Our Leadership
Executive Committee:
Board Chairman
Dr. Tony Waldrop
President, University of South Alabama
Vice Chair/Campaign Chairman
J. Guy Helmsing
Senior Vice President & Market President, Hancock Whitney Bank
Secretary/Governance Chair
Leida Javier-Ferrell
Director of Business Development & External Affairs, Netpoint IT-Services, Inc.
Treasurer/Finance Chair
Walter Brand
Senior Vice President, ServisFirst Bank
Audit Chair
Erin S. Jones
CPA, Wilkins Miller, LLC
Labor Chair
Rick Lambert
Southwest Alabama Labor Council
Community Impact Chair
Beth Thomas
External Affairs Manager, Alabama Power Company
Immediate Past Chair
Charles Hyland
Director, Mobile Area Water & Sewer System
Members
Celia Collins – Attorney, Johnstone Adams
Sydney Raine – President, Southwest Alabama Partnership for Training & Employment
Elected Trustees:
Brent Barkin – President, Shoe Station
Mahesh Batavia, Southeast Asian Store Owners Association
Joe L. Bedwell – Community Volunteer
Mark J. Burnett, Jr. – Training Coordinator, Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 119
Mark Bush – General Manager Mobile Operations, SSAB
Karl Ficken – President, Spire Energy-Mobile
Nick Harrell – Executive Director & CIDO, Choctaw County Chamber of Commerce
Michelle Hurdle – Director of Economic & Community Development, Airbus Americas
Robert Matthews – Partner, Burr & Forman, LLP
Bo Mattei – President, Thames Batre’ Insurance
Keith Randle – Human Resources Manager, Austal USA
Dr. Reginald Sykes – President, Bishop State Community College
William B. Sisson – President & CEO, Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce
Jeff St. Clair – President, Springhill Medical Center
Michael Toomey – Division Superintendent, Thompson Gas
Tonie Ann Torres– Executive Director, Penelope House
Jean Walker Tucker – Senior University Attorney, University of South Alabama
Emeritus Trustees:
Sarah L. Damson
Tom Hinds
G. Russell Ladd, III
Ronald B. Melton
James T. Robson
Robert J. Williams