Class reflects a diverse group of experienced leaders who were challenged to develop innovative concepts to positively impact Memphis and are ready to make a difference in the community.
MEMPHIS, Tenn., May 29, 2019 – Leadership Memphis, whose mission is to prepare and mobilize leaders to work together for the good of the whole community, is proud to announce the graduation of its 2019 Executive Program Class. The diverse group of seventy-eight experienced executive leaders from across the Mid-South were challenged to develop an innovative social enterprise that could benefit a specific community or the City of Memphis at-large, whether it was a new product, a business or non-profit, a new service, or an idea.
“In recognition of the 40th Anniversary of Leadership Memphis, we wanted to challenge this year’s class with something that would really make them put their knowledge and skills to the test for the benefit of the greater community,” said Kaci Murley, Leadership Memphis Director of Programs. “The 40th Anniversary class’s culminating project was a Memphis version of ‘Shark Tank.’ Each group of participants ‘pitched’ their ideas to a set of ‘sharks,’ local Memphis experts who have a vested interest in making our city thrive, similar to the TV show.”
The 2019 Executive Class rose to the challenge, coming up with several exciting concepts to directly and positively impact Memphis. Examples of projects from the Class of 2019 include:
- An app for community members to report blighted properties and bid on beautification projects
- A public, private partnership designed to create the city’s first sports medicine & community outreach facility
- A resident-driven Community Development Corporation (CDC) to empower community members to revitalize historically underinvested neighborhoods
- An online platform to connect Leadership Memphis Alumni with students wishing to better navigate the college-going process
One group is already discussing how to move forward with their idea, now that their experience with Leadership Memphis has concluded.
“Shark Tank reinforced the importance of devoting time for members of the executive class to share their problems and challenges and unleash all of the intellectual capital, professional networks and desire to improve Memphis on the challenges,” said one participant. “At our age and level of experience, I believe the room is less interested in the theoretical problems and ready to discuss and take immediate action on an issue that would yield real tangible results.”
2019 Executive Program Class:
| First Name | Last Name | Title | Company |
| George | Abbott | Director of External Affairs | Memphis River Parks Partnership |
| Imad | Abdullah | Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer & General Counsel | Regional One Health |
| Teresa | Barnhill | Senior Director, Marketing Strategy | ALSAC / St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital |
| Nikia | Bell | Vice President, Operations | Regional One Health |
| Floyd | Benson | Vice President of Operations | Memphis in May International Festival, Inc. |
| Terry | Blue | Vice President, Operations | Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority |
| Shirley | Bondon | Public Policy Analyst /Strategic Planning & Engagement Specialist | |
| Regina Ann | Campbell | Chief Program Officer | Epicenter |
| Christopher | Capel | Director of Collective Impact & Continuous Quality Improvement | Communities in Schools of Memphis |
| Nicole | Cody | HR Director, Global Manufacturing | International Paper |
| Jan | Coleman | Member – Board of Trustees | Memphis Museums, Inc. |
| Michelle | Couch | Senior Vice President | Patriot Bank |
| Rita | Cowans | Vice President, Internal Audit | FedEx |
| Holli | Cox | Manager, Tactical Planning & Engineering | FedEx Services |
| Joanna | Crangle | Market President & Publisher | Memphis Business Journal |
| Jill | Crocker | Executive Director | Ronald McDonald House Charities – Memphis |
| Catherine | Cushinberry | Vice President / Executive Director | City Year Memphis |
| Andy | Davis | Business Manager | Turner Construction |
| Michael | Deutsch | Managing Director | United Capital Financial Advisors, LLC |
| Mike | Donoghue | Senior Vice President, Global Marketing | Smith & Nephew |
| Cristina | Duncan | Senior Vice President – Administrative Director of Nursing | OR Nurses Nationwide / Travel Nurses, Inc. |
| Shirley | Ford | Chief Financial Officer | City of Memphis |
| Mary | Freeman | Director of Government Relations | Baptist Memorial Health Care |
| Jason | Gillum | President / CEO | Millennium Search |
| Kristie | Giompoletti-Shamoun | Director of Agency Sales | WMC-TV (NBC) |
| Denise Nichole | Greer | Human Resources Manager | Cummins |
| Jamie | Griffin | Agency Manager | Memphis Public Library |
| Tracy | Hall | President | Southwest Tennessee Community College |
| Jason | Handel | Global Sales Director | International Paper |
| Jarvis | Harris | Director, Information Systems & Operations | United Way of the Mid-South |
| Tanya | Hart | Senior Vice President, Total Rewards | First Tennessee Bank / First Horizons |
| John | Hartney | Staff Vice President & Assistant Treasurer | FedEx Corporation |
| Michael | Hooks, Jr. | Chief Executive Officer | Allworld Project Management |
| Charles | Jabbour | Director of Finance | Memphis Management Group, LLC |
| Lin | Johnson III | Chief Financial Officer | Shelby County Schools |
| Eddie | Jones Jr. | County Commissioner | Shelby County Board of Commissioners |
| Monica | Jordan | Program Director, Office of Schools | Shelby County Schools |
| Romeo | Khazen | Director of Player Development & Asian Marketing | Caesars Entertainment |
| James | Kirkwood | Executive Director | Memphis Christian Pastors Network |
| Justin | Lawhead | Dean of Students | University of Memphis |
| JT | Malasri | Owner | Malasri Engineering, PLLC |
| Lane | McKinney | Senior Director – Financial & Data Operations | ALSAC / St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital |
| Natalie | McKinney | Executive Director | Whole Child Strategies, Inc. |
| David | Mills | Director, Health Sciences, Government Relations & Advocacy | University of Tennessee |
| Melisa | Moore | Member | Burch, Porter & Johnson, PLLC |
| Robbin Christi | Mouton | Sr. Manager, Operations Excellence | The Hershey Company |
| Larkin | Myers | Vice President | Tioga Environmental Consultants Inc. |
| Jennifer | Oswalt | President | Downtown Memphis Commission |
| Boris | Penchion | President | Carter O’Neal Logistics |
| Natalia | Powers | Chief Communications Officer | Shelby County Schools |
| Victoria | Ragland | Senior Vice President | Pinnacle Financial Partners |
| Brian | Raiteri | Senior Vice President / Consumer Banking Manager | Regions Bank |
| Gary | Rosenfeld | Chief Executive Officer | Memphis Area Transit Authority |
| Al | Ross | Director of Enlisted Distribution Division | U.S. Navy / Navy Personnel Command |
| Mark | Russell | Executive Editor | The Commercial Appeal |
| Shawn Karol | Sandy | Chief Revenue Officer | The Selling Agency |
| Kathleen | Seerup | Vice President, Patient Care Services & Chief Nursing Officer | Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital / Methodist Le Bonheur Health Care |
| Rosario | Selabe | Site Director | Las Americas Youth Development Center |
| Knox | Shelton | Executive Director | Literacy Mid-South |
| Amy | Simpson | Senior Director, Corporate Communications | TruGreen |
| Alexandra | Sinkular | Partner | Reynolds, Bone & Griesbeck PLC |
| Lori | Spicer Robertson | Chief Communications & Engagement Officer | United Way of the Mid-South |
| Candace | Steele Flippin | Executive Vice President, Chief Communications Officer | First Horizon National Corporation |
| Frank | Stuppy | Senior Vice President | Independent Bank |
| Sandra | Summers | Youth Liaison | Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action & Hope |
| Mark | Thompson | Partner | V2 Media |
| Victor | Torres | President | Huntington Properties, LLC. |
| Ted | Townsend | Chief Economic Development & Government Relations Officer | University of Memphis |
| Sasidhar | Vadapalli | Engineering Program Manager | Medtronic |
| Karen | Waites | Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing | Sedgwick |
| Marvin | White | Manager, FedEx.com Planning & Innovation | FedEx |
| Jacquline | Wicks-Callahan | Administrative Director, Security Department | St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital |
| Andrea | Wiley | Director of Account Management | DCA – Doug Carpenter & Associates |
| Rosalyn | Willis | President | City of Memphis & Shelby County Community Redevelopment Agency |
| Renée | Wilson-Simmons | Executive Director | ACE Awareness Foundation |
| Mark | Yates | Chief Vision Officer | Black Business Association of Memphis |
| Tim | Yeoward | Senior Director, Infrastructure & Support | ALSAC / St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital |
| Paul | Young | Director, Office of Housing & Community Development | City of Memphis |
Class members David Mills and Ted Townsend discuss this year’s projects.
Class members Shirley Bondon and Kathleen Seerup review their classmates’ Impact Statements.
Executive Program members participate in one group’s project activity.
Members of the Orange Mound community group present their project.