Dr. Cheryl Carrico is the owner and president of E4S, LLC, bringing nearly 40 years of diverse industry experience and progressive leadership across government, education, private sector, and consulting roles. She is passionate about helping small to mid-sized businesses grow by enhancing employee development, strengthening leadership capabilities, and improving operational performance. Before founding E4S, LLC, Cheryl held key roles in engineering and senior management working for the Department of the Navy, for-profit companies, educational institutions, and consulting —giving her a well-rounded perspective on organizational dynamics and leadership challenges. Since 2013, Cheryl has supported nearly 100 companies and higher education. She specializes in growing employees’ knowledge and skills, aligning employee capabilities with business goals, empowering teams through targeted development to optimize processes, reduce waste, improve quality, manage risk, and increase efficiency. Her approach is rooted in active listening, practical solutions, and leveraging her extensive experience to deliver measurable results.

Marty Holliday is the recently retired Executive Director for the New River/Mount Rogers Workforce Investment Area Consortium Board and the New River/Mount Rogers Workforce Development Board (NRMRWDB). Currently she is serving as the Special Projects Manager and has been with the Boards since 2001. The New River/Mount Rogers Workforce Development Area covers 13 jurisdictions in Southwest Virginia and the NRMRWDB is the Regional Convener for the workforce system for the area. Through her work in the region, Marty fosters relationships that support regional collaboration and collective impact efforts. To that end, the Boards have brought in over 15 million dollars to the region in the last eight years. Marty continues to source resources to meet the needs of businesses and job seekers in the region. Marty received her Bachelor of Science in Business/Human Resource Management from Florida Southern College. Her previous work experience consists of regional operations management, corporate training, HR, sales and marketing, and adult education. Marty lives in Floyd, VA with her husband Carter.

Lois has 33+ years’ business and management experience in the financial, customer service, senior healthcare, and leadership development industries. She started her career in the secondary mortgage market with Freddie Mac in McLean, VA where she held leadership positions with Freddie Mac to develop, train, and coach new employees to follow mandated guidelines. After living in Washington D.C. and Chicago, IL after college, Lois moved back to the Roanoke area in 2004 and spent 14 years in the senior healthcare industry holding various leadership and management positions. Working her most recent position as Regional Director with Generation Solutions, the company won several local and statewide awards and had a zero-deficiency rating with the required state inspection. Because of her strong passion and desire to help others achieve both professional and personal success, Lois joined OpX Solutions in 2018 and is a Certified LMI Facilitator. Giving back to her community is important to Lois. She has been an active member of the Roanoke Senior Networking Group since 2004 and has served as Vice President since 2006. She is also active with the Roanoke Kiwanis Club where she serves as Membership Chair as well as participating in several other committees. Lois sits on the board with The Market Building Foundation in downtown Roanoke and on the board with the Botetourt County Chamber of Commerce. She is active with the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce where she currently serves as an ambassador. Lois has been a Deacon and a volunteer with various programs at Covenant Presbyterian Church. Originally from the Alleghany highlands in Clifton Forge, VA, Lois graduated from Virginia Tech, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management with a minor in Sociology.

Stephanie Muncy Surrett is a professional speaker, trainer and consultant. Ms. Surrett strives to advance the economy and workforce of southwest Virginia by working with businesses, communities, nonprofits, and educational institutions throughout the region and Commonwealth of Virginia. Her passion is to work with organizations that want to inspire and motivate their leaders and team members with principles that will help create a positive culture and mindset to achieve excellence. Ms. Surrett’s personal philosophy is, “Success isn’t determined by background, experience, or anything from your past. Success is all in your attitude and actions today.” Ms. Surrett has over 25 years of experience in strategic planning, program and project management, business management, employee development and training, and business consulting. She has worked with a variety of clients ranging from educational institutions, such as Southwest Virginia Community College, University of Virginia-Wise, Virginia Tech, and K-12 Public School Systems to small start-ups, such as Inorganic Ventures, to large global corporations such as Northrop Grumman, CGI, Scholle and Phoenix Packaging. In addition to working in the private sector, Ms. Surrett has gained experience in the non-profit sector by developing and implementing programs focused on workforce and community development Ms. Surrett holds an MBA from Jones International University. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business and Public Administration from University of Virginia’s College at Wise.

Marlena is the Behavioral Health and Wellness Specialist for Mount Rogers Community Services. Her passion is suicide and substance use prevention. She has facilitated Stress First Aid workshops for local colleges, manufacturers, and healthcare organizations. She also provides Mental Health First Aid, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, REVIVE! Opioid Overdose and Naloxone Education, and other programs that can be provided to your organization.

Mary Jane Umberger holds a BS in Business from Virginia Tech (1975) and earned her certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) from the HR Certification Institute (1997). Between those two touchstones, she invested over 20 years as a Human Resource Manager with a global manufacturer of engineering thermoplastics and served as a stabilizing influence and change agent during multiple international company mergers / acquisitions and transitions in local and corporate management. Founding HR Alliance, LLC in 2005, Mary Jane began her odyssey working as an external human resource consultant with businesses in a variety of business sectors. Small business owners, without a dedicated HR professional, rely on her to assist them in establishing components of their HR infrastructure and addressing day-to-day tactical issues. Larger organizations outsource individual and team professional development programs and strategic planning initiatives. “Alliance” is the operative word in her business name as it reflects relationships she has developed throughout her career with colleagues, clients and business partners. She is affiliated with several talented legal and consulting resources which she often engages when it serves the best interest of her clients.

Working in the Firm's Tri-Cities, Tennessee/Virginia office, Mr. Wallace represents clients in addressing daily employment law needs, defending against employment law claims, and enforcing non-competition and related covenants. Mr. Wallace represents businesses in defense of personal injury claims and in commercial litigation. Mr. Wallace has significant experience representing insurers in defense of life, health, and disability matters and property and casualty matters, including bad faith and other extra-contractual claims. He is licensed in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia and has represented clients and tried jury and non-jury trials in numerous other federal and state courts across the United States. Founding HR Alliance, LLC in 2005, Mary Jane began her odyssey working as an external human resource consultant with businesses in a variety of business sectors. Small business owners, without a dedicated HR professional, rely on her to assist them in establishing components of their HR infrastructure and addressing day-to-day tactical issues. Larger organizations outsource individual and team professional development programs and strategic planning initiatives. “Alliance” is the operative word in her business name as it reflects relationships she has developed throughout her career with colleagues, clients and business partners. She is affiliated with several talented legal and consulting resources which she often engages when it serves the best interest of her clients.

Dianne Ward is the Director of Organizational Development at OpX Solutions, a Roanoke-based consulting firm focused on process improvement and leadership development. With over 20 years of experience across manufacturing, distribution, IT, and insurance, Dianne brings her servant leadership approach and inclusive communication style to every engagement. She holds a Master’s in International Economics and is a certified executive and team coach through the International Coaching Federation.

Steve Wingate brings over two decades of real-world experience to the complex and ever-evolving world of cybersecurity. With a career rooted in both strategic leadership and tactical execution, Steve has served as a trusted advisor and CISO across industries—from healthcare and manufacturing to critical infrastructure and financial services. His journey began in professional services, helping organizations adopt early cloud-based technologies long before they became mainstream. Over time, Steve transitioned from building systems to protecting them—developing a deep specialization in information security management. His leadership has shaped security programs for global enterprises, including public companies and fast-scaling private firms. At the heart of Steve’s work is a passion for making cybersecurity practical and impactful. He has unified disparate security programs into enterprise-wide frameworks, launched global awareness and training initiatives, and built governance models that balance business agility with regulatory demands. Whether aligning security with business objectives, mentoring future security leaders, or navigating complex compliance landscapes like HITRUST, ISO, NIST CSF, and GDPR—Steve brings clarity, structure, and confidence to the table. As the founder of a boutique advisory practice, he now partners with executive teams, IT leaders, and boards to elevate their security posture—offering everything from vCISO leadership to operational support for risk management, vendor oversight, cloud security, and audit readiness. What sets Steve apart isn’t just his certifications (CISSP, CISM, GCIA, CEH) or academic credentials—it’s his ability to connect the dots between people, process, and technology. Known for his steady, approachable leadership style, he empowers teams to build strong security cultures from the inside out. Whether steering large-scale transformations or guiding mid-sized organizations through critical milestones, Steve remains committed to one core principle: cybersecurity should be a business enabler—not a blocker.