Becoming an Influential Woman In Trucking
Tracks: Leadership, Professional Development
Tracks: Leadership, Professional Development
Female professionals in the trucking industry make a positive impact on the lives of others every single day. Through the Influential Woman In Trucking award, the Women In Trucking Association (WIT) recognizes each year women who make or influence key decisions in a corporate or driver setting in the trucking industry. During this special Opening Session, on Tuesday morning of the Accelerate! Conference, you’ll hear first-hand the life story of the winner of this prestigious award – which include sage advice on how you, too, can become an influential woman in the industry. You’ll also hear additional stories and advice from the finalists of the 2024 Influential Woman in Trucking Award. They will share with you their engaging, real-life stories culled from their many years of experience to provide inspiration and suggestions to get you on your own path to influence. Actually, it’s more than your path forward—it’s a runway—and it will free you to take off in your own professional careers on your own terms.
Sponsored by:
Business Coach
Ankha Marza
CEO & Coach
SpeakYourPower
Business Coach
Ankha Marza
CEO & Coach
SpeakYourPower
Ankha Marza is an internationally renowned executive coach and strategist specializing in communication, public speaking and leadership presence. Marza has coached Presidents and Vice Presidents of countries and corporations (including several in transportation and logistics), Royalty and Government Officials, Navy SEALs, Fortune 500 Executives, global sales groups, award winning nonprofits, founders, CEOs and their teams in the US and worldwide. She works with the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), the most prestigious organization of chief executives in the world, with a combined revenue of 9 Trillion USD in member run companies. Her client base spans 6 continents and over 60 countries. She is currently based in the San Francisco Bay area.
Facilitator
Kelley Martin
Director, Aftermarket
Daimler Truck North America
Facilitator
Kelley Martin
Director, Aftermarket
Daimler Truck North America
With 16 years of dedicated experience at Daimler Truck North America, Kelley Martin has expertly navigated the transportation industry’s evolution from its roots to its exciting future. Currently serving as Director in Aftermarket, Martin’s career has spanned diverse roles in Sales, Marketing, and Operations, where she has consistently driven innovation and charted new paths forward. Her partnerships with suppliers and dealers underscore her commitment to providing customized solutions that meet customers' needs with excellence.
Martin is also a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion. As an Executive Advisor for the WIN (Women’s Interactive Network) and a member of the STEM Advisory Board for local schools, she empowers the next generation while championing a more inclusive future in transportation. Her active role in Women in Trucking, where she has served as a liaison and made a meaningful impact, further highlights her dedication to uplifting women in the industry.
A devoted wife and mother, Martin is deeply committed to helping others find balance, mentoring countless women—especially working mothers—in achieving work-life harmony. Through her leadership and mentorship, Kelley Martin inspires her colleagues at Daimler Truck North America and paves the way for a more inclusive, balanced future in transportation, leaving a lasting legacy for generations to come.
Facilitator
Heather Callahan
Director, Logistics
Daimler Truck North America
Facilitator
Heather Callahan
Director, Logistics
Daimler Truck North America
Heather Callahan is currently the Logistics Director at the Daimler Trucks North America - Cleveland Truck Plant in North Carolina. In her current role, Heather directs and oversees the internal logistics end-to-end supply chain strategy and is responsible for 300 employees. Heather’s team manages logistics planning, trailer yard optimization, parts receiving, and delivery to the manufacturing line. The Cleveland Truck Plant is leading the network in digital logistics solutions securing our plant as the benchmark logistics facility in manufacturing. It is an exciting time to be in Cleveland!
Heather joined DTNA in 2003 as the Sr. Environmental Engineer at the Mt. Holly Truck Plant. Since then, she has held various positions throughout the Operations network at both the Cleveland Truck Plant and the Corporate TOS Integration Department. Prior to Heather’s transition back to the Cleveland Plant in May 2020, she served as the Director of Continuous Improvement for DTNA’s Operations team. Heather received a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering, graduating Cum Laude, from North Carolina State University in 1997.
Heather is also the co-founder of Rooted Women’s Ministry. Since 2017, Rooted has promoted Christian based leadership for working women through social media platforms. Their passion is leadership development and making a positive impact in the lives of working women. The Rooted team also organizes and directs online studies and in person conferences focused on leadership.
In a joint effort with her sister who is a breast cancer survivor; Heather recently launched non-profit Walk Home Together Foundation in October 2023. Their vision is to provide monetary funding to women and their families impacted by the financial hardships faced after a cancer diagnosis.
Heather has been married to Rob Callahan for 23 years. Together they have three children: Nate, Aidan and Maggie ranging in ages from 22 to 17. Heather enjoys reading, wine tasting, speaking, and travel.
Lisa Gonnerman
Vice President of Enterprise Services
TA Dedicated
Lisa Gonnerman
Vice President of Enterprise Services
TA Dedicated
Lisa Gonnerman is a seasoned professional with more than 32 years of experience in trucking, leading safety and operations and playing an instrumental role in shaping safety practices and policies nationwide. Currently serving as Vice President of Enterprise Services with TA Dedicated, Gonnerman excels in safety leadership and mentorship.
Throughout her career, she has held influential positions including serving as the National Chair of the American Trucking Association (ATA) Safety Management Council from 2019 to 2021 and being named ATA National Safety Director of the Year in 2016.
Beyond ATA, Gonnerman is the current chair of the Minnesota Safety Council leadership team and past safety conference chair. Her participation in key industry bodies, like the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) and the FMCSA's CSA subcommittee, further emphasizes her leadership.
Gonnerman advocates for a culture of safety and is passionate about mentoring future leaders, especially women in trucking. An active member of Women in Trucking, she continues to inspire others while making a positive impact on her community through her involvement with organizations like Make-A-Wish.
Sheri Aaberg
Chief Operating Officer
Transport Enterprise Leasing
Sheri Aaberg
Chief Operating Officer
Transport Enterprise Leasing
Sheri Aaberg excels in creating organizations where people matter, where they are challenged and where they have the opportunity to grow. The culture Aaberg has created while leading at companies in the trucking industry throughout the last 24 years is one of excellence in performance, customer service and team development.
As the Chief Operating Officer of Transport Enterprise Leasing, LLC, (“TEL”), Aaberg and her vision have been instrumental in the company’s growth and operating excellence since she joined TEL in 2014. She has overseen the development of process and organizational structure that has been key to the firm’s success. Under her guidance, TEL’s lease portfolio has grown from 1,200 truck and trailer assets on lease to more than 9,300 vehicles. Employee headcount has grown exponentially, and TEL has been able to expand from its Chattanooga headquarters to a second location, an equipment reconditioning and remarketing facility in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Aaberg has served on the board of the Used Truck Association and is a member of the Heavy Truck Blue Book Advisory Committee. Her speaking presentations have included engagements with the Truckload Carriers Association, Used Truck Association Conventions, TruckPaper forums and Blue Book seminars. Through her leadership and executive sponsorship, Transport Enterprise Leasing has joined and become active in both national and state-level trucking associations.
Tracy Rushing
Executive Director of Safety
RE Garrison Trucking, Inc.
Tracy Rushing
Executive Director of Safety
RE Garrison Trucking, Inc.
Tracy Rushing began her career nearly 30 years ago in Forest, Mississippi, weighing trucks and calculating driver timesheets. Since then, she has advanced through various roles in the transportation industry, learning safety management, FMCSA Regulations and driver relations. In 2022, she joined RE Garrison Trucking as the Executive Director of Safety, overseeing the safety, recruiting and orientation teams.
Rushing is an active member of the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM), Truckload Carriers Associations (TCA) and the Safety & Maintenance Management Council of the Alabama Trucking Association (SMMC). She serves on the Risk Management Advisory Committee of the ATA Comp Fund (RMAC), the Women in Trucking Membership Committee (WIT) and as the chair of the Truckload Carriers Association’s (TCA) Safety, Recruiting and Retention Committee.
Rushing has earned certifications from the North American Transportation Management Institute (NATMI) as a Certified Director of Safety (CDS) and as a NATMI Instructor. In 2023, she was honored as the Alabama Safety Director of the Year Runner-Up.
Faith and family have been her source of strength and motivation throughout her career. She is enthusiastic about mentoring and supporting women in trucking, believing strongly in their contributions to this vital industry.