Strategic Industry Connections for MBA Success

Our MBA program is enriched by a network of advisory councils, featuring over 200 industry leaders from the MCOB Executive Advisory Board and department-specific boards. These professionals, representing top employers and innovators in their fields, actively engage with our faculty and students. They help shape our curriculum to ensure it's relevant to today’s business landscape, Facilitating opportunities for experiential learning, mentorship, and practical business projects. Whether through executive guest lectures, virtual industry panels, or one-on-one mentoring sessions, their involvement provides you with valuable insights and real-world connections, setting you up for success in your career.

The Mitchell College of Business has almost 200 constituents that serve the College as members of our advisory councils.  We feature their names in each edition of the Mitchell Magazine but have not done so to date in the Mitchell Report.  We would like to acknowledge their leadership and thank these individuals who invest their time, efforts, and knowledge into making us who we are.

 

▼   Executive Advisory Council
Executive Advisory Council
Alan Alexander
Attorney
Helmsing Leach Attorneys at Law

Jay Alexander
General Partner
Bright Star Capital Management

Alexis Atkins
Principal
Budweiser Busch
Celia Mann Baehr
President & CEO
Mobile Symphony Orchestra
Clarence Ball
President & CEO
Ball Healthcare Services
Gavin Bender, Sr.
President
Bender Real Estate Group
Wiley Blankenship
President & CEO
Coastal Alabama Partnership
Allen Carroll
Wilkins Miller

Holly Champan
SVP & CFO
American Equity Underwriters

Joe Denton
Executive Vice President & CFO
Mobile Infirmary
Walne Donald
Owner
Mobile Fixture and Equipment Company
Jay Dorris
President & CEO
PCI Gaming Authority
Elizabeth Freeman
President
Long’s Human Resource Service
Cedric Hatcher
Senior Vice President
Hancock Bank
Janet Hayes
COO
Leavell Investment Management

Brian Kane
Owner/Managing Partner
Fairhope Brewing Company

Donald Keeler
Vice President Human Resources
Austal
Allen Ladd
Vice President
Thames Batré
Russell Ladd, III
Retired
Thames Batré
Jerry Lathan
The Lathan Company
Jim Lauder
CEO
Global Index Advisors, Inc.
Kate Luce
President & CEO
Mississippi Export Railroad
Bruce McCrory
Operations & Business Development
Nations Roof
Chris Melton
Chairman & CEO
The White Oak Group
Abraham Mitchell
Owner
Mitchell Brothers
Melissa Morrissette
Vice President - Owner
LLB&B, Inc. Real Estate
Andy Newton
President
Uniti Fiber
Edward H. O’Gwynn
Market President
BB&T Bank
David Padgett
President
Davison Fuels & Oil
Wendy Robertson
General Manager Operations
APM Terminals
Rhett Ross
President & CEO
Continental Motors
Michael Sanders
Project Manager
Sanders Hyland Corporation
Tim Shearer
Managing Director
PriceWaterhouseCoopers Advisory Services
Bill Sisson
President
Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce
Tim Smith
Managing Partner
Smith, Dukes & Buckalew, LLP
Frank Southall
VP & Controller, Principal Accounting Officer
Ruby Tuesday
Bill Stejskal
Senior Vice President, Human Resources
SMS Holdings
David Trent
Site Director
Airbus
Richard Weavil
President
The Weavil Company, LLC
▼   Department of Accounting
Accounting Advisory Council 

J.D. Baxter
CPA

Earl Blackmon
CPA
Hartmann, Blackmon & Kilgore, PC
Skip Brown
CPA
Russell, Thompson, Butler & Houston, LLP
Richard D. Buntin
Vice President
Hancock Bank
Matt Chambless
CFO
CPSI
Neil B. Christopher
VP of Finance and Operations
Mobile Chamber of Commerce
Jackie Clackler
Operations Controller
Evonik Degussa Corp.
Kristina L. Davis
Director
Infirmary Health Systems, Audit Services
Chris Goodrich
CPA
FEDCorp
William Jamar, Jr.
Manager
Alabama Dept. of Revenue
Jason L. Jones
Controller
The SSI Group, Inc.
M. Stacy Lassiter
Regional Controller
Nations Roof
Cindy B. Rathle
CPA
Crow Shields Bailey, P
Kelli Kichler Reid
Finance Director
City of Daphne
Jim Robertson
CPA
Robertson, Andreoli &
Covington, PC
Jason L. Saulters
CPA
Horne LLP
Christy Taylor
Controller
Austal USA, LLC
T. J. Vice
Manager
Mostellar & Shreve, LLP
Micah Wheeler
CPA
Wilkins, Miller LLC
▼   Department of Economics, Finance and Real Estate
Economics, Finance and Real Estate Advisory Council
Allan Crow
Chief Financial Officer
Robert J. Baggett, Inc.
Mark Davidson
Director of Investments
Cornerstone Investment & Management Consulting
Edward Ferniany, Jr.
Senior Vice President
Trustmark National Bank
Mark Fillers
South Alabama Market President
Renasant Bank
Caresse Fincher
Managing Director
Strategic Wealth Specialists/Guardian Life
Jason Gregory
Managing Partner
Willis Towers Watson Insurance
David Hagan
Wright Transportation
Richard Harvey
Senior Vice President
Regions Bank - Institutional Trust
David Luckie
Bob McGough
Associate Appraiser
Cushman and Wakefield
Mignone Perry
Material Program Financial Specialist
Austal USA
John Pisarkiewicz
Erling Riis III
Vice President
Lyon Fry Cadden Insurance Agency
Jennifer Ryder
Financial Advisor
Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.
John Thompson
Managing Principal - Senior Financial Advisor
Thompson Wealth Management & Life Planning, Inc.
▼   Department of Management
 
Management Advisory Council

Adam Bourne
Personnel Director
Mobile County Personnel Board

Jennifer Busby
Human Resource Manager
White-Spunner
Joe Calagaz
President, Printing
Calagaz Group
David Chilelli
Senior Advisor/Portfolio Advisor
Merrill Lynch Wealth Mgt/Thompson Grp
Ken Daigle
Department Chair
Davidson HS - Career Technical Education
Garin Danner
Director of Human Resources
The Ren Group, Inc..

Kristan DeGraeve
Senior Director Interface Servicer
Evident.com

Edward Dismukes
Owner
Wilson Dismukes
Tiphanie Evans
HR Coordinator
Bass Pro Shops
Anna Marie Gilchrist
Owner/Agent
Farmers Insurance – Gilchrist Agency
Sonsherraye Gowder
Regional Human Resources Manager
Southeast Toyota Finance (WOFC)
Jason Holston
Assistant Director HR
Alta Pointe
Abbey Huguley
Talent Develpment and Attraction Manager
Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce
Susan Jacobs
VP Human Resources & Administration
Ingalls Shipbuilding
Shana Jordan
Founder - Lead Strategist
Oyster Shell Strategy
Tarah Keech
CEO
Tara Keech Coaching
Sarah Kyser
Director of HR
AAA USA, an affil. of Drakkar Aerospace & Ground Transportation
Andre McCoo
HR Business Partner
AAA USA, an affil. of Drakkar Aerospace & Ground Transportation
Eunice C. Mingo
Licensed Professional Counselor
ECM Counseling Services
Jay Stubbs
Gulf Coast Director
Providence Partners
Laura Taylor-Roske
Talent Acquisition Specialist SA
Enterprise Holdings
Cheryl Williams
Licensee/Owner
Spherion Staffing Services
▼   Department of Marketing, Quantitative Methods and International Business
 
Marketing, Quantitative Methods and International Business Advisory Council
Judith Adams
Vice President, Marketing
Alabama Port Authority
Leslie Beard
General Manager
C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.
John Bush
Branch Manager
CPC Office Technologies
Anita Clarke
Brand Ambassador
C-Spire
Pamela Denham
Owner
Pamela Denham & Associates
Mary Lee Gay
Senior Marketing Manager
ASM Global
Todd Henderson
Mobile Market President
The First, A National Banking Association
Duncan Millar
Sales Manager
McKibbon Hotel Management
Dean Minto
Regional Manger
Sherwin Williams
Kayla Morgan
Manager, Marketing & Research Economic Development
Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce
Michael B. Neely
Principal
Perimeter Solutions Group
Nathaniel Patterson
President
Patterson Marketing Group
Pamela Ramos-Brown
CEO
The Ramos Group, LLC
Jeff Robbins
Sales Leader
State Farm Insurance Companies
Lynn Robinson
Professor Emeritus
University of South Alabama
Tiffany Slater
Business Development Manager
Landscape Workshop Gulf Coast
Shellie Brooks Teague
Executive Director
Mobile Arts Council
▼   Center for Real Estate and Economic Development
 
Center for Real Estate and Economic Development Advisory Council
James Andrews
Capital One
Gavin Bender
President
Bender Real Estate Group
Michael Berson
Mobile Bar Attorney
Mobile Bar Association
Wiley Blankenship
State Director of Alabama on SEDC Board of Directors
Coastal Alabama Partnership
Harry Brislin
Manager of USA Technology & Research Park
University of South Alabama
Tony Brown
CCIM
The Pelican Group Inc.
Rich Campbell
Executive Vice President
22nd State Bank
Kelly Cummings
Realtor and Broker-Owner
The Cummings Company LLC.
Reid Cummings
Alabama Real Estate Commissioner
The Cummings Company LLC.
Daniel Dennis
President
Roberts Brothers Inc.
Sheila Dodson
Chief Executive Officer
Baldwin Realtors
Duane Graham
Partner
Armbrecht Jackson LLP
Jim Grodnick
Managing Broker
JW Properties Inc.
Nathan Handmacher
Senior Sales and Leasing Executive
Stirling Properties
Bill Harbour
Geographic Information Systems Coordinator
Baldwin County Public Schools
Kim Hastie
Revenue Commissioner
Mobile County Revenue Commission
Sheila Hodges
Owner
21 Century Meyer Real Estate
Libba Latham
Real Estate Agent
LLB&B
Robert Matthews
Partner
Burr Forman
Jeremy Milling
Partner/CCIM
Milling Commercial Realty Inc.
Abe Mitchell
Mobile Bar Attorney
Mobile Bar Association
Spence Monroe
Board of Directors on The Public Building Authority
Ashurst & Niemeyer
Ron Moore
Project Manager
Alabama Chemical Growth Initiative
Skeeter Morris
Real Estate Appraiser
Courtney & Morris Real Estate
Melissa Morrisette
Co-Owner
LLB&B
Kerry O'Connor
Senior Vice President
Bancorp South
David Rogers
Vice President of Economic Development
Mobile Chamber of Commerce
Page Stalcup
Partner and Founding Shareholder
Wilkins Miller
Josh Tanner
President and CEO
BHGRE Generations
Richard Weavil
Real Estate Agent, Broker, and Realtor
Weavil Co. Inc.
Stephanie White
CEO
Mobile Area Association of Realtors
Tim Wilkes
Loan Officer
Magnolia Mortgage Co.
Bob Wood
Professor of Finance  
University of South Alabama
▼   Melton Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation 
 
Melton Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Advisory Council
J Hunter Adams
Attorney at Law J.
Hunter Adams, Attorney
Hayley Van Antwerp
Board
Innovation PortAL
Raymond Bell
Shareholder
Maynard, Cooper, and Gale
Harry Brislin
Director
Technology and Research Park, University of South Alabama
Will Bruce
Owner
William Bruce Business Sales & Acquisitions, LLC
Sean Bryant
Corporate Development
Brett / Robinson Real Estate and Development
Jeff Carter
Chief Operating Officer
Frios Gourmet Pops
Michael Chambers
Assistant Vice President, Research Innovation
USA - Office of Research and Economic Development
Bill Coffeen
Retired
Mobile Gas
Melissa Cross
President
McAleer's Office Furniture
Mary Lee Gay
Senior Marketing Manager
ASM Global
Michael B. Neely
Principal
Perimeter Solutions Group
Mike Dow
President and CEO
Coastal Strategic Services
Caroline Doyle
Partner
New York Life Insurance
Lee Hammons
Managing Director
Oakworth Capital Bank
Anne Hetzel
VP, CRA Officer and Data Impact Manager
United Bank
Clark Kelly
Retired
L & M Welding Supply
Jeff Mackin
Application Sales Manager
Oracle
Jeff Marcus
COO and Co-Founder
Shipshape Urban Farms
Claire McCarron
Private Banker
Hancock Whitney
Melinda McGhee
Mortgage Banker
Renasant Bank
John Nix
Attorney at Law
John R. Nix, LLC
Dean Parker
Entrepreneur
Vita Capital
Monique Pettaway
Signature Academy Specialist
Williamson High School
Jeff Schock
CFO
ASF Logistics
Dennis Sherrin
Managing Shareholder
Hartmon, Blackmon, & Kilgore, PC
Ron Sivak
Business Editor
Lagniappe Weekly
Mel Washington
Regional Director
Small Business Development Center
Vickie Wyatt
Vice President
Wonderland Express, Inc.
William Kelly
Regional Director
AIM Group
Zane Patterson
Account Manager
Shipshape Urban Farms
▼   Professional Readiness Engagement Program 
 
Department
Eunice Mingo Blakely
Director of Behavioral Health
Franklin Primary Health
Jennifer Busby
Human Resources Manager
The SSI Group, LLC
David Chilelli
Financial Advisor
Merrill Lynch
Jeremy Doggette
Senior Representative, Team Member Relations
AM/NS Calvert
Mary Caron Downing
HR Manager
Continental Motors, Inc.
Angela Dunn
Vice President, Middle Market Banking
Hancock Whitney Bank
James Foley
Managing Partner
Fairhope Brewing Company
Ramonica Day Gamble
Owner/Business Strategist
Ramonica Gamble Consulting
Cadie Gaut
Co-Owner & Operations Manager
Payroll Vault
Anna Marie Gilchrist
Owner/Agent
The Gilchrist Agency - Farmers Insurance
Jeff Johnston
Corporate Counsel
Shoe Station
Darcy Kaul
Managing Director
Experiential Design Group
Jordan Diaz
Ledesma Human Resources Business Partner
Chevron Pascagoula Refinery
Armondo Love
Employee Relations Training Administrator
Baldwin County
Mark Spivey
V.P. Commercial Banking
BB&T Bank
Jay Stubbs
Regional Director
First Protective
Denson White
Client Services
APM Terminals Mobile
Tim Wills
Chief Executive Officer
Boys & Girls Clubs
▼   Jaguar Investment Fund
Department
Terry Albano
Investment Manager
University of South Alabama
Ralph Anderson
Vice President
Morgan Stanley Wealth Management
Austin Bradford
Wealth Management Advisor
The Whiting Group, Merrilly Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc.
Mark Davidson
Director of Investments
Cornerstone Investment & Management Consulting
Richard Harvey
Senior Vice President
Regions Bank - Institutional Trust
Tim Heath
Managing Director
Strategic Wealth Specialists
Bryant MacKellar
Area Manager
Bank of England Mortgage
Dalton Owens
N.D. Pitman & Company. Inc.
Chip Posey
VP, Financial Advisor
BBVA Compass Investment Solutions
Jennifer Ryder
Financial Advisor
Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc
Scott Weldon
VP, Finance & Administration
University of South Alabama
Doug Whitmore
Financial Advisor
Wells Fargo Advisors