Chuck Stump is not only a West Virginian by birth, but also by choice. He is a nationally recognized expert in the areas of change management, leadership, customer care, and communication. Since founding The Performance Group in 1996, he has helped hundreds of organizations build their people, so their people can build their business. Chuck is also the co-author of four international award-winning children’s books. This year, The Sad Mad Glad Book series celebrates 18 years of helping children develop strong character and positive attitudes. He lives in Hurricane, West Virginia, with his wife Sarah, and they have two adult children, Brendan and Rachel.

Julie Schafer brings more than 22 years of experience, including 15 years in transit operations and maintenance, with expertise in state and federal compliance, grant writing, policy development, and staff training. As RLS’ Rural Transit Circuit Rider and a CTAA Certified Community Transit Manager, she helps transit systems strengthen operations, resolve administrative and financial challenges, and improve services.

Stephen Kuban is the award-winning founder and CEO of Kuban Transit Solutions (KTS), an AI-native public transit consulting firm focused on sustainable transit strategy. A 2025 Mass Transit “40 Under 40ˮ honoree, he helps transit leaders do more with less by incorporating artificial intelligence into transit workflows. With over a decade of

experience in transit technology leadership, his AI-first approach has been widely featured by industry authorities, with publications in Mass Transit Magazine and a webinar series hosted by Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA).