Brian Beaven joined KTC in 2020 and is currently a Project Manager in the Commercial Vehicle Technology & Policy Section. His research at the Center primarily focuses on commercial vehicle technology development and deployment. Prior to joining KTC Mr. Beaven worked over 28 years with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet in various areas including the Department of Highways, Office of Transportation Delivery and the Department of Vehicle Regulation where he served as the Director of the Division of Motor Carriers.

Mark Colson is a relentless advocate for Alabama's vibrant trucking industry which is made up of more than 32,000 trucking companies and 131,000 working Alabamians representing 1 in 13 jobs in the state. As Alabama's top executive for trucking, he works throughout the state and country building relationships that grow and foster the industry mission while enhancing its public image from the truck cab and shop floor to the corner office. He also works closely with policymakers in Montgomery and Washington D.C. to ensure they understand the essential part trucking plays in the global supply chain and its tremendous impact on the state economy and the daily lives of all Alabamians. Prior to trucking, Colson served in numerous leadership roles at the Alabama state chamber, the Business Council of Alabama which included Chief of Staff, SVP of Governmental Affairs, and Interim President. He's a graduate of Huntingdon College and Troy University (MBA).

Ken Colvert currently serves as the ALDOT West Central Region Advanced Traffic Systems Center Manager. He began working in this position in April 2019 after a successful career in the fire service, where he dedicated 25 years to serving as a firefighter paramedic. For 21 of those years, he had the honor of serving with the Birmingham Fire and Rescue in Birmingham, AL. Following his retirement from the fire service, he transitioned to a career in transportation. Ken holds certifications in Emergency Management and Incident Command, and he is also one of three Traffic Incident Management Master Trainers in the State of Alabama.

Donna England is currently employed at the Tennessee Trucking Association. She began working with the Association in 2015, as the Membership coordinator. In December 2019 she was promoted to the VP of Safety and Member Services and in January 2022 was promoted to the President and CEO. Prior to the Association she spent 21 years working for R. E. West Transportation in Ashland City, TN doing various duties such as, Safety, HR and Recruiting. Donna has a passion for trucking and even holds a Class A CDL. Donna was certified by the State of TN for 21 years as a Commercial Driver’s License Third Party Tester Examiner. Donna has always been actively involved with the Tennessee Trucking Association, in 2013 she served as the Chair for the Truck Driving Championships, the Chair for the TN Safety management Council and the Chair for the TN State Steering Committee. In 2011 Donna received the Hugh Galbreath Safety Professional of the Year Award presented by the Tennessee Trucking Association. Donna England is a member of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, the American Trucking Associations, Women in Trucking, and Women in Motion.

A licensed professional engineer and associate professor of civil engineering in the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering at Kansas State University. He currently holds the Hal and Mary Siegele Professorship in Engineering. Dr. Fitzsimmons is also a leading researcher on trans-disciplinary teams across the university as well as a champion for surface transportation safety, the nation's law enforcement agencies, work zone safety, and highway safety in Kansas and across the country. He has administered multiple FMCSA grants and also hosts the Midwest Commercial Vehicle Safety Summit.

I started my career with the Arkansas Highway Police in 2020. During my tenure with the Arkansas Highway Police, I was assigned to the H.E.A.T Team in 2022. The H.E.A.T Team focuses on High Crash Corridors and Work- Zone Safety. Since joining this team we introduced the first work-zone speed cameras to the state which I had the privilege of being involved in since day one. The agency and the state have seen tremendous results in lower crashes and less work-zone accidents since the introduction of the system. I was promoted to the rank of sergeant in Special Operations over the H.E.A.T Team in March 2024. Joining the Arkansas Highway Police has been the most rewarding and fulfilling experience that I have ever been a part of.

Jodi Godfrey is a Florida native and a Senior Research Associate at the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) at the University of South Florida (USF), where she works on the Transit Safety and Workforce Development Program. Ms. Godfrey received her bachelor's and master's degrees in civil engineering from USF. Jodi serves as the vice chair of the American Public Transportation Association Bus Safety Committee. Ms. Godfrey is also the secretary of the Transportation Research Board Standing Committee on Transit Safety and Security (AP080), and a member of the Transportation Research Board Women and Gender in Transportation Committee (AME20). Jodi is passionate about safety, improving workforce development in the transportation industry, and fighting to end human trafficking.

Nicole Herrera, MPH, is a Project Coordinator at TREDS, supporting the development of educational materials for commercial drug-impaired driving prevention. She draws on her background in public health and experience coordinating evidence-based educational programs to promote safety and behavior change.

Trayce Hockstad is an attorney and law and policy analyst at the Transportation Policy Research Center at the Alabama Transportation Institute. She is a member of the Alabama and Virginia State Bars and clerked for federal and state courts before joining the University of Alabama. Her main areas of research include legal issues related to criminal law, cybersecurity, data privacy, and counter trafficking.

David Kidd is a senior research scientist at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Dr. Kidd is a recognized leader in applied research and vehicle safety whose work focuses on identifying data-driven, pragmatic solutions for preventing harm from crashes. He has developed multiple consumer safety information programs at IIHS and authored over 40 peer-reviewed papers on topics such as seat belt use, distracted driving, advanced driver assistance systems, and driving automation technology. Dr. Kidd received a doctorate from George Mason University in 2011.

Kylla Lanier is the Deputy Director and Senior Director of External Affairs for TAT, formerly Truckers Against Trafficking, a 501(c)3 organization that exists to educate, equip, empower and mobilize members of key industries and agencies to combat human trafficking. She speaks around the country about TAT mission and how members of the transportation industry are combatting human trafficking. She also trains law enforcement on human trafficking, the victim centered approach, and how to identify human trafficking at routine traffic and inspection stops. She has been involved in the fight against human trafficking since 2007 when she helped initiate the state coalition against trafficking in Oklahoma.

Gary L. McCarthy is the Head of First Responder Policy at Aurora, a company building the next-generation of self-driving vehicles with powerful, independent, and robust technology. Gary retired as a Bureau Chief in 2020 after a 25-year career with the Arizona Department of Public Safety and the Arizona Department of Transportation, where he gained extensive expertise in traffic safety and crash investigations. His deep understanding of real-world traffic scenarios is critical in advancing autonomous vehicle safety protocols. He attended Northwestern School of Police Staff and Command (Class 208), and is a member of key industry and law enforcement associations to include International Association of Chiefs of Police, International Association of Fire Chiefs, National Sheriff Association and a member of the Law Enforcement Advisory Board for the American Trucking Association.

Dan retired from the Kansas Highway Patrol in June of 2011, when he became the Missouri Division State Programs Manager for FMCSA. In December of 2013, he became the Division Administrator for the state of Illinois. In 2022, Dan transferred to the Office of Research and Registration at FMCSA Headquarters and is currently the Team Lead for Phase 1 (Heavy Duty Truck Study) of the Crash Causal Factors Program in the Crash Analytics Division.

Alix Miller is the President and CEO of Florida Trucking Association, the sole state liaison between the trucking industry and the legislative, regulatory and judicial branches of state and federal government. She serves on a number of state and national committees, including the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta's Transportation and Logistics Advisory Council; Women in Motion Board of Directors; FDOT Florida Transportation Plan Steering Committee; Floridians for Better Transportation Board of Directors; and Florida International University Logistics & Supply Chain Advisory Board. She holds a Bachelor degree from Tulane University and both an MFA and Ph.D. from Florida State University. Alix was named as one of the most Influential Association Executives in 2024 by Florida Trend, and was included in the Florida 500, Florida Most Influential Business Leaders, in 2022, 2023 and 2024

Seth Millican is the President and CEO of the Georgia Motor Trucking Association based in Marietta, Georgia. Prior to joining GMTA, he served as the Executive Director of the Georgia Transportation Alliance, an affiliate of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. Seth has also worked as a contract public affairs and political consultant as well as a staff-member in the Georgia State Senate. A life-long Georgian, Seth earned his B.S. in Social Sciences from Thomas Edison State College. He and his high-school sweetheart, Kara, have four children: KJ, Eden Grace, Gabriel, and Hotchie. They live in Marietta, GA where they attend Christ the Redeemer Church of Marietta. Seth was appointed by Governor Nathan Deal to serve on the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission and serves on the board of the Georgia Wildlife Federation. He also serves in a volunteer public affairs capacity with the American Enterprise Institute Leadership Network and several other family policy oriented non-profits.

Major Andrew Montgomery serves as the Commanding Officer and Adjutant of the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement (CVE) within the Georgia Department of Public Safety. In this role, he oversees statewide operations focused on commercial vehicle safety and the enforcement of size and weight regulations. His leadership spans 10 CVE Regions and 19 inspection stations throughout Georgia, while also encompassing oversight of the Division's Regulatory Compliance Unit. Major Montgomery began his law enforcement career in 2000, serving as a deputy in Wilkes, Greene, and Richmond counties. In 2008, he joined the Georgia Department of Public Safety as a CVE officer in the Atlanta area, where he also served as a canine handler. He was instrumental in establishing the State's Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Advanced Academy for CVE officers, which he led for several years. In November 2021, Major Montgomery was appointed CVE Executive Officer while serving as Captain over Region C (Metro Atlanta). On March 1, 2023, after 14 months in that role, he was promoted to Major of the CVE. Major Montgomery is a recent graduate of the prestigious FBI National Academy, Class 291.

With over 20 years in the drug and alcohol testing industry, Grady is a recognized leader and speaker on drug and alcohol testing, DOT physicals, and sleep apnea. At WorkforceQA, he combines deep industry expertise with a passion for client success, offering strategic guidance and best practices to help customers navigate complex challenges. Grady excels at aligning WFQA's solutions with client needs to drive retention and growth. A graduate of Tennessee Tech University, he is a licensed Professional Engineer and Land Surveyor in Tennessee. His engineering background helps him identify root causes quickly and communicate clear, effective strategies.

Robin Riessman is the director of UMassSafe at the University of Massachusetts and has been with UMassSafe since its inception in 2001. She holds a master's degree in public health and has worked in the field of traffic safety for more than 35 years. She was instrumental in developing the first regional CMV Safety Summit with the goal of promoting partnerships between universities and law enforcement. She is here today to talk about how universities can support the work of other highway safety stakeholders, and specifically, the why and how of building partnerships.

Prior to serving as the International Registration Plan (IRP), Inc. programs director, Jay served nearly 30 years as an IRP auditor, audit supervisor, Motor Carrier Services manager, and director of the Alabama Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Division. Jay served on the IRP board of directors, Dispute Resolution Committee and the Audit Committee. Jay holds a BS in business administration and accounting from the University of Alabama and an MBA from Troy University. Jay is also a Certified Public Manager.

Tracy Stephens, CDS has over 33 years of experience in the Transportation industry. He began as a Regional OTR driver for 14.5 years, accumulating approximately 1.86 million miles with no at fault DOT reportable accidents. Tracy has been employed with M&M Cartage for over 26 years now, 8 years as a driver and the last 18.5 as the Director of Safety. Tracy attended the University of Northwest Ohio's Auto/Diesel Technology Program from 1989 - 1990 and worked as a mechanic until May 1992. He then enrolled in the CDL Program at Kentucky State Transportation, earning a Certificate in Transportation and a Class A CDL. Tracy has been a member of the Kentucky Trucking Association Safety Council since 2005, where he served as the Chair in 2018. He has been a volunteer and Committee Member of the Kentucky Truck Driving Championships since 2005. Through NATMI, Tracy received his CDL Class 'A' Certified Driver Trainer in 2014 and then his CDS in 2017. He has been a member of the Kentucky CVISN/ITD Team since 2017, and in 2023 he joined the Kentucky TPIMS Team. Tracy is also a Certified Forklift Instructor, as well as a Certified Defensive Driving Instructor. In 2023 Tracy was awarded the Kentucky Trucking Association Safety Professional of the Year. Under his leadership, M&M Cartage received two safety awards from Safe Trucking in 2024, and three safety awards in 2025.

I started my Law Enforcement career with the State of Tennessee in 1988. I am a graduate of Northwestern University's School of Police Staff and Command. I was an instructor for the National Training Center. I also was assigned to the United States Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to perform audits on Motor Carriers. After retiring from the Tennessee Highway Patrol in 2010 I have worked for JNJ Express Inc., a truckload carrier based out of Memphis Tennessee. I have been an active member of the Mid-South Cargo Security Council for 15 years and serve on the Board of Directors.

Jessica Williams, M.A.Ed., is a Program Manager at TREDS, where she leads research and education initiatives focused on distracted and impaired driving in the commercial vehicle industry. With over a decade of experience, she brings expertise in instructional design, adult education and training, and program management.

Chris has worked in trucking for almost 14 years and has served as the director of safety at M&W since 2020. In that time, M&W has won many fleet safety awards including the Tennessee Trucking Association Grand Champion as well as the American Trucking Associations President's Trophy. Chris is also a former TTA safety professional of the year and a Heavy Duty Trucking Magazine Fleet Innovator. He's outdoors when the weather is good, a musician in his studio when the weather is bad, but a safety professional always.