Jordan Pearson fell in love with the bus and motorcoach industry at a young age while growing up around her family’s transportation business in Greensboro, North Carolina. Buses, industry meetings and motorcoach events were a regular part of her life.
After Pearson died May 4 at age 23, her mother, Dr. Jessalyn Woods, established the Leader for Life Foundation and a scholarship fund in her daughter’s honor to support young women and emerging leaders in the community Jordan cared so deeply about.
Woods, a leadership strategist and educator with more than 25 years of experience in education, nonprofit leadership and community development, said she raised Jordan and her older sister, Dwyla Pearson, to value learning, leadership and community service.
“I wanted my children to have this opportunity to think outside of the box. The sky is the limit,” Woods said.
Jordan Pearson was introduced to the bus business through her parents’ Greensboro-based company, Sho Tranz Executive Tours. She learned the business by traveling with her family to industry meetings, events, and charter trips.
“She grew up in the bus industry,” Woods said. “They grew up in the office … traveling on the buses. It was just a part of them.”
Dwyla Pearson said the industry influenced both sisters long before they entered it professionally.
“Our dad would take us on trips when there was space on the bus, we cleaned the buses, and spent a lot of time at repair shops, so we got to see a lot of the behind-the-scenes before we ever worked in it professionally,” Dwyla Pearson said.
The girls joined their dad’s company, Master Tours.
“When the opportunity came to join the business, we figured it would be a great fit because we’d get our shot at business in an industry we’d been around our whole lives,” Dwyla Pearson said.
Out on her own
Later, Jordan and Dwyla started their own Greensboro company, Transcendent Charter, building on the foundation their parents created years earlier. The sisters became active in the United Motorcoach Association, attending UMA EXPO, serving on committees and building relationships across the industry before eventually closing the company.
Dwyla Pearson said the sisters wanted to modernize the industry and create more opportunities for drivers and younger professionals.
“One of our slogans was that we wanted to transcend the limitations of the motorcoach industry, to modernize it and give it the credit it deserved,” she said.
She said Jordan looked outside the industry for fresh ideas, studying business aviation, eco-tourism and the limousine industry for inspiration.
“She knew the importance of who you know, not just what you know, so she made it a point to show up everywhere: conferences, events, industry gatherings,” Dwyla Pearson said. “She wanted to see what was working, what wasn’t, what new products and services existed or needed to exist.”
After Transcendent Charter closed, Jordan Pearson stayed connected to the industry she loved. In May 2025, at age 22, she joined UMA’s staff as marketing and ad sales manager, helping to lead the association’s marketing strategy while overseeing advertising sales for Bus & Motorcoach News.
“She was so excited about that opportunity,” Woods said. “When she landed in the bus world on her own terms, I was so impressed with her.”
Pearson became known throughout the industry for her ideas, outgoing personality and colorful wardrobe at industry events.
“She was one of the sharpest dressers at all the events,” Woods said. “Such brightness and color, and she had lots of great ideas and lots of enthusiasm.”
‘Rising star’
UMA President and CEO Scott Michael said Pearson made an impact quickly.
“Jordan brought a fresh perspective to UMA, pitching new ideas and new approaches in a variety of areas, both on the committee and on the staff,” Michael said. “It was great to have someone with experience working for an operator, especially a new entrant and small fleet operator perspective.”
Pearson represented UMA at the 40th anniversary celebration of the National Association of Motorcoach Operators, also known as NAMO, in Williamsburg, Virginia, where she connected with motorcoach leaders from across the country.
Frank Smith, general manager of Yankee Line and a co-founder and former chair of the organization, said Pearson earned respect throughout the industry despite her young age.
“Jordan was a very personable and energetic young lady. She worked very well with others,” Smith said. “In my opinion, she was a rising star in our industry. She will be truly missed.”
Matthew Brown, general manager, dealer principal and sales manager of Smart Choice Sales in Greensboro, said he watched Pearson’s passion for the industry grow through his business relationship with her family.
“Jordan’s passion for this industry was something truly special, especially among our younger generation,” Brown said. “I could see it in every conversation and interaction I had with her and her sister over the years.”
Brown said Pearson represented a younger generation of leadership entering the motorcoach industry.
“We had many discussions about their vision, goals, and future plans within the industry, and what always stood out to me was her drive, positivity, and determination,” Brown said. “She genuinely cared about the people in this industry and brought an energy that was impossible not to notice.”
The loss also affected members of the UMA Ambassador program who worked alongside Pearson at the 2026 UMA EXPO in Birmingham, Alabama.
“It’s heartbreaking to see someone just a couple of years older than my own daughter gone so quickly, especially someone who shared such a passion for this industry and the people in it,” said Rachel Greenwell, a driver with Georgia Coach Lines and a TikTok industry influencer. “We had many Zoom meetings before finally getting to spend time together in person at this year’s UMA EXPO, and this news has devastated all of us who worked with her on the Ambassador committee.”
Elizabeth Kamalakis, owner of Coachlight Tours near Savannah and a member of the United Motorcoach Association Board of Directors, said she met Pearson in 2023 while serving together on UMA’s Education Committee before Pearson joined the staff in May 2025.
“She was such a bright, intelligent person who always seemed full of life,” Kamalakis said. “She had so much energy and so many ideas. She loved this industry and wanted to do whatever she could to help.”
Jack Kaufman, vice president of Timi’s Tours and a member of the UMA Board of Directors, said Pearson brought positivity into every interaction.
“Jordan was such a bright light in our industry,” Kaufman said. “I didn’t know her well, but every interaction was always so positive. The world is darker without her.”
Community leader
Jordan Pearson also became known in Greensboro for her community leadership.
She had recently been sworn in as president of the Greensboro Jaycees, becoming one of the organization’s youngest presidents and, according to Woods, the youngest African American woman to hold the role. She took office in December 2025 at age 22.
Dwyla Pearson said Jordan spent years building relationships and helping people feel welcome in the organization.
“She contributed greatly to doubling the Jaycees’ membership base, because she showed up, she made it fun, and she made sure people felt supported,” Dwyla Pearson said. “She even took it upon herself to personally meet with every single new member who joined.”
Woods said her daughter showed leadership qualities from the beginning.
“When the doctor removed her from me, she said, ‘Now this kiddo looks like she’s looking through the windows of your soul,’” Woods said. “She didn’t cry or whimper. She just looked right at me like hello.”
Woods often described her daughter as an “old soul,” someone whose maturity stood out even as a child.
Born Dec. 13, 2002, to Woods and Dwight Pearson, Jordan Pearson combined creativity with focus and empathy.
One childhood school assignment asked students to invent something that could help people. Jordan designed and built a prototype for a “flying wheelchair,” imagining a future in which people with mobility challenges could travel more independently.
“She did not believe in wasting time,” Woods said. “She always looked for the nontraditional and unconventional way to get the thing done.”
Pearson graduated with honors from North Carolina A&T State University’s STEM Early College, completing high school coursework in two years before studying courses in sustainable energy. She later attended Guilford Technical Community College while continuing to build her business experience.
Outside work and civic leadership, Pearson loved wellness, fashion, the arts and travel.
“A few years back she piloted a discovery flight because she wanted to get her pilot’s license,” Dwyla Pearson said. “She had just completed her yoga teacher certification and was in prenatal certification training, hoping to help mothers and babies have healthy deliveries.”
Dwyla Pearson said her sister also dreamed of amateur Ferrari racing, loved symphony performances and had a gift for fashion.
“She had an extraordinary range of interests and ambitions,” she said.
The Jordan Alexandria Pearson Scholarship Endowment, established through the Leader for Life Foundation, will support girls and young women pursuing leadership, service, wellness and entrepreneurship.
Dwyla Pearson said the scholarship reflects the mission she and her sister shared.
“We never want money to be the obstacle that keeps someone from fulfilling their purpose,” she said. “With this scholarship, we hope to help the next young person access the resources they need, whether that’s education, training, or experience, to create the life they know they’re supposed to live.”
Woods said her daughter’s influence will continue through the scholarship and the lives she touched.
“We will always see her imprint in our community,” she said.
Photos courtesy of Dywla Pearson, Dr. Jessalyn Woods, and Optikool Illusions.
