Doctor of Business Administration

Class of 2018

Minnie Ahuja
Five Star Car Stereo
Minnie Ahuja has 16 years' experience in finance, consulting and project management. She was a marketing executive in Ranbaxy Pharmaceutical, in Chandigarh, India and a vice president at PNC Financial Services in both Pittsburgh, Pa. and Cleveland, Ohio. She provided strategic leadership, financial analysis and planning in corporate project management office. She led restructuring, business expansion, and technology implementation across lines of business. Ahuja was a 2006 performance award nominee for corporate-level awards, winning a VIP award twice.

She is currently managing a small business, Five Star Car Stereo, in Clearwater, Fla., handling the company's marketing, finance, HR and operations functions.

Ahuja earned an MBA focusing on finance and healthcare from Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Additionally, she earned two degrees in biochemistry from Punjab University in Chandigarh, India. All degrees were earned with honors and she is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society.

Hugh Bettendorf
Deployment Essentials
Hugh Bettendorf is a seasoned executive with more than 25 years of government experience, serving first as a United States Marine Corps officer and, later, as a government contractor working on Department of State and Department of Defense contracts in Africa and the Middle East.

Today, Bettendorf is a consultant who helps companies develop new business and strategic teaming relationships for government contracts. He contributes to the strategic planning, and proposal development.

Bettendorf earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Va. and an Executive MBA from USF's Muma College of Business in Tampa, Fla. He also graduated from the U.S. Marine Corps Command and Staff College in Quantico, Va. Bettendorf is a Certified International Program Manager. Additionally, he has participated in numerous defense-industry training programs.

Tres Bishop
Comtech Systems Inc.
Tres Bishop is director of quality assurance for Comtech Systems Inc. in Orlando, Fla. He handles audit, inspection, quality engineering, and customer/supplier interface functions for the communications solutions company that serves the energy companies in the private sector as well as the U.S. military and foreign governments. Before moving to Comtech Systems, Bishop held positions of increasing responsibility at Rockwell Collins and Harris Corporation.

Bishop earned a degree in industrial and systems engineering from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla. and an MBA and MS in Engineering Management from the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Fla. Bishop's certifications reflect his passion for continuous improvement, leadership and change management. He is a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, a Certified Manager of Quality/ Organizational Excellence, and a Certified Project Management Professional.

Ramil Cabela
Celgene Corporation
Ramil Cabela is a Six Sigma certified leader whose 20-year career spans hospital, health insurance and pharmaceutical industries. He has led cross-functional teams that developed innovative systems and processes in pharmacovigilance at both Pfizer and Celgene Corp. He is currently a director and safety scientist in pharmacovigiliance and epidemiology at Celgene in Berkeley Heights, N.J.

Though his career has largely been in global drug safety and risk management roles, Cabela is an entrepreneur who co-founded an offshore pharmacovigilance call center services, Ascent, Inc., in 2011. He also invests in innovative startups such as Bossamo.com and J. Flores Catering Services, both based in the Philippines.

He has an MBA (earned with distinction) from Baruch College, City University of New York and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree (cum laude) from the University of the Philippines in Quezon City, Philippines. Cabela is a Licensed Registered Nurse in the State of New York , where he has also been a Certified Critical Care Registered Nurse.

Douglas Carter
Texas A&M University-San Antonio
Douglas Carter is the former associate vice president for external affairs and global partnerships at Texas A&M University-San Antonio in San Antonio, Texas. There, he focused on stakeholder relations in both Spain and Israel, resulting in a Memorandum of Understanding with Loyola University of Andalucia and Instituto Cervantes.

Carter is also an adjunct professor at Texas A&M University-San Antonio's College of Business, focusing on international management, ethics and stakeholder relations and the fundamentals of entrepreneurship. In 2012, he received the Texas A&M University System Faculty Teaching Excellence Award.

He is a graduate of The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Cross Cultural Communications. Carter also earned an MBA in International Business from National University in San Diego, Calif.

Clinton Daniel
USF Muma College of Business
Clinton Daniel is an instructor in the Information Systems Decision Sciences Department at the USF Muma College of Business in Tampa, Fla., teaching courses in business intelligence, business data communications, business application development and systems analysis and design. Additionally, he teaches special topic boot camps such as SharePoint, "big data," and electronic health record systems.

Before joining USF's faculty in 2014, Daniel worked in several information technology roles for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, where he managed a data warehouse for seven VA medical centers and developed business intelligence solutions for the VA and its customers.

He had a prior career in physical therapy, both in private practice and in the U.S. Army as a combat medic and physical therapy specialist. He is a partner with SunCoast Technology Consulting.

Daniel earned a Master of Science in Management Information Systems from USF and a bachelor's degree from Saint Leo University in Saint Leo, Fla.

Priya Dozier
FIS
Priya Dozier is vice president of product management at FIS, a Fortune 500 financial services provider of payment processing and banking solutions. Dozier is responsible for developing and improving payment options that decrease retailer's expense while simultaneously managing fraud and meeting customer expectations.

During her 15 years at FIS, Dozier held product, risk and business development responsibilities for payment solutions that manage e-commerce, mobile payments and recently launched FIS InterPayment, an industry leading decoupled debit program.

Dozier earned an MBA from the University of South Florida in Tampa, Fla. and a bachelor's degree in MIS from Florida State University in Tallahassee, Fla. She is certified in Pragmatic Planning. Dozier is also an adjunct professor at Saint Petersburg College in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Ed Fulford
CGI
As an executive in risk, information security, and compliance, Ed Fulford has more than 25 years of international experience assessing, building, and managing IT Security and Risk Management programs for companies such as CGI, CAPCO, RBS WorldPay, Fundtech Corporation, Cingular Wireless, and British Telecom.

Fulford earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla. and a Master of Business Administration from Troy University in Troy, Ala. His professional certifications include the Payment Card Industry Professional, Certified Information Security Manager, Certified Information Systems Security Professional, Certified Fraud Examiner, and Certified Information Systems Auditor credentials.

His service to the community includes roles as chairman of the Business Executive Advisory Board for the Sorrell College of Business at Troy University. He serves on the Board of Trustees of the Phi Kappa Theta Foundation.

Carl Gilmore, Jr.
Entergy, Inc.
A seasoned IT professional with 16+ years' experience across several industries, Carl Gilmore is responsible for the execution, technical design, development, and deployment of more than $500 million utility and Smart Grid Program initiatives. These range from residential and commercial customers across multiple state jurisdictions to the delivery and implementation of projects between the business community and IT teams. He has managed deployments of ERP software systems, VOIP IP infrastructures and deployed government network projects, earning the GSA Technical Excellence Award.

Gilmore previously served as the lead solutions engineer for Duke Energy, managing the solution architecture and implementation of Smart Grid Demand Response initiatives. Beyond technical delivery, he has also issued and reviewed RFPs and executed and negotiated contracts for various complex technologies.

He earned an MBA from the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla. and a bachelor's degree from Lane College in Jackson, Tenn.

Fred Gore
Southeastern University
Fred Gore serves as the executive director of finance and an adjunct instructor in accounting for Southeastern University, a private, religious university in Lakeland, Fla. In this capacity he leads the accounting, treasury and financial planning activities.

Gore is a CPA as well as an ordained minister. He has more than 30 years' accounting experience, is a specialist in nonprofit and ministerial tax matters, has published two tax bulletins for his denomination, and has a tax practice that caters primarily to ministers and missionaries.

He earned an MBA and project management certificate from Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo., a Master of Divinity from the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary in Springfield, Mo. and a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin in Austin, Texas.

Denise Gravatt
Florida Atlantic University
Denise M. Gravatt is the professional services consultant for Florida Atlantic University's School of Accounting Executive Programs in Boca Raton, Fla.

She has a Master of Arts in English from FAU and is a Certified Master Tutor with 13 years' experience teaching literature, writing and communications across disciplines.

For the last eight years, Gravatt has worked in FAU's Executive Business Graduate Programs area, teaching Business Communications for Executive MBA, providing professional services and networking, developing marketing materials, and creating strategic social media marketing initiatives. Her current passion involves initiating meaningful dialogues and informing exchanges between academic researchers and professionals.

Tim Greer

Tim Greer has held numerous positions within the insurance and financial services industry, including the principle of an insurance agency and an associate professor. He has developed content for and taught courses in insurance and financial planning at the graduate level.

As a member of the United States Navy Reserves, Greer works with the Headquarters and Service Company, Fourth Medical Battalion in San Diego, CA.

Greer's educational background includes an MBA from Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn., and several certificates earned at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pa. and The American College in Malvern, Pa. His undergraduate degree is from Grove City College in Grove City, Pa. He also holds the following professional designations: CEBS, GBA, RPA, CMS, ChFC, CLU, CASL, and RHU.

 

Jim Gregory
Tenet Partners
James R. Gregory is the chairman of Tenet Partners, a global brand strategy and marketing firm based in New York City. Gregory is a leading expert on measuring the power of corporate brands and their impact on financial performance. He has written five books on branding including his most recent one, POWERHOUSE: The Secrets of Corporate Branding.

He serves on the Board of Directors of Tervis Tumbler Corporation. He is also a member of the Marketing Accountability Standards Board. Gregory has a degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va. and he earned a professional certificate in entrepreneurship from Harvard Business School in Cambridge, Mass.

Vjollca Hysenlika
USF College of Nursing
Vjollca Hysenlika is a journalist, media consultant, and social media consultant who leads and develops media and public relations campaigns locally, regionally, and nationally for USF's College of Nursing. She is the managing editor for all videos and provides visuals for a variety of platforms.

Hysenlika is also the founder and president of VH New Media, a public relations, media consulting and social media firm that helps small businesses increase their online presence and digital marketing.

Her previous work experience includes roles as a writer and field producer for WTVT-TV, Fox 13 and as a reporter, writer, and assignment editor for WTTA-WB 38 News, both in Tampa, Fla.

Hysenlika is a two-time graduate of USF's Zimmerman School of Advertising and Mass Communications, earning an undergraduate degree in journalism and a master's degree in strategic communications management there.

Abdoulie Jammeh
Bay Pines Veterans Administration
AJ Jammeh currently serves as chief of environmental medical services at Bay Pines VA Healthcare System. There, he spearheads integrated short-, intermediate and long-range planning efforts to meet the changing needs of a dynamic, highly active healthcare system. Jammeh has broad managerial knowledge and technical expertise within the various sections of EMS and within the healthcare system.

An entrepreneur, Jammeh is the co-founder and senior vice president of A&J Trading and he was former co-owner and vice president of marketing for MedAlign Inc.

His prior experience includes roles in customer service at Metcalf Sentry and Circuit City, both in Madison, Wis., and service as an operations manager for Madison Kip production plant. He also worked as an accountant and internal auditor for the Treasury Department in The Gambia, Africa.

Jammeh earned an MBA from the University of South Florida in Tampa, Fla. and bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin - Madison in Madison, Wis. He has several industry certifications and has completed many flagship leadership development programs.

Loran Jarrett
United Landmark Associates
Loran Jarrett is vice president of business development and digital strategy for United Landmark Associates, a luxury brand marketing firm. ULA clients include new home development projects, yacht companies and financial institutions.

With more than 10 years experience in the marketing industry, she was recently been voted one of the Top Five Favorite PR/Marketing Practitioners by the Tampa Bay Business Journal three years in a row. She was also a finalist for Tampa Bay Young Businesswoman of the Year award.

Before joining ULA, Jarrett was chief creative scientist for her own agency, Lab3 Marketing. The agency won many local awards for leadership and marketing and, true to its company culture, was known for its passion for community involvement.

Jarrett earned two bachelor's degrees from Florida State University in Tallahassee, Fla., one in marketing and one in real estate. She received a master's degree from the University of Tampa in Tampa, Fla., where she also serves as an adjunct professor.

Connie Kahler
DRS Network & Imaging Systems
Connie Kahler is controller for DRS Networking and Imaging Systems, where she oversees the organization's financial services functions and leads a team of accountants and accounting professionals. Kahler has more than 16 years' experience in industry and has consolidated accounting departments, implemented new ERP systems and worked with a variety of audit and regulatory agencies.

A Certified Public Accountant, Kahler earned an MBA from Webster University in St. Louis, Mo., a Bachelors in Business Administration from the University of Colorado in Denver, Colo. and an Associate of General Studies from Aurora Community College in Aurora, Colo.

Her current research interests include effective leadership traits during organizational transition, and vertical or horizontal integration strategies.

Edward Kucher
Tampa Family Health Centers
Edward Kucher has 22 years' experience in operations and financial management in the health care industry. He is chief operations officer at Tampa Family Health Centers, one of the largest federally qualified health centers in the nation. Kucher served as a chief financial officer of the organization for 15 years before taking on the COO role.

Tampa Family Health Centers serves more than 90,000 patients in Hillsborough County, Fla. each year and, as COO, Kucher is part of the leadership team that has seen the organization expand from two to 17 service locations and the addition of dental, pharmacy, OB/GYN, behavioral health, optometry, radiology, and podiatry services. He has also been a part of the organization's team leading its conversion to electronic health records.

Kucher earned an undergraduate degree in accounting and economics from the Kiev Trade and Economic University in Kiev, Ukraine, followed by Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Master of Accounting degrees from the University of South Florida in Tampa, Fla.

Darryl Lavender
United States Special Operations Command
With more than 35 years of government service, Darryl (Mojo) Lavender has served in various command leadership and staff positions in the military, ranging from platoon, company and battalion level leadership to his current role as deputy director for sensitive activities and unconventional warfare at United States Special Operations Command.

Lavender serves as the chief operations officer and expert on all clandestine capabilities, operations, functions, policies, legal, fiscal, and congressional reporting. He is responsible for all administrative and operational activities of a 110-person organization with an operating budget in excess of $60 million.

In addition to leadership and other certifications earned at institutions such as Harvard's Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge, Mass. and British Army Staff College in Camberley, United Kingdom, Lavender earned a Bachelor of Science in Military History from the United States Military Academy, West Point, NY and a Master of Strategic Study at United States Army War College in Carlisle, Pa.

Robyn Lord
Institute of Applied Equine Podiatry
Robyn Lord has 20 years' general management experience in the retail and fashion industries. Currently, Lord is co-founder and chief executive officer at the Institute of Applied Equine Podiatry, an International equine-based school with current graduates in more than 15 countries. Lord oversees all dean of student activities as well as product sales and marketing.

Lord previously served as general manager of retail, tours for the Vermont Teddy Bear Company in Shelburne, Vt., providing executive leadership for the company's $6 million retail tour environment and leading an expansion project that resulted in a financial turnaround for the division.

She received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Castleton State University in Castleton, Vt. in 1999 and earned an Executive MBA from Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Fla. in 2015.

Gerald Lowe
American Battle Monuments Commission
As a U.S. naval officer for most of his career, Gerald Lowe led operations in such far-flung places as the Arabian Peninsula, Gabon and Afghanistan. He accepted a job as project manager at Bradshaw Construction Corporation after retiring from the Navy. In his first private sector position, he led business development across the Southeast. Now, Lowe is deputy director of cemetery operations for the American Battle Monuments Commission, based in Paris.

Over the course of his naval career, he worked for the U.S. Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa and on the Arabian Peninsula, where he led the largest multinational project in the region in 2013 that involved 13 nations. In Afghanistan, Lowe led a $451 million Afghan National Army Security Assistance Construction Program and helped establish support battalions.

He received a bachelor's degree in civil engineering at the Tennessee Technological University and a master's degree in national security studies from the Naval Postgraduate School. He also earned a master's degree in ocean engineering from the Florida Atlantic University.

Maria Lowe
City of St. Pete Beach
Maria Lowe is the mayor of the City of St. Pete Beach, Fla; where she recently led the city through mediation to conclude 12 years of litigation to implement a comprehensive plan. She also oversaw the first bond issue of $13 million, and a credit rating (Aa3) for St. Pete Beach to pay for infrastructure overhaul.

Previously, Lowe worked as an operations research and systems analyst for the Army Analysis Center in Monterey, Calif, where she was the project manager for corruption effects in irregular warfare.

Lowe earned a Bachelor of Science in Management at the United States Military Academy in West Point, NY. She received a MBA from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and she studied defense analysis at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif.

Shrimatee Ojah-Maharaj
City of St. Petersburg
Shrimatee Ojah-Maharaj has more than 25 years' experience in urban and regional planning, economic development and education. At the City of St. Petersburg, Fla., she worked on long-range comprehensive/environmental planning, community development, neighborhood redevelopment, business corridor revitalization and a grants program. Instrumental in the Mayor Rick Baker's Midtown Economic Development Administration's success, she developed the city's small business programs.

Ojah-Maharaj taught community college-level biology and has served as a graduate-level economic development and planning adjunct. She is a board member to the Journeys in Journalism program for three schools in south St Petersburg, the Business Economics and Technology Academy program at Gibbs High School, and the Pinellas Opportunity Council, a social action agency.

Ojah-Maharaj attended the University of the West Indies St. Augustine in Trinidad, where she earned a BSc (General) and a Diploma in Education. She also attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla., where she studied landscape architecture before going on to earn a Master of Arts in Urban and Regional Planning. Ojah-Maharaj is a Certified Circuit Court Mediator.

Jim Mennie
Florida Polytechnic University
James Mennie has 20 years of experience in improving a broad range of business operations including sales strategies, supplier relations, technology integration, and increased profitability. Mennie was president of a Spring Hill, Fla., nursery, where he developed and implemented a business plan creating the retail and custom design operation. Prior to that, he was vice president of a family-run business where he helped to increase production, sales and profitability. He also was director of distribution and facilities and director of operations at Manchester Technologies in New York.

A visiting assistant professor of science management at Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland, Fla., Mennie has taught at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Fla. He has international teaching experience at the Women's University in Seoul, South Korea,

Mennie earned a Master's Degree in Business Administration from Long Island University in Brookville, NY and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the State University of New York.

Valerie Mockus
Apple Pi Consulting
Valerie Mockus is the owner of Apple Pi Consulting, the most accomplished consulting practice working with colleges and universities using the best-of-breed solution for administering financial aid called PowerFAIDS. Mockus has worked with over 100 institutions across the nation to implement or optimize usage of the software.

Mockus started in financial aid as a work-study student at Denison University in Granville, Ohio and went on to work as an aid professional for multiple institutions such as College of Wooster, in Wooster, Ohio, Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, and The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Mockus began consulting in 2001.

While serving as the director of financial aid, Mockus earned an MBA at Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pa. She also earned an undergraduate degree in women's studies from Denison University.

Marlo Murphy-Braynen
Marlo Murphy-Braynen is a certified public accountant with more than 25 years' management experience, Murphy-Braynen has worked in a variety of sectors including public accounting, financial services and academia.

Murphy-Braynen earned an MBA with a specialization in finance as a member of The College of The Bahamas' first MBA graduating class, where she earned the Franklyn Wilson Award for Excellence in Graduate Research. Prior to that, Murphy-Braynen earned a bachelor of accounting degree (with honors) from Florida International University in Miami, Fla. in 1990. She is a licensed member of the Georgia State Board of Accountancy and the Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Christina Norton
RMS, Revenue Management Solutions
Christina Norton is the executive assistant to the CEO for Revenue Management Solutions. RMS provides consulting services in the use of statistics and quantitative modeling for restaurant and retail industries. The firm is headquartered in Tampa and has offices in Paris, London, Singapore, and Tokyo. After serving as director of resource development for three years, she shifted to focus on corporate growth, marketing and sales, and public relations functions for RMS.

Norton worked in higher education for 20+ years, serving as the program director for the Master in Hospitality Administration from Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne in Switzerland, the program director for post graduate studies at the University Centre Cesar Ritz, in Brig, Switzerland, and as course leader for the Diploma in Hotel Management at New College Durham in Durham, England.

Norton earned a Master of Arts in Education from The Open University in Milton Keynes, England and two degrees from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY: a Master of Professional Studies and a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management. After competing her studies at Cornell University's Hotel School, she began her career in hotel management at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group in Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Singapore, Manila, and San Francisco.

Kunal Shah
A&S Hospitality Management
Kunal Shah is the president and co-owner of A&S Hospitality Management, LLC, a hotel management company that oversees four current hotels -- as well as two upcoming construction projects. Together, the six hotels have more than 500 rooms and $9 million in revenue.

Shah has been working in the hospitality industry for six years and manages hotels such as Days Inn, Best Western Plus, La Quinta Inn & Suites, and IHG Hotels.

Shah has a bachelor's degree, in finance, from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn. and a Masters of Science in management from Texas A&M in Commerce, Texas. Additionally, Shah has earned several certificates from Cornell University's Master Certificate in Hospitality Management program in Ithaca, N.Y.

Darren Spencer
Retired
Darren Spencer is a recently retired United States Air Force instructor pilot with progressively increasing cross-functional managerial, international and cross-cultural relations experience. His most recent activities include training the Romanian Ministry of National Defense in conducting public affairs campaigns, and educating the Croatian Air Force on methods and techniques related to training and evaluating aircrew. Prior to that, he held roles as chief of innovation, deputy chief of the air advisor branch, and assistant operations director at Ramstein Air Base in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. He also worked at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla., Kadena Air Base in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, and at Grand Forks Air Force Base in Grand Forks, N.D.

Spencer earned a BS BA in Management from Hawaii Pacific University, an MS in Aviation from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, N.D., and an MA in Management from the Harvard University Extension School in Cambridge, Mass.

Thomas Stablein
DTCC
Tom Stablein is a vice president and areal lead for the Depository Trust Clearing Corporation. He was brought in to grow the internal portfolio, program and project management competency within IT, with a specific focus on IT4IT investments.

Prior to joining DTCC, Stablein held a series of leadership positions with Constellation Energy Group, headquartered in Baltimore, Md. He led the integration of technology and processes for more than ten acquisitions. In addition, he developed the processes and tools required to start a new international coal and freight business in London, England, which grew from a half dozen to more than 100 before being sold to Goldman Sachs. Stablein spent the last year of his employment with Constellation leading a 300+ person development shop, including business intelligence and program and project management, with responsibility for the delivery of more than $250M in annual investment.

Stablein earned an undergraduate business degree from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and completed a dual master's degree at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland in College Park, Md. His masters degrees are in finance and business administration.

Doug Straka
U.S. Central Command
Doug Straka serves as a program analyst with the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Division at United States Central Command in Tampa, Fla. and assists partner nations within the Middle Eastern region in improving their emergency management capabilities. From partner nation capability gains within the region, and the partnerships formed, other Department of Defense organizations are now applying similar best practices on a global scale.

Straka previously served for more than 20 years as a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear officer in the United States Army in various operational and institutional assignments worldwide.

Straka is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in Platteville, Wis., where he earned bachelor' degrees in general chemistry and animal science, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla., where he earned an MBA with an aviation emphasis.

Kevin Taliaferro
National Intelligence University
Kevin Taliaferro is director of the National Intelligence University Southern Academic Center in Tampa Fla. He is responsible for NIU's graduate programs across the southeast United States and manages three sites offering the Master of Science of Strategic Intelligence degree.

He previously served as NIU's chief operating officer and chief financial officer, where he was responsible for the university's budget planning and execution, personnel, logistics, and facilities requirements. He is a retired United States Air Force officer with 2,100 flying hours and extensive leadership and program management experience.

Taliaferro earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Va., a Master of Aeronautical Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla., and a Master of Military Operational Art and Science from Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. He is a Certified Project Management Professional and is trained as a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.

Richard Tarpey
HCA, Inc.
Richard Tarpey has spent the better part of the last 25 years working with resource scheduling concepts and systems within the airline and health care industries. He has been at HCA for more than 18 years and is currently the vice president of labor management.

Tarpey has published several papers and case studies dealing with labor schedule management and staff satisfaction, one of which received a Distinguished Research Award from the Academy of Health Care Management. He currently leads an initiative to consolidate scheduling and staffing functions into a shared services model for hospitals.

Tarpey earned a bachelor's degree and an MBA from Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tenn., where he currently holds an adjunct professor position within the Jones College of Business.

Janelle Ward
COLSA Corporation
Janelle Ward is a senior program advisor with COLSA Corporation, a company that specializes in information services, programmatic support, system engineering and integration and cyber. She conducts planning and analysis to guide the development and implementation of strategies in support of near and long-term government requirements.

Ward served as a behavioral scientist in the United States Air Force for almost 22 years. During her military career, she specialized in psychological operations and information operations, most recently at United States Central Command in Tampa, Fla.

Ward earned a Master of Science in Psychology from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, Ill. She also received a bachelor's degree in behavioral science from the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Jamie Wilson
Moffitt Cancer Center
Jamie Wilson is vice president of government relations at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla. Wilson is responsible for federal, state and local advocacy/lobbing for the institution. Issues include government regulation, rules, policy and funding. Funding efforts on behalf of the institution are a main area of focus; reimbursement, education, taxation and research.

Prior to joining Moffitt in 2007, Jamie was a government relations consultant based in Tallahassee, Fla., where he represented many major companies before governments at all levels. He also served as the executive director for the Republican Party of Florida during the 2000 election cycle and through the Florida Recount. Wilson began his career working with former United States Senator Connie Mack, III in Washington and Florida.

Wilson is a graduate of Florida State University in Tallahassee, Fla., where he earned a Master of Science in Applied American Politics and Policy. He also attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla., where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Political Science.