CHARISSE STOKES & LORA MCCLENDON
Montgomery’s embrace of technology and innovation is revitalizing our community. Not only is Montgomery among the most historic cities in the country, it is quickly emerging among the most technologically progressive.
Lora McClendon and Charisse Stokes are two business leaders working every day to expand what is possible in technology and its importance for business, education and quality of life. In years past, technology innovation existed, but in the separate worlds of the private sector, military partners and local, county and state governments. Lora and Charisse are on a team working to bring together those different entities.
Several of many other accomplishments include:
- TechMGM was launched.
- Montgomery was one of five winners of the International Smart City Challenge.
- A lab for technology innovation became reality in a section of downtown.
- MGMWERX, a state-of-the-art innovation center, became a reality, bringing military, academia, government and industry technology leaders together to solve key issues.
Profile generously sponsored by Alabama Power.
EXPLOREMEDIA
Publisher Pam Mashburn; KtC Business Manager Kristina Boddie; Art Director Heather Cooper; MBJ Manager Christina Bennett; Auburn Opelika Manager Emily Dearing; Managing Editor Savanna Pruitt; Graphic Designer Shelby Shubird; Office and Distribution Manager; Mary Kathryn Maddox; Communications and Marketing Associate Racheal Lunn; Warm Welcome Lead Greeter Jan Burdette
exploreMedia has experienced tremendous growth over the last six years because of the efforts of these talented and hard-working women. We currently manage seven publications with three being launched this year. A commitment to excellence while balancing the needs of the reader, advertisers and staff has been vital to our success. We value the unique gifts and perspective that each of these women bring to exploreMedia.
Team Accolades:
- Heather Cooper has launched four magazines and serves as the Integrator of our Leadership Team.
- Kristina Boddie has increased revenue for her product more than 300 percent since beginning with exploreMedia.
- Christina Bennett has increased product offerings and revenue for MBJ and Potential magazines while also becoming a new mom.
- Shelby Shubird has photographed more than 100 teen spotlights and their parents and is launching her second publication.
- Jan Burdette has visited more than 1,200 new families since 2014.
- Savanna Pruitt interned with exploreMedia while at LAMP High School, earned several promotions and is now the Managing Editor of Potential magazine.
- Pam Mashburn started her business 12 years ago with a single publication. Under her leadership, exploreMedia has enjoyed robust growth and success, and Mashburn has plans for further expansion beyond the River Region.
BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD OF ALABAMA
District Account Managers: Corrie Wilbanks, Kandy Sasser, Regina Dean, Lisa Terry; District Sales Support Representatives: Amanda Moore, Ashley Kilcrease, Patty McDonald; District Administrative Assistants: Yolanda Walker, Rene Lockhart, Morgan Newton, Kendra Burgess
With a combined 153 years of service with our company, these distinguished women who are our District Account Managers and District Sales Support Representatives have professionally represented our products and services within the Montgomery business community. Each of them strives every day to provide a high level of professional service and account management by going above and beyond to meet the needs of our customers. Their efforts have allowed them to consistently retain 95 percent of their customers annually. This team of professional associates consistently works hard behind the scenes to cover what matters.
Our Account Managers and Sales Support Representatives are supported behind the scenes daily by dedicated Administrative Support Assistants who have a combined 43 years of service. Their efforts and attitudes remain consistent daily and play a substantial role in the level of service we are able to provide to our customers.
AlabamaBlue.com
VALLEY BANK
Valley Bank celebrates working women at every stage of their careers. One of the ways we connect with women across Montgomery is through our Women in Business program, which empowers professional women, whether they’re entrepreneurs or executives. The program offers networking and educational opportunities to women in meaningful ways. Valley Bank is also proud to be the lead sponsor of events such as the Junior League Leadership Summit and Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama’s annual “Leading Ladies Award Brunch.”
Montgomery Region Sales Team:
Caryn Hughes, Senior VP, Alabama Executive for Commercial Lending Division; Lauren Lafferty, VP, Treasury Management; Elizabeth DuBard, Market Manager, Downtown; Jenny Camp, Market Manager, Eastmont; Celie Allen, Market Manager, Millbrook; Judi Chumley, Market Manager, Zelda Road
800-522-4100
Valley.com
JACKSON HOSPITAL AND CLINIC, INC.
Jackson Hospital’s Women in Leadership Michelle Witzler, 3E/3W Educator; Candice Williams, 4 East/4 West/PICC Director Denise Donohue, 6 East/6 West Director; Pam Nix, Critical Care Services Director; Melissa Sias Robinson, 5 Tower Director
Courtney Williams, Interim Hospitalist Clinical Director Anita Hayslip, Patient Access Director; Kerry Allen, 3 East/3 West/Telemetry/Dialysis Director Anita Yeargan, CVICU Director; Anna Applin, 4N, Nursery Director; Regan Sullivan, Respiratory Care Director; Karen Baggett, Infection Control Director; Sheena Coker, 4N Patient Care Manger/Educator Jan Hill, CNO, Vice President-Patient Care Services Edith James, Materiel Management Director; Mia Mothershed, Marketing Director; Teresa Smitherman, 3E/3W Patient Care Manger; Alisa Sides, Perioperative Services Director; Vicki Bartlett, 6 North Director; Karen Holland, Quality/Regulatory Compliance Director; Kelin Penney, Jackson Clinic Administrator; Andrea Sanders, HIM Director; Christina Perkins, CDI Director; Hannah Chadee, Physician Relations Director; and Sandi Greenawalt, Interim Case Management Director
Just as Jackson Hospital’s patients and community are diverse, so is its leadership. Jackson Hospital believes that a variety of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences contribute to their success and helps provide better care to its patients. The hospital believes in investing in staff who are invested in the care of our community. That’s why Jackson Hospital strives to provide a positive environment for its team members to be the best at what they do. That is who Jackson is, and it’s what they strive for every single day.
Under diverse leadership, Jackson Hospital has earned five Centers of Excellence in AAA Surgery, Spine Surgery, Stroke, Heart Attack and Bariatric Surgery. It has also earned the Blue Cross Blue Shield Distinction + Award for Maternity Care, Knee/Hip Replacement and Spine Surgery. These highly awarded specialty departments are led by the diverse women in leadership at Jackson Hospital.
334-293-8000
jackson.org
RAYMOND JAMES | HALCYON POINTE
These women are heavily involved in the community, volunteering on local boards, promoting pet projects and ministries, as well as serving in their local churches. The group is passionate about their faith and living it out in the way they do business and treat their clients every day. These ladies also give our office a good mixture of youth and experience, combining to offer more than 60 years of experience in the financial industry, while the new faces bring fresh ideas and a commitment to stay current with advances in technology that keep us energetic and efficient.
Sr Vice President, Investments Karen Gallahar; Branch Operations Manager Shery Campbell; AAMS® Wealth Management Advisor Katelyn Nelson; Financial Advisor Amanda Overby; Client Service Associate Amy Todd
334-213-4200
raymondjames.com/montgomerywealthmanagement
COOK & ASSOCIATES, ATTORNEYS AT LAW
Amanda Cook is a native of Montgomery, Alabama, and practiced Social Security Disability, Real Estate, and Immigration Law since 2012.
Swan Johnson has brought a positive attitude, an amazing sense of organization and her fantastic math skills to our firm. She is an indispensable asset that we hope to have around for a long time.
Olga White’s 10 years of experience working for Catholic Social Services brings our immigration clients knowledgeable expertise in an atmosphere of empathetic service.
No representation is made that the quality of legal services performed is better than the quality performed by other lawyers.
Partner Amanda Cook; Closings Specialist Swan Johnson; Immigration Specialist Olga White
334-356-7879
blackbeltlawyers.com
AESTHETICA MONTGOMERY MEDSPA & GRACE POINT BEHAVIORAL
Medical Director & Owner; Caroline Abolade M.D.
A physician and an entrepreneur. A mother, wife and small business owner of two separate businesses, both opened in the last five years. Dr. Caroline Abolade is all of this and more. Packed in this diminutive 5-foot, 2-inch frame is a powerhouse mixture of passion, grit and determination.
The passion comes through in her medical work as a psychiatrist. “To me, the patient is not just a number, they are a whole person, yearning for a way to understand their own life’s story. It is our job to listen and help them make sense of their stories,” she said.
She has turned her other passion for all things beautiful into her work in medical aesthetics, recently opening Aesthetica Montgomery Medspa on the east side of Montgomery. Aesthetica addresses all things skin and body with the latest laser technology. In both businesses, Dr. Abolade brings three decades of medical experience to the River Region area. You see her grit when you learn how this 23-year immigrant recently became a citizen this past July. “It is the determination you see in every newcomer chasing the American dream and for me, it was fueled by the singular thought that, ‘I’ve made it this far to the other side of the world, a long way from Ibadan, Nigeria, my ancestral home, and I can’t stop now. I’ve got to keep on going. Their eyes are all on me to make good for them,’” she said.
Dr. Abolade is married with two boys. When she is not practicing medicine, she enjoys world travel and has lived on three continents so far. Creativity is her outlet. She enjoys making all things beautiful. During her down time, she enjoys singing with her church choir.
334-781-6060
aestheticamontgomery.com
SERVISFIRST BANK
The valuable contributions of Diane McLaney, Millie Houston and Michelle Rotton are deserving of celebration and recognition. They have been instrumental in the continuous growth of ServisFirst Bank Montgomery and have shown exemplary commitment to the banking and financial industry, while maintaining the highest level of customer service. We’d like to express our thanks to Diane, Millie and Michelle for their unwavering dedication to our company.
Vice President Private Banking Diane McLaney; Vice President Private Banking Millie Houston; Senior Vice President Commercial Banking Michelle Rotton
334-223-5800
servisfirstbank.com
VENTURE LIFE COACHING
We have served countless individuals, couples and families through personal Life Coaching and our Life Coaching courses. Our coaching services are designed to assist people in various areas such as professional or personal growth, parenting, marriage, divorce recovery, blended families, spiritual direction and grief recovery.
Venture Life Coaching is honored to provide four high-quality and comprehensive services for various businesses, churches and organizations in our area and throughout the Southeast:
- Life Coaching
- Consulting/Training
- Leadership Development
- Motivational Speaking
850-377-9586
venturelifecoaching.net
ALABAMA SOCIETY OF CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS (ASCPA)
Lynne Bozeman CPA, Past-Chair of the ASCPA Board of Directors and Shareholder at Richard, Harris, Ingram & Bozeman PC; Jeannine Birmingham CPA, CGMA, President and CEO of the Alabama Society of Certified Public Accountants; Hannah Donovan 2019 ASCPA Intern and Chairman Award Recipient, Alabama Department of Revenue Intern, Future CPA; Allison Guice CPA, ABV, CVA, ASCBPA Board Member and Senior Manager at Jackson Thornton; Phyllis Ingram CPA, Chair of the ASCPA Audit Committee and Partner-in-Charge & Industry Line Leader of Carr, Riggs & Ingram, CPAs and Advisors; June Bush 2019 ASCPA Intern, Future CPA
Professional women advance client and community issues, goals and solutions because of our natural attributes of collaboration and inclusion. We tend to think outside of the box, seeking information and advice from colleagues, which accentuates our leadership skills while establishing strategies or solving problems. These qualities lay a foundation of trust with the individuals and organizations that Certified Public Accountants have the opportunity to serve. These women represent more than the organizations that they play a fundamental role in; they represent community, integrity and financial responsibility now and reaching into the future.
Notable: The ASCPA also employs 10 women who direct, operate and manage events, programs and resources to enhance Alabama’s accounting profession through advocacy, education and member engagement. This year we celebrated 100 years as an organization.
ascpa.org
