Welcome | Introduction to Fireside Chat | Fireside Chat: Supporting Inclusive Growth | Response to Fireside Chat | Panel 1 – Innovative Initiatives | Panel 2 – Best Practices and Solutions in Action | Lunch and Launch of STL 2030 Progress | Conclusion
Welcome
Jackie Tischler
Chief People Officer and Senior Vice President of Human Resources, BJC HealthCare
Jackie Tischler serves as senior vice president and chief people officer for BJC HealthCare, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit health care organizations. With more than 30,000 employees, BJC is the largest employer in the St. Louis region and one of the largest employers in Missouri.
Tischler is a member of the executive leadership team and provides strategic and operational leadership in the development and delivery of contemporary human resource programs and initiatives across BJC HealthCare. As chief people officer, she ensures a diverse, inclusive, and engaging environment that is supportive of the health system’s mission to improve the health of the people and communities served. Additionally, she serves as the liaison to the Compensation Committee of the BJC Board of Directors.
Before joining BJC in 2020, Tischler served as senior vice president, human resource operations at Baylor Scott and White Health (BSWH) in Dallas, Texas. BSWH is the largest fully integrated health care system in Texas. In this role she was responsible for compensation, executive compensation, talent acquisition, benefits, HR technology, HR service center, employee health and managed an HR team of 300.
Tischler also spent two years as vice president of human resources with University of Colorado Health, at the time a $2.5 billion integrated health care system with three hospitals and 15,000 employees. Additionally, she held senior HR and transformation leadership positions at Methodist Health System in Dallas, and began her career with Ernst and Young, LLP in audit services.
A former certified public accountant, Tischler holds a master’s degree in health care administration from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas and a bachelor’s degree in business administration (accounting major) from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Tischler and her husband, Will have one daughter who attends the University of Texas in Austin.
Introduction to Fireside Chat and Conclusion
Valerie Patton
Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, Greater St. Louis, Inc.
An innovative catalyst, connector, results oriented, teacher and proven thought leader with an extensive background of success in building, leading and designing Diversity, Inclusion and Talent strategies and programs that increase revenue, deepen client loyalty, raise teammates productivity that ultimately correlates to better engagement and retention.
As Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer and President, Greater St. Louis Foundation, Greater St. Louis, Inc., Patton is responsible for the strategic direction and management of diversity, equity, and inclusion and workforce/talent for the business community in the Saint Louis region through training, convening and consulting and regional economic inclusion initiatives. She is the first Executive Director of the Initiative. She is founder of the Initiative Fellows Program Experience (a yearlong leadership development experience) and Gateway Connections (a welcoming orientation for professionals of color.) Currently, creating new economic opportunities through business diversity/inclusion/equity and workforce development. She is responsible for overseeing the strategy development and execution in these 5 strategic functional areas: multicultural leadership development programming and relationships, workforce strategies, inclusive business solutions (business growth and development), talent attraction and diversity, equity and inclusion with individualized targets in each functional area.
Patton has held numerous management positions with St. Louis Regional Chamber, Bank of America and AT&T (formerly SBC and Southwestern Bell). She served as Senior Vice President-Inclusion and Talent Attraction, Vice President – Supplier Diversity and Development, Midwest Region; Vice President – Network and Desktop Technology, Midwest Region; Director – Product Management (Advance Intelligent Network Products) and Process Specialist – Information Systems. Patton is a proven professional is the areas of cost accounting, project management, process management, strategy development, supplier diversity and data center operations and technical support.
She serves as an adjunct professor at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. She has also served as an adjunct instructor at Harris Stowe State College and Saint Louis Community College at Forest Park in the fields of management, accounting, information technology, business administration., leadership and social justice and human diversity.
Patton has served on numerous boards and board committees and is currently on the board of directors for the United Way of Greater St. Louis, Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, Regent-Harris Stowe State University, Joint Governing Board-Normandy Schools Collaborative, St. Louis Delta Foundation, Former Trustee-Fontbonne University, and Former Board of Visitors for Howard University School of Business. She is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.-St. Louis Alumnae Chapter and member of the Education Committee. She is active her beloved alma mater Howard University Alumni Club of St. Louis where she was a past President and creator of the scholarship fund challenge.
Patton is a native of Saint Louis, Missouri and holds degrees from Eden Theological Seminary (MAPS) with an emphasis in Community Leadership, Public Advocacy, an Ministry in the Public Square, Washington University in St. Louis George Warren Brown School of Social Work (MSW) with an emphasis in Social and Economic Development, Webster University (MA) and Howard University (BBA) and has done post graduate studies in Business Management. Patton holds an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) (Honoris Causa) from Harris Stowe State University. Patton enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling to new and different places especially those with water, reading, sports, working out and helping others through enlightenment, engagement, empowerment and influence.
Fireside Chat: Supporting Inclusive Growth
Moderator
Lisa Nichols
CEO, Technology Partners
Lisa Nichols is the CEO and co-founder of Technology Partners, a Women-Business Enterprise and provider of premier IT staffing, solutions, and IT leadership development. Named among the Most Influential Business Women (by St. Louis Business Journal), Lisa’s influence has been recognized by her peers and greater St. Louis.
Lisa and her husband, Greg, founded Technology Partners in 1994 driven by their passion to revolutionize the staffing industry with their transparent business model. Greg and Lisa have made it their priority to create mutual wins for their employees, clients, and community.
Lisa is also the host of The Something Extra podcast, which was inspired by her daughter, Ally who has Down syndrome. She scientifically has an extra 21st chromosome but has many “something extras”. In this leadership podcast Lisa interviews leaders from all walks of life to learn from them what it takes to be a leader in today’s marketplace.
Panelists
Charman Hayes
Executive Vice President, People and Capability, MasterCard Technology
Charman Hayes holds the position of Executive Vice President at Mastercard, overseeing People & Capability within the Mastercard Technology division. Her role encompasses the design and execution of a tailored people strategy for the technology sector of the company. This involves aligning talent strategies with Mastercard's long-term technical and financial goals. She adeptly manages various functions, from talent acquisition and training to total rewards, future of work, diversity and inclusion, and the organization's social impact. A significant part of her role is shaping the engineering culture, ensuring the recruitment, retention, and development of top-tier technology talent. Charman reports directly to both Michael Fraccaro, the Chief People Officer, and Ed McLaughlin, the President of Mastercard Technology.
With over two decades in the financial services sector, Charman has specialized in technology organizations for the past 15+ years. Her journey began at JPMorganChase, where she started in the Human Resources Associate Program and held various roles, including HR Business Partner and Employee Relations. She has also held leadership positions at Lehman Brothers/Barclays and Morgan Stanley. Before joining Mastercard, Charman was at Blackrock, leading HR for the Aladdin Product Group, which is responsible for Blackrock’s portfolio management software. She also played a pivotal role in co-developing and implementing the technology strategy. Additionally, she spent five years at Brown Brothers Harriman, overseeing HR for Technology and Fintech.
Charman's expertise spans technology transformation, M&A integrations, organizational design, talent management, leadership development, and employee relations. She holds a BA from Rosemont College and a Master of Science from Columbia University.
Outside of her professional life, Charman resides in Brooklyn with her wife and two daughters. An avid runner, she has completed six marathons and often runs in Prospect Park. Charman also enjoys running in New York City with her family.
Jason Hall
CEO, Greater St. Louis, Inc.
Jason Hall is the CEO of Greater St. Louis, Inc., an alliance of St. Louis’ civic-minded business community focused on growing the metro and expanding opportunity for all. Greater St. Louis, Inc. brings together businesses and civic leaders to create jobs, expand inclusive economic growth, and improve St. Louis’ global competitiveness by speaking with a unified voice, leading with a bold agenda, and acting as one metropolitan region anchored by a vibrant urban core.
Prior to becoming CEO of Greater St. Louis, Inc., Jason was CEO and Co-Founder of Arch to Park, a civic-minded investment organization focused on revitalization of urban core of St. Louis that launched a nearly $200M patient capital real estate fund.
Jason brings to his work both private- and public-sector experience, including serving in Missouri Governor Jay Nixon’s cabinet as the leader of Missouri Department of Economic Development and the Missouri Technology Corporation, where he launched the state’s venture capital fund for early-stage companies.
The first in his family to earn a college degree and the first openly LGBT person appointed to a cabinet-level position in Missouri, Mr. Hall is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Bates College and Vanderbilt University Law School, where he served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Vanderbilt Law Review. Mr. Hall served as a law clerk with the Honorable Gerald Bard Tjoflat of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. After his clerkship, Mr. Hall began his legal career at Bryan Cave LLP.
Mr. Hall serves on a variety of civic boards and has been honored by the World Trade Center St. Louis, St. Louis Business Journal, NAACP of St. Louis County, ESRI, and other organizations for his community leadership.
Jason and his partner, Justin Kern, a medical researcher at Washington University Medical School, reside in the historic Compton Heights neighborhood in the City of St. Louis.
Response to Fireside Chat
Bruce Katz
Co-Founder and Director, Nowak Metro Finance Lab, Drexel University
Bruce Katz is the Co-Founder and inaugural Director of the Nowak Metro Finance Lab.
Katz regularly advises global, national, state, regional and municipal leaders on public reforms and private innovations that advance the well-being of metropolitan areas and their countries. Katz is the co-author of The New Localism: How Cities Can Thrive in the Age of Populism (Brookings Institution Press, 2018) and The Metropolitan Revolution: How Cities and Metros are Fixing Our Broken Politics and Fragile Economy (Brookings Institution Press, 2013). Both books focus on the rise of cities and city networks as the world’s leading problem solvers. Katz was the inaugural Centennial Scholar at the Brookings Institution from January 2016 to March 2018, where he focused on the challenges and opportunities of global urbanization. Prior to assuming this role, Bruce J. Katz was a vice president at the Brookings Institution and founding Director of the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program. Before joining Brookings, Katz served as chief of staff to U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Henry Cisneros and was the senior counsel and then staff director for the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Housing and Urban Affairs. After the 2008 presidential election, Bruce co-led the housing and urban transition team for the Obama administration and served as a senior advisor to new Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Secretary Shaun Donovan, for the first 100 days of the Administration. Katz is a visiting Professor at the London School of Economics. He gives dozens of lectures and presentations annually before public, corporate, civic and university audiences across the world. In 2006, he received the prestigious Heinz Award in Public Policy for his contributions to understanding the “function and values of cities and metropolitan areas and profoundly influencing their economic vitality, livability and sustainability.” Katz is a graduate of Brown University and Yale Law School.
Panel 1 - Innovative Initiatives
Moderator
Bruce Katz
Co-Founder and Director, Nowak Metro Finance Lab, Drexel University
Panelists
Emily Lohse-Busch
Executive Director, 39 North Agtech Innovation District
Emily Lohse-Busch is passionate about creating and sustaining organizations and programs that improve the human condition. In her role as Executive Director, she leads the effort to make 39 North a global epicenter for agri-food tech innovation.
Before coming to 39 North, Emily spent much of her career in a myriad of roles within the philanthropic and social sectors. Most recently, she served as an advisor and facilitator for organizations that are working to build and sustain a thriving economy and culture that benefits all St. Louisans. She developed a passion for innovation and the future of the St. Louis region while serving as the Executive Director at Arch Grants, an economic development organization whose mission is to attract and retain extraordinary entrepreneurs to help build the future economy in St. Louis. Before Arch Grants, Emily consulted for several years with national and international NGOs and nonprofit organizations in Chicago and in Washington D.C.
Emily is a proud alum of Washington University in St. Louis, and earned her MBA from DePaul University in Chicago.
Curtis Francois
Owner World Wide Technology Raceway
A lifelong St. Louisan, real estate developer and former professional racecar driver, Curtis is dedicated to making the metropolitan St. Louis region a premier racing destination.
Since purchasing the track in 2012, he has invested heavily in revitalizing the property which now spans more than 700 acres and is the only venue in the nation to host the elite series from each of the three major race sanctioning bodies -- NASCAR, INDYCAR and NHRA – in addition to more than 300 additional events per year.
In 2021 the track was awarded a coveted date on the NASCAR Cup Series and has now hosted back-to-back sold-out Enjoy Illinois 300 race weekends in June of 2022 and 2023. This event attracts 100,000+ fans and delivers an estimated $60 million economic boost each year – representing the potential for transformational change in the metro-east.
Curtis’ charitable foundation, Raceway Gives, serves the community with motorsports-driven STEM experiences; community involvement with regional students; and by supporting community champion initiatives. The track has enjoyed a long-standing partnership with Olympic gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee and her center, that includes visits to the raceway, guest speakers, race simulators at her center, and other interactive activities.
Curtis’ dedication to making racing more diverse is shared with naming rights sponsor World Wide Technology and Founder and Chairman Dave Steward. Together they develop STEM initiatives, technological enhancements for the fan experience, and community outreach focused on diversity.
Curtis and the raceway have received many accolades for community service and economic impact, including: 2023 St. Louis Business Journal Innovation in Philanthropy Award; 2022 Explore St. Louis Hospitality Hero Recognition; 2022 Best in Show and Best Event & Festival from the Illinois Governor’s Conference on Tourism; 2021 Comcast Community Champion Award and the Missouri Athletic Club Jack Buck Award. He has also earned the 2018 Innovator Award from Explore St. Louis in recognition of his work in restoring the raceway to prominence. In 2020, WWTR was the recipient of NASCAR’s “Drive for Diversity” Award, which showcased its commitment to opening the world of motorsports to everyone, regardless of race.
Dr. Freddie Wills
Vice President for STEM Initiatives and Research Partnerships, Harris-Stowe State University
Freddie E. Wills, Jr., Ph.D. is a higher education professional knowledgeable about theories and practices that meet at the intersection of secondary and post-secondary education. Dr. Wills serves as the Vice President for STEM Initiatives and Research Partnerships and he leads the Missouri Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (MOLSAMP) as its Principal Investigator. In his role, Dr. Wills works to develop and implement institutional partnerships that advance HSSU’s STEM agenda and supports student success.
Dr. Wills is a visionary leader, who is passionate about student development, organizational culture and structure, and excellence in academics.
Dr. Wills, holds a Bachelors of Art degree in Communications (Southwest Baptist University), a Masters of Arts degree in Media Communications (Webster University), and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Saint Louis University.
Tracy Henke
Chief Operating Officer & Dep. Executive Director, AMICSTL
Tracy Henke was recently named Chief Operating Officer/Deputy Executive Director. In this role, Henke is leading AMICSTL’s day-to-day operations, including programming, building construction (which will be an investment of more than $50 million in the North Central Corridor of St. Louis City), and support fundraising efforts. Henke brings more than two decades of experience with a consistent record of positioning organizations for success, building accomplished teams, and delivering results.
Panel 2 - Best Practices and Solutions in Action
Moderator
Amanda Kiser
Vice President, St. Louis Tech Hub, Mastercard
Amanda Kiser is the Vice President, St. Louis Technology Hub lead. She drives Mastercard’s Tech Hub strategy to optimize the work and skill within the St. Louis Tech Hub. The focus areas include talent acquisition, culture and future of work, customer, community, employee engagement, and advancing Mastercard as a technology brand.
Amanda has more than 28 years of experience in operations and data solutions. Before joining Mastercard, Amanda worked in the travel industry, leading a global project management team with technology offerings, client data solutions, analytics, and consulting in software project management implementations.
Panelists
Stefanie Weeden-Smith
Director, Anchor Action Network
Stefani Weeden-Smith serves as the inaugural director for the St. Louis Anchor Action Network (STLAAN). The Network is committed to driving sustained investment in the people and places in our community impacted by a century of systematic racial and spatial inequities.
Prior to her role with the Network, Stefani led Washington University’s approach to partnership at the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement as the assistant director of community engagement. She also served as program director at NCCJ St. Louis where she was instrumental in supporting local school districts and non-profits in building more inclusive and equitable organizations. Stefani earned her Master of Professional Studies at Pratt Institute in Creative Arts Therapy and Creative Development in Brooklyn, New York.
A St. Louis native, she loves this city and looks for any opportunity she can to introduce people to new businesses and restaurants in her Tower Grove East neighborhood.
Leslie Gill
President, Rung for Women
Having served in leadership capacities for several profit and non-profit organizations, Leslie Gill has been deeply involved in a wide range of social welfare issues. Before joining Rung as the organization’s president, Leslie Gill served as the Chief Executive Officer of Annie Malone Children’s & Family Service Center.
Prior to her role at Annie Malone, Leslie served as Executive Director of College Summit, where she had multi-state responsibility for programs, fundraising, and business operations. Prior to that, she spent six years in executive leadership roles with the Girl Scouts in St. Louis and Atlanta. In those roles, she oversaw advocacy and governmental affairs, strategic planning, program development, membership recruitment, and cookie sales.
Leslie is a native of St. Louis and resides in the city with her daughter, Marley. With years of experience in executive leadership positions, Leslie is well-equipped to lead Rung and help further its mission to empower women.
Hart Nelson
Chief Operating Officer, St. Louis Community College
Hart Nelson was appointed Chief Operating Officer at St. Louis Community College in January, 2022. Hart has over 25 years of experience in public policy, government relations, intelligence and information technology. In his role he is responsible for the facilities, project management, information technology and workforce solutions departments. This included overseeing $450 million in new construction projects. He previously served as the college’s Associate Vice Chancellor of Workforce Solutions.
Prior to joining the college, Hart was Vice President of Public Policy for the St. Louis Regional Chamber. He has been a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State, where he served overseas in three U.S. Embassies. He also served as an intelligence officer with the United States Navy and began his career as an information technology architect with IBM.
As a volunteer, Hart is chairman of Citizens for Modern Transit and chairs the Brentwood Planning and Zoning Commission. He was appointed by both Governors Jay Nixon and Mike Parson as a member of the Missouri Military Preparedness and Enhancement Commission.
Hart holds master's degrees in business administration and information management from Washington University in St. Louis and a Bachelor of Arts (double major) in political science and mass communication from the University of California at Berkeley.
Donna Orf
General Manager, Administration, Toyota Motor North America/ Bodine Aluminum
Donna Orf is the group manager, administration, for Toyota’s manufacturing plants in Troy, Missouri and Jackson, Tennessee. She’s been a part of Toyota for nearly 22 years and became the first female executive for Toyota Missouri and Toyota Tennessee after her promotion in 2018. Her role includes overseeing human resources, accounting, safety, purchasing and production control.
In October 2021, Orf accepted a 17-month rotation as group manager in production, with responsibility for the V6 Turbo production lines, support group and 3-Pillar management process. She returned to administration in February 2023.
Orf began her career with Toyota at the Missouri plant in October 2001 as the human resources (HR) assistant manager and then manager. She led all HR functions, including team member relations, payroll, benefits, training and diversity initiatives.
Prior to her tenure with Toyota, Orf worked in human resources at MEMC Electronics for four years and Union Pacific Technologies for seven years.
A Missouri native, raised in Troy, Orf is proud to give back to the community and currently serves on the board of the United Way of Greater St. Louis, West Region, where she also serves on their marketing committee. Orf is a member of the Business Technology Advisory Committee at St. Charles Community College and previously served on boards for Earthwise Industries and Sacred Heart School.
Orf earned her Master of Science in Administration from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri and her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau. She resides in Troy, Missouri with her husband, David, and their children, Trent and Krista.
Tony Fuhrmann
Director of Employment and Training, Madison County, Illinois
Tony Fuhrmann has served as Director of Employment and Training for Madison County since August 2017. Prior to joining Madison County he served as Chief Financial Officer for the Bureau of Property Management, Central Management Services, state of Illinois for two years. Previously he was employed with the Illinois Department of Human Services in various positions for 17 years and with Anheuser Busch in the Logistics Department for 10 years. He holds a Master of Marketing Research Degree from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
He has been involved in conducting research on welfare clients that was incorporated into Federal Welfare Reform. He was part of the Governor’s Inter-Agency Team for Workforce Development. He has completed process improvement projects resulting in increased performance. He has experience in analyzing data and implementing those results for improved outcomes.
He recently served as President of the Illinois Workforce Partnership which is the organization of the 22 local workforce areas in Illinois and as a member of the Illinois Workforce Innovation Board. He is a member of the Apprenticeship Committee of that board and chairs the Marketing Workgroup of that committee. He also is serving as a co-chair for the St. Louis Regional Workforce Directors Association.
Lunch and Launch of STL 2030 Progress
Presenters
Sam Murphey
Chief Strategy Officer, Greater St. Louis, Inc.
Samuel Murphey serves as the Chief Strategy Officer of Greater St. Louis, Inc. (GSL), the flagship, business-led civic organization for the 15-county, bi-state St. Louis metropolitan area. GSL drives economic growth for the St. Louis region with a unified voice, a bold agenda, and as one metro anchored by a vibrant urban core.
As Chief Strategy Officer, Sam champions the STL 2030 Jobs Plan, an agenda to drive inclusive economic growth and enhance the metro’s distinctive industry clusters. He unites people and resources through collaboration, stakeholder engagement and advocacy to capitalize on the metro’s biggest opportunities and address its systemic challenges. In 2021, Sam led negotiations on behalf of public and private partners to restore the first non-stop flights from St. Louis to continental Europe in 20 years. Under Sam’s leadership, GSL is now supporting St. Louis-Lambert International Airport on a 10-year, $3 billion effort to transform the airport’s outdated terminals into a new, state-of-the-art facility.
Convening a coalition spanning the governmental, educational, civic, and private sectors, Sam defined the region’s winning strategy for the Biden administration’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge. As one of 21 regions selected out of 529 applicants, St. Louis will deploy its $25 million award to strengthen the metro’s advanced manufacturing industry, constructing a globally significant Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Center in historically disinvested North St. Louis. The project has been hailed by the U.S. Department of Commerce for its focus on addressing spatial inequity.
As a member of the Executive Advisory Committee of the East-West Gateway Council of Governments and the board of Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT), Sam is a strong advocate for the expansion of public transit, including construction of the North-South Metro Line that will connect people in North St. Louis with jobs and economic opportunities in the City’s central corridor. GSL partnered with CMT and other stakeholders advocate for a 400% increase in transit funding from the State of Missouri in 2022. GSL also actively campaigned for the largest increase in the history of Missouri’s fuel tax in 2021, generating an additional $500 million a year for roads and bridges.
Prior to the launch of GSL, Sam was Vice President, Public Affairs, at Arch to Park. During his time at Arch to Park, Sam helped design and lead the merger of five regional economic development groups to create GSL. He also worked side-by-side with the CEOs and Chief Medical Officers of the region’s largest health care systems to stand up the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force. The task force brought together the region’s elected officials, public health authorities, hospital systems and business community to strengthen communications, align on policy, and deploy resources throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Sam previously served as Head of Global Issues Management for Bayer Crop Science, based in St. Louis and Monheim, Germany.
Earlier in his career, Sam was communications director to the 55th Governor of the State of Missouri, the Hon. Jeremiah W. (Jay) Nixon. Sam helped lead the administration’s economic policy during the Great Recession, including passing legislation that kept Ford and GM automotive assembly plants in Missouri. Sam also marshaled whole-of-government responses to devastating natural disasters, including the tornado that destroyed significant portions of Joplin, Mo., in May 2011. He holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from Truman State University and is a pursuing an Executive Master’s in Public Administration at the Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs at Syracuse University. He resides in the City of St. Louis.
Darryl Piaseki
Partner, McKinsey & Company
Darryl Piasecki is the St. Louis Office Managing Partner for McKinsey & Company, and a leader in the firm's Operations Practice. He is energized by transformational change with emphasis on strategy, operations, and organizational topics, with particular passion for cross-functional opportunities. He serves senior leadership teams across sectors, including chemicals, agriculture, transport and logistics, private equity, consumer, and public sector. Before joining McKinsey, Darryl was an F/A-16 weapons system officer in the U.S. Marine Corps.
He is a TOPGUN graduate and has served in a variety of instructor and leadership roles. His education includes a BS in Economics from the U.S. Naval Academy, and MS in Systems Engineering from Missouri S&T, and an MBA from the University of Chicago.