Our Leadership

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

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

Sarah L. Damson
Tom Hinds
G. Russell Ladd, III

Ronald B. Melton
James T. Robson
Robert J. Williams