Successful Women Think Differently (Let’s Have the Conversation!)
Tracks: Leadership, Professional Development
Tracks: Leadership, Professional Development
The mission of the Women In Trucking Association (WIT) is to encourage the employment of women in the industry, promote their accomplishments and minimize obstacles facing women in the industry. Through impromptu interviews with industry leaders, Standing Out (a unique industry podcast hosted by industry veteran Trey Griggs) will dive into the critical issues that directly connect with WIT’s mission and impact the lives of women in the transportation industry. Broadcast live from the main stage of the Accelerate! Conference, Griggs' VP of Operations, Coleman Ruffin will explore important issues such as the business case for diversity in leadership and the workforce, the biggest challenges women face in our industry and ultimate solutions to minimize or eliminate these challenges. Ruffin will ensure this session is both entertaining and thought-provoking as he explores experiences and perspectives of guests during the show. Attend this lively session and get ready for some interactive, engaging and provocative conversation between Ruffin and the guests on the show!
Facilitator
Coleman Ruffin
VP of Operations
BETA Consulting Group
Facilitator
Coleman Ruffin
VP of Operations
BETA Consulting Group
Lana Nichols
Vice President
Women In Trucking
Lana Nichols
Vice President
Women In Trucking
Lana Nichols is Vice President for the Women In Trucking Association. She has been with WIT since May 2013 and is responsible for accomplishing project objectives set forth by the WIT Board of Directors. Prior to this position, Nichols spent nearly five years with Truckstop.com in New Plymouth, ID where she held the position of Product Manager and Technology Department Manager. During her tenure, she managed employees that consisted of software engineering, database administration, quality assurance and product development. She was also a member of the implementation team that successfully adopted the scrum methodology into the Tech group. Her experience with project management along with her implementation record make a positive contribution to the Women In Trucking Association.
Nichols received her MBA from Eastern Illinois University. She was raised in southern Illinois and currently lives in Idaho with her husband, Marcus, and their four children.
Ingrid Brown
Professional Driver
Blackjack Express/Rollin' B LLC
Ingrid Brown
Professional Driver
Blackjack Express/Rollin' B LLC
Ingrid Brown, a native of Boone, NC/Mountain City, TN and lives by "Nothing in life is simple, it takes hard work and in the end it's a positive journey to success". Ingrid's four decade career as a Professional Truck Driver of diversity as an Independent Owner, CEO and as a Company driver. As well as being an Operations Manager of specialized refrigerated freight brings her experience of diversity to the trucking industry in all areas.
Ingrid has been a Women in Trucking Association charter member since 2007 and an Inaugural Image Team member since 2015. Ingrid serves on the Advisory Committee and was a panelist speaker at the 2023 WIT Accelerate Conference.
Beginning November, 2023 Ingrid became the host of 'Life on 18 Wheels' presented by WLA, Inc Trucking, of Mount Airy, NC. A video/audio podcast, Ingrid will be providing 'Life on 18 Wheels' to the transportation industry and to those interested in entering as a professional truck driver.
Ingrid has dedicated her driving career toward CMV Safety and the safety of the general motoring public. Ingrid continues to work directly with FMCSA in D.C. for safer highways. In 2019 Ingrid was chosen as FMCSA's CMV Voice of Safety Our Roads, Our Safety campaign. Ingrid can be seen and heard on billboards, television commercials, SiriusXM and major media as the FMCSA safety advocate. Brown also was a speaker in FMCSA 2020 Trucking Safety Summit. 2015 she was selected on NASTC America’s Road Team and NASTC Woman Driver of the Year. In 2018, Ingrid was a TA/Petro Citizen Driver Honoree and the Oklahoma City Petro was rebranded as Ingrid R. Brown OKC PETRO. In 2021, Ingrid was named to the St. Christopher’s Fund driver council and one of 21 on the 50th Anniversary Wall of Fame of the Mid America Trucking Show.
Ingrid continues to be an advocate for driver awareness and safety through her involvement within the industry and can be seen in numerous major magazines, radio, TV news specials, social media, podcasts and speaking engagements.
In March 2019 Ingrid was the cover of USA TODAY MONEY and the feature video of Females in Trucking.
Kary Schaefer
Chief Engineer of Cab, Entire Vehicle & DT Mexico Engineering
Daimler Truck North America
Kary Schaefer
Chief Engineer of Cab, Entire Vehicle & DT Mexico Engineering
Daimler Truck North America
Kary Schaefer joined Daimler Trucks North America in 1995 after holding engineering positions at Pacific Testing Laboratories and Boeing Aerospace in Seattle, Washington. During her career at Daimler Trucks, Kary has filled the roles of design engineer, project planning engineer, engineering project manager, director of engineering services and chief engineer. Between 2012 and 2015, she led an engineering group within United Technology Corporation responsible for the development of autonomous flight controls and stabilized camera systems used in commercial unmanned aerial vehicles.
In late 2015, she returned to Daimler Trucks as the General Manager of Marketing and Strategy for Freightliner and Detroit Brands. In this role, she is responsible for market analysis, product planning, brand management, and marketing operations. She leads the organization in the creation and execution of product roadmaps from evaluation of customer needs and market trends to early business case development to new product launch and on-going product management.
Kary earned her Associate in Arts & Engineering Science degree from Bellevue Collegeand her Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Washington State University.
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.