Speaker Biographies

DICK VERMEIL
Legendary NFL Football coach Dick Vermeil spent 15 seasons as a NFL head coach and was a member of the National Football League’s coaching fraternity for 19 seasons.  After coaching at the high-school level, he secured his first NCAA Division 1 position in 1965 at Stanford University.  In later years he was named head coach of UCLA and the Philadelphia Eagles.  Additionally, Vermeil has had a prestigious career as a football broadcaster, serving as a NFL and college football analyst for both CBS and ABC.  In 2006, he was portrayed on the big screen by Greg Kinnear in the film Invincible.

JACK BURKERT
Jack Burkert has been involved in transportation safety, management and regulatory policy issues for over 35 years, and has helped government, industry and regulators improve the safety of businesses, drivers and most critically, the traveling public.  He has taught safety management in conjunction with his tenure at the Pennsylvania State University, directed the safety program as vice president of safety of the American Bus Association, and worked as senior vice president of the Lancer Insurance Company.  He now serves as safety and legislative liaison for the Trailways Transportation System.  Burkert is a recipient of the Lifetime Safety Achievement Award from the United Motorcoach Association.

DEAN DE BEER
Tristar Worldwide Chauffeur Services
Dean De Beer joined Tristar Worldwide Chauffeur Services in 1997 and became CEO in 2001.  During his time with the company he has built the enterprise into the largest chauffeur drive company in Europe, with over 650 vehicles operating out of London and Manchester in the U.K.  At the same time he has spearheaded Tristar’s international growth, establishing a rapidly expanding operation in the U.S., and developing an affiliate network spanning 44 countries.  De Beer now is beginning his second three-year term as a director of the National Limousine Association.

TIM DELANEY
Lancer Insurance Company
Tim Delaney joined Lancer Insurance Company in 1982 and serves as the company’s senior executive vice president, transportation division, and a director of Lancer Financial Group.  Lancer is the largest insurer of passenger transportation in the U.S. with over $200 million of annual premiums in the sector.  Delaney’s background includes 35 years of insurance and reinsurance experience.  He is a member of the Society of Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriters (CPCU).

JEFF GREENE
Greene Classic Limousines
Jeff Greene was president of the National Limousine Association in 2006 and 2007 and served on the board of directors for six years.  He is president of Greene Classic Limousines that he founded in 1988 and is a director of the Georgia Limousine Association.  Greene Classic Limousines was named “Operator of the Year” (large company category) by LCT in 2003.

JIM JACKSON
Temecula Creek Learning Center
For more than 25 years, Jim Jackson has been performance-coaching sales leaders, businesses, sales people and teams. He develops high-performance sales teams and the leadership skills necessary for them to thrive in the ever-changing global economy.  As president of the Temecula Creek Learning Center, a corporate teambuilding and leadership development facility, Jim has been the lead sales performance coach since 1994.  

GEORGE JACOBS
Windy City Limousine
George Jacobs built American Limousine into the largest limousine company in America in one city.  In 1998 he sold the company to Carey International, stayed on with them for seven years, briefly retired, and then returned with a vengeance, starting Windy City Limousine in 2006 and making LCT’s top 100 in his second year of operation.  This former four-time president of the NLA has bested the IRS, testified in front of Congress, and been LCT Operator of the Year as well as Entrepreneur of the Year.  Jacobs currently is serving as second vice president of the National Limousine Association. 

SELENA MONTOYA
International Monetary Systems (IMS)
Selena Montoya was born and raised in Tucson, Ariz. and now has now lived in Las Vegas for six years.  She has worked for IMS for two years and been an IMS member for five years.  She uses her IMS account to give out incentives to staff colleagues as well as for her personal use.  She says, “Why not barter and save the cash in your pocket?”

MARY E. PIVEC
Keller and Heckman LLP
Mary Pivec is a partner with Keller and Heckman LLP in Washington D.C. and a member of the firm’s employment practice group.  She has more than 25 years' experience advising employers in a broad range of workplace and labor relations issues.  Prior to her legal practice, she worked as a union business agent negotiating collective bargaining agreements and representing employees in grievance and arbitration proceedings.  Since becoming a lawyer, she has represented management interests exclusively in collective bargaining, unfair labor practice proceedings and grievance arbitration cases.  Pivec enjoys an AV© Peer Review Rating, was named among the Washington, D.C. "Super Lawyers" in the labor and employment field for 2007, 2008 and 2009 and has been featured in Best Lawyers in America since 1990 in the area of Immigration law.

KAREN E. PURVES
innovative impact
How do attendees describe Karen Purves?  “Refreshingly honest,” “relatable,” “contagiously enthusiastic,” “attention grabber and keeper,” “breath of fresh air” and giving “real answers to real life.”  Purves combines a bachelor’s degree in business, a master’s degree in environmental public policy and nearly 20 years working experience along with extensive training at “The Second City” to empower audiences to make a difference in the session and in their lives.  She guarantees her audience members will receive useful material, in an engaging way, and practical tools to implement immediately for success.

JAY ROBERTS
Ingenus Management & Consulting, LLC
Jay Roberts has more than 30 years of experience within hotel and gaming management, hospital administration, human resources, hotel, food and beverage operations.  Currently he is a partner at Ingenus Management & Consulting in Las Vegas where he provides support to clients for their human resources, leadership professional development and hotel operations needs.  Roberts holds bachelor of science and master of education degrees from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas.

JOHN RODGERS
Dale Carnegie â Training
John Rodgers has been a Dale Carnegieâ instructor since 1989 and has gained international recognition by Dale Carnegie & Associates as one of the top marketing associates and instructors in the world.  He is the franchise owner for JR Rodgers & Associates, Inc., the Dale Carnegie Trainingâ sponsor in Pittsburgh, Milwaukee and Las Vegas.  Rodgers holds an undergraduate degree from Pennsylvania State University and a graduate degree from Shippensburg University.

JEFF ROSE
Attitude New York
Jeff Rose is president and CEO of Attitude New York. He got his start in the industry driving yellow cabs in New York City while pursuing an acting career. After studying under Dav El “University” founder David Klein, he started his own company in 1986 with one car. Sensing that trends in the industry were going in a new direction, Jeff was among the first to ever launch a limousine service with a sedan instead of a stretch limousine. Today Attitude New York caters to New York’s most demanding clientele with 36 vehicles and a staff of 70. Rose is the president of the New York Limousine Association.

MATTHEW SILVER
Ultimate Class Limousine and Transport
Matt Silver is the founder and president of Ultimate Class Limousine located in Hicksville, N.Y.  He started the company in 1988 from the basement in his home and, since then, has grown the enterprise into a thriving company with a fleet that includes sedans, stretches, vans, mini-buses and coaches.  Silver is a board member of the Nassau Suffolk Limo Association and is also very active in many charitable organizations.  Ultimate Class Limousine and Transport has been recognized as the 2010 Best of Long Island in Limo Category and # 1 limousine service on Long Island two years in a row by Long Island Business News.

RON SORCI
Aventura Worldwide Transportation
Ron Sorci is the chief financial officer of Aventura Worldwide Transportation, a 90-vehicle organization headquartered in Miami, and the most immediate past president of the National Limousine Association.  He launched his career in the ground transportation industry in 1969 when he worked for Fugazy International while attending college.  He became CFO of Fugazy in 1972 and, later that decade, fulfilled the same role for Carey International.  Subsequently he owned and operated his own company RPS Executive Limousines, Ltd.  After selling RPS in 1996, Sorci served as president of U.S. Transportation Systems, Inc. and then president of Precept Transportation before joining Aventura.

RONNI WAYNE
International Monetary Systems (IMS)
Ronni Wayne has been a trade broker in the Las Vegas office of International Monetary Systems for close to five years and co-manages the office with Selena Montoya, who is her former client.  Wayne’s sage advice:  “Unless you have all the business you can possibly handle, barter is for you!”