Transition Planning Commission

Joyce Avery

Joyce Avery was elected to the Shelby County Board of Commissioners in September 2002 to District 4 Position 1, a position vacated by Clair Vander Schaaf. She served for eight years. During her tenure, Joyce served as Chairman of the County Commission. She also served as Chairman of the Hospitals and Health Committee for eight years on the County Commission, Vice-Chairman of the Community Services Committee, and member of the Budget and Finance, Land Use, Public Service and Tourism, Conservation, and Delinquent Tax Parcel committees.

Furthermore, she had the honor of serving as Mayor of Shelby County for forty five days.

Joyce attended the University of Arkansas and worked at the University of Tennessee Dental School. Civic organizations have been a large part of Joyce’s life including positions held at the Memphis Chapter of the American Liver Foundation, National Association of Remodeling Industry, Shelby County Republican Women, Tennessee Federation of Republican Women, National Federation of Republican Women, Shelby County Republican Party (served as Vice Chair for 2 terms), as well as working on many campaigns, including Dole-Kemp, Jayne Creson, John Willingham, and Bush-Cheney.

She owned and operated an antique/interior design shop, Pandora's Box, for several years.

Jim Boyd

President-Bridges USA-Jim Boyd is President/CEO of BRIDGES, USA, an organization dedicated to racial, economic, educational and environmental justice. An ordained Episcopal priest, he served local Episcopal churches by helping to establish the emergency assistance fund at MIFA and SMART (St. Mary's Manassas Alabama Redevelopment Team) at St. Mary's Episcopal Cathedral. He also has served parishes in North Carolina and Oregon. Boyd received his Bachelors of Arts degree in Political Science from Vanderbilt University and a Masters of Divinity from Intermet Seminary, in Washington, D.C.

Kenya Bradshaw

As the first in her family to attend college, Kenya found her life’s passion in education. Kenya was born in Miami but raised in Memphis. She received her bachelor’s degree in marketing in 2002 and her master’s in business administration in 2003 from the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga, and much of her work has involved child advocacy and education. Prior to joining Stand in 2010, Kenya worked in a variety of positions advocating for kids, both in the government, non-profit, and for-profit sectors, including at the Urban Child Institute, the University of Tennessee, the First Years Institute, and the Shelby County Office of Early Childhood and Youth, where she worked to develop the child impact statement, a tool that local governments can use to ensure that every action they take is in the best interest of children. In 2009, Kenya was appointed to the City of Memphis’ Youth and Guidance Commission.

Staley Cates

Staley Cates graduated from the University of Texas in 1986 and joined Southeastern Asset Management that same year. In 1994, Staley Cates took over as President of Southeastern Asset Management, an independently owned, registered investment advisory firm, advisor to the Longleaf Partners group of no-load mutual funds: Longleaf Partners Fund, Longleaf Partners International Fund and Longleaf Partners Small Cap Fund. Southeastern Asset Management also advises institutional accounts including endowments, foundations, public and private retirement funds. In 2006, Staley Cates and Mason Hawkins were Morningstar’s Domestic Equity Fund Managers of the Year. In 1998, Money Magazine titled Longleaf “The Best Mutual Fund Family in America”. Currently, Morningstar ranks 2 of the 3 Longleaf Funds at 5 stars, the highest ranking. Staley has had an extremely impressive career but even more impressive is his work as a social entrepreneur. Staley is very active in the Memphis community. He is: Co-Founder and board chairman of the New Hope Christian Academy Founding Board Member and current Chairman of the Memphis Athletic Ministries Founding Board Member of Soulsville Founding Board Member of the Urban Youth Initiative Staley was also instrumental in bringing the Grizzlies to Memphis.

Dr. Reginald Green

Reginald Leon Green is Professor of Educational Leadership. He received an Ed. D. in Educational Administration and Supervision from the University of Missouri – Columbia, a M. Ed. in Educational Administration and Supervision from Memphis State University, and a B. S. in Sociology from Tennessee State University. Dr. Green has served at the teacher, principal, deputy superintendent, and superintendent levels of K-12 education and has been in higher education for 14 years. In 1977, Reginald was one of five educators chosen nationally to participate in the Rockefeller Foundation’s Superintendency Preparation Program; and in 1996, he was selected as an Associate to the Institute for Educational Renewal, under the leadership of Dr. John Goodlad.

Most recently, Dr. Green distinguished himself with the publication of the 3rd edition of the book entitled, Practicing the Art of Leadership: A Problem-Based Approach to Implementing the ISLLC Standards and the 1st edition of The Four Dimensions of Principal Leadership: A Foundation for Leading 21st Century Schools. He has also authored a book on inner-city education, as well as various articles concerning such topics as: educational restructuring, primary grade restructuring, gang violence, and other contemporary educational issues. Reginald has completed national inquiries into nurturing characteristics that exist in schools and standards and assessment measures being established as part of school reform. This work lead to the development of the Center for Urban School Leadership where Dr. Green administered programs for five (5) years to prepare principals for urban schools using a non-traditional approach. Currently, Dr. Green teaches courses in educational leadership with a focus on instructional leadership, school reform, and models for turning around low performing schools. His research interests include school leadership, team building for effective teaching and learning, superintendent/board relations, school district restructuring, and the effects of nurturing characteristics on the academic achievement of students.

Tommy Hart

Tommy Hart is a former Shelby County Commissioner and also served as the Chairman of the County Commission. He was the President and CEO of Hart Manufacturing in Collierville and is present owner of Hart Properties Group. Groups and Associations:

Wesley Housing Foundation Memphis Conference Methodist Church CF&A committee Collierville High School Alumni President

Honors and Awards:

Small Business Person of Year in Tennessee--1986 Shelby County Board of Commissioners National and Tennessee PTA Life Member Lambuth University Board PastChairman Paul Harris Fellowship Memphis Area YMCA Board Collierville Person of the Year 2004 Silver Beaver Award from Chickasaw Council of BSA Collierville Chamber of Commerce Past President Delegate to White House Conference on Small Business-1986

Richard Holden

Holden, who grew up in North Mississippi, started with Shelby County Schools in 1971 as a physical education teacher and coach at Riverdale Elementary. After 20 years at Riverdale, where he also taught science, Holden was hired to be an instructional supervisor at the district's central office. He was in charge of textbooks and testing and then became the director of research and planning before taking his current position in 1999. Former Shelby County Schools' assistant superintendent Fred Johnson, who also served as interim superintendent, said Holden has "a work ethic like no one I've ever seen." As chief of operations, Holden oversees transportation, planning, maintenance, construction, and campus improvements. He's on the district's "weather team;" so on wintry weather days, he drives around at 2 a.m. to check the roads for ice.

Rickey Jeans

He was one of the first black students to integrate Shelby County Schools, now Rickey Jeans will play a key role in helping SCS merge with Memphis City Schools. Jeans enrolled in Collierville Elementary in 1968. He went on to become an All-American football player at Collierville High and played college ball at Vanderbilt University. He currently runs his own insurance company.

Dr. Fred Johnson

Dr. Fred Johnson served on the Shelby County Schools board from 2006 until 2008. Before he retired in 1999, Dr. Johnson worked as a teacher and administrator in Shelby County Schools, including an appointment as interim superintendent. After he retired from Shelby County Schools, he also served as a central office administrator in Memphis City Schools for one year.

Martavius D. Jones

District 4, President

Martavius D. Jones, a product of the Memphis City Schools, graduated from Central High School in 1986. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in finance from Howard University in Washington, D.C., in 1990.

Jones is President and Financial Advisor of Jones Wealth Management Group, a financial services firm that helps individuals, families, and small business owners achieve financial independence through retirement, investment, and financial planning. Additionally, he is a Registered Player Financial Advisor with the NFL Players Association.

Prior to establishing his own business in 2001, Jones was an Investment Services Representative for AmSouth Investment Services in Memphis and Nashville. He has also served as an Investment Broker for A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc in Nashville. He started his career in financial services with Aetna Life & Casualty in Hartford, Connecticut.

Since 2003, Jones has served as a Commissioner for the Memphis Alcohol Commission. He is a guest contributor to Fox 13-WHBQ’s Money Matters segment of “Good Morning Memphis” and has gained valuable experience through past affiliations with H & R Block and Arthur Andersen & Company.

Jones is a member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

In January 2006, Jones was sworn in as the interim District 4 Commissioner of the Memphis City Schools Board of Commissioners and elected to a full four-year term in November 2006. On July 1, 2009, Commissioner Jones began his term as the newly elected President of the Memphis City Schools Board of Commissioners.

Daniel Kiel

Prof. Kiel’s research focuses on issues of race and education, and his writing has appeared in law reviews, bar journals, and local and national newspapers. Most recently, his article tying the post-Katrina school reform in New Orleans to the broader historical quest for equitable educational opportunities for African American students is to be published in the Journal of Law and Education. That piece was presented at the AALS annual meeting in New Orleans in January 2010.

Prof. Kiel’s other major publication include a detailed evaluation of an novel student assignment program being implemented in Louisville, KY in the wake of the PICS decision and an historical account of school desegregation in Memphis, TN. Prof. Kiel recently received a grant to build on that piece through an oral history project collecting the stories of those involved in the initial desegregation of the Memphis City Schools in 1961.

Prior to entering teaching, Prof. Kiel worked in private practice doing civil litigation at firms in Boston and Memphis. While in practice, Prof. Kiel also represented criminal defendants in front of both the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals.

As a member of the community, Prof. Kiel has facilitated programs for high school students on Brown v. Board of Education in conjunction with the National Civil Rights Museum. On campus, he serves on the faculty advisory board of the Benjamin Hooks Institute of Social Change. In addition, he serves on the advisory board of Facing History and Ourselves and is a founding steering committee member and current vice-chair of Common Ground Memphis.

Mayor Mark H. Luttrell, Jr.

Mayor Mark H. Luttrell, Jr. took office as Shelby County Mayor on September 1, 2010.

Mayor Luttrell was born in Jackson, Tennessee and spent his early years in Bells, Tennessee. He moved to Memphis as a teenager and graduated from Bartlett High School. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Union University and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Memphis.

His first job after college was teaching history at Bradford County High School, Starke, Florida. He served two years in the Army, stationed in Louisiana, Texas and Germany. Returning to Memphis, Mayor Luttrell began his career in criminal justice at the Shelby County Penal Farm serving as the vocational training director. He joined the United States Bureau of Prisons in 1977 and served with that organization until his retirement in 1999. He also served as warden of federal prisons in Texarkana, Texas, Manchester, Kentucky and Memphis, Tennessee. He was then appointed Director of the Shelby County Division of Corrections and served there until his election as Sheriff in 2002 and again in 2006. He is a member of the Germantown Kiwanis Club and serves as a board member of the Memphis-Shelby Crime Commission, Operation Safe Community, Memphis Second Chance, University of Memphis Arts and Sciences Advisory, Union University Alumni Advisory and a member of Second Baptist Church. Mayor Luttrell is a Leadership Memphis graduate and a distinguished recipient of the Outstanding Alumni Award of the University of Memphis, College of Arts and Sciences. As Mayor, he received the “Bobby Dunavant Public Servant Award” in 2010 for extraordinary service to the citizens of Shelby County.

He and his wife, Pat, have three children; Lynnette, Mark and Margaret and five grandchildren.

Mayor Keith McDonald

Keith McDonald began his term as mayor of the city of Bartlett in 2003 after serving as a city Alderman from 1997-2002 and holding numerous leadership positions on various public and private committees. He is the 2007 & 2008 Chair of the First Tier Suburbs Council and is a member of the Public Safety and Crime Prevention Steering Committee with the National League of Cities. He is owner and founder of McDonald Insurance and Financial Services and is recipient of several leadership awards within the insurance industry. He has been named to several Who’s Who publications and other nationally recognized honors, including a proclamation from the State of Tennessee. He and his wife, Patty, have been married for 37 years. They have two sons: Ryan and his wife, Cari, who have two sons, Dylan and Connor. Their youngest son, Brooks, is married to Cari Beth. Mayor and Mrs. McDonald have served as foster parents through Agape Family Services and are active at Sycamore View Church of Christ.

Louis Padgett, III Principal, Northaven Elementary School-Mr. Padgett is a 24-year employee of the Shelby County School System, and is starting his seventh year as principal of Northaven Elementary School. Padgett received his undergraduate degree in Health and Physical Education from Rust College and earned a Master’s degree in Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Memphis.

David Pickler

District 5

David began his career in the investment business 25 years ago. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Arkansas State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management degree in 1980 and from Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, University of Memphis, with Juris Doctor Degree in 1985. He was admitted to the Tennessee Bar in 1986 and maintains an active practice emphasizing Tax and Estate Planning. In 2000, David joined a select group of attorneys admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court. He is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and is considered one of the leading estate planning advisors in the nation.

David and his wife, Beth, have two children: Chris and Katie. Chris, a graduate of Houston High School and Washington University in St. Louis, is a security technology expert with Shelby County Schools and a master’s candidate in cyber security. Katie, also a graduate of Houston High school, is currently a student at Middle Tennessee State University where she is majoring in Business Administration.

David Pickler has built his personal and professional life on the principles of community service, civic leadership, and philanthropic investment. Beth and David began their community involvement with PTA in their children’s schools. David was elected to Shelby County School Board of Education in 1998 and has served as chairman for the past ten years. He serves on the Executive Board of the Tennessee School Boards Association and will be association President in 2009. In July, 2008, David was selected to serve as the Southern Region Director for the National School Boards Association. He has twice been honored as Tennessee School Board Member of the Year.

Barbara U. Prescott, Ph.D.

Dr. Barbara Prescott is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Vice President of Allie Prescott & Partners, LLC, a consultation firm that works with organizations in the areas of strategic planning, needs assessment, fund raising and project/program development. Dr. Prescott holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree from the University of Memphis and a Ph.D. from The Florida State University. At AP&P, she provides human relations and management consultation in the nonprofit, small business, faith and education communities. She is particularly skilled in the facilitation of the visioning, strategic planning and the team building process and over the years, has worked with many well-known nonprofit organizations in the Memphis area. Dr. Prescott is a former three term member of the Memphis City School Board where she served twice as President and Vice President. She also sat on the Board of Directors of the Tennessee School Boards Association; was named to the All Tennessee School Board in 1999; chaired the Ethics Advisory Board in 2000-2001; earned the distinction of Master School Board member and served as the 2002 President of the Tennessee School Board Association. She has been an instructor for TSBA’s Vision Academy and the Board/ Superintendent Relations Academy and continues to work with school boards and school systems across the state in team building and strategic planning. Additionally, Dr. Prescott has operated a private counseling practice for over 20 years and was an Associate of Life Quest Counseling Center at Lindenwood Christian Church for more than ten years. She is a member of the American Counseling Association, the International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors and the American Association of Christian Counselors. She has co-authored with Lora Jobe the book, My Heart Got Married And I Didn’t Know It, which is a self-help book about long-term relationships. Involved in the community, Dr. Prescott presently serves on the Board of Directors of Memphis Collegiate School, Girls, Inc. and New Leaders For New Schools. She is on the Board of Trustees of Christ United Methodist Church and is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council for the University of Memphis College of Education.

Christine P. Richards

Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary FedEx Corporation-Ms. Richards is responsible for ensuring the corporation’s global activities are in compliance with international, federal, state and local government regulations, and handles international and domestic legal, security and government affairs for all FedEx operating companies and subsidiaries. Born in Amityville, N.Y., Richards earned her Bachelor’s degree from Bucknell University and her Juris Doctorate from Duke University. Christine P. Richards is Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of FedEx Corporation in Memphis, TN. She is responsible for ensuring that FedEx Corporation’s global activities are in compliance with international, federal, state and local government regulations, and is responsible for international and domestic legal, security and government affairs for the Corporation and its subsidiaries. Ms. Richards served as Corporate Vice President-Customer and Business Transactions before assuming her current position in June 2005. She joined FedEx in 1984 from private practice. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Bucknell University in 1976 and her juris doctorate from Duke University. She lives in unincorporated Shelby County. Ms. Richards currently serves as Secretary on the Board of Trustees for The Dixon Gallery and Gardens and on the Board of Visitors for The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.

Barbara Roseborough

Barbara P. Roseborough, newly appointed interim associate vice president of Academic Affairs for Southwest Tennessee Community College, recently graduated from the Academy for Leadership and Development. The Academy for Leadership and Development is a program developed by the Chair Academy, a division of the Maricopa Community College District in Mesa, Arizona, for the purpose of advancing organizational leadership and providing succession planning for leaders in post-secondary institutions. Roseborough holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from LeMoyne-Owen College, a Master of English degree from Atlanta University, a master’s plus 45 hours in Education from the University of Memphis, and is currently a doctoral candidate in education with emphasis in community college leadership. With more than 20 years of educational service at Southwest, her professional career includes the following: associate professor of English, department chair for the Fine Arts, Languages and Literature Department, and dean of Liberal Studies and Education. Roseborough’s memberships with discipline-based organizations include: the National Council of Teachers of English, the Tennessee Council of Teachers of English, Women in Higher Education in Tennessee, and the Advisory Board for Tennessee Campus Compact. Roseborough has worked with the American Diploma Project (ADP) – a network of 35 states dedicated to enhancing high school graduates’ readiness for college or careers. She also provides leadership for the Honors Academy and Service Learning at the Southwest and is a member of Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church where she serves on the diaconate and on the Christian Education Committee.

John Smarrelli, Jr.

Ph.D-President, Christian Brothers University-During the past 25 years, Dr. John Smarrelli has also served in senior administrative positions at Loyola University in Chicago, IL and Le Moyne College in Syracuse, NY. He earned his Doctorate and Masters’ degrees from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and has conducted postdoctoral work in biology at the University of Virginia.

Larry Spiller Before entering the business world, Larry Spiller graduated from the University of Tennessee at Martin with a degree in education, serving as a student teacher while completing his degree. Spiller has lived in the Memphis area since 1972 and is currently the owner/operator of Home Pest Control Company in Bartlett.

Katie Stanton

Katie Stanton is a former teacher, principal and Director of Student Services for SCS. She was twice elected as President of the Shelby County Education Association and also served as the President of the Tennessee Education Association. She is presently working with Christian Brothers University supervising and evaluating student teachers.