Pub. 1 2020 Issue 3

10 Kentucky Trucker Kentucky Trucking Association How did you become part of the trucking industry? Was this some- thing that you always aspired to? I have been around trucking my entire life. My family had a large farm, so large grain and livestock trucks were coming and going. I liked trucks. It wasn’t so much of a conscious deci- sion, I think; it was just a natural progression. I got my CDL license and went to work for a commercial carrier driving over the road for a couple of years. I eventually went to work for Ken- tucky Vehicle Enforcement, which is really where my career in the industry took off. I hate the word “DOT cop,” but that’s really what it was. I think once you are in law enforcement, you’re in law enforcement; it just doesn’t leave, and it’s not something you just turn off. Although I did leave the KVE and went back into the pri- vate sector, working for another com- mercial carrier as a safety inspector. It was strictly a financial decision. Describe your educational back- ground. What did you study? I’m way overeducated! As far as my educational background goes, you could say I’ve made a career out of education, or at least it certainly feels that way sometimes. In short, I’ve been a life-long fan of higher educa- tion and servant leadership. I have a B.S. in Business, a Masters in Human Resources, an MBA in Finance and two Doctorates, one in Counseling Psychology, and another in Educational Leadership. And if that’s not enough, I’m on the backside of finishing yet a third doctoral pro- gram in strategic management with a GETTING TO KNOW OUTGOING CHAIRMAN, DR. DAVID GUESS concentration in transporta- tion logistics. Education is something that has always been important to me. I think it provides stability in life and, regardless of cir- cumstances, it’s something no one can take away. I am also an adjunct professor in the College of Business at Ivy Tech Community College and Indiana Wesleyan Univer- sity, where I teach a variety of human resources and strategic management courses. Are there any specific indi- viduals who had a major impact on your career? Donnie Carroll. He was the safety director at Landstar Ligon in Madisonville, Ken- tucky. He recruited me from KVE, and with his guidance and direction, he was respon- sible for shaping my career. I spent two years working for Donnie as a safety inspector and orientation facilitator. He led by example — he always put people first. Always. One day he called me into his office, and he told me that I had “more talent than we can use,” and that I should consider applying for an assistant safety director job. I asked him if I was being fired, and he said no. He just wanted to see me grow, and I couldn’t, so that’s where I was. He told me I should apply for the assistant safety director opening at Usher Transport, Inc.