John is a Southwest Virginia native, husband to Crissy, father to Layla, Preston, Caedyn and Connor, and a veteran of the U.S. Navy, where he served honorably for 10 years. After returning home to SWVA, John obtained a B.A. in Security and Intelligence Studies from King University, and an M.A. in Political Science (International Relations) from Appalachian State University. John previously served as District Director for Congressman H. Morgan Griffith and Executive Director for the Appalachian Council for Innovation.

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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.

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Matt Herron is the Business Development Manager for the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), Southwest District. Matt has multiple years of experience in teaching, training, and workforce development. Matt spent eight years as a teacher and coach in Bristol, Tennessee City Schools before relocating to Roanoke and leading emotional intelligence training and onboarding for Goodwill Industries of the Valleys. Prior to joining DARS in 2021, Matt served as an employment specialist for Rehabilitative Services and Vocational Placement out of Richmond and later joined Career Supported Systems as Southwest Regional Director. Matt has a Bachelor of Science in Education and obtained a training certificate from Association for Talent Development in Arlington, Virginia. Matt is also a certified Windmills/Disability Awareness trainer, employer engagement trainer, and a member of the 2024 Virginia Rural Leadership Institute.

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.

Wendy Kang currently serves as the Executive Director for VOEE. Prior to working at VOEE, Wendy served as the lead legislative analyst for education at the Virginia Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee. She also held leadership roles at the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) and the Virginia Community College System where she focused on higher education finance, workforce programs, and policy evaluation. Wendy started her career as an analyst for the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) and served as a math teacher in the Peace Corps. Wendy earned her master's degree in public policy from Duke University and holds a bachelor's degree in business administration/actuarial sciences from Bentley University.

Karen is a Registered Apprenticeship Consultant for Virginia Works. She is no stranger to education, she dedicated herself to 24 years in Elementary Education as a classroom teacher, curriculum specialist, and “assistant” principal. Karen is dedicated to the vision of Virginia Works, envisioning a region where every business has access to a qualified, job-ready workforce and every citizen in the region has the skills needed to secure meaningful, sustainable employment, competitive wages, and career advancement through support infrastructure.

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.

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.

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