Driving Tomorrow’s Workforce and STEM Futures
Mrs. Wilkerson has been a vocal advocate for expanding STEM education and talent pipelines in geospatial and other technical fields efforts that align directly with Gateway Global’s mission. She has actively championed initiatives that integrate geospatial intelligence into academic curricula and workforce pathways to meet national security needs. Additionally, Mrs. Wilkerson’s support for increasing STEM education opportunities resonates with organizations such as the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), where she has participated in shaping opportunities for underrepresented students pursuing engineering and technical careers. "I am honored to join the Gateway Global Advisory Board. Investing in the success of others is a personal passion of mine, said Mrs. Wilkerson, “and I am excited to support a mission that serves as a vital bridge to opportunity—building a world-class workforce in Geospatial Sciences and Information Technology."

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A Bold Vision for Geospatial Leadership in St. Louis and Beyond
The appointment comes at a pivotal moment for the St. Louis region, which continues to emerge as a national hub for geospatial innovation following the opening of the NGA’s $1.7 billion campus in North City -a landmark investment anchoring federal, industry, and academic collaboration in the heart of the Midwest. Under this high-visibility advisory role, Mrs. Wilkerson will help guide Gateway Global’s strategic growth, particularly in workforce development programs aligned with GEOINT and other critical technologies, national expansion of STEM education pipelines from middle school through career entry, and launching the nation’s first Geospatial focused charter school for grades 6–12, a flagship initiative designed to cultivate future leaders in geospatial intelligence, science and technology. Andy Dearing, Founding Member of the Greater St. Louis Inc. GeoFutures Advisory Council and current Executive Vice President at Bowman said, “I am thrilled to welcome Mrs. Tonya Wilkerson to the Gateway Global Advisory Board. Tonya brings a rare combination of strategic insight, practical experience, and deep commitment to mission-driven impact. Her perspective will be instrumental as Gateway Global continues to expand its reach and deliver meaningful, sustainable outcomes for the communities we serve. We are grateful for her willingness to lend her expertise and leadership to this important work.”

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These efforts underscore the position of Gateway Global’s CEO, Zekita Armstrong as an architect of workforce solutions for America’s future, setting a standard to show how public-private partnerships can address talent shortages in the high tech sectors as well as in defense and intelligence. “Tonya’s guidance will be instrumental as we scale geospatial and tech based workforce programs and launch the nation’s first geospatial- intelligence-focused charter school for grades 6- 12 th —ensuring that America’s future GEOINT leaders are developed right here, starting in middle school”, said Zekita Armstrong, CEO of Gateway Global. “In the current global environment, it is imperative that American students are exposed to things like global business, geopolitics, critical infrastructure, and national security through the lens of location. It helps them to understand what is happening in the world, why it’s happening, who the actors are and gain a sense of how they can contribute through their career pathways or as entrepreneurs creating solutions to big problems.” Together, Mrs. Wilkerson’s national intelligence experience and Ms. Armstrong’s leadership in workforce solutions create a powerful platform to expand opportunities for learners, innovators, and industry—beginning in St. Louis and scaling across the country.​