Raising the Bar: WIM Symposium Delivers Stronger Connections, Deeper Impact

After two highly successful and well-attended symposiums, it seemed hard to imagine the third could raise the bar even higher. Yet with nearly 100 attendees representing every corner of the industry and more than 25 speakers delivering two days of insightful, engaging content, this year's WIM Symposium didn't just meet expectations, it surpassed them. Recurring themes of collaboration, community, and trust helped participants connect deeply and learn from one another.

Hosted by Prime Inc. and sponsored by PrePass, this year's WIM Symposium took place in sunny Springfield, Missouri. Attendees kicked off their experience with an energetic getting-to-know-you activity at Monday's Welcome Reception. Tuesday morning, Christy Uffelman led participants in two hours of highly interactive peer coaching sessions, which helped participants connect with one another and start to collectively problem-solve issues in one another's professional lives. ATA's Grassroots Advocacy Senior Manager, Abbey Schroeder, supported by Brenda Neville, President of the Iowa Motor Truck Association, and Christy Conrad, Vice President, Legal at FedEx Freight, led participants in an in-depth exploration of how to engage in advocacy, both on and off the Hill.

In the afternoon, participants broke up into small groups led by Women In Motion Board Members and navigated a number of more niche topics, from how to become an effective workplace mentor to how to expand and diversify the driver talent pool. WIM Board Chair Emily Williams, Associate Vice President, Transportation Business Development at Geotab, explored new and emerging technologies impacting the trucking industry through a panel discussion with Chris Silver, Chief Marketing Officer at PrePass, and Melissa Wade, Senior Director of Government Relations at Aurora. The day was capped off by an inspiring fireside chat during dinner, facilitated by Renee Amar, Executive Director of the Louisiana Motor Transport Association, which featured four Missouri state legislators from both parties sharing their stories of collaboration and bipartisan cooperation to make real change.

Wednesday morning kicked off with a breakfast presentation led by Laura Cyrus from Truckers Against Trafficking, which equipped attendees with the knowledge they need to recognize, report, and deter trafficking on the road. Attendees reviewed the results of the ATRI-conducted WIM recruitment and retention survey with a panel including Laura Duryea, Director of Driver Recruitment and Professional Growth at Boyle Transportation; Christy Choice, Professional Services Consultant at Tenstreet; and Nicky Morrison, Controller at Prime Inc. The panel discussion explored what attendees could do to take the results back to their own companies to create more supportive corporate environments for women on their teams. The final session of the Symposium explored the idea of "relational intelligence" and allowed participants to strengthen practical skills to build trust, deepen connection, and communicate more effectively in both professional and personal relationships.

This event was a true reflection of the power of the WIM community coming together. Attendees laughed, cried, learned, connected, and problem-solved together. New connections were made, and existing relationships were strengthened. In an event that became so much more than a professional conference, attendees proved that the strength of WIM truly lies within the diversity, compassion, and of its incredible members.