Metro Nashville Public Schools, Tennessee
Ryan Gray
Editor in Chief
School Transportation News, California
Mike Hagan
President
Safe Fleet/Seon Digital Solutions Group, Missouri
Paul Hasenmeier
Public Safety Director & Fire Chief
Hernando County Fire Rescue, Florida
Kala Henkensiefken
Special Education Transportation Manager
ISD31 Bemidji Area Schools, Minnesota
Laura Hill
General Manager of Transportation
Hillsborough County Public Schools, Florida
Greg Jackson
Director of Business Development
School Bus Logistics, Colorado
John Jessup
Executive Director
Southeast Propane Alliance
Julian Jimenez
Senior Product Manager, Violation Detection & Enforcement Solutions
Safe Fleet, Missouri
Cor’Darius Jones “Mr. Bus Driver”
Bus Driver
Escambia County Schools, Florida
Kevin Kilner
Chief Safety Officer
Beacon Mobility, New York
Mackenzie Krebs
Software & Advisory Director
Beacon Mobility, California
Dustin Kress
Public Sector Senior Account Executive
Samsara, New York
Charles Kriete
CEO
Zonar, Colorado
Francisco Lagunas
General Manager – North American Bus
Cummins Inc., Indiana
Jannet Malig
Co-Director
Long Beach (California) Clean Cities, California
Miriam Manary
Lead Research Engineer
University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, Michigan
Graham Matthews
Regional Account Executive
First Light Safety Products, Manitoba, CA
Bryant Maxey
Senior Product Marketing Specialist
Zonar Systems, Washington
Molly McGee-Hewitt
Executive Director and CEO
National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT), New York
Katie McKiever
Social Media Expert, North Carolina
Teena Mitchell
Special Needs Coordinator
Greenville County Schools, South Carolina
Lawson Mollica
Instructor
Long Beach (California) Clean Cities, California
Katrina Morris
Transportation Director/Executive Director West Shore ESD Michigan Association for Pupil Transportation
Luke Patrick
Director of Maintenance
South Carolina Dept. of Education, South Carolina
Robyn Pickard
Transportation Director
West DesMoines, Iowa
Harley Pinson
Director of Fleet Maintenance
Paulding County School District, Georgia
Nicole Portee
Associate Superintendent of Operations
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, North Carolina
Gregg Prettyman
Vice President, Alternative Transportation
First Alt, Ohio
Ewan Pritchard, PE, PhD
Consulting Engineer
Energetics
Joe Reen
Executive Director of Operations
Eagle County School District, Colorado
Bob Riebe
Vice President of Transit
Applied Information Inc., Georgia
Jason Riley
Chief Accounting Officer
Tyler Technologies, Texas
Kelly Rivera
General Manager
Thomas, Carolina
Alexandra Robinson
President
A. Robinson Consulting, New York
Dana Rosen, M.Ed.
Assistant Director of Transportation – Student Safety and Support
Cypress Fairbanks ISD, Texas
Dennis Ryan
Coordinator of Transportation
North Penn School District, Pennsylvania
Jeff Shackelford
Vice President of Sales
Transportant, Kansas
Sue Shutrump, CPST
Supervisor of OT/PT
Trumbull County ESC, Ohio
Wayne Southard
Engineering Associate
South Carolina Department of Education, South Carolina
Lindsay St.Cin
Strategic Account Executive
Samsara, California
Peggy Stone
Director of Transportation
Lincoln County School, North Carolina
Jeremy Stowe
Director of Transportation
Buncombe County School, North Carolina
Trey Strudstill
Senior Executive Director of Transportation
Paulding County School District, Georgia
Marc Trudy
Solutions Manager
IC Bus, IL
Charlie Vits, CPST
Market Development Manager/Regulatory Affairs Manager
IMMI/SafeGuard, Indiana
Ronna Weber
Executive Director
NASDPTS, Virginia
Bill Wen
Senior Director – Transportation Services
Orange County Public Schools, California
Stephen Whaley
Alternative Fuels Manager – East
Blue Bird, Georgia
Chris Wickman
Strategic Account Executive
HopSkipDrive, California
Jason Yan
Director of Sales Operations
RIDE, Massachusetts