Technology2030 Report Launch

Ted Abernathy is the managing partner of Economic Leadership LLC, a Raleigh, North Carolina based company that helps businesses — and places — increase their competitiveness. Ted has 40 years of experience directing economic development and workforce development programs. From 2008 to 2013, Ted was the executive director of the Southern Growth Policies Board, a 42-year old public policy think tank that provided research to states and communities across the South. Before Southern Growth, Ted was a practicing economic developer for 28 years, including eight years as executive vice president/COO for the Research Triangle Regional Partnership. His latest research has focused on reimagining workforce development, making manufacturing more competitive and analyzing 25 years of rural economic development policy. Ted received his bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his master’s from Johns Hopkins University. He is a graduate of the Economic Development Institute and is an Eisenhower Fellow for global economics.

Representative Ashley Aune, a Democrat, represents parts of Platte County (District 14) in the Missouri House of Representatives, including Kansas City, Weatherby Lake and Lake Waukomis.

Aune was elected to her first term in 2020 and re-elected in 2022 and 2024. After serving a term as Minority Whip, her Democratic colleagues elected her as House Minority Leader for the current General Assembly. She also serves as an ex-officio member of all House committees. During her first term in office, she was appointed by Gov. Mike Parson to the Missouri Military Preparedness and Enhancement Commission, where she worked with military and civilian leaders across the state to make Missouri the most welcoming place for active duty and retired military members and their families. She currently is co-chair of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Technology Caucus.

Prior to politics, Representative Aune worked in marketing and owned her own agency. She received a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from the University of Kansas with a minor in English.

Born in Colorado and raised in Kansas, Aune now lives in the Kansas City Northland with her husband and stepdaughter.

Representative Dane Diehl, a Republican, represents Bates, Vernon, and Cedar Counties (District 125) in the Missouri House of Representatives. He was elected to his first two-year term in November 2022.

In addition to his legislative duties, Diehl is a fifth generation family farmer and rancher. Diehl is also the District 4 Director of the Missouri Soybean Association.

A 2009 graduate of Butler R-V High School, Diehl received his bachelor’s degree in Ag Systems Management from the University of Missouri – Columbia in 2013.

Diehl is a member and supporter of Missouri Corn, the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association, Missouri Farm Bureau, Missouri Soybean, the Nevada Elks Lodge, and the Butler Chamber of Commerce.

Born in Kansas City, Diehl currently resides in Butler with his wife. They have two children. Diehl and his family attend Pleasant Gap Christian Church.

Flavia D’Souza, co-founder and Head of Quality of Sentio BioSciences LLC in St. Louis, Missouri, has championed domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing since 2008.

Under her leadership, Sentio (a small MBE) evolved from producing Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) to also manufacturing Key Starting Materials (KSM) and Drug Products, achieving FDA approval for two medicines with a third under review with a team of 35 employees.

Committed to reshoring efforts, Flavia focuses on national security, supply chain resilience, and workforce development. Sentio collaborates with institutions to offer training, create better jobs, and build a skilled workforce.

In 2024, Flavia was appointed as the BioMaP Consortium – Enabling Technology stream’s Executive Steering Committee Head, partnering with the U.S. Government and industry to innovate and tackle national security risks.

Sentio secured a pivotal contract in December 2024 to domestically produce critical APIs, advancing its mission to provide affordable, essential medicines for U.S. patients.

Beyond work, Flavia enjoys time with her family and husky puppies, alongside hobbies like rowing, gardening, learning languages and music.

Her vision drives innovation, economic & workforce development, and strengthens U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturing expansion here in Missouri.

Senator Kurtis Gregory took the oath of office on Jan. 8, 2025 and represents the 21st Senatorial District. He previously served in the Missouri House of Representatives from 2020-2024.

Senator Gregory owns a farm alongside his wife, Kella, and his parents, Roger and Ruth. Together, they farm corn and soybeans on 900 acres and custom feed 2,400 pigs for a local family-owned hog operation. Senator Gregory has served on the board of directors for Missouri Corn Growers and is a local delegate for MFA Oil. He is also a member of the Saline County Farm Bureau, Missouri Corn Growers Association and Missouri Cattlemen’s Association. Senator Gregory received the Farm Bureau Friend of Agriculture Award in 2022 and participated in the Corn Growers inaugural CornRoots Leadership Class in 2013.

Before going back to the farm, Sen. Gregory played on the University of Missouri football team from 2006-2009. He played Left Tackle in 2006 and started 41 straight games at Right Guard from 2007 until he graduated. In 2007, his Tigers beat Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl and finished the season ranked 4th in the nation. In 2008, they beat Northwestern in the Alamo Bowl, and in 2009, he served as team captain. Senator Gregory also had a short stint in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers.

Senator Gregory has been a national pioneer in Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) legislation, passing multiple influential bills during his time in the legislature. In 2023, along with SEC Commissioner Greg Sanky, and Condoleezza Rice, Sports Illustrated named him one of the 25 Most Intriguing Suits in College Football.

Born in Blackburn, Missouri, Sen. Gregory currently resides in Marshall with his wife, Kella, and three children, Brook, Landon, and Henley, where they attend Calvary Baptist Church. He is a graduate of Santa Fe R-10 High School in Alma and earned his Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree in General Agriculture from the University of Missouri.

David Pearce currently serves as the Executive Director for Governmental Relations at UCM. Appointed in 2019, Pearce works closely with President Best and senior administrators to craft legislative priorities as well as coordinate with key elected officials and staff members to communicate UCM’s legislative priorities. In addition, Pearce works to identify fiscal resources that may apply to UCM, provide legislative reports to the Board of Governors, and manage responses to legislator’s and governor’s office inquiries.

Pearce served 8 years in the Missouri Senate representing constituents from the 21st and 31st Senatorial Districts. He also served 6 years in the Missouri House of Representatives before becoming a senator. Pearce served as chair of the Senate Education Committee for 5 years and served on the Appropriations Committee for his entire tenure in the Senate. He also served on the Agriculture Committee and served as Chair of the Midwestern Higher Education Compact and served on the Missouri Veteran’s Commission.

Following his tenure in the Senate, he worked in the Missouri Treasurer’s office in the Schmitt and Fitzpatrick Administrations. Prior to joining the legislature, Pearce served as Vice President of Marketing with First Community Back for 18 years.

Pearce has received several awards including Farm Bureau’s Friend of Agriculture, Henry Geyer Award by the University of Missouri Alumni Association, the Horace Mann award by the Missouri NEA, and the James C. Kirkpatrick Excellence in Governance by the UCM Student Government Association.

Pearce is a graduate of the University of Missouri in Columbia and is a native of Warrensburg, Missouri. He and his wife Teresa are active members of the Warrensburg community. They have one grandson.

Senator Brian Williams, a Democrat, has proudly represented the 14th Senatorial District in North St. Louis County since 2018, the first Black male to serve in the Missouri Senate in two decades. He was drawn to public service after studying government and public health policy, a passion that eventually led him to be a staffer in the U.S. Congress.

In his time in the Missouri Senate, Sen. Williams has been instrumental in passing legislation to freeze property tax values on the primary residence of those over 62 and to help sickle cell anemia patients, MO ABLE account holders and families entangled in the criminal justice system. Senator Williams also facilitates the Capitol’s annual human trafficking awareness day.

His sweeping criminal justice reforms established the strongest use of force database in the country and a statewide conviction review unit; prohibit law enforcement from using a respiratory chokehold; ensure women offenders have access to free, adequate feminine hygiene products; and decreased the time to request an expungement for those who have paid their debt to society. Senator Williams also added a provision that helps set innocent people free from wrongful imprisonment.

Senator Williams serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee and has helped secure millions of dollars in funding for North St. Louis County, including the University of Missouri-St. Louis engineering program, South Camp project and the construction of the Campus of the Future, among others.

In addition to legislative duties, Sen. Williams works for Construction Career Development Initiative, providing training and job opportunities for underserved youth. He also serves as a board director for People’s Health Center, where he helped develop a behavioral health care center for children. Senator Williams serves on the advisory boards for St. Louis Crisis Nursery, Simmons Bank, iHeart Media, Nurses for Newborns and the University City Children’s Center. Senator Williams’ family resides in University City, and he is a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.