2024 Forum Speakers

Lindsey Pollak

Keynote Speaker

Lindsey Pollak (pronounced “Pah-luck”) is a New York Times bestselling author,
international speaker and often described as a “generational translator.” She is the
author of four career and workplace advice books, including The Remix: How to Lead
and Succeed in the Multigenerational Workplace. Her speaking audiences and
consulting clients have included more than 300 top corporations, law firms and
universities, and her insights have appeared in such media outlets as The TODAY
Show, The Wall Street Journal and CNBC. Lindsey is a graduate of Yale University and
is a proud member of Generation X.

Read her full bio here.

Logan Baldwin

Breakout Session Speaker & Moderator

Logan Baldwin is an Associate Software Development Engineer in Test at SAS, working in the Customer Intelligence department on the App Experience team. A proud graduate of NC State University, Logan earned a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science with a minor in Agricultural Business Management, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 2023. During her time at NC State, she held leadership roles as President of the NC State Equestrian Western Club Team, Public Relations Chair for the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), and Social Media Chair for Pack Clogging.

As a former Shelton Leadership Scholar, Logan is passionate about values-based leadership, community engagement, and spreading agriculture awareness. She is also active in various Employee Inclusion Groups (EIGs) at SAS, including the Women’s Initiatives Network (WIN) and the Young Professionals Network (YPN). Logan has helped run the RTP Networking Night and volunteered at Reclamation FARMacy.

Logan began her career at SAS as a Software Testing Intern in the Health and Life Sciences department after her freshman year. She transitioned to full-time in 2023, joining the Customer Intelligence department. In her current role, she focuses on writing end-to-end UI automation code to test upcoming features and maintaining high-quality test automation using modern development techniques.

Ryan Barnes

Breakout Session Speaker

Ryan Barnes is a proud native of Durham, North Carolina. He attended North Carolina State University where he graduated in 2016 with dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Chemical Engineering and Pulp & Paper Science Engineering. Immediately following graduation, Ryan relocated to Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina where he began his career working in the paper industry as a Process Engineer at the KapStone (later renamed WestRock) Kraft Paper and Packaging Mill.  In 2021 he decided to pivot his career and relocate back to Durham to be closer to family. Shortly after making that decision, Ryan transitioned into the semiconductor manufacturing industry when he began working for Wolfspeed in Durham, NC. In his current role at Wolfspeed as a Senior Process Engineering Manager, Ryan leads a talented team of engineers who are responsible for solving manufacturing problems and implementing high-visibility improvement projects for the business.

Ryan currently lives in Mebane, NC with his wife, Shakiera, and their son, Seven. In his free time, he enjoys DIY home improvement projects, hunting & fishing, and watching just about anything Star Wars related!

Cristian Del Valle

Breakout Session Speaker

Cristian Del Valle graduated from NC State with a degree in Chemical Engineering in 2018. During his undergraduate degree, he began his career by taking part in a Co-Op in the Nuclear Energy industry working at GE’s Nuclear Fuel manufacturing facility. Upon graduation, he made the switch from Manufacturing and decided to join GE’s Commercial Leadership Program where he completed 4 different rotations over a 2-year period to gain exposure and business insight to the different Commercial processes within GE. His rotations included: Commercial Manager for GE Gas Power, Business Development for GE Grid Solutions (T&D Business), Sales Operations, and Commercial Excellence. 

Once he completed the 2-year program, he joined GE Power full-time as a Commercial Manager for the Aeroderivative Gas Turbine Services business where he primarily supported the bidding efforts for the Services organization in the West Coast of the US. After over a year and a half in this role, he felt himself wanting a change and thought it was as good a time as ever to explore what else lies outside the “thermal” energy industry that he had been a part of for over 5 years. 

At this time, he came across a small, growth company in the Energy Storage space named Energy Vault. As he learned more about the company, he was excited to not only be a part of a growing market & industry, but also be a part of a company that was pushing the innovation of technology and solutions. There was also a personal curiosity of joining a small company like Energy Vault, as this would be a big change of pace going from a large company 60K+ people company like GE to the less than 200 people operations at EV. He joined Energy Vault in September 2022 and he currently serves as a Senior Manager of Pricing and Proposals. In this role, he primarily supports the North American sales organization for all large-scale energy storage projects.

Genevieve Garland

Chancellor’s Roundtable Discussion Panelist

Dr. Genevieve Garland is an experienced leader in university research management and strategy who serves as the Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Development and Operations and Chief of Staff for the Office of Research and Innovation at North Carolina State University (NC State).

Dr. Garland is a proud NC State alumna, holding three degrees from her alma mater; a Ph.D. in Textile Technology Management, an M.S. in Textiles, and a B.S. in Textile and Apparel Technology and Management. Her 20 years of diverse experience in higher education research have uniquely positioned her to both understand faculty needs and thoughtfully encourage interdisciplinarity. She began her NC State career as an Instructor and Lab Manager at the Wilson College of Textiles before transitioning to roles focused on research development and partnerships. Before joining the Office of Research and Innovation, she served as the Director of Partnership and Market Intelligence at The Nonwovens Institute, whose work spans the breadth of the nonwovens supply chain.

In her current role, she leads research development, infrastructure, strategic planning, operations and interdisciplinary research services for faculty teams, and the development of research-focused education and training programs. Her team is responsible for vital research infrastructure development, high-dollar proposal strategy, and overseeing the more than 40 university interdisciplinary centers and institutes. She also leads a team that is responsible for promoting NC State’s research and innovation brand, activities and reputation. She has held key roles on many NC State steering committees, councils, and task forces, including the Post COVID-19 Innovation Research Task Force, where she co-chaired efforts to enhance university research effectiveness following the global pandemic.

Jacqueline Gonzalez

Chancellor’s Roundtable Discussion Panelist

Jackie Gonzalez is a first-generation graduate of NC State (2018) where she majored in Political Science and became NC State’s first Latinx Student Body President.

Since graduating, she has committed her career to public service and decreasing social inequities. She has worked at the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Democratic Party and on multiple statewide campaigns. She currently serves as Constituent Services Liaison for the District Office of Congresswoman Deborah Ross where she assists constituents with matters regarding federal government agencies.

In her free time, Jackie enjoys reading, live music and collecting vintage piggy banks.

Jessica Jameson

Breakout Session Speaker

Professor Jameson has been on the faculty in the NC State Department of Communication for 25 years and is in her 6th year as Department Head. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in organizational communication and conflict management. Dr. Jameson is a member of the faculty for the PhD in Communication Rhetoric and Digital Media and is an Engaged Faculty Fellow and a Mediator for NC State and the State of North Carolina.

Professor Jameson’s current research includes the influence of mediation practice on personal health and well-being and identifying communication that leads to turning points that move negotiation from adversarial to collaborative. Dr. Jameson is co-PI of the NSF funded project Conversations Across Boundaries in collaboration with the College of Education to facilitate interdisciplinary conversations across math educators. 

Professor Jameson recently published  Communication for Constructive Workplace Conflict (Wiley Press, 2023), which received a 2023 Outstanding Textbook Award from the National Communication Association Organizational Communication Division. She has also published a co-edited book called Contemporary Trends in Conflict and Communication: Technology and Social Media (DeGruyter, 2021) and a co-edited volume based on work supporting an interdisciplinary lab titled Facilitating Interdisciplinary Collaboration among the Intelligence Community, Academy, and Industry (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2020). She has published articles in journals such as the Journal of Applied Communication Research, Western Journal of Communication, International Journal of Conflict Management, Conflict Resolution Quarterly, and Negotiation Journal, among others. Dr. Jameson has also published chapters in several edited books such as Case Studies in Mediation, Case Studies in Organizational Communication, and the Handbook of Communication and Conflict.

Michael Kloepper

Breakout Session Speaker

Colonel Michael F. Kloepper is a 1997 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, a 2015 graduate of the Kenan Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a 2021 Distinguished Graduate of the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, PA. He is an Infantry Officer, Ranger qualified, and is a Master Parachutist.

Mike’s formative assignments include Commander, Company B, 2nd Battalion, 503d Infantry (ABN); Commander, Company A, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment; Operations Officer, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment; Commander, 2d Battalion, 503d Infantry (ABN) “The Rock”; Commander, 3d Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment; Deputy Commander for Support, 75th Ranger Regiment, and Commander of the 173d Airborne Brigade. Mike is currently serving as the Brigade Tactical Officer, United States Corps of Cadets, at
West Point, NY.

Mike has deployed iteratively to both Afghanistan and Iraq in a variety of staff and
Command positions. His awards and decorations include the Combat Infantry’s Badge,
Legion of Merit, Bronze Star w/Valor, and the Purple Heart.

Mike is an avid outdoorsman and fitness enthusiast.

Mike is married to his high school sweet heart, the former Ellen Berk of Caldwell, NJ. Mike and Ellen are raising three boys – Alex (21, USMA ‘24), Jacob (18, USMA ‘27), and Sam (15, a rising sophomore at O’Neil High School).

Jana Locklear

Chancellor’s Roundtable Discussion Panelist

Jana Locklear is a current senior at NC State, majoring in Cultural Anthropology and International Relations and minoring in Political Science, History, and Russian Studies. She is the current President of the Russian Language and Eastern European Studies Club and the Treasurer of the Alpha Pi Omega Sorority, ETA Chapter.

She hopes to one day work within the United States Department of State as a Foreign Service Officer. To achieve this goal, she is currently studying Russian through the University of Chapel Hill and recently completed an immersive language program through American Councils in Yerevan, Armenia. She has worked with UNC’s Authoritarian Politics Lab as a research assistant, and is currently working as a Student Engagement Assistant through the Shelton Center at NC State. In her free time, she enjoys reading and beading jewelry. 

Bob Patterson

Chancellor’s Roundtable Discussion Panelist

Bob grew up on a small dairy farm north of Hickory, NC (Catawba County), and enrolled at NC State College in Fall 1957. He earned his B.S. (1961) and M.S. (1963) in Agronomy/Plant Physiology from NC State, and his Ph.D. (1968) in Agronomy, Biochemistry, and Plant Physiology from Cornell, as well as conducted research at the U.S. Federal Plant, Soil, and Nutrition Lab. In 1968, Bob returned to his alma mater and began teaching and researching in the Crop Science Department, now the Crop and Soil Sciences Department at NC State. He continues teaching courses in Crop Sciences as well as undergraduate and graduate level courses at the NC State College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

In addition to being co-advisor of the Agronomy Club and Alpha Phi Omega, Bob serves on several other departmental and university committees, including his departmental Academic Advisory Committee, Master of Arts in Liberal Studies Committee, and the Self-Design Advisory committee.

Bob’s Fulbright-sponsored teaching and research sabbatical at Humboldt University in Berlin (1995-1996) and his eight summers teaching STS 323 at the Prague Institute (now the European Center in Prague) greatly enriched his teaching. His advising, mentoring, and service across multiple departments and graduate committees has empowered him to continue to support our most deserving students.

Kristine Sloan

Breakout Session Speaker

A Triangle native, Kristine brings a deep commitment to justice, interdependence, and authenticity into all of her work. She’s an entrepreneur, organizational leader, facilitator and strategist. As the Executive Director of Leadership Triangle, Kristine works to connect local leaders to their values, purpose and vision, in service of greater regional collaboration and impact.

Prior to joining Leadership Triangle, Kristine was the CEO of StartingBloc, where she supported 3200+ entrepreneurs, activists, and organizational leaders as they made significant social change. Earlier in her career, Kristine led a multimillion dollar grant project in Burundi for All Across Africa, designed cross-cultural programming for NC State University, worked on water advocacy rights with indigenous populations in South India and co-founded a social enterprise in West Africa. She holds three degrees from NC State, including a Masters of International Studies with a specialization in Rural Development.

Rob Squires

Breakout Session Speaker

Rob Squires is a supply chain executive with nearly 2 decades of experience across multiple industries. Rob is a proven leader, heading multi-functional teams in highly matrixed, global organizations and has experience in both private equity-backed and publicly traded organizations. Rob current serves as the Vice President of Supply Chain at Camco Manufacturing in Greensboro, NC where is responsible for the end-to-end success of the global supply chain. Prior to joining Camco, Rob served in several roles at
Hanesbrands, Inc. and Ralph Lauren Corporation.

Rob is an NC State graduate with a degree in industrial engineering. While at NCSU, Rob was a Shelton Scholar and Caldwell Fellow. He has been highly involved with the Shelton Leadership Center for the past 20 years. In that time, he has served various roles at the Shelton Challenge youth program, assisted in scholarship selection, conducted several training events, and participated in numerous Shelton Forum sessions. Rob is lives in High Point, NC with his wife, Christina, and 3 children.

Basile P. “Whit” Whitaker

Chancellor’s Roundtable Discussion Panelist

Basile is the Managing Partner & Chief Operating Officer of Quality Biological, Inc, (QBI)
located in Gaithersburg, MD. QBI is a bio-manufacturer of media, buffers, supplements,
and reagents for cell culture and molecular biology applications. His company provides
high-quality custom products to support consistent and reproducible results in research,
method and process validation, preclinical drug discovery, and large-scale production of
custom formulations for commercialization for NIH, Pharma, Biotech, NIH, DoD and
numerous R1 research organizations.

In addition to serving on the Shelton Leadership Board of Advisors, Basile has served and
held numerous leadership positions on numerous boards and commissions, including
Maryland’s Department of Labor Earn Workforce Development, US Sen. Chris Van Hollen’s
Service Academy Selection Board, Montgomery County’s Reimagining Public Safety
Commission, as well as several civic and non-profit organizations.

Prior to joining QBI, Basile retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army having served in
numerous command and staff positions around the world. He has held corporate management positions with Pfizer, Inc., B-MS and ICOS Biotechnology as well as an adjunct faculty member with the US Army’s Command and General Staff College. Basile received his BS degree from NC State University, an MBA from Central Michigan University, and senior management and leadership certificates from Dartmouth College. He lives in Montgomery County with his wife, and they have three sons.