MEMPHIS, Tenn., July 21, 2021 – Leadership Memphis announced a new board chair and changes to nearly half of its executive board as it welcomed its 2022 Board of Directors. The diverse group includes executives from some of Memphis’ largest corporations, local government, faith organizations, and nonprofits that represent dozens of communities across the Mid-South.
“We are proud to welcome so many new faces to our board and we look forward to building on our organization’s more than 40-year history of engaging Memphis leaders and impacting our city in a positive way,” said Reggie Crenshaw, Leadership Memphis President and CEO.
Shirley Ford, an alumnus of Leadership Memphis’ 2019 Executive Class, steps into her role as Board Chair after serving on the Leadership Memphis board for the last two years. Ford is currently the Chief Financial Officer for the City of Memphis and has more than 30 years of financial, accounting, and managerial experience.
“I’ve seen firsthand the incredible work our alumni do to improve their communities and help our city,” said Ford, “I am excited to serve in my role as Board Chair, promote our alumni’s impact, and continue to help identify and educate the next generation of Memphis’ leaders.”
As an organization that promotes the advancement of diversity, equity, and inclusion, Leadership Memphis prides itself on having a majority-minority board for the eighth straight year, as well as a female-majority board for the third time in the past six years.
Leadership Memphis welcomes its 2022 Executive Program class next month and is currently recruiting for the Spring FastTrack Program. You can see a full list of board members below and can read more about Leadership Memphis and its programs at their website leadershipmemphis.org.
2022 Leadership Memphis Executive Board Members:
Board Chair –Shirley Ford, CFO, City of Memphis
Vice Chair – Vernon Stafford Jr., EVP/ Chief Audit Executive, First Horizon National Corporation
Immediate Past Chair – Reginald Porter, Jr., SVP, Corporate Social Responsibility, Chief Diversity Officer, ALSAC/ St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Secretary – Kandace Stewart, Director, Business Operations & External Affairs, Memphis Grizzlies
Treasurer – Rene Bustamante, Staff Vice President & Assistant Treasurer, FedEx
Program Chair – Gwyn Fisher, Regional Director, Department of Economic & Community Development, State of Tennessee
Alumni Chair – Joanna Crangle, Market President/ Publisher, Memphis Business Journal
Volunteer Memphis Chair – Albert Mosley, SVP, Chief Mission Integration Officer, Methodist LeBonheur Healthcare
At Large – Belinda Anderson, Community Volunteer
At Large – Ginger Pilgrim, Principal, Price Waterhouse Cooper
At Large – Percie Strong-Jenkins, SVP, Senior Treasury Officer, Bank of America
At Large – Ted Townsend, Chief Economic Development and Government Relations Officer, University of Memphis
2022 Board Members:
Valerie Morris Bearup, President & CEO, Morris Marketing Group
Nikia Bell, VP of Operations, COO, Regional One Health
Shunji Brown-Woods, Director of Professional Affairs, Smith & Nephew
Jim Crone, Government and Corporate Relations, Trane
Blake Elliott, Senior Vice President, Regions Bank
Julie Ellis, Senior Counsel, Butler Snow
Edmund Ford Jr., Commissioner District 9, Shelby County Commission
Tabitha Glenn, Chief Executive Officer, Peer Power Foundation
Paul Haught, Vice President for Academics, Christian Brothers University
Marlinee Iverson, County Attorney, Shelby County Government
Carol Johnson, President, Spaces Group, LLC
James Kirkwood, Executive Director, Memphis Christian Pastor’s Network
Terry Lynch, President, The Southland Capital Corporation
Justin Merrick, Executive Director, Center for Transforming Communities
Jean Morton, SVP, Manager, Institutional & Government, SunTrust Bank
Patrice Robinson, Council Member, District 3, Chair, Memphis City Council
Linda Sawyer, CAO/CFO, Memphis Tourism
Sylvester Tate, Owner, Tate Computer Systems
Karren Todd, Empowerment Coach, Life Coach
Chuck Utterback, Assistant Vice President, Network Management, CIGNA
Kimmie McNeil Vaulx, System Director of Corporate Communications, Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation
Dan Weddle, President and CEO, ProTech Services Group, Inc.
Marvin White, Manager, Desktop Planning & Innovation R&D, FedEx TechConnect
Laurie Whitney, Integrated Products Sr. Project Manager, Sedgwick
PHOTOS:
Shirley Ford, 2022 Board Chair of Leadership Memphis
About Leadership Memphis:
Leadership Memphis is a non-profit, community leadership development organization. Its mission is to prepare and mobilize leaders to work together for the good of the whole community. Originally founded in 1979 as The Memphis Institute of Public Responsibility, Leadership Memphis has graduated more than 3,900 leaders from its programs. For more information, please visit LeadershipMemphis.org.
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