Doctor of Business Administration

Class of 2027 - Online Program

Kurt Badertscher
Senior Program Manager – Draper Laboratory
Kurt Badertscher is the senior program manager for the Special Operations Forces (SOF) portfolio for Draper Laboratory. He leads multiple multi-disciplined engineering teams resulting in advanced prototypes in the fields of autonomous aircraft, secure communications, and overall engineering support to the United States special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology Center Directorate.

Badertscher is an expert in research and development (R&D) processes, and missions of the Department of Defense (DoD), Intelligence Community, Aerospace, and Other Government Agencies (OGA’s). He has a proven history in executive level government and industry leadership positions, which are broadly scoped, customer focused, results oriented, and highly competitive. He is an excellent communicator who anticipates client requirements and translates them into a broad range of realistic options while integrating corporate focused strategic initiatives producing “win-win” situations.

A lifelong learner, Badertscher draws on his extensive experience in both active-duty military and civilian environments to continually expand his expertise. His research interest centers on improving the efficiency of transitioning research and development (R&D) projects into production. He holds an MBA degree from the University of Phoenix.

Brittany Basler
Risk Manager - City of Kissimmee
Brittany Basler oversees the entire risk management department for the City of Kissimmee, identifying opportunities for risk mitigation through data analytics. She develops robust strategies to enhance safety awareness and reduce liability for the City while also implementing continuous improvement programs within the Human Resources and Risk departments to drive efficiency and effectiveness.

Prior to her current role, Basler spent five years at Amazon, where she served as a Senior Process Engineer and Corporate Investigations Manager.

She is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Business Administration, driven by her passion for lifelong learning and a commitment to applying new insights to improve both her professional and personal life. Her research focuses on workplace violence, particularly among at-risk populations and cases involving intimate partner violence.

Basler holds an MBA from the University of South Florida and a bachelor’s degree in public administration from the State College of Florida.

Akilah Byron-Nisbett
Business Consultant – ABN Consultancy
Akilah Byron-Nisbett is a seasoned business consultant with expertise in strategic planning, execution, and leadership development. She excels in guiding organizations towards their goals by providing clear strategic direction, enhancing communication, and fostering strong leadership teams.

In addition to her consulting work, Byron-Nisbett has held prominent roles in government. She has served as a Senator, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, and Minister of Health, where she played a pivotal role in shaping national health policy and leading the response efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Byron-Nisbett holds a master’s degree in computer information systems from Quinnipiac University and a bachelor’s degree in information systems from the University of South Florida.

Dale L. Crawford
Executive Director – Steel Tube Institute
Dale Crawford is the executive director of the Steel Tube Institute. He oversees the organization’s efforts to promote the growth and competitiveness of steel pipe and tubular products throughout North America. In addition, he leads the strategies, programs, and activities of the institute’s Conduit Section, which includes North America’s leading steel conduit manufacturers.

Before joining the Steel Tube Institute, Crawford worked as director of marketing and business development for Intermountain Wind and Solar, an electrical contractor. He previously spent nine years at electrical wire manufacturer Cerrowire, where he held roles in production supervision, marketing, and business development. His tenure at Cerrowire included serving as the director of marketing and value development, where he led marketing, public relations, advertising, business development, and product development efforts.

Additionally, Crawford regularly teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in marketing and business strategy at various universities. He serves as the course group lead for the Marketing Management course at Brigham Young University–Idaho, where he has been teaching since 2016.

Crawford earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Weber State University and a Master of Business Administration from Utah State University.

Shane Culbertson
Program Manager – Credence Management Solutions
Shane Culbertson is a program manager at Credence Management Solutions, providing contracted support to U.S. Air Combat Command. In this role, he leads multimillion-dollar defense initiatives, fosters collaboration among mission partners, software developers, and intelligence professionals, and aligns intelligence solutions with Air Force priorities. He oversees complex contracts, champions interagency investments, and directs agile software development projects that support thousands of Airmen worldwide.

Prior to joining Credence, Culbertson served 20 years in the U.S. Air Force and worked for top defense contractors in roles spanning intelligence, operations, and program management. He has led cross-functional teams in high-stakes environments, managed large-scale budgets, and negotiated major interagency agreements. Over nearly three decades, Culbertson honed his expertise in operational excellence, strategic planning, and global security initiatives.

He is pursuing a Doctorate of Business Administration from the University of South Florida. He holds an MBA with a concentration in finance from Park University and a bachelor's degree in business administration with a concentration in management from Park University.

Jason Furtick
Senior Client Support Specialist– Talkspace
Jason Furtick is a senior client support specialist at Talkspace, a leading online therapy platform. In this role, he manages client escalations and complex or sensitive cases requiring detailed investigation, oversees support request workflows and KPIs using CRM tools like Zendesk, analyzes trends to identify potential service delivery concerns, and contributes to client support operations and specialty projects. Jason is now transitioning into a customer success manager role at a technology company.

Prior to Talkspace, Furtick worked at United Healthcare in a similar capacity and achieved notable success as a licensed real estate salesperson in New York City, where he built a multimillion-dollar real estate business within two years. He also brings extensive experience in retail management, having led teams, driven sales, and managed departments at prestigious brands like Nike, Macy’s, and the luxury fitness company Equinox.

Furtick holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational communications and business from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. He has also completed MBA coursework at the University of Cincinnati and Fordham University before enrolling in the USF DBA program.

Marie T. Kaufmann
Senior Director of Marketing Strategy and Planning – Automatic Data Processing (ADP)
Marie Kaufmann is a highly motivated, results-driven leader specializing in strategic planning, operational excellence, and process improvement. In her role, she serves as a trusted advisor and chief of staff to the vice president of global brand to demand marketing. Kaufmann drives operational efficiencies, leads revenue-generating initiatives, and spearheads transformational projects that optimize marketing effectiveness.

With over 15 years of marketing experience and nearly a decade of strategic growth at ADP, Kaufmann excels at building dynamic, collaborative teams. Known for fostering innovation, she connects the dots between vision and execution, empowering teams to deliver extraordinary results. Her empathetic and decisive leadership style inspires ownership and accountability while driving measurable success.

Kaufmann holds a master's degree in project management from Boston University and a bachelor's degree in marketing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Prieya Kumar
SAP Finance & Controlling Subject Matter Expert (SME)
Prieya Kumar is an independent SAP consultant specializing in Budget-to-Report (B2R) for the U.S. Navy. She plays a key role in the U.S. Department of Defense’s ERP transformation project, supporting the Navy’s migration to SAP S/4HANA.

Previously, as a senior manager (/associate director) in EY’s SAP technology practice, Kumar specialized in techno-functional consulting with deep expertise in financial accounting and controlling. Her focus areas included supply chain financials, general ledger, asset accounting, accounts payable and receivable, banking, treasury, integration, reporting, budgeting, planning, cost accounting, product costing, material ledger, and actual costing.

Over the past 23 years, she has worked with a diverse portfolio of high-profile clients, including the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, PPG, NVIDIA, Microsoft, Sysmex Americas, Tapestry, 3M, Target, U.S. Bank, TCS, and Citi Bank.

Kumar holds a master’s degree equivalent in cost and management accounting and a bachelor’s degree in financial accounting from the University of Madras. She is currently pursuing a DBA at the University of South Florida.

Lenard Phillips, III
Director of Operations – American Medical Student Association
With over a decade of experience in operations management, Lenard Phillips, III has dedicated his career to process development, continuous improvement, and, most importantly, developing teams and individuals. His leadership philosophy is rooted in a personal mantra:

“My level of success will be reflected by those that do not have my reflection.”

Phillips thrives on creating meaningful impact—whether by optimizing processes, driving innovation, or empowering others to reach their full potential. As the director of operations for AMSA, he is committed to advancing the organization's vision and fostering sustainable growth.

Originally from Louisiana, Phillips earned a bachelor’s degree in business management with a specialization in Supply Chain Management from Southern University and A&M College. He later expanded his expertise by obtaining both a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Science in Information Systems from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas.

Elaine M. Polanco
Revenue Unit Leader – New York City Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH)
Elaine M. Polanco is a revenue unit leader at the New York City Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH), where she oversees financial reconciliation, regulatory compliance training, and workflow optimization. In her current role, Polanco develops strategic plans and implements data-driven practices to enhance transparency and accountability in municipal financial management.

Previously, Polanco served as a staff auditor at the New York City Office of the Comptroller, where she conducted performance and financial audits that identified significant recoupable funds, improved operational efficiency, and strengthened internal control procedures across multiple city agencies. Her professional background includes roles with the New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development and the New York City Human Resources Administration, contributing to regulatory compliance, grant management of city-funded housing subsidy programs.

Polanco earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Nova Southeastern University and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) at the University of South Florida. Her doctoral research is focused on public sector procurement reform and financial transparency.

Neil Tator
Director, Strategic Growth and Operations – Amentum Incorporated
Neil Tator serves as the director of strategic growth and operations in the combatant command division of Amentum Incorporated. In this role, he supports global support to defense contracts and manages a strategic growth business development pipeline worth more than 7 billion dollars.

Prior to joining Amentum, Tator retired after 25 years of service as an Army Special Forces officer. He previously co-owned multiple small business franchises across North Carolina.

Tator earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Hampton University, an MPA from Golden Gate University, a master’s degree in military science from the United States Air Force Air War College, a master’s degree in aeronautical science from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, and a master’s degree in strategic studies from the United States Army War College.

Michael Yehya
Founder and Managing Director, Bay Area Strategic Advisors
Michael Yehya is the founder and Managing Director of the Bay Area Strategic Advisors, a California-based strategy consulting firm specializing in delivering strategic guidance to clients worldwide. His expertise lies in developing competitive strategies that drive revenue growth and market expansion. Michael works closely with private equity and investment firms, offering insights to shape strategic investment decisions, with a particular focus on the Tech sector.

With more than 12 years in strategy consulting, he works closely with global leaders across public and private sectors to tackle complex challenges and enable data-driven decision-making. Prior to establishing the Bay Area Strategic Advisors, he served as a Senior Manager at Deloitte Consulting, where he focused on enhancing national competitiveness and advancing economic policy reforms.

He holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon.