Marcus Manning’s journey into technology began with inspiration from his father’s work at NASA mission control. Today, as CIO and Head of Cybersecurity, he leads with integrity, excellence, and a commitment to service. From building IT infrastructure for a $220 million hospital to serving his Houston community, Marcus demonstrates that leadership is measured not only by systems built, but by people lifted along the way.

Chakla Davis is a visionary HR leader whose non-linear career path spans manufacturing operations, finance, and human resources leadership. Known for leading “outside the lines,” she brings a rare ability to connect human potential directly to business impact. In this Black History Month spotlight, Chakla shares the lived experiences that shaped her leadership, her VTAW principle, and the legacy she’s building through the Phoenix Rising Scholarship.

In operations, success is often measured in metrics: output, efficiency, cost reduction. But if you ask the most respected leaders in this space what truly drives results, many would agree: it’s not just process. It’s people. And leading people takes more than technical expertise. It takes emotional intelligence. What Most People Get Wrong About Ops Leadership There’s a misconception that operations leaders are just there to push numbers and hit production targets. But great

I’ve held many roles over the years; some where I felt I had to hide who I was, others where being myself was effortless. Today, I’ll...