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Tuesday, February 27, 2024 at The Center

Agenda

Guest Speakers

Amy Schumacher (CEO of The Heritage Group)

Amy Schumacher is the Chief Executive Officer of The Heritage Group, overseeing the company’s portfolio of more than 30 businesses and 5,000 employees. She is also a member of its board of trustees.

Amy has been part of The Heritage Group family of businesses since 2008, when she founded Monument Chemical — THG’s specialty chemicals business — and served as Monument’s President and CEO for eight years. In that role, she was responsible for growing Monument from a small, Indianapolis-based business into a global company with operations in Europe and the US.

In 2016, Amy transitioned to President of The Heritage Group and was appointed CEO in 2020, marking the fourth generation of Fehsenfeld family leadership.

She graduated from Purdue University with a B.A. in Education and B.S. in Civil Engineering and received her M.B.A. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

She serves on the boards of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, Calumet Specialty Products, and the Purdue Engineering Advisory Council.

Amy enjoys spending her free time with her husband, Jim, and her two daughters.

John Glushik (Executive Vice President, New Ventures Group at The Heritage Group – Managing Director, HG Ventures)

John’s commitment to trust, transparency, and partnership with entrepreneurs has led to long-term relationships and economic success during his 20+ years as a venture investor. He values diverse and data-driven teams, and he helps these teams grow with their companies.

Prior to starting and building HG Ventures, John Glushik served as a General Partner at Intersouth Partners and the Managing Director of the Duke Angel Network. John’s work has covered all aspects of venture investment and portfolio management. He has spent the last 23 years partnering with entrepreneurs, supporting management teams, leading venture financings, serving as a trusted board member and managing successful liquidity events.

John is an active member of the entrepreneurial community.  He has served on the boards of the North Carolina Council for Entrepreneurial Development, the Southern Capital Forum, the Florida Venture Forum, and a chairman of the Atlanta Venture Forum.

He holds a B.S. in mechanical engineering and materials science from Duke University, an M.S. in aeronautics and astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and an M.B.A. from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.

Geoff Dillon (CEO of Heritage Construction + Materials)

Geoff previously served as President of Asphalt Materials, Inc. Geoff also serves as a Trustee and Board Member for The Heritage Group.

Prior to joining The Heritage Group in 2015, Geoff was a Vice President at PIMCO, an investment management firm. Located in PIMCO’s New York City office, Geoff helped manage the firm’s $40 billion AUM endowment and foundation business.

Prior to PIMCO, Geoff was a Senior Analyst in the Securities and Finance Group at NERA Economic Consulting in New York City. At NERA, Geoff conducted financial analysis, statistical modeling and research, and wrote reports in support of expert testimony in high profile legal matters related to securities and financial issues, including securities- fraud, bankruptcy, valuation, options backdating, ERISA, insider trading and structured finance.

Geoff is a CFA Charterholder. He graduated from Middlebury College with a B.A. in economics and an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management.

Mike Smith (Commissioner at INDOT)

Michael (Mike) Smith was named Indiana Department of Transportation Commissioner in February 2022 by Gov. Eric Holcomb.

Mike joined INDOT in 2015 as Deputy Commissioner of the east central district. In 2017, he became deputy commissioner of statewide operations, where he focused on improving agency capital assets, including increased investment in fleet and facilities, and process improvement, particularly within planning and maintenance activities. He was named chief financial officer in 2021 and oversaw INDOT’s financial relationships with contractors, consultants, and partners, leading the agency through the management of federal covid relief funds and continuing to deliver record construction projects.

His leadership roles throughout his tenure at INDOT provided him with unique insight into the agency as a whole. As commissioner, Mike is responsible for the management of the agency’s 3,500 employees and the development of its $4 billion annual budget. He provides strategic management direction to the agency’s finance, construction, capital program, operations, people services, and legal divisions.

Mike’s background is one of increasing management and leadership experience in both the private and public sectors. He served in various leadership capacities with the nation’s largest retailer, achieving successful results while leading company initiatives that included the opening of new stores and assisting in the redevelopment of urban areas. As both a private or public organizational leader, Mike has worked to improve operating conditions and productivity, build relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, develop talent, and engage employees at all levels.

Mike serves on a number of boards and is active with the Mid American Association of State Transportation Officials (MAASTO) and Conexus Indiana, a non-profit focused on the development and growth of Indiana’s advanced manufacturing and logistics industries. As Chairman of the Board of the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, he oversees continued development of the South Shore Line, a commuter rail transportation system that provides light rail service between northwest Indiana and Chicago.

Mike holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business.

Dr. Alison Black (SVP and Chief Economist at American Road & Transportation Builders Association)

Dr. Black manages ARTBA’s economics staff and is responsible for over 130 studies examining national and state transportation funding and investment patterns.  She completed her PhD in Economics at The George Washington University and her master’s work at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).

She has been interviewed numerous times as an industry expert for national and local print, television, and radio, including the NBC TODAY show, the Washington Post, NPR, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, the PBS News Hour, NOVA, The Economist and industry publications. She has also testified on transportation funding issues before seven state legislative committees.

Her publications include the association’s landmark economic profile, state bridge condition profiles and annual modal forecast.

Brandye Hendrickson (Deputy Executive Director at TxDOT)

As Deputy Executive Director, Ms. Hendrickson is responsible for directing the planning and administration functions of the agency, in addition to government affairs, communications, strategy and innovation, and modal programs. Prior to her appointment as Deputy Executive Director of TxDOT in July of 2021, Brandye worked in Washington D.C. as Deputy Director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials—AASHTO—and Acting Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration from 2017-2019.  She served much of her career in various executive roles within the Indiana Department of Transportation, including leading the agency in a CEO capacity from 2015-2017.  Brandye has served on multiple transportation boards and is a recognized leader for her contributions to the transportation industry.

Ginger Rothrock (Senior Director at HG Ventures)

Ginger has worked at the intersection of science, business, and innovation her entire career and deeply appreciates the opportunity to merge her operating experience with her desire to invest in people. She’s particularly passionate about science and engineering anchoring the next generation of transformative startups. Before joining HG Ventures, Ginger served as Vice President of Technology and Commercialization at RTI International where she oversaw the commercialization of a $1 billion portfolio of R&D and served as a mentor and coach to numerous scientific innovators. She is also an accomplished scientist and serial entrepreneur who empathizes with our entrepreneurs’ unique challenges.

Joe McGuinness (CEO of Avenew)

Joe McGuinness is passionate about helping communities grow and thrive. The former Mayor of Franklin, Indiana, he has spent most of his career helping connect people through transportation and infrastructure projects. Joe currently serves as CEO of Avenew, an asset management company that assists communities and private enterprises on preventative road maintenance and repair. His team is working with customers to build the future of infrastructure – addressing the cost of ownership, long-term quality, sustainable construction methods and tech-enabled capabilities.

In 2017, Governor Eric Holcomb appointed Joe as Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Transportation — the first former mayor to serve in the role. During his five years as Commissioner, Joe managed billion-dollar projects with long-lasting impact, including the completion of Interstate 69 from Evansville to Indianapolis, the largest single investment in public transit in the state’s history. As Mayor of Franklin from 2012 to 2016, Joe led projects that helped rejuvenate Franklin’s downtown.

Born in Franklin and raised in Greenwood, Indiana, Joe earned a master of business administration degree in accounting at Indiana Wesleyan University and a bachelor’s degree in sociology at Franklin College, where he also played football. Joe serves on the board of the Johnson Memorial Health Foundation and is a member of the Franklin College Alumni Council. When he’s not at work on infrastructure projects or serving communities, Joe enjoys playing golf, watching Chicago Cubs baseball and spending time with his wife, Anne, and teenage children, Will and Ella.

Eric Davis (CEO of Pretred)

Pretred founder, inventor, and CEO.  Eric’s leadership career spans across multiple countries and various industries for more than 25 years.  During the course of his career, he has founded, led, or been involved with numerous entrepreneurial opportunities including manufacturing, engineering, software, and telecommunications.  Eric was recently the CEO of a Colorado manufacturing company, where he restructured, revitalized, and automated a 60,000 sq. ft. full-service facility.  Eric currently resides in Lakewood, Colorado.  During his spare time, he can usually be found mountain biking, skate skiing, or fly fishing.

Richard Hawwa (Managing Director at Nomura Greentech)

Richard is a Managing Director at Nomura Greentech, leading the Mobility and Automotive Technology practice in the Americas. Richard has 18 years of investment banking and operational experience, having advised on M&A and capital raising transactions with an aggregate value of more than $125 billion. Richard most recently served as the Chief Financial Officer at Embark Trucks, a NASDAQ-listed developer of self-driving software. He was instrumental in taking Embark public and its subsequent strategic sale in 2023, having helped raise $300 million in public and private capital. Prior to joining Embark in 2021, Richard served as a Managing Director at Citigroup, responsible for coverage of companies in the global mobility and automotive sector, advising and executing strategic M&A and capital raising transactions.

Throughout his career, Richard has served as a relationship and execution leader across a variety of sectors and clients and, in this capacity, is actively involved with management teams and Board of Directors in new idea generation, capital raising transactions, strategic and valuation/defense reviews, acquisition and divestiture implications and overall strategic and capital raising advisory services. Richard’s broad industry and transaction experience has been instrumental in supporting new and sustainable technologies in complex transactions and bringing his operational and transaction experience to the benefit of clients.

Prachi Vakharia (Strategic Advisor for Innovations & Infrastructure at ARPA-I)

Prachi J. Vakharia works in Washington DC, USA at the intersection of innovation, financing, and technology deployment in the transportation sector.

Prachi was recently asked to join the founding team of ARPA-I. Previously, she worked at Amazon where she worked with ports, airports, and road agencies to design and enable the adoption of new technologies and digital infrastructure. She also worked with the MBTA leading innovative IoT-based projects to further station access and in clean transportation, where she brought in by AES Next, the venture arm of energy firm AES, to invest in electric mobility. Prachi contributes to academic research and standards development and chairs committees for the US National Academies of Sciences TRB and the Society of Automotive Engineers.

To advance women in STEM+E, Prachi co-founded WOMANIUM Foundation that has trained students in computational neuroscience, telescope and satellite development, atomic clocks, quantum computing etc. and given hundreds of scholarships to students from over 88 countries. Additionally, she serves on the Board of the Business Schools at George Mason University and George Washington University.

Tony Choi (Strategic Advisor, OST-R, US Department of Transportation)

Tony is a Strategic Advisor in the Office of Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (OST-R) in the U.S. Department of Transportation. He serves as a confidential advisor to leadership at OST-R, providing strategic advice and support on a wide range of national transportation issues as well as carrying out special assignments which cover a wide range of program areas including emerging technologies, innovation, and economics. Prior to joining OST-R, Tony was an independent consultant, leading projects in economic analysis, operations research, and emerging technology policies at the Federal Aviation Administration. He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley and a master’s from George Mason University, both in economics.

Diane Newton (VP at HNTB)

Diane Newton is a vice president with HNTB in the area of intelligent mobility solutions. She has over 20 years of experience in technology and transportation systems engineering, design, deployment, and evaluation. She has worked at the Federal, state, and local level on ITS and connected, electric and automated vehicle projects. She also has deep experience in grant application and management, helping clients to identify, secure and deliver on grants to fund innovative projects. She has been with HNTB since 2017.

Mathew O’Sullivan (Head of Strategy at Cavnue)

Mathew O’Sullivan is Head of Strategy at Cavnue, the leading smart road developer. Mathew joined Cavnue from Citi, where he advised on over $20 billion in M&A and capital markets transactions across the transportation and energy sectors. Prior to Citi, Mathew worked in energy and infrastructure finance in emerging markets.

Allie Kelly (Executive Director at The Ray)

Allie Kelly is Executive Director at The Ray, which has developed an 18-mile stretch of interstate in Georgia, where they’re using renewable materials; building clean energy for clean transport; testing road connectivity, improved lighting and signage; and collecting traffic, weather, and collision data to make the roads of the future. Working with Georgia DOT and FHWA, Allie has guided more than a dozen projects from concept to construction on The Ray Highway. The nonprofit organization is now working with more than 51 agencies in 29 states, scaling innovations from the I-85 testbed across the country. Following in the legacy of Ray Anderson, The Ray believes that the technologies exist today to achieve net-zero in transportation and energy:  Zero Deaths, Zero Carbon and Zero Waste. Previously, Allie held senior roles at the Georgia Conservancy, and as Founder and Executive Director at Georgia Watch. Allie serves on the i3 Steering Committee and the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Energy and Climate Council, is a board member for Business Executives for National Security (BENS) and for HUB404, and is past chair of the ASPIRE Center Executive Advisory Board.

Breanna Badanes (Managing Director of Communications and Policy for DriveOhio)

Breanna Badanes is the Managing Director of Communications and Policy for DriveOhio, an initiative of the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) that serves as the state’s hub for smart mobility technology on the ground and in the air. During her 13 years at ODOT, Badanes has honed her public engagement skills through strategic thinking, brand advocacy, and proven credibility. In her current role, she works closely with the team executing projects to advance connected vehicles, automated vehicles, electric vehicle infrastructure, and uncrewed aircraft, with a goal to make these technologies more accessible through communication. Breanna holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations and journalism from Otterbein College.

Audrey Copeland (President & CEO of the National Asphalt Pavement Association)

Audrey Copeland is the President & CEO of the National Asphalt Pavement Association – representing the interests of asphalt mixture producers and paving companies across the USA. Audrey leads a staff of 25 with expertise in government affairs, environmental health & safety, engineering, science, and marketing – all dedicated to advancing the asphalt pavement industry. Previously, she served as NAPA’s Vice President of Engineering, Research, and Technology, and as a highway engineer and researcher at the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

Audrey is a founding member of the Women of Asphalt – founded to encourage more women to consider a career in the asphalt industry and has previously served as the President of the Association of Asphalt Paving Technologists – the premier organization for almost 100 years for asphalt technology research. Audrey currently sits on the Board of Directors of the National Center for Asphalt Technology at Auburn University, and also TRIP – the National Transportation Research nonprofit to improve the U.S. highway, road, bridge, and transit network.

Audrey earned a PhD in Civil Engineering from Vanderbilt University and Master and Bachelor of Science degrees in Civil & Environmental Engineering from Tennessee Technological University where she now sits on the Advisory Council for Engineering. She is a registered professional engineer in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the State of Maryland.

Doug Boles (President of Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation)

J. Douglas Boles was named president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation in July 2013. He is responsible for the daily operations of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and all the world-class racing events at the facility, including the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, the Sonsio Grand Prix, the Brickyard Weekend, the Indianapolis 8 Hour-Intercontinental GT Challenge, the Brickyard Vintage Race, the Driven2SaveLives BC39-USAC on the dirt track and the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks IMSA race, new in 2023.

A Butler University graduate who also earned a law degree from the Indiana University School of Law at Indianapolis, Boles started his career as director of governmental and corporate affairs for Indianapolis Mayor Stephen Goldsmith from 1992-97 where he spearheaded the nation’s first government-led effort to attract motorsports companies and jobs to a community.

Prior to joining IMS, Boles was a founding partner of Panther Racing, at the time one of IndyCar Series’ most successful teams (winning 15 races and two INDYCAR Championships) and served as a co-owner and team chief operating officer from 1997 through early 2006 when he began is own law practice, primarily representing drivers, race teams and sponsors.

Boles and his wife, Beth, live in Zionsville, IN. They enjoy as much outdoor activities and sports as possible in the water and on the mountains, skiing and hiking.

Alex Moeller (Senior Director, Senior Partnerships at Andretti Global)

Alex joined Andretti Global in 2012. He is a part of AG’s commercial team overseeing sponsorship and revenue generation for Formula E/INDYCAR/Extreme E/IMSA. Alex formerly worked in NASCAR for Rusty Wallace’s XFINITY team, other agencies prior, career started at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He graduated from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, focus on Marketing/Sports Marketing 2005.

Katie DeCarlo (Pavement Research Engineer at Heritage Research Group)

 

 

 

Dave Henderson (EVP of Business Development, Asphalt Materials, Inc.)

Dave is the Executive Vice President of Business Development for Asphalt Materials, Inc. a Heritage Group company.  Dave has been in the asphalt industry for over 30 years and has commercialized multiple asphalt technologies throughout the United States as well as China and Brazil.  Dave has an undergraduate degree in Finance and an MBA and lives in Zionsville, IN with his wife Dani.

John Haddock (Professor of Civil Engineering at Purdue University)

John Haddock is a registered professional engineer and a professor of civil engineering at Purdue University, where he also serves at the director of the Indiana Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP). Prior to joining the Purdue faculty, Dr. Haddock worked in private industry and during his career has done research, equipment and test method development, and criteria and specification writing. He has been responsible for asphalt mixture design production, forensic pavement investigations, and pavement design and analysis. Professor Haddock currently serves as the principal investigator for the Indiana Department of Transportation research project, Full-scale Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer and Pilot Project Implementation, which is assisting INDOT with their preparations to build a full-scale dynamic wireless power transfer test pavement.

Bill Vavrik (SVP at Applied Research Associates)

Dr. Bill Vavrik is the Senior Vice President and manager of the Transportation and Infrastructure Sector of Applied Research Associates, Inc. He has delivered a diverse project portfolio, including projects in infrastructure design, materials, evaluation, research, asset management, technology deployment, forensics, sustainability and software. He has experience in diverse infrastructure applications, including local roads and streets, rural roads, highways, interstates, airports, ports, and intermodal yards.

Dr. Vavrik has been a trusted subject matter expert for the Federal Highway Administration, dozens of State DOTs, counties, cities, toll roads, and private industry. He has designed and contributed to the development of billions of dollars of pavement and infrastructure across North America.  He has researched new materials, designs, and methods that are documented to save hundreds of millions of dollars for his customers.  Dr. Vavrik has developed advanced systems to deliver the cleanest and greenest infrastructure programs. And he has made significant positive impact in accelerating the deployment of innovations and building a culture of innovation within the transportation community.

Aaron Brovont (Senior Lead Engineer, PC Krause & Associates)

Aaron Brovont is a research assistant professor with Purdue University and a Senior Lead Engineer with P. C. Krause and Associates, Inc. Dr. Brovont specializes in computational electromagnetic analysis of power magnetic devices with particular interest in the use of integral methods for optimization-based design. His experience also includes modeling, simulation, and analysis of power electronic systems with an emphasis on the common-mode behavior of such systems.

Charles Potts (Board Member, Heritage Construction + Materials)

Charles currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Heritage Construction & Materials. Charles’ experience includes 16 years working for the Florida Department of Transportation holding positions of increasing responsibility, including State Materials and Research Engineer and Director of Construction. Additionally, he spent 18 years at Ashland, Inc., where he served as Senior Vice President and President of its construction group, APAC, Inc.

Charles served on the board of directors of ASTEC Industries for 9 years until his retirement from the board in the spring of this year. ASTEC is a publicly traded company that manufactures asphalt plants, paving equipment, and crushing equipment for quarries as well as a variety of other related equipment for the construction and materials industry.Charles holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from The Citadel and a master’s degree in civil engineering from West Virginia University. He was awarded an honorary doctorate in transportation engineering from The Citadel in 2017. He is a registered professional engineer in Florida, Virginia, and North Carolina.

He is a recognized expert in the field of hot mix asphalt materials and construction and is the author or co-author of over 100 technical papers on those subjects. He is the former chairman of the board of the National Asphalt Pavement Association, former chairman and current emeritus board member of the National Center for Asphalt at Auburn University, past president of the Association of Asphalt Paving Technologists, past member of the board of the National Sand, Stone and Gravel Association, and past chairman of the board for the International Center for Aggregates Research at the University of Texas. He serves his alma mater as a member of The Citadel’s School of Engineering and Civil Engineering Advisory Councils and is a member of The Citadel’s and West Virginia University’s Academy of Engineers. He is also a member of the American Road and Transportation Builders Hall of Fame, the Florida Road Builders Hall of Fame, and the National Center of Asphalt Technology’s Wall of Fame. Charles was awarded the George S. Bartlett Award, named for the man regarded as the greatest single influence for the use of concrete roads in the United States. Additionally, he was awarded the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) A.E. Johnson Engineer of the Year Award for his work in developing the national specification for recycled asphalt concrete pavements.

Charles is a native of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He and his wife of 59 years, Jackie, now split their time between Jensen Beach, Florida and Mars Hill, North Carolina.

Megan Schuetz (Pavement Materials Engineering Manager at Heritage Research Group)

 

 

 

Bill Buttlar (Founding Director, Missouri Center for Transportation Innovation at University of Missouri-Columbia)

Dr. Buttlar holds the Glen Barton Endowed Faculty Chair in Flexible Pavement Systems at the University of Missouri-Columbia, where he oversees the Mizzou Asphalt Pavement and Innovation Lab (MAPIL), funded by members of the Missouri Asphalt Pavement Association, or MAPA. Dr. Buttlar is also the Founding Director of the Missouri Center for Transportation Innovation, or MCTI, and serves as Chair of the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Council of Trustees, supporting the ASCE Foundation. He is also the Managing Partner of Tiger Eye Engineering, an AI-focused startup launched from Mizzou in 2021.

Dan Stover (Board Member at Heritage Construction + Materials)

“Dan has over 30 years of experience in the construction and materials industry.  A majority of his career was spent at CRH, culminating in his running their North American construction and materials operations.  Dan currently serves on the Heritage construction and materials board and serves as an advisor to the Edward C. Levy Company.”

Derek Weinberg (Strategic Business Intelligence Manager at The Heritage Group)

Derek Weinberg is Strategic Business Intelligence Manager at The Heritage Group, working across the enterprise to link data and business strategies. Prior to THG, Derek spent 12 years at the Indiana Department of Transportation in a variety of internal consulting roles, including a 4-year stint on the Joint Transportation Research Program executive committee and development of INDOT’s Business Analytics and Visualization team. He is an undergraduate industrial and systems engineer from Illinois, has a Finance and Entrepreneurship MBA from Indiana’s Kelley school of business where he is also now adjunct faculty, and is a student at the McKinney School of Law here in Indianapolis where he is focusing on intellectual property law.

Jonathan Peterson-Ruiz (Business Development Manager at Openvia Mobility)

 

 

 

Patrick Jones (Executive Director & CEO at International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association)

Patrick Jones is Executive Director & CEO of the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association.  IBTTA is the worldwide association for the owners and operators of toll facilities and the businesses that serve them. Since assuming this position in 2002, Pat has built IBTTA into the principal advocate for toll-financed transportation and the leader in producing high quality educational experiences for toll industry professionals. Under his leadership, IBTTA established the IBTTA Leadership Academy; launched the “Moving America Forward” public education campaign; created the TollMiner^TM data visualization tool; and introduced global tolling summits in Africa, Australia, Europe, and Latin America. Before joining IBTTA, Pat held senior positions at the American Trucking Associations, the American Public Transportation Association, and the Health Insurance Association of America. Pat holds a BA in political science from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and an MBA from Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia.

Gabriel Jacobson (CEO of Valerann)

A serial tech entrepreneur and a commercial lawyer, Gabriel began his career as an M&A lawyer in the industrial infrastructure and energy sectors. Working with a broad range of his clients that included both, large corporates, and innovative startups, inspired him to become an entrepreneur and led him to launching his first company in the green tech (solar energy) field. His passion for advanced technology, AI, and data analytics, resulted in establishing Valerann in 2016.

Native to Israel, Gabriel holds an MBA from London Business School, and LLB (honors) and BA in Economics from Bar Ilan University.

Mitch Jackson (Chief Sustainability Officer at FedEx)

As Chief Sustainability Officer for FedEx Corporation, Mitch Jackson leads the strategic direction for all aspects of the company’s sustainability, climate-related, and emissions-reduction strategies, programs, and initiatives. He is a thought leader and recognized expert on sustainability and climate-related matters; and advises the FedEx Corporation Board of Directors, CEO, and executive management. In 2021, he led the establishment of the company’s goal of achieving carbon neutral operations globally by 2040, which focuses initially on investments in three priority areas: vehicle electrification, sustainable energy, and carbon sequestration. As Chief Sustainability Officer, Jackson also oversees the publication of the annual FedEx ESG Report and related reporting efforts.

With a background in engineering, Jackson helped envision and pioneer the implementation of hybrid and electric vehicles in the FedEx fleet as well as the market for commercial EVs overall. He was also instrumental in successfully securing the first-ever national fuel efficiency standards and greenhouse gas requirements for commercial vehicles. Additionally, he championed the first FedEx solar energy system in 2005—which was California’s largest corporate rooftop array at the time of its inauguration—and has overseen the growth of on-site and off-site solar energy generation to dozens of FedEx facilities worldwide in the years since.

Jackson’s decades-long sustainability leadership at FedEx has been recognized in the transportation industry and beyond. In 2009 Ethisphere Institute named Jackson as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics. In 2022, Jackson was named to Constellation Research’s inaugural ESG50 list of top environmental, social, and governance executives championing pragmatic ESG strategies. In 2023, Sustainability Magazine named him to the Top 100 Global Chief Sustainability Officers. Jackson was previously named one of the top 15 sustainable business executives on Twitter by British media outlet The Guardian, as well as recognized as a “Sustainability All-Star” by Green Fleet Magazine.

Jackson is currently co-chair of the Keystone Policy Center’s Board of Trustees, executive committee, and sits on its Energy Board. He also serves on the advisory board of the Center for Energy, Development, and the Global Environment (EDGE) at the Duke University Fuqua School of Business. Additionally, he has served as environmental juror for the Heinz Awards, as a board member of Shelby Farms Park Conservancy, on the American Trucking Associations Board of Directors, and the University of Michigan’s ERB Institute Strategic Advisory Council.

Jackson currently serves on the ESG/sustainability advisory board for The Heritage Group, a fourth-generation business managing a diverse portfolio of more than 30 companies specializing in heavy construction and materials, environmental services and specialty chemicals.

Micah Vincent (COO for Heritage Growth, The Heritage Group)

Micah Vincent serves as Chief Operating Officer for Heritage Growth at The Heritage Group. In this capacity, he works with companies that are in markets of expanding growth, particularly in the environmental and sustainability sectors, oversees external affairs for The Heritage Group, and works on corporate governance and strategic growth priorities across The Heritage Group.

Micah has served as a board member of Heritage’s battery recycling businesses Cirba Solutions. He is also the founder and a board member of Avenew, a software-enabled infrastructure management company that is an investment of Heritage’s venture arm HG Ventures.

In addition to his duties with The Heritage Group, Micah is the chairman of the Ports of Indiana. Micah previously served in a number of fiscal and policy roles under Governors Daniels, Pence, and Holcomb, including serving as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Micah lives in Zionsville with his wife and three children.

John Drake (VP, Transportation, Infrastructure, and Supply Chains at U.S. Chamber of Commerce)

John Drake is vice president for transportation, infrastructure, supply chain policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the world’s largest business advocacy organization. In his role, Drake advocates for the business community on transportation, infrastructure, and supply chain issues before Congress, the administration, the news media, the business community, and other stakeholders.

Drake has over twenty years of experience working at the intersection of supply chains, policy, and politics. He was a senior appointee at the U.S. Department of Transportation. There he led the government affairs office of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, served as a senior policy advisor to two Transportation Secretaries, and was the deputy administrator to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. He also spent nearly 10 years on Capitol Hill, including as a professional staff member on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House Transportation and Infrastructure committees. Drake has also worked for Amazon and the American Trucking Associations.

Drake has been quoted by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post and other news media. Drake is also a member of the Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee, which advises the U.S. Customs and Border Protection on improvements to U.S. trade.

Drake holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of California, Santa Cruz. He lives in Alexandria, Virginia, with his wife and two children.

William T. Nolan (Managing Member and President at Infra-Bk, LLC)

In 2017, William T. Nolan started Infra-Bk, LLC, the “bank in development”, whose purpose is to establish the Federal Infrastructure Bank, Inc. (FIB) as a trillion-dollar wholesale bank to finance US infrastructure.  The FIB is modelled after the highly successful Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB), established in 1932 to inject money into the U. S. economy via the housing market in response to the Great Depression. The FIB will be a Federally Chartered Bank with the explicit “public purpose” of providing loans and loan guarantees to public and private entities, including states, counties, municipalities, public agencies, and State Infrastructure Banks to finance infrastructure projects.

In 1989, Mr. Nolan founded Devonshire Holdings, Inc., to assist companies with financial advisory services, including restructurings, turnarounds, buyouts and corporate finance throughout the USA, Canada, Europe, and Asia. He has held senior positions at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., S. G. Warburg & Co. and has served as a Director, Chairman, CEO and CFO of numerous operating companies as part of a turnaround and restructuring process, including Oreck Corp., Pick Systems, Inc., Knowaste, LLC, Remediation Services of America, LLC, Egenix, Inc. and others.

He has served as a Director and Trustee of the Diocesan Investment Trust of the Episcopal Church, Sayles Family Trust, Mercury Productions, Inc. and is a Director of the National Archery Association Foundation Board.  He is currently Warden of St. Peter’s Church Lithgow, NY, and has served on the Vestry for 12 years is a Lay Preacher and Eucharistic Minister.

He is the author of The Wealth of Enterprises: A New Foundation for Economics & Management, published in 2008. Mr. Nolan holds a BA from Tulane University in Economics and an MBA from Harvard Business School in Finance.

Joe Guerre (SVP at HNTB)

Joe Guerre is a Sr. Vice President of HNTB.  He has assisted 35 state departments of transportation with a wide range of planning and funding efforts. Joe now leads HNTB’s planning practice in Indiana.  He has civil engineering degrees from Purdue and MIT.