Cohort 20
TRANSPOR TATION & SUPPLY CHAIN INSTITUTE AT THE UNIVERSIT Y OF DENVER
Fall
2021
Welcome to Denver
Cohort 20 Student Profiles
Allen Akowicz
Sergio Escobedo
Laura Fisher
Klaus Gaba
Connor Gerding
Jesse Hanson
Kimia Khatami
Nic Klein
Angela Prill
Scott Remington
Herman Searcy-Plunkett
Josh Seifert
Jonathan Smith
Courtney Sullivan
Cohort 20
Allen Akowicz
Pacific Geosource
Senior Project Manager
Allen Akowicz is currently the Senior Project Manager for Pacific GeoSource (PGS). Allen currently oversees PGS’s project implementation and client relations for national accounts. He focuses on the industrial and logistics markets and works with clients to implement value-engineered, reinforced pavement solutions. Allen also manages the public sector for the Central Region.
PGS recently opened its Central Region office in St. Charles, MO, which is led and managed by Allen. Since joining PGS in 2015, and, with the opening of the Central Region office in 2020, he has seen continued growth and success with his role and responsibilities.
Before joining PGS, Allen worked for an international company, managing sales and market development for civil engineering and geotechnical firms for a regional territory. Prior to that role, Allen spent nine years in the United States Air Force directing and performing multiple functions in Air Transportation Logistics.
Outside of work, Allen enjoys golf, camping, cooking/grilling, and Atlanta Braves baseball.
Cohort 20
Sergio Escobedo
WW Rowland Trucking Company Inc
Vice President of Operations
Sergio Escobedo was born in Chicago in 1976 and parents moved to Houston in 1979 where he and his four siblings were raised. Sergio graduated from high school and went to work full time while going to night school at San Jacinto College where he received his Associate of Arts degree in business. Sergio joined WW Rowland Trucking Co. in July of 1999 as a clerk running a shuttle move from WW Rowland’s yard to the rail roads. Sergio continued his education by enrolling at University of Houston – Clear Lake and became a fulltime student while working full time at WW Rowland Trucking. Sergio received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and Manager (double major).
After graduating from U of H – Clear Lake, Sergio was promoted to Houston Terminal Manager and successfully managed the largest terminal for WW Rowland Trucking for several years before being promoted to Regional Manager overseeing an additional 3 terminals. In 2018, Sergio was promoted to Vice President of Operations and is currently the position he holds.
As Vice President of Operations, Sergio is responsible for the company’s domestic and international intermodal nationwide operations at all its locations. Also focusing on strategic planning and assisting on setting companywide goals. Sergio enjoys the daily challenges that comes with the job and look forward the continue charges that the intermodal industry brings.
Cohort 20
Laura Fisher
Johns Mansville
Director of Global Logistics
Laura Fisher is Director of Global Logistics for Johns Manville (A Berkshire Hathaway Company). She is responsible for advancing global logistics strategies, enhancing service performance, optimizing the logistics cost portfolio, and operational logistics excellence.
Laura joined Johns Manville in 2008. Across her 20-year career Laura has focused primarily on supply chain strategy & global negotiations in procurement as well as logistics at General Motors and Ariba. In addition, Laura’s experience includes operational excellence and the strategic design of supply chain optimization.
Laura’s community involvement includes supporting charitable organizations such as Warren Village, Urban Nights and Project Angel Heart.
Laura earned a bachelor’s degree in management and marketing from Grove City College in Pennsylvania. She and her family live in Denver.
Cohort 20
Klaus Gaba Port of Virginia
Operations Manager, Gate & Yard
Klaus Gaba is an operations manager with the Port of Virginia with a passion for developing teams and analytical problem solving. His expertise includes continuous process improvement, project management, and supply chain management. Klaus enjoys motivating a team to produce new ideas and generate solutions to complex and relevant problems. His colleagues would describe him as an energetic unifier, an individual that stays positive when faced with challenges and transforms them into possibilities.
He holds a BA in Political Science from St. John’s University in Queens, NY and is a certified Green Belt in Lean Six Sigma. His passions outside of work include art, enjoying live music, hiking, skiing and long distance cycling.
Cohort 20
Connor Gerding
Hub Group
Vice President, Logistics Solutions
Connor began his career in Logistics with Hub Group eight years ago at the Center of Excellence in St. Louis, MO. He started in day to day operations of LTL/TL/IML accounts across various customer verticals, and then transitioned to the Solutions team about 4 years ago in our Oak Brook, IL office.
His current responsibilities include overseeing our Logistics Pricing and Continuous Improvement teams. Connor is fortunate enough to work closely with talented individuals from across his organization in Account Management, Operations, Procurement and Business Intelligence. It is a pleasure for him to be a part of a team committed to producing industry leading solutions for their customers.
Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife, daughter and friends while boating, water skiing, cycling and hunting.
Cohort 20
Jesse HansonTrimac Transportation
Area Manager
Jesse Hanson has worked in the transportation industry for Trimac Transportation since 2007. He currently operates as an Area Manager located in Houston, TX, and is responsible for the SW region, including operations in California and Wyoming.
After graduating from the University of New Brunswick (UNB) with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Jesse moved west and began his career with Trimac. Since that time, he has operated in Analytical, Sales, and Operations. After ten years in their Canadian operations, the company moved Jesse south to Los Angeles, CA in 2017 and in January of 2021 to Houston, TX, where he now operates in his current role.
Jesse is in his first year of pursuing a Master of Science in Transportation Management with a concentration in Supply Chain and looks forward to applying what he learns in this program to his daily business. When not at school or work, Jesse enjoys biking, attending live sporting events, and reading.
Cohort 20
Kimia Khatami
Anacostia Rail Holdings
Corporate Senior Director of Business Development
Kimia Khatami joined Pacific Harbor Line in November 2015 and was promoted to her current position in 2018. She began her career in transportation with Union Pacific Railroad in Omaha, Nebraska where she held various positions in the marketing and sales department. Her experience includes managing commercial projects, government relations, business development, and environmental regulatory compliance.
Kimia's efforts at Pacific Harbor Line have been recognized multiple times, including being a Progressive Railroading Rising Star in 2019 and being nominated for the 2017 Association of American Railroads John H. Chafee Environmental Excellence Award for her efforts in ensuring PHL’s environmental compliance in the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Ms. Khatami also serves on the executive committee of several non-profit organizations including the Harbor Association of Industry and Commerce (HAIC), California Short Line RR Association (CSLRA), and the Long Beach Chamber International Business Association. She led the HAIC as the organization’s youngest President in its near 50-year history throughout 2020, and is a strong advocate for women’s progress in the industry. She received her bachelor’s in Political Science from Brigham Young University.
Cohort 20
Nicolas KleinKansas City Southern Railway Company
Assistant Vice President Operations Technology and Resource Planning
Nicolas works at the Kansas City Southern Railway Company as an AVP of Ops Technology and Resource Planning. This includes leading a team of 16 spread across the US and Mexico. His team includes a wide range of talent, from Black Belts and Data Scientist to long time Railroaders with extensive experience in capacity planning and Network Operations.
He has a passion for continuing education and academics. His father (Cerry Klein) taught at the University of Missouri for 35 years and his mother in law (Elaine Mauldin) is still teaching accounting at the University of Missouri. Nicolas received his undergraduate degree in Industrial Engineering from the U of M and then worked in the supply chain/transportation industry for 3 years before returning to school to obtain an MBA and MS in Industrial Engineering. He also has received a Professional Engineering License in the state of Missouri and a Six Sigma Black Belt. He loves to continue to find ways to improve himself and is excited about the University of Denver.
Nicolas is married with a 3-year-old son and a new baby on the way in March of 2022. He loves basketball, fishing, reading and golf.
Cohort 20
Angela Prill
Schneider Intermodal Director - Revenue Management
Angela Prill currently serves as the Director of Revenue Management working for Schneider Intermodal. Schneider is a premier provider of transportation, intermodal and logistics services. In this role, her primary responsibilities include designing customer strategy for top customers that result in volume, revenue and earnings consistent with business strategies and expectations. Her duties also include managing a pricing department, and leading yield management efforts.
Angela started her career with Schneider in 2010. Prior to her current role in Intermodal, Angela held various accounting and finance roles within the organization to include time in Corporate Accounting, Van Truckload and, most recently, the Financial Controller for Schneider’s Bulk division.
Angela holds a bachelor’s degree from Loyola University-Chicago. She is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Managerial Accountant (CMA).
On a personal level, Angela lives in Hobart, WI with her husband Matt and two children, Quinn (age 5) and MJ (age 3). Angela enjoys playing golf, cycling, reading, as well as deer hunting and fishing up near her family’s cottage.
Cohort 20
Scott Remington
OMNITRAX, INC.
Vice President - M&A
Scott has been with OmniTRAX Inc. since 2010, and with the railroad industry as a whole close to 19 years. He began his career as a railroad freight conductor at Norfolk Southern Railroad. Scott continued to advance in his career through out the operations side of the business in multiple positions by adapting to change and willingness to look for continuous improvement opportunities.
Scott has been very fortunate to be mentored by lots of great leaders along the way that believed in his ability to advance.
His current role at OmniTRAX is to oversee the Safety Team, Mechanical Team, and lead all Merger & Acquisitions for the operations team. Scott provides process improvement recommendations to our President, and support field operations across all 22 railroads.
Scott and his wife Betsy have been married for over 11 years and live in Atlanta, GA. They have two dogs, love being outdoors and spending time on the lake in North Georgia as schedules allow.
Cohort 20
Herman Searcy-Plunkett
Canadian National Railroad
Superintendent of Operations - Chicago
Herman has been with the railroad for 13 years and currently serves as the Superintendent of the Chicago Zone. As Superintendent, he oversees all rail operations in Michigan, Ohio, Indian and Illinois. His primary duties consist of managing the safe and efficient movement of trains in his designated territory. Herman's railroad career started with the CSX as a track supervisor and his primary responsibilities were to oversee track maintenance and inspections. He joined the CN team 9 years ago as a transportation manager and was promoted to various roles within the transportation department.
Herman is a Michigan native, born and raised in Detroit and lived there until graduating high school. Prior to joining railroad, he served in the US Army and served 3 deployment oversees in Iraqi and Afghanistan. Herman is married to his high school sweetheart and they have two children, Harleigh (8) and Hilton (2). He enjoys traveling and visiting historical sites around the world.
Cohort 20
Josh Seifert Matson Logistics Services DirectorJosh Seifert is Director of Matson Logistics Services, an asset-light multimodal transportation provider and subsidiary of Matson Logistics. His responsibilities include managing a network of over 70 transportation Agents, claim and dispute resolution, contract analysis and review, strategic and organic growth initiatives, and liaison with IT department initiatives and development. He played a primary role launching Matson Logistics services in Mexico in 2014, and numerous technology enhancements and implementations to core business units.
Seifert joined Matson Logistics in 2007 and held a succession of positions of increasing responsibilities including; Logistics Supervisor, Carrier Development Manager and Agent Recruiter. Prior to Matson, Seifert managed the logistics of a bulk mail facility at Quebecor World, and worked at CH Robinson. Seifert holds his bachelors degree from the University of Iowa and is currently enrolled at the University of Denver for his Masters of Science in transportation management with a concentration in supply chain operations. He has completed coursework in Supply Chain Management Programs at MIT in 2020, and coursework in various disciplines managed by the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA).
With over 15 years of experience in transportation and logistics, Seifert believes we are in the golden age of logistics using emerging technologies and data to impact decision making for customers and the organization. He believes listening and understanding customer supply chain needs are integral to providing superior solution based needs. Organizational values that are most important to him are; continuous improvement, innovation, transparency, service, integrity and collaboration.
Josh currently lives in St Charles IL, he enjoys spending time with his wife and 2 year old daughter, cooking, and going to concerts and sporting events.
Cohort 20
Jonathan Smith
United Parcel Service
West Zone Director of Surface Network Planning
Jonathan began his UPS career as a hub employee in Utah in 1998, where he was promoted into management. He had numerous assignments in hub operations, IPLD, OE, and Hub IE before relocating to Las Vegas, NV as Package IE Rep. After working on fast lane and other special projects in NV he was promoted to Hub and Feeder section leader and relocated to Salt Lake City in 2008. In 2010 he moved to Portland as the NW Section leader where he helped open the new Portland hub. In 2015 he accepted a position in Surface Network planning covering the Western 13 states. In 2020 Jonathan became the West Zone Director of Surface Network Planning.
Jonathan graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in Mathematics. He was founding Co-chair of the NWD LGBTA BRG and continues to be involved with charities supporting the LGBTQA community in the NW. In his spare time he enjoys exploring the mtns of the pacific northwest and traveling.
Cohort 20
Courtney Sullivan
TTX Company
Government Affairs Manager
Courtney Sullivan serves as the Government Affairs Manager at TTX Company. TTX is the largest provider of railcars in North America, owned and operated by the Class 1 railroads, headquartered in Chicago. In her role, Courtney acts as a liaison between TTX Company and state, local and federal government officials. Courtney is responsible for managing state and federal consultants in accordance with Company legislative priorities and concerns. In addition, she is responsible for identifying and analyzing legislative threats, as well as providing guidance within the organization on how to properly prioritize and act upon such threats. She assists in carrying out the duties of the Government Affairs Department including, but not limited to, administering the Company employee political action committee (PAC), representing TTX Company on a variety of committees within the rail industry and representing TTX Company when matters arise that require community outreach.
Courtney started her career in Washington, D.C., working at the Association of American Railroads.
Courtney graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in Political Science.
Courtney resides in Chicago, Illinois, where she enjoys traveling, trying new restaurants, cycling and spending time outdoors in the neighboring state of Michigan.
