Outgoing Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Samka Keranovic Hand-Picks Successor, Departs to Co-Found Desert Roots Wellness
STERLING HEIGHTS, MI — U.S. Truck Driver Training School, Inc. (USTDTS) today announced the appointment of Neira Obic as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, effective May 25, 2026. Obic was selected for the role by outgoing Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Samka Keranovic, who is departing
the organization to co-found Desert Roots Wellness, an international life and empowerment coaching practice.
Obic’s appointment is the result of a deliberate, confident decision — not a succession by circumstance. Over years of working in close daily partnership with Keranovic, Obic distinguished herself through operational precision, principled leadership, and an unwavering commitment to the school’s mission. She consistently exceeded expectations across every dimension of the role, earning Keranovic’s trust not through
tenure alone, but through the quality of her judgment and the steadiness of her character under pressure.
Prior to her appointment as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Obic served as Director of Educational Services at U.S. Truck Driver Training School, Inc. (USTDTS) — a role at the very center of the student experience. In that capacity, she created and managed training schedules for current students, developed state examination schedules, addressed student concerns directly, and continues to serve as the school’s Designated Representative for the State of Michigan Testing Division. Her work required deep knowledge of education operations and student admissions, as well as the ability to represent the institution with credibility and authority to external partners. In many ways, Obic was already shaping the outcomes that define USTDTS — and her transition to Vice President and Chief Operating Officer is a natural extension of the leadership she has long been exercising.
What distinguishes Obic, however, is that her contributions to USTDTS have never been confined to a single department. Over the course of her tenure, she has operated in nearly every corner of the institution. In Career Services, she assisted students in securing industry-related employment, managed the school’s relationships with carrier partners who hire USTDTS graduates, and oversaw the employer-sponsored Lunch and Learn program — an initiative that brings employer partners directly to the institution to present job opportunities to students ahead of graduation. In Admissions, she managed lead flow, conducted interviews with prospective students to help them determine whether a career in transportation was the right fit, and guided them through available
funding sources to help make tuition attainable.
Beyond her formal responsibilities, Obic has demonstrated the kind of character that cannot be trained into a person. She is as willing to step in at the front desk when a colleague needs support as she is to lead at the highest level — and she does both with equal commitment. She brings an intellectual curiosity and a genuine thirst for
knowledge that shows in everything she touches. She has a hunger to grow and to elevate the institution’s capabilities — and she carries every honor and acknowledgment she has received with the same quality that earned them in the first place: humility and grace.
In many ways, Obic was already shaping the outcomes that define USTDTS — and her transition to Vice President and Chief Operating Officer is a natural extension of the leadership she has long been exercising. The weight of Keranovic’s endorsement is grounded in the record she built during her own tenure. As Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, she led a team of 35 professionals, managed a $5.2 million P&L, doubled annual revenues, and delivered 300% program growth. Her leadership was recognized nationally — she was featured in CIO Times as one of the 5 Most Efficient Women Leaders to Watch in 2023, and was named one of the Top 50 Women to Watch in Transportation for three consecutive years. When someone who built that track record points to a successor and says she is ready, it means something.
“Choosing who leads this organization after me was not a decision I took lightly,” said Keranovic. “Neira did not get this role because she was next in line. She earned it. I watched her take on the hardest challenges with composure, make sound decisions under pressure, and bring a level of dedication to this school that is simply rare. She knows our students, she understands what makes USTDTS different, and she leads in a way that makes everyone around her better. I have full confidence in her — and stepping away is only possible because I believe completely in who is stepping forward.”
Obic enters the role with deep institutional knowledge and a clear-eyed sense of purpose, having built her leadership credentials alongside one of the organization’s most accomplished executives.
“I am honored to carry this responsibility forward, and I do not take it lightly,” said Neira Obic, incoming Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. “Samka built something that genuinely changes lives — students who come to us looking for a way forward, and leave with a career and a future they could not have imagined before. That is what we are here to protect and to grow. I am committed to upholding the standard of excellence this school is known for, and to continuing to earn the trust of every student, every team member, and every community partner who has placed their confidence in USTDTS.”
USTDTS will continue all operations without interruption as Obic assumes her new responsibilities. There will be no major transition period — Obic was already fully trained and deeply aware of daily operations. Keranovic’s departure will not affect the effectiveness or the quality of the services USTDTS provides to its students and
community partners.
Contact: Samka Keranovic Co-Founder, Desert Roots Wellness
[email protected]
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