Speakers Bureau

Susan Fall is considered a true pioneer in the world of trucking technology. After graduating from the University of California – Santa Barbara, Susan began working for Qualcomm in 1993. She was there at a time when telematics and GPS was revolutionizing the trucking industry, Qualcomm was leading the way and her job was to make sure everyone knew about it.

Having found her true calling, in 2000, Susan took her public relations expertise and industry knowledge and founded LaunchIt Public Relations. She recognized that there was a lack of public relations for transportation technology startups and credible guidance for companies in the freight transportation industry. She saw companies struggle and fail, not because their technology products failed, but because they had no way to enter and gain traction in the highly relationship-oriented freight transportation industry. Her PR firm focuses on helping freight technology companies become leaders and experts in their specific transportation industry segments. Clients new to transportation count on Susan and LaunchIt to establish them as a reliable industry supplier while established companies utilize the firm to build on the work they’ve already completed and to amplify their communication efforts.

Susan’s passion and dedication to the industry has ensured that the company is recognized as a premier PR firm for some of the most successful technology transportation companies. Susan herself is widely recognized by clients and within the industry as an expert in trucking technology. She is a founding member of the Women in Trucking Association and has served as a board member for Truck Writers of North America, the Professional Truck Driver Institute, Trucker Buddy, a trustee for the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) Scholarship Fund and is an active member of the TCA and American Trucking Associations Communications & Image Policy Committees.

Susan was named PR World’s PR Champion 2018 for her tireless efforts in helping to improve the image of the truck driver, she was awarded “Rigster of the Year” honors in 2016 and 2017 by TCA for her efforts in promoting and increasing membership and LaunchIt has been named a top woman-owned business in 2018 and 2019.

Brenda Neville is the President & CEO of the Iowa Motor Truck Association, a statewide trade association that has been representing the interested of Iowa’s trucking industry since 1942. Headquartered at the foot of the Iowa State Capitol, IMTA advocated for a pro-trucking, pro-business environment for its 700+ members at both the state and national level.

Brenda has been with the trucking association for over 30 years serving as senior vice president for 14 years before being moved into the top slot in 2008. In addition to her predominant role in Iowa’s trucking industry, Brenda is active in many organizations and served on numerous professional boards on both the state and national level specific to trucking and freight management priorities.

One of Brenda’s greatest passions is to give back to the association community and she has coordinated and led the state’s certification process for state association executives for over 20 years. She is also a  big proponent of leadership programs and strategic planning and has worked with many trade associations as well as several businesses in these specific areas as well.

Brenda graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with degrees in Business and Psychology and continues to do graduate work. Brenda enjoys anything that allows her to be physically and mentally challenged and also allowing her to be outside. Her and husband Joe reside in rural Polk county and have two grown sons.

Sarah has served as the ATA’s SVP of Human Resources since 2017 and was promoted to EVP of Human Resources, Operations, and Industry Affairs in 2023. During the past 15 years, she has held positions including VP of Operations and Human Resources for the RSR Company, HR Director/Senior Consultant at DayBlink Consulting and HR Director/Senior Consultant for the Center for Shared Services. She holds an MBA from Georgetown University, two B.A. degrees from The Ohio State University and obtained her Professional Human Resource (PHR) certification from the Human Resources Certification Institute in 2009. 

Alex serves as the VP of Legislative Affairs for the American Trucking Associations (ATA) and lobbies Members of Congress on topics related to trade, labor, workforce development, homeland security, defense, and infrastructure, among others. She also manages ATA’s Law Enforcement Advisory Board and serves as co-chair of the Advocacy Subcommittee for ATA’s Women in Motion program. Prior to joining ATA’s Office of Legislative Affairs, Alex served as ATA’s Manager of Customs, Immigration, and Cross-Border Operations, where she focused on international trade policy and played an integral role in ATA’s advocacy efforts related to ratification of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada-Agreement (USMCA). During this time, Alex was selected to represent the trucking industry on the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) Surface Transportation Security Advisory Committee. Prior to joining ATA, Alex served on the Committee on Homeland Security in the U.S. House of Representatives and specialized in transportation and border security. Alex graduated summa cum laude from Bucknell University and received her master’s degree in government from Johns Hopkins University.

Marilyn Surber serves as the VP of Sales and Marketing at Drivers Legal Plan and was previously Head of Industry Relations at Tenstreet since 2019. Marilyn has been a part of the transportation industry since 2008. She is passionate about serving the transportation industry and is an advocate for transportation community. She has over 15 years’ experience in corporate communication, recruiting, safety and driver training. Prior to joining Tenstreet, Marilyn served in a number of roles with Melton Truck Lines and Hilti, Inc. Marilyn holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communication from The University of Tulsa. She served on the Board of Directors for the Commercial Vehicle Training Association, where she was named Member of the Year in 2019 and was selected by Oklahoma Magazine as a Top 40 under 40 for the state of Oklahoma in 2019. Marilyn is an active member of American Trucking Association, Truckload Carriers Association, Commercial Vehicle Training Association and the National Association of Publicly Funded Truck Driving Schools and numerous state trucking Associations. In addition, Marilyn serves on the Women In Motion Advisory Board for ATA and the North Carolina Trucking Association Women In Trucking Advisory Board.

Emily Williams is a seasoned sales professional in the field of transportation and fleet management.  Her career started in technology sales but she found her way into trucking in 2014.  Her various roles exposed her to the intricacies of the transportation industry, as well as the profound impact that data-driven insights could have on optimizing operations. Her exceptional skills in understanding customer needs and building relationships soon earned her promotions and awards. As Manager of Business Development for Transportation at Geotab, the global leader of telematics, Emily continues to be a driving force in the trucking industry.

Beyond her professional endeavors, Emily is known for her involvement in both the Ohio Trucking and North Carolina Trucking Associations.  She is a proud mother of three children and resides in Columbus, Ohio.  She firmly believes in empowering the next generation of leaders and strives to create a more diverse and inclusive community in the trucking industry. 

Hope Zvara is the CEO of Mother Trucker Yoga®, a company devoted to improving truck drivers' fitness and wellness standards. Hope has been featured in Yahoo News, Forbes, PBS, and is a regular guest on SiriusXM Radio. Hope’s easily implementable strategies have been sought after by many, leading her to write the Book Trucking Yoga Simple Fitness for the Long Haul. She also launched Road Relief Wellness™, a pain relief and wellness product line for truckers and travelers sold in truck stops nationwide. Her practical tools and strategies have helped thousands of drivers go from unhealthy and out of options to feeling good again, all while living over the road as a trucker.