Guest Speaker

Laura Duryea, Manager of Recruiting, Retention, and Driver Development for Boyle Transportation 
 
Laura Duryea has transitioned into the role of Manager of Recruiting after being involved in various roles within the Transportation Industry for the last 30 years. She started her driving career after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University with a degree in Viola Performance. 
 

Jenny Abernathy was appointed as CRST’s Chief People Officer in 2022. In this capacity, she oversees all aspects of Human Resources, collaborating with the current Human Resources and Driver Recruitment teams to advance CRST’s dedication to offering career development opportunities and enriching experiences for its entire workforce.  

Priscilla has over 27 years experience in the transportation industry, specializing in driver recruiting, retention, marketing, advertising, communications and training.

She is currently the Chief Marketing Officer for Conversion Interactive Agency, the largest recruitment technology and advertising agency in the trucking industry. 

Priscilla is the co-host of The Resource podcast, was named a 2023 Top Woman to Watch in Trucking by Women in Trucking, and was awarded the 2024 Brand Innovator Award by the Transportation Marketing & Sales Association.

Abbigail Huffman is a Research Analyst with the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) in Roseville, MN. Her background in trucking research focuses on safety and workforce issues, while her technical skills center around survey design, project management, and both qualitative and quantitative analysis. 

Nicole Thomas, known as Nikki, brings nearly 20 years of expertise to her roles in event planning, program management, marketing, and sponsor retention. Initially drawn to the industry through special assignments at a music education association, she honed her skills in program and event management.  

In October 2007, Lieutenant Colonel Darling retired from the United States Marine Corps with just over twenty years of active-duty service. He flew attack helicopters in Desert Shield and Desert Storm during the first Gulf War and in Somalia, Africa, in support of Operation Restore Hope. In June 1998, he was selected to fly as a presidential pilot with Marine Helicopter Squadron One and in October 2000, was handpicked to work for the White House Military Office, Airlift Operations Department. It was in that capacity that Lt. Col.

Ina Daly has been a professional truck driver for over 40 years and has accumulated over 3.9 million accident-free miles. She drives for XPO, Inc. and has been with them for 40 years.

Ina received the XPO President's Award twice, and in 2014 received the XPO CEO Constellation Award, the highest award in the organization. In 2005, Ina was named Driver of the Year by the Arizona Trucking Association. In 2023, Ina won the Neill Darmstadter Professional Excellence Award and the Arizona Trucking Pioneer Award.