Connect | Virginia // DCD>Debate: Can the industry deliver the capacity required with the chronic skills gap faced?

Courtney joined Infrastructure Masons in 2022 as their EDU Program Manager.

As part of her role, she manages the existing iMasons scholarship program, awarding hundreds of scholarships worldwide and manage and supports iMasons existing Capstone program, supporting teams of students at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) in year-long projects to introduce them to the digital infrastructure industry in the senior year of their bachelors degree.

She is managing and supporting iMasons emerging program to work with one or more major universities to develop and implement a multi-disciplinary minor-degree program in digital infrastructure and is a visible advocate for, and expert on, the data center industry’s workforce development needs.

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Chris Dove is the Director of Talent Acquisition at Aligned Data Centers.

Among Chris' responsibilities is to design strategies for long-term talent pipelines for current and future roles, as well as to identify and implement programs that attract and retain top talent.

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Pastor Michelle is a senior level program management professional and IT Service Delivery Executive with 20+ years experience as the CEO of M-Tech Services, LLC (a Minority Women Owned IT Solutions Company).

Michelle is an innovative leader in developing IT solutions that increase the business value of client’s technology investments. She has expertise in government contracting, supplier diversity, system integration, applications modernization, end user outsourcing and support services, in the DOJ, DHS, TSA, USCIS, SSA, IRS, Department of the Treasury, Department of State, Census Bureau, Healthcare and the Energy Sectors.

Michelle consistently delivers mission-critical results in business development, revenue growth, operational performance and profit sustainability.

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Dan Loosemore is currently CEO at Data Center Dynamics (DCD); helping empower individuals who plan, build, design and operate digital infrastructure to make informed decisions faster. DCD attracts over 15 million views to its publishing sites every year, making it the most read data center publication in the world. It's L&D business trains over 3000 engineers every year and the DCD event series attracts over 20,000 annual attendees. Since 2022, DCD has been part of the InfraXMedia portfolio and is a proud sister-business of Yotta.

Dan has spent 15+ years scaling B2B media, event and subscription-based platforms in technology and software driven industries. He is passionate about the future of B2B technology marketing and sales, supporting the industry's leading solutions providers on their GTM strategies.

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As Senior Director of Global Data Center Solutions at Black Box, Tash oversees the data center practice, which provides end-to-end design, engineering, and delivery solutions for global clients and strategic partners. He manages the business development and solution delivery for this practice, ensuring quality, efficiency, and innovation.

With over 20 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, Tash has a strong background in network architecture, engineering, design, sales strategy, and operations. He received his Bachelors and Masters in Electrical Engineering from Wichita State University. Tash has previously held engineering positions for ISP providers like Sprint, managed Data Centers for large enterprises such as Qualcomm, and developed global sales enablement strategy across various technology vectors for Cisco. He also has a Master of Advanced Studies in International Affairs from UC San Diego, which gives him a keen understanding of the economic and political aspects of global data center business.

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Lee Smith is a self-described Digital Philanthropist, Forever Student and Mountain Biker.

As well as Lee's role with Mastercard, he is a Nomad Futurist Foundation (NFF) Ambassador. In this role, Lee helps to make education about the data center industry accessible to all, especially the "younglings", which he believes is vital to the future growth of digital infrastructure.

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Daisy is the Senior Consultant & Founder for Sustainable Workforce Development Solutions

Daisy has over 20 years of experience developing, onboarding, and branding roles and programs committed to business and community growth. Her specialties include workforce development, brand management, digital media creation, social media campaigns, and 11 years of non-profit executive leadership. Before starting her new venture, Daisy spent over 3 years with Equinix.

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