PLOVER Wisc. – More than 350 executives in North America attended the 2015 Accelerate! Conference and Expo at the Hilton Anatole Resort on September 20-22.

According to Ellen Voie, president and CEO of the Women in Trucking Association, the goal of the event was to bring together trucking executives with the common goal of encouraging the employment of women in the trucking industry.

The conference hosted professional race car driver, Jennifer Jo Cobb, who shared her challenges and success being NASCAR’s only female owner-driver in the series. In addition, Debbie Gardner of the Survive Institute gave a powerful message to encourage and empower women, while Nagin Cox shared her experience as a member of NASA’s Mars Curiosity mission.

 “We were truly overwhelmed by the energy and passion shared by the women and men who attended our conference,” said Voie. “Our goal was to bring a diverse line up of speakers to a diverse group of attendees who have one thing in common; to increase the percentage of women employed in the trucking industry. I believe we exceeded their expectations for our first event.”

 The event featured more than 60 exhibitors and sponsors.

Mary Aufdemberg, chair of the Women In Trucking board of directors and director of product marketing at Freightliner Trucks commented: “The Women in Trucking inaugural Accelerate! Conference focused on cultivating the talent we already have, and developing ideas on how to draw more diverse talent into trucking careers. The uniquely positioned conference – which created dialogue on a wide range of topics from building relationships to leading organizations, from safety skills to recruiting – ensured attendees left inspired with fresh ideas and ready to sign up for next year.”