Carl Person
Chair
Owner – Customized Solutions
Bio
Carl is the Founder and CEO of Customized Solutions Company; a boutique consulting
firm specializing in commercial development partnerships, marketing, business analysis,
IT solutions and process improvement. His firm has public and private clients that
include local, state, and national project oversite and partnerships exceeding $2 billion
in total spend and value.
Carl is Board President of The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. He serves on the
Executive Board of Trustees for Metropolitan Inter-faith Association (MIFA); and is the
current Board Member for the Center City Development Corporation. Carl serves on the
Board of Commissioners for Memphis Light Gas & Water. He a member of the
American Public Power Association’s (APPA) Policy Makers Council (PMC). Carl serves
on the Gospel Music Association (GMA’s) Foundation Board of Directors and is a
member of Partnership Tennessee Leadership Group reporting to Governor Bill Lee’s
Administration and other State of Tennessee elected officials. He is past Chairman of
The Downtown Memphis Commission Board of Directors, Former State of Tennessee
Department of Education CTE Advisory Board Member and Former Civil Service
Review Board Chair for Shelby County Government. Carl is a recipient of the 2022 &
2024 Memphis Business Journal Power 100 recognition award.
Carl graduated Suma Cum Laude from Lane College in Jackson, Tennessee. He has
over 35 years of leadership experience with FedEx and UPS. Carl and his wife Valerie,
have three adult children and five grandchildren.
Milton L. Lovell
Vice Chair
President & Chief Investment Officer – Element40 Management
Bio
Milton Lovell is the President and Chief Investment Officer of Element40 Management, a family office based in Memphis. Milton previously served as the Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel of nexAir. Prior to joining nexAir, Milton practiced business and transactional law with Burch, Porter & Johnson.
At the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Milton is the Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee, Chair of the Building Committee and Co-Chair of the Endowment Committee and previously chaired the Executive Director Search Committee. Milton is also as the Vice Chair of the Presbyterian Day School Board of Trustees and serves on the Truist Bank Memphis Community Advisory Board and the Crosstown Redevelopment Cooperative Association Board of Directors. Milton was previously the Chair of the Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association Board of Directors.
Milton is a graduate of the University of Mississippi, New York University School of Law and Harvard Business School.
Mat Parker, Jr.
Treasurer
Community Volunteer
Bio
Tanya Hart
Secretary
Chief Human Resources Officer – First Horizon
Bio
Tanya Hart is Chief Human Resources Officer & Executive Vice President at First Horizon National Corporation which is headquartered in Memphis, TN. She is a member of the Executive Management Committee and the Operating Committee. She has a quintessential First Horizon story beginning as a teller while completing her degree in finance at the University of Memphis. She completed her MBA at Christian Brothers University. Tanya has been in other key roles in the organization including total rewards, talent development and financial planning. She has led many programs at First Horizon such as the Women’s Initiative, United Way and is the former chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Council. Tanya was instrumental in developing and leading the inaugural class of First Horizon’s Emerging Leader Program, expanding the company’s associate resource groups and developing a formal mentoring program.
In addition to her professional studies, Tanya earned the Certified Financial Planner and the SHRM, Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) designations. Tanya has become a recognized voice on HR topics. Specifically, she is a regular contributor to panels and speaker at conferences. She is a graduate of the 2019 cohort of the executive program of Leadership Memphis. Named as one the top 25 Black Women in Business by the Network Journal, 2022 Most Influential Black Business Leaders in Savoy Magazine, Memphis Business Journal’s 2019 HR Impact Leader and 2023 Super Women in Business and First Horizon’s DEI leader of the year (2021). Tanya is actively involved with a variety of civic and professional institutions. Her community outreach includes her role as a board member and chair of the Nomination and Governance Committee of the University of Memphis Foundation Board as well as an advisory member of Christian Brothers University’s Business School and the Brooks Museum of Art. She is a previous member of the board of directors of Junior Achievement of Memphis and 1St Eight.
Jenna Bedsole
Bio
Trevia Chatman
Bio
Erica Coopwood
Bio
Sonia Eden
Bio
Shanea McKinney
Bio
David Willmott
Bio
Tate Wilson
Bio
Sol Aponte
Co-Founder – Art Melanated
Bio
Sol Aponte is a visionary co-founder behind Art Melanated, a vibrant platform empowering emerging and mid-career BIPOC visual artists. Backed by two Emmy nominations, his TV production finesse and narrative zeal shine. Alongside wife Jennia, he established Full Frequency Media, a conduit for Black excellence via commercials, short films, and a captivating docu-series. Through Art Melanated, he illuminates narratives of BIPOC artists, sparking an active and engaged art community. Now on the Brooks Museum board, Sol's dedication to amplifying marginalized voices radiates, fostering inclusive and impactful art experiences.
Nathan A. Bicks
Attorney – Burch, Porter & Johnson, PLLC
Bio
Nathan Bicks has been a lifelong participant in the Brooks Museum. Beginning as a child, when his parents would drag him to art museums across the world, the Brooks Museum always served as home base. From the basic visual literacy he acquired there, Nathan learned to appreciate artistic expression in all forms. After living in the northeast for almost a decade, Nathan and his wife, Andrea Bienstock, returned to Memphis to start their legal careers and raise a family here. Nathan has been affiliated with Burch, Porter & Johnson for almost forty years as a litigator and municipal law practitioner. He has been on the Brooks board for over fifteen years, serving in various capacities on the executive committee including President. One of his most prized possessions is the model of the Titanic given to him at the completion of his term as Board President.
Gloria Boyland
Community Volunteer
Bio
Gloria Roberts Boyland is an innovative global leader and an operations transformation strategist with over 20 years of experience in helping organizations increase value through breakthrough operations applications of automation, artificial intelligence, network optimization, data analytics, other advanced technologies, and quality management systems. Recently retired as Corporate Vice President, Operations & Service Support, FedEx Corporation, today Gloria lends her expertise to growth companies in the foods distribution, autonomy, alternative energy, and mobility sectors.
Mrs. Boyland currently serves on the Boards of Aurora Innovation (NASDAQ: AUR), United Natural Foods, Inc (NYSE: UNFI) and Vontier Corporation (NYSE: VNT). Previously, she served on the Board of Chesapeake Energy Corporation. In 2016, Mrs. Boyland was appointed to the U.S. DOT Advisory Committee on Automation in Transportation.
Nelda Burroughs
Co-Owner – First Choices Sales & Marketing Group
Bio
Education:
BA, North Carolina Central University, Durham, N.C.
MLS, University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C.
Married to Tyrone Burroughs. We are co-owners of First Choice Sales & Marketing Group, a global consumer marketing firm. To further cement our commitment to the Memphis community, in 2013 we acquired R.S. Lewis & Sons Funeral Home so that the business would continue its legacy as an African American owned business. Since then, it has expanded to 3 locations. Tyrone and I are also the owners of the Guthrie’s Fried Chicken franchise for west Tennessee and Mississippi.
Affiliations: Serve on the Board of Directors for the National Civil Rights Museum. Also belong to the Memphis (TN) Chapter of the Links, Inc., Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Phi Lambda Omega Chapter, Philanthropic Black Women of Memphis. Serve as President of the Burroughs Foundation.
My life’s mantra, “To whom much is given, much is required,” manifest itself through a deep commitment to philanthropy and community service, giving time as well as financial support. We are blessed to have 3 children and 6 beautiful grandchildren.
Kristi Carmichael
Community Volunteer
Bio
Hi my name is Kristi Carmichael. I am originally from Mobile, Alabama. I received my undergraduate degree from The University of Mississippi where I majored in Elementary Education. I moved to Memphis after college to teach in the Memphis City School system for 4 years. I then went on to sell pharmaceuticals for 13 years. I am married to James Carmichael and have two children, Lucy (age 13) and Henry (age 11). I am passionate about a strong education for all and access to art in schools and in the community.
Mary Lee Copp
Community Volunteer
Bio
I am a native Memphian , however, I lived elsewhere most of my life until I married Peter Formanek in 2008. I graduated from Peabody College ( now Vanderbilt ) and had 2 years of post graduate at O’More School of Design. I had my own design business in Nashville for 25 years.I consider myself lucky to be back in Memphis.
Deborah Craddock
Community Volunteer
Bio
Deborah Craddock is a past Partner of Southeastern Asset Management. She is a graduate of Rhodes College and a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). She has previously served as Board Chair of the Brooks Museum of Art as well as Ballet Memphis and is currently Chair of the Rhodes College Board of Trustees. She has also served on the Board of MIFA and is currently Chair of the MIFA Investment Committee. Deborah served on the Architect Selection Committee for the new museum and as Chair of the Building Committee.
Brandice Daniel
CEO – Harlem's Fashion Row
Bio
Brandice Daniel is a proud fashion outsider from Memphis, TN. Daniel has experience in fashion buying, production, and has a talent for bridging the gap for designers of color. In 2007, Daniel founded Harlem’s Fashion Row (HFR). Ten years later, Daniel led the collaboration between HFR, Nike and Lebron James on the HFRxLBJ16 shoe, the first Lebron sneaker designed by and for women. The shoe sold out in less than 5 minutes. Since then, she has led partnerships with LVMH, Tommy Hilfiger, Tiffany & Co, Levi, Gap Inc, Tapestry, and more. In 2020, Brandice started a non-profit organization, ICON360 that has donated over $2 Million to HBCU Fashion Departments and Black designers.
Her perspective on winning as a proud outsider has been shared on many stages including TedX Memphis, the Forbes 30 under 30 summit, and the Forbes CMO Summit. She’s been a guest judge on Project Runway and a repeat guest on the Tamron Hall and Drew Barrymore Show.
She’s been featured in the Wall Street Journal, NY Times, Good Morning America, ESSENCE Magazine, BET, Harper's Bazaar, and Vogue. In 2022, Brandice received the Alumni of the Year award from the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Social Impact Award from Footwear News.
Brandice is a proud mom to Sky Daniel and wife to Richard Daniel.
Derek Fordjour
Artist – Fordjour Studio
Bio
Derek Fordjour was born in Memphis, Tennessee to parents of Ghanaian heritage. He was awarded 2016 Sugarhill Museum Artist-in-Residence, the 2017 Sharpe Walentas Studio Program in New York City, and named the 2018 Deutsche Bank NYFA Fellowship Award. He is a graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta Georgia, earned a Master’s Degree in Art Education from Harvard University and an MFA in painting from Hunter College. He was appointed The Alex Katz Chair at Cooper Union and served as a Core Critic at Yale University School of Art. In 2018, he was awarded commissions for the Whitney Museum of American Art Billboard Project and the Metropolitan Transit Authority Arts & Design program. Recently, he was the inaugural artist for the Building Art Series on the façade of MOCA Grand Avenue in Los Angeles. His work has been reviewed in The New York Times, Financial Times, The Los Angeles Times, and Hyperallergic. He has also been featured in several publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Juxtapoz, Vanity Fair and Forbes Magazine. His work is held in the private and public collections of The Studio Museum of Harlem, Guggenheim Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, SFMOMA, Brooklyn Museum, Perez Museum, The Whitney Museum and LACMA. Fordjour is the founder of Contemporary Arts Memphis Summer Fellowship program.
Gail George
ex-officio
Member – Decorative Arts Trust
Bio
Gail George serves as an ex-officio member of the Board representing the membership of Decorative Arts Trust, the support group which has since 1985 played a major role in building a world-class decorative arts complement to the fine art collection of the Museum. Ms. George is an organization development and corporate training professional who has applied her talents to a variety of roles within Decorative Arts Trust including Program Chair and President. Her consulting practice, GPG Consultants, provided services to health care, financial services, media, and retail organizations in the US and Canada. A Georgia native, Ms. George relocated from Washington, DC in 1989 and calls Memphis home.
Adam Hanover
CEO – Union Main Group
Bio
Adam Hanover is Co-Founder & CEO of Union Main Group, which owns and operates three businesses focused on essential home services, health care and energy efficiency employing 1,500 people in cities across the US.
Adam was born and raised in Memphis. He attended Ridgeway High School, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and worked at Lazard Frères and The Carlyle Group. He left Carlyle to build Archer Systems, successfully selling it in 2018.
Adam and his wife Isabel are committed to advancing the city of Memphis economically and culturally as a healthy, secure and fun place to raise families and build lives.
Debi Havner
Community Volunteer
Bio
Debi Arend Havner grew up in Bentonville, Arkansas, graduating from the University of Arkansas with a BS, MA, post graduate hours, Phillips University, Enid, OK. Her interest in the arts began at a young age in the science department of the Bentonville public schools.
She relocated to Enid, Oklahoma to teach hearing impaired children and later owned a flower and landscape business. While in Enid she served as President ,Enid -Phillips Symphony, Vice President, Enid Chamber of Commerce, JWL, and Board of Director of the Oklahoma Art Institute.
After returning to Bentonville she was Chair of the Bentonville Planning Commission and President of the Bentonville School Foundation. Debi is currently active at Crystal Bridges, having helped develop and establish a Curatorial Internship program. She was appointed to the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion Commission and served as a trustee of AMFA. Her goals focus on City/Urban community regional planning quality of life.
In Memphis she is active in the Memphis Garden Club, and is a trustee, executive committee, of the Brooks Museum.
Robert Heard III
EVP, Private Banking Director – First Horizon
Bio
Rob Heard is Executive Vice President and West Tennessee Director of Private Client Financial Services at First Horizon Bank. Since 2015, Rob has led a talented team of Private Banking professionals who serve as personal advisors to affluent clients with more complex financial needs. In addition to traditional banking services, his team assists clients with financial planning, investments, wealth management, insurance, trust, and estate planning.
Over his 40+ year career with First Horizon, Rob has prior experience in Retail, Commercial, and Correspondent Banking. A life-long Memphian, Rob received his BBA from the University of Mississippi in 1980.
Rodney Herenton
Founder & Co-CEO – Channing Capital Management
Bio
Mr. Herenton is a Founder, Co-CEO of Channing Capital Management, LLC., a $3.8 billion investment management firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Formerly, he was a First Vice-President within Morgan Keegan's investment banking division. Prior to Morgan Keegan, Mr. Herenton was an Associate at Bear Stearns, where he was responsible for deal execution of mergers and acquisitions, equity and high-yield bond transactions. Prior to Bear Stearns, Mr. Herenton was an Associate within the investment banking division at Lehman Brothers.
Mr. Herenton received a B.A. in Finance from Morehouse College (Phi Beta Kappa), and his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
Barbara R. Hyde
Chair & CEO – Hyde Family Foundation
Bio
Barbara Rosser Hyde is Chair and CEO of the Hyde Family Foundation, where she is a passionate advocate for education reform at the local, state and national levels and a leader for place-based
philanthropy in her hometown of Memphis, Tennessee.
Barbara graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was a Morehead Scholar and later worked as executive director of the university’s Arts and Sciences Foundation. She served as national board chair for New York-based New Leaders and has been engaged on multiple local and national boards, including Shelby Farms Park Conservancy, Yale University Art Gallery, Teach for America, and Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. Currently, she is championing the effort to establish a new Brooks Museum of Art in downtown Memphis, a move that will serve as an iconic, cultural anchor to the city’s riverfront transformation.
Along with her husband, J.R. Hyde III, she has led the foundation they established together as a model for family foundations in the U.S. The Philanthropy Roundtable recognized the couple as recipients of the prestigious William E. Simon Prize for Philanthropic Leadership in 2017.
Greg Jackson
Director of IT Technical Services – International Paper
Bio
Greg Jackson is the Director of IT Technical Services at International Paper. In this role, he has responsibility for data center & cloud infrastructure, telecommunications, collaboration, client services & support, service management, delivery management, enterprise architecture, and IT innovation.
Greg was born in Clarksdale, MS, and attended Mississippi State University, where he earned a B.S. degree in Computer Engineering. He also has an MBA from Union University and is a graduate of the Leadership Memphis Executive Class of 2020.
Greg enjoys traveling, watching movies, and spending time with family. He and his wife Romona live in Collierville, TN, and attend Harvest Church.
Jay Keegan
President & CEO – Adams Keegan
Bio
Joining Adams Keegan in May 1997, Jay currently serves as President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the company. He is the founder/director of The James Group, LLC and Staffline, LLC. Jay is also a founding partner of Mempho Music Festival, and his civic involvement also includes membership in St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's Memphis Club, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art board member, past director of the Navy League Memphis, and association with New Memphis Institute. Jay holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Colorado and a Master of Business Administration from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC Chapel Hill.
Logan Meeks
President Principal – A2H
Bio
Logan serves as a President of A2H - Engineers • Architects • Planners, a full-service planning and design firm serving public and private clients for the built environment. Founded in 1986, A2H is home to more than 100 employees. Headquartered in Lakeland, Tennessee, the firm operates out of five offices in the region. Logan is responsible for leading the company in strategy, day-to-day operations, and coordination of all in-house architecture and engineering disciplines. He also serves in a leadership role focused on enhancing ongoing relationships with clients and the business community.
Notable projects in the Memphis area that Logan has overseen include the new STEM Research and Classroom Building for the University of Memphis, the new Frayser Community High School in Memphis, the Memphis Health Center in downtown Memphis, the Forest Hill Elementary School for the Germantown Municipal School District, the Methodist Medical Office Building in Olive Branch, the Baptist Medical Group Primary Care Clinic in midtown Memphis, and numerous FedEx projects at the Memphis Hub and other campuses.
As a structural engineer, Logan participates in the engineering community statewide through his leadership in numerous organizations. He is a member and past President of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Tennessee. He is member and past President of the Tennessee Structural Engineers Association - West Region. He is member and past Director of the Tennessee Society of Professional Engineers – Memphis Chapter.
Beyond his leadership role at A2H, Logan is an active member of Memphis’ philanthropic, civic, arts, and cultural community, serving as board member emeritus of the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change, board member of the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, past board member for the Urban Land Institute, and is past President and current board member for RegionSmart. He is a current member of the University Club of Memphis.
Logan was born and raised in Missouri, received a Bachelor of Engineering from Vanderbilt University, and moved to Memphis in 2002. He currently lives in Memphis with his wife and their daughter.
Logan Scheidt
Real Estate Broker – Crye-Leike Real Estate
Bio
Logan Scheidt joined the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art Board in July 2022 as a way to continue his family’s legacy of celebrating Memphis’s diverse culture through inclusive avenues like the arts. As a native Memphian who was inspired by his grandparents’ lifelong passion for our vibrant city, Logan actively embraces ways to encourage our city’s growth and promise. Beyond the Brooks, Logan is a dedicated residential real estate broker and an avid fan of both the University of Memphis Tigers and the Memphis Grizzlies.
Gail Schledwitz
Community Volunteer
Bio
Gail Schledwitz is a lifelong Memphian, dedicated to improving the city through her philanthropic efforts and service on numerous non-profit boards. She is the proud mother of two daughters and grandmother to four grandchildren. She recently retired from a career in real estate that spanned interior design, home building, and investment property management. She and her husband, Karl, are known for their involvement and commitment to making Memphis a better place. Gail served on the Board of Directors for 14 years at Porter Leath, as they created their state of the art early education academies and expanded to 3 locations. In 2017, she served as Board Chair over their $36MM budget. In her 15 year involvement, she has helped raise significant capital for the non-profit, primarily through hosting an annual fundraising dinner at her home. Gail and Karl recently funded Porter Leath's new preschool and Head Start academy in Frayser, in the neighborhood where Karl was raised. Last year, she rolled onto the Board of Trustees for Porter Leath. Gail also served as President of A Step Ahead Foundation from 2015-2016. While President, the foundation opened 5 offices across the state of Tennessee, helping provide Long Acting Reversible Contraception to women to help them plan their families and lives. Gail has always had a passion for art. In the 1990s, she served a docent at Brooks Museum for 10 years and also helped sell the paintings of a local artist. She is excited about the next chapter at Brooks under the leadership of Zoe Kahr and the vision of making the museum inviting to all people.
Melyne Strickland
Johnson & Johnson
Bio
Melyne works for Johnson & Johnson and has enjoyed a 23 year career there. She has been a member of the Brooks Museum and the Brooks Women’s League since 1992. In her free time, she volunteers weekly to increase literacy for second graders at Dunbar Elementary School. She is a past board member at Case Management, Inc. Melyne and her husband Jim have two children and love living in Memphis.
Amy Wright
Co-Founder & CEO – Macro Solutions/Ditty TV
Bio
Amy Wright is the co-founder and CEO of Macro Solutions, an information technology consulting company focused on enterprise application and agile solutions. She founded Macro Solutions in 2000 and has grown the company from a small consulting practice to a leading provider of technology services. Macro Solutions was recently included in the 2016 Inc. 500 list and was recognized by both Washington CEO magazine and Bisnow for being one of the fastest growing companies in the Washington, D.C., region. She has a B.A. from the University of Virginia and an MBA from Georgetown University.
Amy also believes in giving back to the community. She’s currently serving on the Alumni Board of Managers for the University of Virginia and the Board of Directors of DC BUILD, a non-profit entity dedicated to providing at-risk kids a path toward high school graduation and college, and she also serves on the Americana Music Association Board. In addition, Amy’s an avid musician, and she and her husband founded an internet-based television network focused on Americana and Roots music, DittyTV.
Amy grew up in Memphis and graduated from Lausanne Collegiate School. She and her husband, Ronnie, have a home on South Main St. as well as in D.C., since she commutes regularly to Washington.