Jenny Wood Named Employee Owner of the Quarter

by TMC Corporate Communications on Thursday, October 26, 2023 in Awards & Recognition

Everyone in the Logistics Division has a story about how Jenny Wood made a difference in their work for TMC.

As Logistic Sales Training Team Lead in the Columbia, SC, office, Jenny has made an enormous impact in her four years with the company. She’s become an invaluable part of the Logistics Training team, taking on any project that needs to get done.

One of her greatest contributions is preparing new logistics sales representatives (LSRs) to succeed in a fast-paced, demanding role. She not only does extensive classroom training to set new hires up for success, but she’s always willing to help with on-the-ground tasks as well, like helping new reps build loads and work through a difficult client interaction. She makes sure that LSRs have the skills and materials they need to succeed. Mike Crist, Senior VP of Logistics, says, “Jenny has served us all with a willing sticktoitiveness through many challenging situations. She takes her impact on employee development very seriously.” Jenny has developed TMC’s onboarding program into one of the best logistics training processes in the industry.

Jenny approaches training with a mindset of preparing the people around her to do their best work and make a difference for TMC and contribute to the growth of TMC’s employee stock ownership program,  or ESOP. “It sounds cliché,” says her coworker Jeff Daleske, “but Jenny truly wants to make sure people succeed, to benefit everyone. It’s the heart of ESOP.”

LSR Diana Johnson knows the difference that Jenny’s outstanding training makes. “Jenny was my trainer for my initial LSR onboarding, and she has helped me a great deal!” she says. “She is honest and straightforward, and she always encourages you to come up with a better solution or better option to try. Jenny encourages you to be better and do better. She truly cares about the success of TMC Transportation, and that comes through in every interaction she has.”

Jenny has continually adapted to the changing demands of training, especially through the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. Marcy Noble, General Manager of the Des Moines Logistics office, had this to say about Jenny’s approach to training: “What keeps Jenny relevant, timely, and effective as the world evolves is that she is genuine, kind, and very approachable. She is passionate about her role, she keeps her heart, her mind, and her ears open, and she deeply cares for the company and the results of her training.”

But this isn’t where Jenny’s contribution to TMC ends. In 2023, she was responsible for building and running the logistics summer internship program, creating an experience that was more tailored to the logistics field and more rewarding for the interns. “Internships have always been a backbone to TMC's future talent investment, and entrusting Jenny with this endeavor paid dividends, as she greatly improved the summer intern experience,” says Mike Crist.

In the Logistics Division, Jenny is known as someone who can take on any challenge. Shane Conaway, Senior Manager of Professional Development and Jenny’s supervisor, certainly agrees. “If something needs to get done,” he says, “I call Jenny. She has tackled mountain-sized challenges throughout her career with TMC and led her team to success over and over again. Many of the initiatives Jenny has navigated through go largely unnoticed, but each culminated in a solution design and execution that was mission critical for everyone’s success.”

Jenny truly exemplifies TMC’s values. She does everything with integrity, she cares deeply about quality even in the smallest tasks, and she’s always ready to reevaluate and improve processes. She truly brings out the best in her teammates. Logistics Trainer Nicole Drake says, “Jenny has an ability to balance chaos and lead a well-rounded team through it all. Her ability to be flexible and adapt in all situations are qualities I have always admired about her. No matter the task at hand, she has taught us how to trust the process.”

Congratulations to Jenny Wood for being named Employee Owner of the Quarter!