Tech Talent
at Scale

  8:00–8:30 a.m.

Registration, Networking and Breakfast

Enjoy coffee and breakfast in our “networking café.”

  8:30–8:40 a.m.

Welcome

Sally Parker, Associate Vice Chancellor, Government and Community Relations, Vanderbilt University
Stephanie Coleman, President and CEO, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce

  8:40–9:10 a.m.

National Excellence Showcase

Stephanie Cafaro, Managing Director of Recruiting, COOP
Stephanie Coleman, President and CEO, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce

  9:10–9:40 a.m.

Local Strategy Panel

Jamari Brown, Senior Director, Economic and Community Development, Mayor’s Office
Clifton Harris, President and CEO, Urban League of Middle Tennessee
Whitney Staub-Juergens, Vice President of Transformation Operations, HCA Healthcare
Johannah Williams, VP of Academic Affairs and Workforce Development, Nashville State Community College
Moderator: Sandi Hoff, Interim CEO and COO, Greater Nashville Technology Council

  9:40–10:00 a.m.

Turning Insights into Action

Sandi Hoff, Interim CEO and COO, Greater Nashville Technology Council
Stephanie Coleman, President and CEO, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce

  10:00–10:30 a.m.

Networking

Jamari Brown

Senior Director, Economic and Community Development
Nashville Mayor’s Office

Jamari Brown is the Senior Director of Economic and Community Development for the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County. In this role, Jamari leads efforts to recruit and grow businesses for retail, residential, and commercial development while aligning workforce and affordable housing development efforts in Nashville. Additionally, he serves as executive director of the Metro Nashville Industrial Development Board (IDB) and administrator of the Nashville Foreign Trade Zone. Prior to joining the Mayor’s Office, Jamari began his career with the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development in 2008. During his 11 years with the department, he served as project lead on more than 70 projects that have announced more than 13,000 jobs and investments of $2 billion in Tennessee.

Stephanie Cafaro

Managing Director of Recruiting
COOP

Stephanie Cafaro serves as the Managing Director of Recruiting at COOP Careers, a national workforce development organization dedicated to bridging the social capital gap through digital skills and peer connections. With nearly 20 years of experience spanning K-12 education, higher education, and nonprofit leadership, Stephanie brings a deep commitment to empowering individuals and communities. She is based in Chicago.

Stephanie Coleman

President & CEO
Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce

Stephanie Coleman is the President and CEO of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, where she fosters collaboration and action to drive long-term economic growth while strengthening the Chamber’s role as a catalyst for regional progress. With nearly two decades of experience in business leadership, she has played a key role in shaping workforce strategies, business advocacy, and economic development initiatives. Prior to becoming CEO, she served as the Chamber’s Chief Talent Development Officer, leading efforts to strengthen the region’s workforce, including a $7 million initiative to expand career pathways in high-wage, high-demand industries. A Vanderbilt University graduate, she also holds a master’s degree in international economic development and diplomacy from the University of Kentucky and an MBA from Lipscomb University. In addition to her work at the Chamber, she lends her expertise and time to multiple boards and community organizations.

Clifton Harris

President & CEO
Urban League of Middle Tennessee

A long-time community organizer and advocate, Clifton Harris’s work has made him an expert in non-profit management, economic and workforce development, and social justice. Harris currently serves as the President and CEO of the Urban League of Middle Tennessee, where he is responsible for charting and evaluating the vision and mission of the Urban League. As the former head of the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission, he created and hosted Nashville’s first Project Homeless Connect, assisting thousands of homeless individuals in need of various services.  Harris coordinated Nashville’s efforts to implement “Housing First,” placing homeless individuals into permanent housing coupled with intensive case management. This best practice solution reshaped Nashville’s approach to offering permanent solutions to the most vulnerable and chronically homeless.  The Nashville Business Journal has recognized him as one of the Most Admired CEOs in Nashville for the past three years, and the Nashville Post recently recognized him as one of the “2024 In Charge Leaders” in Nashville.

Sandi Hoff

Interim CEO and COO
Greater Nashville Technology Council

Sandi Hoff serves as Chief Operating Officer for the Greater Nashville Technology Council and Executive Director of the NTC Foundation.  In addition to day-to-day operations, Sandi designed and launched the NTC’s education and workforce development programs, including the first registered technology apprenticeship program in Tennessee. She also successfully raised over $3 million in grant funds to fund the tech talent programs for the NTC. Before joining the NTC, Sandi directed the Research and Policy programs for the Tennessee Department of Transportation. Her work and studies prior to relocating to Tennessee included teaching public policy, nonprofit and public management, and nonprofit fundraising as an Assistant Professor at the University of North Texas. Sandi received a BA from Davidson College, her Master’s of Public Administration from Georgia State University, and pursued her Ph.D. in Public Policy and Non-Profit Management at the University of Georgia. Go Dawgs! She and her husband, Chris, and their daughter, Sophie, have lived in Nashville since 2003.

Whitney Staub-Juergens

Vice President of Transformation Operations
HCA Healthcare

Whitney Staub-Juergens, DNP-HSL, MSN, RN, NE-BC, is the Vice President of Transformation Operations for HCA Healthcare’s Department of Digital Transformation & Innovation. Whitney has a diverse background, having served as Vice President of Care Transformation Clinical Operations and as a hospital-based nurse, nurse practitioner, and executive nurse leader. Whitney provides strategic operations leadership for HCAH’s digital transformation agenda, focusing on DT&I execution, operating model oversight, talent acquisition, and optimization of operations and shared services. Whitney holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Chamberlain University and a Master’s degree in Nursing from Pennsylvania State University.

Johannah Williams

Vice President of Academic Affairs and Workforce Development
Nashville State Community College

Dr. Johannah Williams is the Vice President of Academic Affairs & Workforce Development at Nashville State Community College, a role she accepted after serving as the Dean of STEM at Nashville State. Prior to joining Nashville State, Dr. Williams served as the Associate Vice President of STEM & Workforce Programs at Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and held various faculty and leadership positions at Hinds Community College over a 15-year span. She has over 20 years of higher education experience. Dr. Williams holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in computer science from The University of Mississippi and Alcorn State University respectively, a master’s degree in Management and Leadership from Western Governors University, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration with a certification in Community College Leadership from The University of Southern Mississippi. She currently lives in Nashville with her 7-year-old daughter, Nova.