Employer Advisory Board

Sedrik Newbern serves as chief ethics officer of the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) and president of the NASBA Center for the Public Trust (CPT). Newbern is also president of Newbern Consulting, LLC, an Amazon best-selling author and a John Maxwell Certified Coach, Trainer and Speaker. Along with business consulting, Newbern has published four books and created a boutique publishing consultancy that has worked with other authors to publish more than 40 books. Additionally, he has shared his knowledge, experience and passion for entrepreneurism as a college professor in his role as entrepreneur-in-residence in the Department of Management for GFCB at WKU.

A consummate servant leader, Newbern has served on several non-profit boards and committees including serving as a past-president of the WKU Alumni Association Board of Directors, serves on the WKU GFCB Advisory Board and the Nashville State Community College Business Advisory Committee, and is a life member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Newbern is a native of Nashville, TN, and holds a BS in Marketing from Western Kentucky University and an MBA with a concentration in economics from Tennessee State University.

Teresa Rascoe serves as the Vice President of Human Resource Development at Owensboro Health, where she leads HR strategy, compensation planning, leader development, and organizational effectiveness for a system of more than 5,000 team members. With over 32 years of service to Owensboro Health, Teresa has built deep expertise across the HR discipline, with a significant portion of her career focused on Employee Relations - guiding leaders through complex workplace issues, strengthening policy application, and fostering a fair, consistent, and supportive work environment.

She is known for her steady leadership, collaborative approach, and commitment to developing strong talent pipelines that support both organizational performance and community growth.

An alumna of Western Kentucky University, Teresa is passionate about preparing the next generation of professionals for meaningful careers and helping students build the confidence and skills needed to thrive in today’s workforce.

My name is Jason Lowe and I am the Workforce Recruitment Coordinator for WKU regional campuses. I am a 2023 WKU graduate in Political Science and Philosophy and am currently pursuing my MPA. I focus largely on recruiting adult learners and transfer students who are working full time while they complete a bachelor's degree from one of our regional campuses. I also facilitate relationships and networking with companies in our regional service areas including Owensboro, Glasgow, Elizabethtown/Fort Knox, and Somerset.

As a result of my work, I am aiming to increase enrollment and strengthen community and business partnerships with WKU regional campuses by increasing awareness of the opportunities and programs WKU can offer outside of Bowling Green..

I’m the Financial Center Manager at Fifth Third Bank in Bowling Green, Kentucky. In my role, I lead the branch operations, develops client relationships, and drives growth by delivering tailored financial solutions to individuals and small businesses. I’m passionate about community engagement and actively work to connect local organizations and businesses with resources that support financial literacy and long-term success.

With a strong focus on leadership and team development, I’m committed to coaching and empowering my team to provide exceptional client experiences. I strive on building trust, understanding client needs, and helping others achieve their financial goals.

I’m excited to contribute to the Advisory Board by sharing industry insight and supporting student career readiness and development.

Christa Atkins brings 31 years of experience in healthcare, with a background in social work, healthcare administration, human resources, and workforce development. She holds a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW), Master of Business Administration (MBA) and is a Professional in Human Resources (PHR).

Throughout her career, she has focused on developing people, strengthening, organizations, and creating opportunities for growth. Her experience includes healthcare operations, talent acquisition, employee development, and building partnerships that support workforce development initiatives. Christa is passionate about mentoring others and helping connect individuals to meaningful career pathways. She brings a practical, people-centered perspective, along with a commitment to collaboration, service, and lifelong learning.

Kendra Scott serves as the President and CEO of the Hardin County Chamber of Commerce. A native of Elizabethtown, Kendra is a proud Army brat, Navy spouse, Army mom and Western Kentucky University Hilltopper.

Throughout her career, Kendra has worked in the media, banking, healthcare and the non-profit sector. One of her greatest joys comes from volunteering and she devotes her time to numerous organizations including the Lincoln Trail Area Development District board of directors, Project LEARN, Hardin County and Elizabethtown Independent schools and her church.

Kendra’s motto has always been, “if you love your community, you will love working for it,” and she feels she is blessed to live and work in the best community in the world.

Latasha Bunton is a dedicated Human Resources Generalist at Magna - Bowling Green Metalforming, with a passion for supporting and developing teams. Born and raised in Bowling Green, KY, she attended SKYCTC before transferring to WKU, where she earned a certificate in Business Data Analytics & a Bachelor's degree in science with a focus on Human Resources Management in 2020.

Latasha is a proud mother of five children: DeAndre (19), twins Drian and Daylan (17), Jarvis (16), and Aniah (13). She values faith, love for the Lord, and enjoys singing, dancing, and spending quality time with her friends and family. With a strong commitment to her community and profession, Latasha strives to create positive work environments and foster growth both personally and professionally.

Lonnie D. Gentry is the Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Southern Orthodontic Partners (SOP), where he partners with other executive leaders to advance talent strategy, organizational effectiveness, leadership development, and culture initiatives across a rapidly growing healthcare organization.

With more than 20 years of leadership experience spanning healthcare, technology, financial services, and military service, Lonnie is recognized for building high-performing teams, aligning talent strategies with business objectives, and leading organizations through growth and transformation.

Prior to SOP, Lonnie served as Vice President of People Operations for XSOLIS and held progressive HR leadership roles with LifePoint Health and ScionHealth. He began his career as an officer in the United States Army, where he developed a strong foundation in leadership and operational excellence.

Outside of work, Lonnie enjoys spending time with his wife, Elizabeth, their daughters, Ally and Kacy, and their German Shepherd, Koa.

In addition to being a proud Hilltopper alum, Mark Evans has been in service to CED, Inc. for more than 25 years in various roles including procurement, operations management, sales and he currently serves as the PC Manager for CED Bowling Green, where he is responsible for developing talent, overseeing daily operations, driving revenue growth, managing key customer relationships, and leading a high-performing team.

Mark’s leadership philosophy centers on accountability, customer service excellence, and continuous improvement. His entrepreneurial approach to management enables his teams to focus on strengthening customer partnerships through a culture of collaboration, innovation, and professional growth.

Mark and his wife, Melanie, are both graduates of WKU and enjoy cheering on Hilltoppers in all aspects of the pursuit of excellence. Together, they have two daughters and are members of Greenwood Park Church of Christ.

Born and raised in Bowling Green, Kentucky, Nathan Lee brings over a decade of experience in enterprise revenue transformation. Nathan is a VP of Revenue Operations and Go-To-Market Strategy at U.S. Bank, where he leads enterprise sales enablement initiatives and AI-driven automation solutions for the institutional corporate business lines.

With expertise in Salesforce architecture, revenue intelligence, and analytics tools/dashboards, he partners with sales leadership to design and deploy modern sales tools to drive adoption and accelerate revenue. Beyond his work at U.S. Bank, Nathan serves as an Adjunct Professor at Western Kentucky University, teaching Entrepreneurship and Finance.

Nathan is also a deacon and teaches classes at Eastside Church of Christ. Nathan has been involved in local community groups such as Leadership Bowling Green, BG Chamber Young Professionals, and the WKU Young Alumni Association.

Laura Upchurch is a Human Resources professional with extensive experience in supporting workforce initiatives, recruiting, employee engagement, benefits administration, employee relations and organizational communications. She serves as an HR Manager at Sumitomo Electric Wiring Systems’ Administrative Office, where she supports workforce initiatives across multiple locations and partners with leadership to foster a positive workplace culture.

A proud Western Kentucky University graduate, Laura also earned a Master of Science in Human Resources and Organization Development from the University of Louisville. She holds both the Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) credentials. Laura is passionate about developing talent, supporting employee well-being, and building strong connections between education and industry.

With more than 32 years of construction experience, Keith Werre has built a distinguished career delivering complex commercial projects throughout the Southeast, with the majority of his work concentrated in Georgia and, more recently, across Tennessee and Kentucky. His diverse portfolio has provided extensive experience managing projects of varying sizes and complexities while developing expertise in project planning, operations, scheduling, quality control, and team leadership.

Keith is known for his ability to build strong relationships with owners, design teams, and trade partners while proactively identifying challenges and implementing practical solutions. His hands-on experience across every phase of construction has earned him a reputation for delivering high-quality projects safely, on schedule, and within budget. Keith’s decades of regional experience and industry knowledge provide clients with trusted leadership and a proven commitment to successful project delivery

Wesley Waddle, Ed.D., currently serves as Director of Human Resources for Warren County Public Schools, the fourth largest school district in the state of Kentucky. With over 30 years ofexperience in public education in three school districts, his former roles have included high school business teacher, district technology coordinator, supervisor of curriculum and instruction, building principal, district finance officer, and assistant superintendent. In addition, he served as a WKU adjunct instructor for a number of years in the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences.

He is an unyielding advocate for public education and strongly adheres to Jim Collins’ philosophy of talent acquisition: hiring based on character and organizational values to ensure the best fit for staff and the success of schools or any organization.