Class of 2020

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NEXUS Class of 2020
Mentor Company Position
Michael Allen / Memphis Botanic Garden / Executive Director
Ashli Avis / Make A Wish of the MidSouth / Vice President of Program Services
Teresa Blanton / Medtronic, Inc. / Business Process Analyst
Bo Braswell / Managing Director / Raymond James
Reggie Davis / New Memphis Institute / Director of Alumni Activation
Edward Dobbs / Dobbs Management Services / President
Kelly Drozd / ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital / Manager – Agile Delivery (Marketing Operations)
Rebecca Dupuy / International Paper / Manager, Global Sourcing
Brian Eason / Cobuilt, LLC / CEO
Duncan Galbreath / First Tennessee Bank / VP-Commercial Banking
Ed Garrison / International Paper / Director, Leadership Development
Jacqueline Gatewood / International Paper / Leadership Consultant
Ken Hall / Church Health / Special Events Manager
Olivia Hammond / Indigo Ag / GMA Program Manager
Felicia Hartsfield / The Influence1 Foundation / Chief Operations Officer
Reneka Hawkins / Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare / Social Work Supervisor
Charlotte Henderson / Reynolds Bone & Griesbeck / Tax Partner
Ron Hickman / Second Presbyterian Church / Ministry Executive
Bliss Hicky / Retired Banker / Farm Management
Shelley Hill / HR Compensation Leader / Retired
Caroline Kuebler / Community Foundation of Greater Memphis / Director of Development
Drayton Mayers / TeamLogic IT / President & Owner
Erinn Monette / International Paper / Customer Service Manager – Containerboard
Edward Newby / Bow Wave Coaching / Head Coaching Consultant
Larry Papasan / Smith & Nephew / Retired President
Cliff Posman / Retired / Orthopedic Surgeon
Sharon Posman / Lipscomb & Pitts Insurance LLC / Sr. Vice President – Certified Personal Risk Manager
Don Riley / Discipling Men, Inc./ Executive Director & Founder
Chuck Smith / National Guard Products, Inc / Chairman
Tish Towns / Regional One Health / Chief Administrative Officer
Ignacio Vincentelli / International Paper / Senior Counsel
Bradley Wilford / Cushman & Wakefield /Commercial Advisors / VP Asset Management
Dale Williams / University of Memphis / Academic Advisor
Joe Williams / Agape North / President
Shad Williams / Teletracking / SVP of Commercial Business
Audrey Willis / Shelby County Government / Manager of Innovation and Performance Analysis
Kem Wilson / Kemmons Wilson Companies / Principal
Triena Winbery / Retired / Non Profit Fundraising

Protégé Company Position
Samantha Albert / Mercer Capital/ Senior Financial Analyst
Preston Albertine / STREETS Ministries / Development Coordinator
Taylor Cao / St. George’s Independent School / Classroom Instructor
Charles Cook / Primerica Cook and Associates / Sales Lead
Reid Cates / AutoZone / Senior Category Manager
Jessica Cowan / New Memphis / Manager of Collegiate Engagement
Jeremy Crooks / ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital / Production Designer II
Sebastiaan de Kok / HealthLink International Inc. / Director of Operations
Olga Dickard / ALSAC/ St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital / Director of Direct Response, Retention
Meredith Duncan / Ballet Memphis / Donor Relations Manager
Bryanna Fields / Kemmons Wilson Insurance Group / Risk Placement Specialist
Alex Fountain / ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital / Manager – Field Development
Hope Francis / Sanctuary Counseling Center / Marketing & Communications Manager
Quentin Hendree / ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital / Account Representative
Jillian Hunt / First Horizon National Corporation / Risk Compliance Officer
Matt Jones / 6AM CoreCollective / Operations Manager
Blawna Lewis / Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare / IT Edu Training Specialist
Nate Mahrt / Second Presbyterian Church-Campus Outreach / Area Director
Aria Miles / Momentum Nonprofit Partners / Director of Research and Public Policy
Geoffrey Morris / Butler Snow LLP / Associate
Jared Moses / Baptist Memorial Health Care Corp. / Administrative Director
Karon Nash / ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital / Graphic Designer III
Kyle Neuhalfen / Allegis Global Solutions / Recruiting Manager
Hanna Oysel / Adams Keegan, Inc. / Client Service Manager
Fred Quarles / Church Health YMCA / Senior Program Director
Warren Ransom / Absolute Storage Management, Inc. / Property Accountant
Zipporah Robinson / AmeriCorps VISTA/ Grizzlies Prep / Mentor Coordinator
Jared Rodgers / Brighton Bank / Assistant Vice-President/Risk Analyst
Pratt Rogers / CBRE / Associate
Charlie Scheel / Oak Hall / Head of People
Briana Scott / Shelby County Schools / Math Teacher
Bridget Sisney / Self Employed / Wellness/ Yoga Practitioner
Darren Thomas / Porter-Leath / Development Officer
Robyn Watson / International Paper Co. / IT Asset Management Specialist
Glenn Wegener / Industrial Capital Holdings / Vice President
Mary Whitehorn / International Paper / HR Generalist
Kenneth Worles / Threei Creative Communications / President & Chief Creative Director
Rachel Woyt / Lincoln Electric / Technical Sales Engineer

Announcements

  • First Horizon’s David Popwell Spoke at the March Session

    David Popwell, Senior Strategic Executive for First Horizon Corporation, spoke to alumni and class members at the March session on “Building Leaders”. David is prominent leader in the financial sector of Memphis and has demonstrated long-standing leadership through his value-based approach and commitment to ethical business practices. He started the evening by asking participants to reflect on these questions: “What kind of person do you want to be?” and “What... Read More

  • NEXUS Winter Workshop Series was a Success

    NEXUS recently hosted a Winder Workshop Series focused on using the Enneagram and AI to be an effective communicator. Special thanks to Katie West and Sridhar Sunkara for facilitating this series. NEXUS is where mentoring and leadership meet. We continue to provide opportunities for current participants and alumni to develop as leaders. To learn more about upcoming events visit www.nexusleaders.org. Read More

  • Brett Batterson Shared at Feb NEXUS Session

    On February 4, President & CEO of the Orpheum Theatre Group Brett Batterson spoke to the members of the NEXUS Class of 2025. Brett is an empathetic leader who is all about the people. To lead through change, he shared you must pivot, be nimble, and take everyone with you. Special thanks to Begin Now, LLC. for sponsoring this session. To join us for an upcoming session, contact NEXUS to... Read More

  • January Session with Christian Owen

    Members of the current NEXUS class began 2025 hosting Christian Owen, Founder and Publisher of RiverCity Lifestyle Magazine as the session speaker. Christian shared her insights and experiences as she spoke to the mentors and proteges on the topic of “Dreaming as a Leader”. A few things she suggested when dreaming big include- -Start with the Why? Define your dreams. Remember that your compass is your Why. -Dreams must have... Read More

  • NEXUS Winter Workshop Series Underway

    NEXUS is hosting a Winder Workshop Series focused on using the Enneagram and AI to be an effective communicator.  Session One took place on January 14 with Leadership Development Consultant Katie West on the topic of Communicating with Your Enneagram Number.  The next session will help you learn how to utilize your Enneagram number to effectively communicate and strengthen your communication both personally and professionally by accessing the world of... Read More

  • NEXUS Serves at St. Jude Marathon

    NEXUS Alumni and members of the NEXUS Class of 2025 volunteered at this year’s St. Jude Marathon. Volunteers cheered for marathon runners and served at a Hydration Station. Read More

  • Monica Wharton Shares with Class of 2025

    Monica Wharton, EVP & COO for Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare spoke to members of the Class of 2025 and Alumni at the December session. Monica shared on the topic of “Ethical Decision Making” and how important it is to be a transparent and authentic leader. To learn more about the session contact NEXUS. Read More

  • NEXUS Volunteers with AKA on CHIPPS Project

    Members of the NEXUS Class of 2025 volunteered with the AKA Sorority and their CHIPPS program. Together over 400 food bags were packed to distribute to students in the Mid-South to take home for the weekend.  Read More

  • Tom Cleves on Communicating and Using Smart Brevity

    On November 5, Tom Cleves, recently retired as SVP – Corporate Affairs for Sylvamo had a discussion with the mentors and proteges in the NEXUS Class of 2025 on the topic communicating as a Leader and using smart brevity. To learn more about this session or to request the speaker’s audio, contact NEXUS. Read More

  • Sally Pace Challenges the NEXUS Class of 2025 to Ask the Right Questions

    At the October session, Sally Pace, CEO for Connect Healthcare Collaboration spoke to the NEXUS Class of 2025 on the topic of “Asking the Right Questions”. Sally did an amazing job and truly challenged participants to think about the importance of questions. To request the session audio contact NEXUS. Read More
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Upcoming Events

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May 6, 2025 - May 6, 2025
Sheriff Bonner to Speak at NEXUS Graduation

Sheriff Floyd Bonner will be the keynote speaker at the NEXUS Class of 2025 Graduation in May. This special event will mark

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May 13, 2025 - May 13, 2025
Recruitment for the NEXUS Class of 2026 to begin in May

Recruitment will begin for the NEXUS Class of 2026 with a Recruitment Reception on May 13; 5:30-6:30pm at Second

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April 8, 2025 - April 8, 2025
NEXUS in MOTION to Take Place on April 8

NEXUS IN MOTION is a favorite among the NEXUS Network.  This year's event will take place on April 8 at Second Presbyterian

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Partners

Testimonials

  • Celebrating 20 Years of NEXUS – Alumni Highlight – Ephie Ballard Johnson

    “I was honored to participate in the inaugural year of NEXUS, 20 years later I’m honored to still be involved in NEXUS as a mentor, past speaker, and Board member. Just five years after being a protégé I became President & CEO of NCC, because of NEXUS I appreciate and see the importance of servant leadership.” Ephie Ballard Johnson, President & CEO of Neighborhood Christian Centers

  • Celebrating 20 Years of NEXUS – Alumni Highlight – Billie Jo Parker

    “The greatest benefit from participating in NEXUS are the connections you make. I am grateful for the personal and professional network of colleagues and friends I have encountered because of NEXUS.” Bill Jo Parker, SVP Pinnacle Bank and NEXUS Alumni

  • Celebrating 20 Years of NEXUS – Alumni Highlight – Douglas Skipworth

    “NEXUS is unique because it trains people's minds, hearts, and hands. I love NEXUS because it does both of those while also adding a higher purpose component to its program. In my experience, that's very rare. Thanks to NEXUS, the proteges who graduate each year are not only skilled and ambitious, but they are also compassionate leaders who are making a meaningful difference in Memphis!” Douglas Skipworth, Principal Broker, CrestCoreRealty, LLC and NEXUS Alumni

  • Celebrating 20 Years of NEXUS – Alumni Highlight – Amy Beth Dudley

    “NEXUS has been an important part of my professional life for over a decade. Starting as a protégé, moving to the mentor role, and now serving on the NEXUS Board of Directors. I have had the opportunity to see the impact of mentoring and that has been tremendous.” Amy Beth Dudley, Director of Donor Services, Community Foundation of Greater Memphis + NEXUS Alumni

  • Celebrating 20 Years of NEXUS – Alumni Highlight – Cameron Mann

    “The greatest part about NEXUS is the diversity of relationships made that last a lifetime, particularly multi-generational relationships.” Cameron Mann, Director of Corporate Partnerships, Methodist Healthcare + NEXUS Alumni

  • Celebrating 20 Years of NEXUS – Alumni Highlight – Amy Simpson

    “NEXUS provides the opportunity to learn from others who love Memphis and want to make a difference!” – Amy Simpson, Corporate Communications, International Paper + NEXUS Alumni

  • Celebrating 20 Years of NEXUS – Alumni Highlight – Lewis Williamson

    “The NEXUS program offers an opportunity for a young person to gain some of the knowledge and experience of their mentors. I was a rather young mentor at the time of my initial experience. Today I am older with hopefully more experience to share. NEXUS offers me another network – especially with a younger group and I have made many new friends and hopefully provided beneficial help to those in the next generation.” -Lewis Wiliamson, HTS Commo

  • Celebrating 20 Years of NEXUS – Alumni Highlight – Caroline Kuebler

    “I’d say NEXUS is unique due to the opportunity to learn from and interact with local leadership in the small group monthly meetings. Of course, the relationships built between mentors and proteges is one of my favorite things.” - Caroline Kuebler, Community Foundation of Greater Memphis + NEXUS Alumni

  • Celebrating 20 Years of NEXUS – Alumni Highlight – Sally Pace

    “I came to NEXUS at a time where I desperately wanted a mentor from my industry who understood some of the challenges and opportunities I would be facing as I grew my career. I found that and so much more in the program, and the curriculum and discussions helped frame the path I would take over the coming years as I moved through various levels of management. - Sally Pace, Connect Healthcare Collaboration + NEXUS Alumni

  • Celebrating 20 Years of NEXUS – Alumni Highlight – Andrew Mok

    “As a NEXUS graduate, I have benefitted from the program through the guidance and support from my mentor at such an early stage of my professional career. I feel more confident in making informed decisions and navigating challenges. The program assisted in the development of my leadership skills including communication, problem solving, and emotional intelligence." - Andrew Mok, AutoZone + NEXUS Alumni