Justin Furrow, Moderator
Chambliss Law | Chair, Labor and Employment

Justin chairs the Chambliss Labor and Employment section, and co-chairs the Chambliss COVID-19 Task Force and the Transportation and Logistics practice. He provides top-notch counsel and complex employment litigation representation to national and regional corporations, family-owned businesses, emerging companies, and other entities. Justin has successfully defended and assisted clients in major employment law matters in state and federal courts across the country, and before administrative agencies such as the EEOC and DOL. Clients often turn to Justin for counsel on discrimination, retaliation, and harassment issues, employee leave questions, whistleblower protections, reasonable accommodation, noncompetition and nonsolicitation agreements, and shareholder agreements and disputes, among other matters. 

Jessica Hamadeh, Panelist
U.S. Xpress | VP of Legal Affairs and Associate General Counsel 

Jessica Hamadeh has over 12 years of experience in the transportation industry as in-house counsel for U.S. Xpress Enterprises, Inc.  She currently serves as their Vice President of Legal Affairs and Associate General Counsel and manages a team of attorneys and support staff who focus in the areas of commercial litigation and class actions, labor and employment matters, regulatory compliance, independent contractor and equipment leasing programs, and service and vendor agreements.  She is also a member of the company’s Enterprise Risk Committee, which oversees its risk management program and reports to the board of directors, and she advises the business on corporate transactions, investments, enterprise policymaking, and governance.  Jessica has a unique skillset in the transportation industry, supporting U.S. Xpress’s portfolio of offerings as a motor carrier, freight broker, revenue equipment lessor, telematics provider, proprietary technology developer, and investor in emerging trucking technologies.  Jessica received her B.A. from Millsaps College and a J.D. from the University of Mississippi, and she is licensed to practice law in Tennessee and Mississippi. 

Dr. Mina Sartipi, Panelist
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga | Founding Director of the Center for Urban Informatics and Progress (CUIP)

Dr. Mina Sartipi is the Founding Director of the Center for Urban Informatics and Progress (CUIP) at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), where she is also a Guerry Professor in the Computer Science and Engineering Department. She is an internationally recognized leader in the field of Smart City research focused on mobility, energy and health in urban environments. Her research, funded by DOT, DOE, NSF, NIH, State of Tennessee, Lyndhurst Foundation, and private industry, focuses on data-driven approaches to tackle real-world challenges in smart city applications. At CUIP, she coordinates cross-disciplinary research and strategic visions for urbanism and smart cities advancement with a focus on people and quality of life. Dr. Sartipi has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, Iran, and master’s and doctoral degrees in electrical and computer engineering from Georgia Tech in Atlanta.

Dr. Sartipi was named ​a 2019 Chattanooga Influencer by Edge, Chattanooga’s business magazine, for her role in smart city research and collaboration with city, county, and industry partners. She is the recipient of several awards including UTC Outstanding Faculty Research and Creative Achievement award, UC Foundation Professorship, Guerry Professorship, and “Smart 50” awards in digital transformation designated by the Smart Cities Connect organization in four consecutive years since 2019. She is a frequent presenter on artificial intelligence and smart city operations and has given invited presentations to the U.S. Congressional Caucus on Smart Cities and ​at conferences of the global Smart Cities Connect organization, ​the National Transportation Training Directors, and the Intelligent Infrastructure. Dr. Sartipi has been a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers since 2016, and she is a member of the boards of directors for multiple startups and non-profit organizations. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and outdoor activities including hiking, rock climbing, and skiing with her husband and two young daughters.