Cheryl Harris

Senior Vice President, Procurement
Allstate Insurance

Roger Cheng

Lead, Supplier Inclusion
AT&T

Roger Cheng recently joined AT&T as a Sr. Supplier Diversity Sourcing Manager. Prior to AT&T, Roger spent the previous 14+ years with M/WBEs in the technology space leading business development through Supplier Diversity.

Roger, also known as “The Voice,” has served as emcee or VOG for a number of organizations across the country. In 2017, Roger was recognized as the #Hes4Shes Champion at the WBENC National Conference.

Trevor Boylston

Economic Inclusion Manager
Boston Scientific

LeShaun Smedley

S.D. Manager
Cushman & Wakefield

Hans Nirmal

Global Technology Lead, Fund Services
JPMorgan Chase & Co

As the Global Technology Lead for Fund Services, Hans is responsible for the strategy, development, architecture, and program management of the Alliance Suite of Applications (50+) and Complex Assets Applications. He oversees mission-critical platforms that facilitate daily Net Asset Value delivery for JPMorganChase’s extensive client base of asset managers, supporting Fund Services' operations and growth.

He leads a global team of technologists across multiple locations, managing the entire breadth of Fund Services technology, including Complex Assets, Alternative Fund Services, and our innovative Alliance Framework - a modular, microservices-based platform that has been instrumental in driving substantial growth in Assets under Administration.

Beyond application management, Hans spearheaded the Global Fund Services Public Cloud modernization program, lead resiliency initiatives to meet regulatory requirements, and drove innovation through marquee applications like COBALT (client onboarding tool), PRIMA (automated pricing solutions), and PEAL (Private Equity automation platform). His role encompasses both strategic technology leadership and hands-on delivery of transformative solutions that enhance our competitive position in the market.

Hans joined JPMorganChase in 2007 and is based in Plano, Texas. A recognized innovator, he holds three patents.

James Flynn

Head of Market Strategy & Supplier Sustainability
JPMorgan Chase & Co.

He joined the firm in 2010 in Sourcing and has been a member of the Supplier Diversity team since 2017. Jim is the Head of Market Strategy and Supplier Sustainability for the Supplier Diversity function that focuses on small, local and or diverse business ecosystem development and the firm’s Supplier Chain to increase supplier opportunity and excellence. Jim led the firm’s application and membership in the Billion Dollar Roundtable in 2019. Jim began his career at General Electric Company in Finance and graduated from their Management Training Program. An industry recognized Procurement, Business Development and Supplier Opportunity leader his experience includes Strategic Sourcing and Logistics at Limited Brands as well as Global Procurement and Supply Chain at DHL. He graduated summa cum laude from Hobart and William Smith Colleges, was elected Phi Beta Kappa, and earned an MBA from University of New York at Albany. He lives in Columbus, Ohio and enjoys all things outdoors, football, Mexico, and travel.

Quinae J. Ewing

S.D. Manager
MassMutual

Doing Business with Corporations & Government Agencies Roundtables

Quinae J. Ewing is a MassMutual Supplier Diversity manager, supporting the company’s innovative supplier diversity strategy that aligns with MassMutual's core values, and was appointed to this position in July 2022. With more than two decades of manufacturing, engineering, global procurement and supplier diversity management experience at Xerox Corporation, Quinae has managed significant corporate initiatives across North America, Asia, and Europe.

Quinae is an active and visible member of his community. He has worked as an adjunct professor of Mathematics at Monroe Community College (Rochester, NY) and also served on the Board of Directors at the Carlson Metro Center YMCA (Rochester, NY). Quinae represented Xerox Corporation as a corporate member of the Portland Black Business Association (Portland, OR) and over the past ten years, has attended various Supplier Diversity and Sustainability conferences and activities nationwide.

Quinae holds a Master of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Business from Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester, NY). He earned Bachelor of Science degrees in both Interdisciplinary Science and Mechanical Engineering from Clark Atlanta University (Atlanta, GA) and North Carolina A&T State University (Greensboro, NC) respectively. Quinae is also a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated (Gamma Kappa Chapter) and Pi Tau Sigma National Mechanical Engineering Honor Society

Stephen Harrington

Chief Supply Chain Officer
MGM Resorts International

Tobias Thornwell

Regional Director of Global Business Impact
MGM Resort International

Tobias Thornwell is the Senior Strategic Sourcing Manager for MGM National Harbor, a $1.4 billion resort and casino located on the banks of the Potomac River in National Harbor, MD. He is responsible for developing and overseeing all procurement activities including vendor sourcing, purchasing, vendor contracts, and supplier diversity for the property. Mr. Thornwell is focused on ensuring that MGM National Harbor continues to meet or exceed its spending goals with certified diverse suppliers with the State of Maryland and Prince George’s County.

Mr. Thornwell has more than 12 years of purchasing and supply chain management experience in the food service industry. Prior to joining MGM National Harbor, Mr. Thornwell served as National Product Manager/Regional Buyer at The Chef’s Warehouse in Hanover, MD, and Lead COP Buyer/Product Line Manager at US Foods in Severn, MD.

Mr. Thornwell earned a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from the University of Maryland, College Park (Go Terps!). He also holds a Certified Purchasing Manager certification (C.P.M.), and a Certified Professional in Supply Management certification (CPSM) from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM). Mr. Thornwell is originally from the Bronx, New York and enjoys traveling.

Melissa Timman

Vice President of Sourcing and Operations
Penn Entertainment

Melissa Timman is Vice President of Sourcing and Operations at PENN Entertainment, where she leads procurement strategy across more than 40 casino and entertainment properties nationwide. With over two decades at PENN, she oversees strategic sourcing, eProcurement, and procuretopay operations, managing and influencing hundreds of millions of dollars in enterprise spend.

A forwardthinking procurement leader, Melissa is recognized for driving enterprisewide savings, building scalable sourcing programs, and elevating procurement into a true strategic business partner. She thrives in complex, multisite environments and brings a disciplined approach to balancing cost, risk, speed, and guest experience.

Beyond the numbers, Melissa is deeply committed to supplier diversity and mentorship. She helped launch supplier mentor initiatives, actively participates in diversityfocused events, and continues to advance inclusive sourcing strategies that create meaningful opportunity while delivering strong business outcomes. She is especially passionate about building and sustaining partnerships with diverse suppliers at the local, regional, and national levels in the communities where PENN operates.

Melissa remains focused on strong team leadership, integrity in procurement processes, a clear corporate vision, and expanding access to sourcing opportunities for diverse businesses. These efforts have played a key role in the continued growth of PENN’s Supplier Diversity program.

She holds an MBA and brings energy, clarity, and a sharp strategic lens to the evolving role of procurement leadership.

John Muns

Mayor
City of Plano

Bridget Moon

Economic Development Specialist
Small Business Administration

Bridget brings over 30 years of dedicated service to the US Small Business Administration (SBA), currently serving as an v, Small Business Development Center and SCORE Liaison, and Veteran Business Development Officer at the SBA Dallas/Fort Worth District Office, covering Texas's Northern 72 counties.

Beginning her illustrious career as an SBA Disaster Loan Officer and later advancing to Supervisory Loan Officer roles, Bridget has demonstrated exceptional expertise in home and business underwriting. Her commitment to public service extended to roles as a Public Information Officer, where she spearheaded direct disaster recovery efforts across the United States and Territories.

Complementing her extensive professional background, Bridget holds a degree in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management. Her entrepreneurial journey spans over three decades, during which she has not only founded and managed businesses but has also provided invaluable guidance to countless entrepreneurs, crafting business plans for startups and expansions alike.

With a firm belief in the power of mentorship and collaboration, Bridget is dedicated to empowering others to thrive in their entrepreneurial ventures. She remains steadfast in her mission to foster business success and economic growth within her community and beyond.

Kindle Goodson

SVP, OCFO Chief Operating & Procurement Officer
TIAA Financial Services

Kindle Goodson currently serves as the Chief Procurement Officer leading the Global Supplier Services team responsible for the End-to End Procure to Pay process inclusive of Sourcing, Enterprise Vendor Risk, Procurement, Metrics, and Business Diversity. In this capacity, Kindle brings over 20 years of experience, 17 of which are in the financial services industry, working for several Fortune 100 companies.

In 2010, Kindle began her career at TIAA, initially responsible for the procurement of Printed Materials and Marketing Services. Since that time, in addition to her expanded roles in Sourcing, Kindle also served as the Business Finance Officer for TIAA’s Corporate Functions responsible for the fiscal budgeting process for Legal Risk & Compliance, Internal Audit Services, Human Resources, Chief Administrative Office, and Office of the CFO.

Kindle began her career at Navigant Consulting, where she worked to

assess Companies’ risk of insolvency. Given education has always been paramount, Kindle decided to return to school to pursue her MBA. During this time, she also worked at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in Procurement and Acquisition Management.

Upon graduating with honors, Kindle moved to New York City, where she was accepted into the Management Associate Program at Citigroup, working in Acquisition Life Cycle Marketing for Card products. While at Citigroup, Kindle was approached by Bank of America and asked to join their Supply Chain Management organization. Excited about the opportunity, Kindle relocated to Charlotte, NC and became responsible for the sourcing of Data Aggregation and later all printed materials.

During her tenure there, she also worked on several mergers and acquisitions (MBNA, LaSalle, Countrywide, and Merrill Lynch) which positioned her to transition to TIAA.

Kindle has a B.B.A. in Business Insurance and a M.B.A., concentrating in Supply Chain Mgmt. from Howard University. She is also Six Sigma Green and White Belt certified. Kindle lives in Charlotte, NC with her husband and three children; 2 sons and 1 daughter.

Paul Williams

Chief Procurement Officer | Strategic Sourcing, Global Contract Negotiation
University of California, Office of the President

Paul Williams is the Associate Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer for University of California Systemwide Procurement, coordinating $10 billion in procurement across UC’s campuses, medical centers, and national labs. He brings more than 31 years of global experience in Strategic Sourcing, Supply Chain, and Business Process Improvement, with senior leadership roles at Procter & Gamble, Pfizer, Clorox, Kraft, and Mondelēz International. A former U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco, his focus on inclusive growth and economic impact continues to shape his leadership philosophy. He lives in Oakland with his wife and four children, guided by the motto, “To whom much is given, much is required.”

Maitjian Welke

Western Chapter President | Founder and Chief Security Officer
USPAACC | CMIT Solutions

Maitjian Welke is the Founder and Chief Security Officer of CMIT Solutions Silicon Valley which is an IT Managed Service Provider specializes in IT infrastructure, Cyber Security, IT Consulting & CIO/CISO services. Maitjian Welke has Computer Science background and extensive IT & Software Engineering experience of over 20 years working in fortune 500 corporations including IBM, SUN, CISCO, AMEX, NCR, VMware and GOOD Technology. Maitjian Welke started their company CMIT Solutions of Silicon Valley in 2009 and continue to grow with two acquisitions. As an active VAR Channel Partner for fortune 500 computer manufacturers, she has been recognized in the Women of the Channel by CRN Magazine every year since 2015 for her leadership and accomplishments. Maitjian and her team are passionate about helping businesses and corporations with their Technology and Cyber Security. Maitjian recently developed a Cyber Security in Supply Chain course for University of California Santa Cruz extension and has been teaching it since 2021. She had been invited to be on Cyber Security Panelists for a number of Cyber Security Summits and Expos in San Jose, Fresno and Los Angeles and provided a number of Cyber Security webinars for professionals in recent years. Maitjian also volunteered and served on three Boards - Board of Industry Council for Small Business Development, USPAACC Western Chapter and Alameda County Employer Advisory Council.

Dr. Tre Pennie

Deputy Regional Administrator, Region VI
U.S. Small Business Administration

Dr. Tre Pennie serves as the Deputy Regional Administrator for SBA Region VI, overseeing Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arkansas. In this role, he provides executive leadership for regional program delivery, stakeholder engagement, and collaboration with federal, state, and local partners to strengthen access to capital and support small businesses, lenders, and economic development organizations across the region.

Prior to returning to the region, Dr. Pennie served in Washington, D.C., as the Associate Administrator for the Office of Government Contracting and Business Development. In this senior executive capacity, he led national policy and program oversight impacting federal procurement and small business participation in government contracting.

Dr. Pennie brings more than two decades of distinguished service in public safety, business development, and public policy. A U.S. Army veteran and retired Dallas Police Sergeant with 22 years of service, he earned national recognition for his leadership and advocacy efforts supporting public safety and the small business community. As President Emeritus of a national nonprofit organization, he worked closely with Congress to advance legislation focused on public safety and small business resilience.

An accomplished academic and policy professional, Dr. Pennie holds a Doctor of Education from Texas Tech University and a Paralegal Certificate from Southern Methodist University (SMU). He has extensive experience in legal strategy, contracts, nonprofit governance, and regulatory affairs, including service on a Texas state-appointed regulatory committee. He has testified as an expert witness before both the U.S. House and Senate Judiciary Committees and authored an amicus brief accepted by the United States Supreme Court.

His combined experience in military service, law enforcement, nonprofit leadership, and federal administration uniquely positions him as a dedicated advocate for strengthening and advancing an equitable and competitive small business ecosystem nationwide.