Class Of 2006

NEXUS Class of 2006 PROTEGES and MENTORS

Full name Title Company
Levernese Anderson International Paper Account Executive
Will Anderson SouthTrust/ Wachovia Bank Assistant VP
James Ronald Armfield Memphis Athletic Ministries VP – Operations
Kirk Bailey 1st Trust Bank for Savings President
J. Austin Baker III EServ, LLC Vice President/ Owner
Sameka Ballard Neighborhood Christian Centers, Inc. Director – TRUTH Seekers/Multimedia Ministries
Lynn Ballinger Morgan Keegan Fixed Income Security Trader
Dr. Neal Beckford Otolaryngology Associates of the Mid South Physician
Beau Berman First Evangelical Church College Pastor
Kenya Bradshaw Stand For Children Organizer
Corpulas Brown Mid-South Marking Systems Part time
Berkeley Burbank The Uptown Partnership Director of Operations
Preston Carpenter FTN Financial Senior Credit Officer
Jeanne Carr Team Trek Coaching Group Managing Partner
Steve Clarke First Evangelical Church Worship and Music Pastor
Pamela Z. Clary Community Capital Financial Advisor
Harold Collins Shelby County Attorney Genraral’s Office Violent Crime Outreach & Research Assistant
Jan Conder Presbyterian Day School Director of Admission
Dick Cowan Rees Memphis, Inc. President
Judge Chris Craft Shelby County Justice Center Criminal Court Judge
Susie Craft SunTrust Banks, Inc. Legal Department
Brandy Craig Smith & Nephew Orthopedics Marketing & Communications Manager
Albert Crews International Paper TELCOM Service Delivery Manager
John Reid Curlin AmSouth Bank Commercial Middle Market Relationship Manager
Andrea Dahlman International Paper Financial Analyst
Dr. Larry Dormois Pediatric Dental group Senior Partner/ Dentist
Tom Dyer Wyatt, Tarrant, Combs, LLC Managing Partner – Memphis Office
Dr. Scott Edwards Self Employed Dentist
Dr. Clayton Floriani Self Employed Dentist
Buzz Fly Patterson Warehouses, Inc Vice President
Will Frazier SunTrust Robinson Humphrey Capital Markets Vice President
Lauryce Graves Auto Zone VP Merchandising
Justin Green KPMG Senior Acountant
Frank Gusmus First Tennessee Bank Advisor
Alma Hadzidedic AutoZone Inc. Training and Development Specialist
Spencer Halford Ugly Mug Coffee Company Chief Financial Officer
Adella Heard First Tennesseee Bank, First Horizon Nat’l Corp SVP and Asistant General Counsel
Hamp Holcomb FTN Financial SVP – Strategic Financial Gorup
Tyler Jacobus Second Presbyterian Church Director Special Projects, Campus Outreach
JM Jardina HealthSouth Rehab Hospital Administrative Director of Outpatient Services
Krishna Kasi Memphis/Shelby County Office of Plan. & Dev. Senior Planner
Jennifer Knauf Lincoln Electric Technical Sales Representative
Regina Lowery University of Memphis GA – Center for Research in Educational Policy
Katie Marks University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy Assistant Professor and Clinical Pharmacy Specialist
Andy McArtor FedEx Pilot/ Instructor
Dr. Dan Meadows Avery Meadows, DDS Dentist
Frances Millaway National Association of Credit Management Assistant in Local Reporting
Daniel Money Memphis Athletic Ministries Site Director
Dr. Dwight Morris Dwight A. Morris Oral Surgery Surgeon
Robyn Murphy General Motors Regional Sales Manager (TN, MS, LA, AR)
Susan Nash Second Presbyterian Church Ministry Executive
Rich Neal FUNDamentals, LLC President
Mark Ottinger Ugly Mug Coffee Company CEO
Chris Owens Hyde Family Foundations Program Associate
Calvin Ozier UWT Logistics, LLC President and Owner
Ashley Pace Synaxis Group/ First Horizon National Corp. VP – Employee Benefits
Emily Patterson Memphis Arts Council Director of Grants and Business Development
Zack Perry FedEx Services Senior Technology Services
Peter Pettit Bass, Berry & Sims, PLC Member
Thomas Quinlen McNabb, Bragorgos, & Burgess, PLLC Attorney
Srinivas Ravi St. Jude ResearchHospital Senior Software Developer
Charlotte Robinson Second Presbyterian Church Outreach – Ministry Coordinator
Julian Russell New Beginnings Community Church Organizing Pastor
Bathsheba Sams International Paper Director – Human Resources/ Packaging
Karin Sarratt International Paper Human Resources Manager
Alphonso Saville Memphis Athletic Ministries Director – Grizzlies Athletic Center
Tonya St.Clair Marsh Business Development Coordinator
Deidre Thompson FedEx Express Senior Business Analyst
Nikki Tinker Northwest Airlink – Pinnacle Airlines VP – Labor Relations
Ricky Tucker Be Your Best – Rix International President
Burt Waller Christ Community Health Services, Inc. Executive Director
Harold Ware Second Presbyterian Church Chief Administrative Officer
Ruth Warren Clark and Clark CAO
Carson Weitnauer InterVarsity Christian Fellowship Campus Staff
Jameel Wesley Memphis Athletic Ministries Site Coordinator
Sharon Wheeler Baptist Memorial Healthcare Foundation Director of Advancement Services
Kimberly Whitcomb International Paper Global Supply Chain Business Analyst
Britton Wilkins FTN Financial SVP – Manager FTN Financial Portfolio Advisors
Roby Williams Black Business Association of Memphis President
Drew Willson Wellspring Management, LLC Associate
Sandy Willson Second Presbyterian Church Senior Pastor
Kem Wilson Kemmons Wilson Companies Principal
Paul Wright Kirby Pines Retirement Community Administrator
Gokben Yamandag Archer Malmo Project Manager

Announcements

  • Leading in Our Community

    Heather Hunt, NEXUS Executive Director recently represented NEXUS as a panelist at the NBMBAA meeting along with several NEXUS Alumni. The focus was “Leading in our Community”. Special thanks to NBMBAA for the invitation. #nexusleaders #leadershipdevelopment #mentoringmatters Read More
  • Rob Carter Returned to NEXUS to discuss “Leading with AI”

    NEXUS started the new year at the January session with Rob Carter, recently retired CTO & CIO for FedEx Global. Rob and NEXUS Board member Sridhar Sunkara, founder of enaiblr had a conversation on the topic of “Leading With AI”. The conversation started with how technology has transformed. We were encouraged to embrace AI as leaders and use the tool as critical thinkers. Rob mentioned when thinking of AI, be... Read More
  • Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from NEXUS

    On behalf of the NEXUS Board of Directors, we wish you a very Merry Christmas. May the new year be filled with purpose, growth, and meaningful impact. Thank you for your ongoing support for NEXUS. Read More
  • NEXUS Alumni and Judge Valerie Smith Shared at NEXUS

    At the December session, alumni and members of the Class of 2026 had the opportunity to hear Judge Valerie Smith speak. NEXUS Alumni Valerie Smith and Court of Appeals Judge for the Western Section spoke on the topic of “Ethical Leadership”. She shared her experiences and asked the class to ponder the question, “How do you want others to see you?”. Contact NEXUS to request the speaker’s audio. Read More
  • Lunch with Leaders

    Members of the NEXUS Network had the opportunity to network and be inspired by NEXUS leaders. During Lunch with Leaders Chris Coleman, Caroline Kuebler, and Bathsheba Sams shared their personal leadership journeys and the insights they’ve gained through experience. Read More
  • NEXUS Alumni Returns as November Session Speaker

    Alumni and members of the NEXUS Class of 2026 had the privilege to hear NEXUS Alumni Brooke Jones, Director for Strategy for Martin Brower return to NEXUS and speak at the November session. Brooke spoke on the topic of “Focusing as a Leader” and shared that it’s okay to give yourself permission and grace to be focused in the moment – that will set you up on the right path... Read More
  • Doug McGowan Shared with NEXUS Class of 2026

    Doug McGowan, President and CEO for MLGW spoke to the NEXUS Class of 2026 at the October session. Doug is a dynamic leader that spoke on the topic of “Planning as a Leader”. Doug’s remarks and examples provided valuable take-aways applicable to everyone. He discussed four kinds of Work/Buckets -Day to Day Work -Process Improvement -Break Through Thinking -Critical/Crisis Action Planning Plan + Metrics / Activity + Outcome / Measure... Read More
  • First NEXUS Class of 2026 Session a Success with Dr. Coopwood

    Dr. Reginald Coopwood, President & CEO for Regional One Health spoke at the first session to the NEXUS Class of 2026. Dr. Coopwood did excellent job speaking on his experiences as proven community-focused leader and a visionary. He shared a few things he believes makes an effective leader including culture is the most important thing and it starts with the top. The leader sets the expectations. NEXUS Alumni are invited... Read More
  • NEXUS Welcomes the Class of 2026

    NEXUS is excited to officially kick off another year of growth, connection, and impact with the newest class. The Class of 2026 represents the next generation of leaders who are ready to learn, serve, and make a difference in our community. We’re grateful to our mentors for sharing their wisdom and to our protégés for bringing their energy and curiosity to the table. The class recently had Orientation with the... Read More
  • Special Thanks to NEXUS Partner First Horizon Bank

    NEXUS partner First Horizon Bank recently hosted the NEXUS Class of 2026 Meet + Greet at the Ron Terry location. The event provided an opportunity for new NEXUS class members to get to know one another and set the tone for an impactful beginning to this year’s NEXUS experience. We are grateful for the partnership with First Horizon Bank and the role they play in supporting the development of emerging... Read More

Upcoming Events

February 12, 2026 - February 12, 2026
NEXUS Workshop – Actual Intelligence: Using AI to Lead with Clarity + Courage

NEXUS Alumni Audrey Willis, Chief Innovation & Programming Officer at CodeCrew will lead this NEXUS workshop on Actual

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April 7, 2026 - April 7, 2026
NEXUS IN MOTION on April 7 with David Jordan

NEXUS IN MOTION will take place on April 7 at Second Presbyterian Church at 5:30pm. This special event offers members of

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March 3, 2026 - March 3, 2026
March Session with AutoZone’s Rebecca Givens Rice

Rebecca Givens Rice, Vice President of Human Resources for AutoZone will share on March 3 with the NEXUS Class of 2026 on

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Testimonials

  • Beth Price, The Marston Group, Mentor – Class of 2025

    “Participating in NEXUS has been a fantastic experience! While nurturing relationships across varied professional fields, NEXUS is cultivating a network of individuals that go out into the community to lead & inspire others. The objective of building leaders through encouragement, mentorship & community service is beneficial to all participants & ultimately the city of Memphis.” - Beth Price, The Marston Group, Mentor - Class of 2025
  • Sam Pope, CoolRoofs, NEXUS Protege – Class of 2025

    "As one of the younger protégés in the NEXUS Class of 2025, I found the experience to be both grounding and transformative. My mentor created space for honest dialogue and offered insight rooted in years of leadership. The speaker sessions reinforced the importance of calm leadership and challenged me to see people not as problems, but as the purpose." Sam Pope, CoolRoofs, NEXUS Protege - Class of 2025
  • Michael Moore, International Paper, NEXUS Alumni, Class of 2024

    "As a NEXUS Alumni, I came back for one of the sessions because of my professional relationship with the speaker. It was one of the most rewarding NEXUS sessions I’ve attended! I also enjoyed a fruitful conversation with a new friend at the table and we plan to continue to connect. This is what NEXUS should look like on both ends (past/future…mentor/protégé)!" Michael Moore, International Paper, NEXUS Alumni, Class of 2024
  • Travis Moody, Forward Memphis, NEXUS Mentor, Class of 2025

    “This was my second year as a NEXUS mentor. As before, I really enjoyed building a relationship with my protégé as well as connecting with the other mentors. I always learn something new from the monthly speakers. Even as a mentor, I see NEXUS as a huge part of my continued development as a leader.” - Travis Moody, Forward Memphis, NEXUS Mentor, Class of 2025
  • Sarah Farrell, Memphis Fire Department, NEXUS Mentor, Class of 2025

    “I am thankful for my time this year with my protégé, monthly meetings and engaging conversations with the entire NEXUS community. The ongoing focus on networking, leadership and encouragement is unlike any other. It is a positive representation of the Memphis community, and I am glad to be a part of it.” Sarah Farrell, Memphis Fire Department, NEXUS Mentor, Class of 2025
  • Francisco Trujillo, The Marston Group, NEXUS Protégé, Class of 2025

    “As a first-generation college graduate and professional, I was unaware and unprepared about certain aspects or situations that come along in a professional setting. I am grateful at the resources that NEXUS has given me. I now have a mentor, whom I ask for guidance or advice on how to become a better more prepared leader, professional, and every day-to-day person.” – Francisco Trujillo, The Marston Group, NEXUS Protégé, Class of 2025
  • Ramonda Clayborn, Sylvamo, NEXUS Class of 2025 Mentor

    "I've absolutely loved building a dynamic and mutually beneficial relationship with my mentee. NEXUS has been a phenomenal platform for gaining actionable insights from community leaders and program participants, greatly enriching both of our professional development journeys." Ramonda Clayborn, Sylvamo, NEXUS Class of 2025 Mentor
  • Lauren Morgan, The Bank of Fayette County, NEXUS Protégé, Class of 2025

    “The NEXUS program has meant so much to me both personally and professionally. My mentor offered incredible wisdom and support, and I truly felt seen and encouraged throughout the process. I also had the chance to meet other protégés I wouldn’t have crossed paths with otherwise—some of whom have turned into genuine friendships. I’m incredibly thankful for NEXUS and all the growth it brought into my life this year. - Lauren Morgan, The Bank of Fayette County, NEXUS Protégé, Class of 2025
  • Emmanuel Amido, AgroTech Noire, NEXUS Protégé, Class of 2025

    "An essential aspect of growth as an entrepreneur and business professional lies in learning from the paths of those who came before you—seasoned lifelong learners whose wealth of experience drives economic progress and strengthens our community's foundation. NEXUS gave me that opportunity, as I hope to contribute to our community's economic growth. " Emmanuel Amido, AgroTech Noire, NEXUS Protégé, Class of 2025
  • Beverly Gates, Monogram Food, NEXUS Mentor, Class of 2025

    “The NEXUS program is one of a kind. From my time as a protégé many years ago to the last year as a mentor, I have learned so much through this program. The inspiring, experienced speakers NEXUS attracts never fail to provide life lessons. The future of Memphis is in the hands of some extraordinary, passionate young leaders who are working hard to improve lives in our community. “ -Beverly Gates, Monogram Food, NEXUS Mentor, Class of 2025