MBJ_LIF-2015

The Mississippi Business Journal is looking for professionals whose fiscal work has set the pace for their company and the region. Honorees are selected based on industry and community involvement and achievement through their energy and innovative ideas. Their work should provide a model of professionalism to their peers and go above and beyond the call of duty.

Nominations can be emailed to events@msbusiness.com or mailed to Leaders in Finance, Mississippi Business Journal, 200 North Congress Street, Suite 400, Jackson, MS 39201. Online submissions can be made at msbusiness.com/events/leaders-finance-nomination-form Submitting multiple nominations for one nominee is not necessary, as the selection committee will not decide based on show of support but rather on quality and thoroughness of supporting information.

Honorees will be recognized in the following categories: Banking: Honors individuals such as mortgage lenders, bank executives, credit officers and loan officers.

Investment: Honors individuals such as stockbrokers, financial advisers, financial planners and investment executives.

Professional: Honors individuals such as public accountants, auditors, financial educators and financial analysts.

For more information, contact Tami Jones at 601-364-1011.

Category:

❏ Banking

❏ Investment

❏ Professional

Nominee: Title: Company: Address: Street Address: City: Phone Number:

State:

Zip Code:

Email Address:

Business Accomplishments (Please be as specific and thorough as possible to help us make our selection):

Community Involvement (Please be as specific and thorough as possible to help us make our selection):

Reasons (Please be as specific and thorough as possible to help us make our selection):

Nominator: Nominator’s Phone Number:

Nominator’s Email Address:

2015

ALAN TURNER Publisher alan.turner@msbusiness.com • 601-364-1021 ROSS REILY Editor ross.reily@msbusiness.com • 601-364-1018 FRANK BROWN Staff Writer/Special Projects frank.brown@msbusiness.com • 601-364-1022 TED CARTER Staff Writer ted.carter@msbusiness.com • 601-364-1017 JACK WEATHERLY Staff Writer jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com • 601-364-1016 TAMI JONES Advertising Director tami.jones@msbusiness.com • 601-364-1011 MELISSA KILLINGSWORTH Sr. Account Executive melissa.harrison@msbusiness.com • 601-364-1030 VIRGINIA HODGES Account Executive virginia.hodges@msbusiness.com • 601-364-1012 TACY RAYBURN Production Manager tacy.rayburn@msbusiness.com • 601-364-1019 CHARINA RHODES Circulation Manager charina.rhodes@msbusiness.com • 601-364-1045 MARCIA THOMPSON-KELLY Business Assistant marcia.kelly@msbusiness.com • 601-364-1044 Subscription Services 601-364-1000 charina.rhodes@msbusiness.com

AARON LACEY BankPlus ................................................... 16

DREW ALLEN Members Exchange Credit Union ..................6

WILKINS H. MONTGOMERY II, CPA Montgomery & Bivins CPAs.........................17

ALON W. BEE Regions Bank ..............................................7

TRAVIS B. MOORE The Citizens Bank ......................................17

DONNA BRUCE BKD, LLP ....................................................8

LEIGH M. PACE Community Trust Bank .............................. 18

JULIAN A. BURNETT Fidelity Mortgage.........................................9

TAYLOR M. SLEDGE JR Sledge and Company ................................. 18

PHILLIP C. BURNETT, JR. Coker and Palmer Investment Securities ..... 10

CINDY SLOAN, CPA

ED CRAWFORD Reed’s Metals, Inc....................................... 11

SHARON TEW Community Trust Bank .............................. 19

CATHERINE F. FEIBELMAN May and Company ......................................12

WES THOMAS BancorpSouth Wealth Management............20

LEE M. FORTENBERRY Northwestern Mutual..................................13

CHANDLER C. TIPTON KPMG .......................................................20

CHASIDY GOODWIN, FA Edward Jones Investment Firm ................... 14

JON CROSBY TURNER BKD, LLP ...................................................21

MARK R. GREEN Morgan Stanley ..........................................15

DARRYL WALTMAN The Metropolitan Bank ...............................21

STEPHEN C. HIRN Haddox Reid Eubank Betts ..........................15

JAMES E. WOOD, CPA/ABV, CVA Haddox Reid Eubank Betts ......................... 22

STEFFANI JENKINS Trustmark Bank ......................................... 16

EDWARD WOODARD Priority One Bank ...................................... 22

Alexander, Van Loon, Sloan, Levens & Favre, PLLC ... 19

www.msbusiness.com

MBJ Staff

BRADLEY H. ALEXANDER Renasant Bank ............................................5

LEADERS IN FINANCE | Table of Contents |

2015 CLASS

EVENT PHOTOS ..................................................................................................................4

2015 LEADERS IN FINANCE | ARTICLE REPRINTS

Call 601-364-1044 or submit request online at http://msbusiness.com/mbj-article-request/ 3

Photos by Stegall Imagery

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| Event Photos | LEADERS IN FINANCE

2015

MORE EVENT PHOTOS | http://msbusiness.com/events/leaders-in-finance/leaders-in-finance-event-slideshow/ LISTS OF PAST WINNERS | http://msbusiness.com/events/past-event-winners/

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Bradley H. Alexander

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Bradley Alexander’s desire to help people meet their financial goals comes from the financial struggles he faced during his teenage years. He learned the importance of being financially responsible from mistakes he watched his family make.

So, at 18, he took a job managing an auto repair shop. He worked full time and went to community college at night. He later transferred to the University of Mississippi. He continued to work as a mechanic and held a second job as a store clerk while in college. ”It took me six years to obtain my undergraduate degree when most do it in four-to-five years,” he says. “Although, it took a little longer to obtain it the knowledge I gained by working my way through school has been just as valuable as the knowledge I gained from my studies.”

He earned his bachelor of business administration degree from Ole Miss in 2007 and his MBA in 2014 from Millsaps College.

Since October 2014, he has been a branch manager and an assistant vice president at Renasant Bank in Brandon. He previously worked for Wells Fargo and Regions.

Alexander is married with two children. He is a Rankin County Chamber of Commerce ambassador and was recenly accepted into the 2015 Leadership Rankin class.

LEADERS IN FINANCE | Nominees |

Renasant Bank

2015

CONGRATULATIONS Travis Moore selected as Mississippi Business Journals 2015 Leaders in Finance

www.thecitizensbankphila.com Proudly serving Attala, Forrest, Harrison, Jackson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Leake, Kemper, Neshoba, Newton, Oktibbeha, Rankin, Scott and Winston counties.

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| Nominees | LEADERS IN FINANCE

2015

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Drew Allen Members Exchange Credit Union Drew Allen, a personal service representative at the Members Exchange Credit Union’s Byram office, hopes to someday influence the education system in Mississippi by starting a personal money management program for high schools.

“I’m a big proponent of youth accounts and promoting financial literacy to young people,” he says. “I really wish high schools required a class to teach this for at least half the semester. More than half of the graduates enter the workforce right out of high school and have no idea how to handle the money they are making.”

He says his father taught him to be responsible and courteous, and showed him the value of money and also how to manage money.

His biggest personal accomplishments include earning a BBA from Mississippi State and “being able to marry the woman of my dreams, Heather Allen, in April 2014” He is treasurer of the Woodridge Homeowners Association and a Habitat for Humanity volunteer.

He enjoys fishing and golf and has dog named Bogey

2015

Alon W. Bee

Congratulations STEPHEN C. HIRN, CPA and JAMES E. WOOD, CPA/ABV, CVA

www.msbusiness.com

Alon Bee, City President for the Metro Jackson area of Regions Bank, has worked with the bank and its predecessors for more than 35 years. “I have been fortunate to hire and work with many outstanding associates,” Bee says. “My most significant accomplishment, in my opinion is having a small part in their professional growth and development and to see them obtain leadership postions in the company.”

In addition to his dedication to Regions, Bee also has great love for his alma mater, the University of Mississippi, where he earned his BA in 1979. He expressed that love for his school and his late wife, Vicki, who died in 2005 when he and his children Paige Bee Dodgen and Blake Bee endowed a scholarship in her memory at the University of Mississippi School of Nursing.

The award is given to the Mississippi Student Nurse of the Year which Vicki received in 1980.

He was recognized with the Goodwill Industries Outstanding Volunteer Award in 2013, and was a 2001 graduate of Leadership Jackson. Bee is a board member with the Baptist Health Systems Foundation, the Mississippi Heritage Trust and the Madison County Business League and Foundation. His hobbies include golf, sporting clays and Ole Miss sporting events.

LEADERS IN FINANCE | Nominees |

Regions Bank

experience recognition

A National CPA & Advisory Firm We’re proud of our commitment to deliver The BKD Experience of unmatched client service, so it’s especially gratifying when the community we serve recognizes our professionals. Congratulations to Jon Turner and Donna Bruce on being named to the Mississippi Business Journal’s 2015 Class of Leaders in Finance.

MISSISSIPPI BUSINESS JOURNAL’S 2015 LEADERS IN FINANCE.

ON BEING SELECTED

Rede ning partnership. Everyday.

Jon Turner // Partner Donna Bruce // Partner 601.948.6700 // bkd.com

For more than a half a century, Haddox Reid has been making a difference for our clients providing high quality professional accounting services.

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| Nominees | LEADERS IN FINANCE

2015

Donna Bruce BKD, LLP Donna is a partner with BKD in the Jackson office. She was previously a Member with Johnson, Bruce & Host, PLLC and a Tax Managing Director in the Jackson office of KPMG. Bruce works extensively in the area of personal financial planning, serving individuals, family group, and closely-held business clients including flow-through entities such as S corporations, investment partnerships and family partnerships. Bruce spends a significant amount of time providing compliance and consulting services related to income, retirement, estate and gift tax planning. She also works extensively with tax exempt organizations, having served most of Mississippi’s largest hospitals, colleges, universities, and their respective foundations.

Bruce is licensed by the State of Mississippi and is a member of both the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants.

She is a graduate of Leadership Mississippi and has been recognized as one of the “Top 40 Under 40” and one of Mississippi’s “50 Leading Business Women” by the Mississippi Business Journal.

Bruce is active in the Junior League of Jackson having previously served on the board of directors. She is also an active runner, having finished several marathons, including multiple Boston Marathons.

A graduate of Mississippi State University, Bruce received her Bachelor of Professional Accountancy in 1987.

COMMUNITY TRUST BANK WE ARE CHANGING OUR NAME But we’re not changing who we are.

OUR NEW NAME WILL BE

OriginBankOnline.com/Mississippi

Congratulations to Sharon Tew for being chosen as a Leader in Finance by the Mississippi Business Journal

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Member FDIC

Bank Original

2015

Julian A. Burnett

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Julian Burnett is a family-oriented Mississippi native with strong Christian values who grew up in the metro Jackson area. In addition to being a Mississippi State Alumni and holding a Bachelor’s degree in Business Finance, he is the son of a now retired real estate appraiser and developer. His experience in the mortgage and real estate industry spans over 20 years.

As a former regional manager of a Fortune 500 real estate company and instructor of real estate finance, Burnett has acquired extensive knowledge of Conventional, FHA, VA, and USDA mortgage products and has a proven track record of helping match the best mortgage product to his client’s needs. Burnett believes in providing a professional personalized experience that instills a level of confidence in his clients that surpasses any singular real estate transaction.

Although Burnett has been recognized by most of the mortgage banking organizations, chambers, and charities he has had the privilege of being affiliated with, he feels his greatest achievement above college degrees and various awards has been assisting families to overcome the barriers that would have normally prevented them from realizing their dream of home ownership.

LEADERS IN FINANCE | Nominees |

Fidelity Mortgage

Congratulations

DREW ALLEN! We are so proud of you!

M a y & C om pa n y , L L P c o n gr a t u la t e s

K a t ie F e ib e lm a n, C P A o n h er r ec o g n i t i on a s o n e o f M i s s i s si p pi ’ s L ea d e r s i n F i na nc e .

110 Monument Pl

|

www.maycpa.com

|

601.636.4762

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Phillip C. Burnett, Jr. Coker and Palmer Investment Securities Phillip Burnett, Jr joined Coker and Palmer after spending the first 18 years of his career working with the following large International Banks and Brokerage Firms: Shearson Lehman Brothers, PaineWebber, UBS & Bank of America/Merrill Lynch.

Burnett has led some of the industry’s most successful teams of Wealth Management Advisors in Tennessee, New Jersey, Ohio and Mississippi.

Burnett now works with wealthy individuals and families to manage their assets and help them generate investment income when appropriate.

He believes that understanding the clients’ goals, expectations, tolerance for risk, time horizons and resources is critical to the success of any Investment Advisory relationship. The skill and expertise to hand craft and customize portfolios along with the commitment, discipline and maturity to monitor, review and revise portfolios as markets, clients’ goals and resources evolve is what differentiates Phil from the field of competition.

www.msbusiness.com

| Nominees | LEADERS IN FINANCE

2015

Who’s helping you build your financial future?

Lee Fortenberry CFP®, MSFS Managing Partner jackson.nm.com

PriorityOne Bank would like to congratulate

EDDIE WOODARD, on being named one of 2015’s Leaders in Finance by the Mississippi Business Journal!

05-3035 © 2015 The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Milwaukee, WI (Northwestern Mutual).

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www.priorityonebank.com

Ed Crawford

would like to congratulate one of our very own,

Chandler Tipton

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In the 1980s and 90s, Edwin Crawford was a missile launch control officer with the U.S. Air Force at Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota.

He controlled security and launch of 50 intercontinental ballastic missiles upon authorized command from the president.

He’s pushed the right buttons since then.

For the last five years, he has been CFO at Reed’s Metals in Brookhaven.

He manages financial aspects for five manufacturing and retail metal roofing plants across the Southeastern United States, totaling 60 million in sales.

He has built numerous analytical business tracking tools and trained all necessary employees. He feels this directly influences the 140 percent growth the company has seen in the last five years.

He earned his MBA at Univeristy of North Dakota and his BA at Bellevue University and spent three years as a missile instructor and two years as an ROTC professor at USM. He also is a recent graduate in ministerial studies at Berean College, which is reflected in his work when he sometimes files taxes for no profit, charging only a filing fee. “It’s a ministry of which I am proud and honored and happy to contribute,” he says. He is married with four children, three grandchildren and is proud to call Wesson his home.

LEADERS IN FINANCE | Nominees |

Reed’s Metals, Inc.

2015

on being named to the Mississippi Business Journal's 2015 Leaders in Finance

Cindy Sloan, CPA Partner

for being selected as one of the

Leaders In Finance 2015.

KPMG, LLP | 188 East Capitol St., Suite 1100 Jackson, MS 39201 | 1 (601) 354-3701

9490 Three Rivers Road | Gulfport, MS | (228) 863-0411 304 N. Vardaman St. | Wiggins, MS | (601) 928-4416 www.avlwealthcare.com | www.avlcpa.com

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Catherine F. Feibelman May and Company Katie Feibelman is a partner and Certified Public Accountant with May & Company, LLP, in Vicksburg, a firm she joined in 2006.

Her experience includes tax, audit, accounting and business consulting in a range of industries.

Feibelman earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2001 and graduated magna cum laude with a Masters in Business Administration from Mississippi College in 2008.

She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Feibelman is treasurer of the Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce Board, secretary of the board for Vicksburg Family Development, President-Elect of the Vicksburg Kiwanis Club, past co-chairman of the United Way campaign and life member of Junior Auxiliary of Vicksburg.

She is also a member of St. Michael’s Church.

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| Nominees | LEADERS IN FINANCE

2015

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601-364-1044 Fax: (601) 364-1007 WAYS TO ORDER » Call: Fax or mail: Mississippi Business Journal Attn: Marcia Kelly 200 North Congress St, Ste 400, Jackson 39201 Email: marcia.kelly@msbusiness.com or print off form at http://msbusiness.com/wp-files/forms/article-request-form-web.pdf

Lee M. Fortenberry

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Originally from Columbus, Ga., Lee Fortenberry has been representing Northwestern Mutual since 1991. He has been managing partner in Jackson since 2013.

Fortenberry received a BS in Chemistry at Erskine College in Due West, S.C. While with Northwestern Mutual, he has attained the Certified Financial Planner certification and the designations of Chartered Life Underwriter, Chartered Financial Consultant, Registered Health Underwriter, Registered Employee Benefits Consultant, Chartered Advisor in Senior Living, and holds a Master of Science in Financial Services from the American College. He is continuing his studies in the American College’s Doctoral Program in Financial and Retirement Planning. Additionally, he is a recipient of the Hueber Personal Mentorship Award for mentoring other CLU/ChFC candidates.

Before joining Northwestern Mutual, Fortenberry served four years in the Army, seeing active duty as a captain. He also served seven years as a Captain in the Maryland Army National Gaurd.

Fortenberry lives in Madison with his wife, Tina. They share four children: Courtney, Marty, Brittany and Matthew.

LEADERS IN FINANCE | Nominees |

Northwestern Mutual

2015

CONGRATULATIONS TO

AARON LACEY ON BEING NAMED

A LEADER IN FINANCE As a Vice President and Cash Management Relationship Services Sales Representative at BankPlus, Aaron is one of our finest. So we’re proud, but not surprised, that he has been chosen for this honor. Aaron’s service to the community has been recognized by many. We take our hats off to Aaron.

BankPlus.net

© Copyright 2015 BankPlus.

Member FDIC.

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Chasidy Goodwin, FA Edward Jones Investment Firm Chasidy Goodwin is a financial adviser for Edward Jones Investment Firm in Clinton, where she runs an independent office.

Goodwin has a B.S. in Accounting from Alcorn State University and has a Master’s of Professional Accountancy from Jackson State University.

Goodwin has also been a member of the Mississippi Air National Guard, where she has ben since 2001 as a Medical Service Core Officer, 1Lt. At Edward Jones, Goodwin prepares financial reports of current and future performance, financial analyses of operations for guidance of management as well as annual and quarterly budgets and financial forecasts.

Previously, Goodwin was a loan operations supervisor at the Candence Bank Operation Center in Starkville from 2006-2009.

www.msbusiness.com

| Nominees | LEADERS IN FINANCE

2015

COMMUNITY TRUST BANK WE ARE CHANGING OUR NAME But we’re not changing who we are.

OUR NEW NAME WILL BE

OriginBankOnline.com/Mississippi · 601.856.3380 Front - L to R: Kevin Hahn, Larry Ratzlaff Back - L to R: Jack Stuart, Leigh Pace, Stephen de Kock, Melissa Peters Congratulations to Leigh Pace for being chosen as a Leader in Finance by the Mississippi Business Journal

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Member FDIC

Bank Original

Mark R. Green

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Mark R. Green, Senior Investment Management Consultant for Morgan Stanley, LLC, of Jackson, believes that to be a leader and make a difference one must be honest, put the client’s needs first, work hard, and have a servant’s heart. He characterizes himself as a servant and says Mother Teresa has been his role model. “She lived a life devoted to helping others,” he explains.

In 2000, Green earned the designation of Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®) that is conferred by the Investment Management Consultants Association in conjunction with The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He received an MBA in 1989 from the Else School of Management at Millsaps College and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from the College of Business and Industry at Mississippi State in 1979.

Green is former president of the Rotary Club of North Jackson, and a lifelong member at First Baptist Church-Jackson, where he is a deacon and incoming chairman of the finance committee.

Green says his most significant personal acomplishment is being married to his high school sweetheart Sherye Simmons Green for thirty-four years and rearing two children, Mark and Lauren, who are now married.

He enjoys hiking, fishing, hunting and being involved in missions.

LEADERS IN FINANCE | Nominees |

Morgan Stanley

2015

Stephen C. Hirn Haddox Reid Eubank Betts Stephen C. Hirn’s areas of practice include real estate, wholesale and retail business, professional service firms, nonprofit organizations and financial institutions. He provides real estate services to clients for acquisition, development, commercial operation, and multi-family housing, including areas of government assistance. Hirn also serves client needs in the areas of audited, reviewed and compiled financial statements; forecasting and projecting and budgeting; agreed upon procedures, compliance with contracted and regulatory agreements; business planning and evaluation of purchase or sale of businesses. In his tax practice areas, he works extensively with individuals, partnerships and corporate clients, as well as specialized services.

Hirn says his role model in the public accounting profession his former partner William L. Eubank, Jr. Eubank’s ability to balance work, personal life, and service to others was remarkable, him says. In addition to all of this, his expertise in tax practice was well known in the business and professional community.

Hirn is a member of the Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the The Mississippi Estate Planning Council. Among his most important achievements, Him lists, raising three children and seeing them now be very happy, loving, Christian individuals. He is a member of the St. Richard Catholic Church and says that in his spare time, he enjoys walking, yard work, gardening, boating and grandchildren.

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| Nominees | LEADERS IN FINANCE

2015

Steffani Jenkins Trustmark Bank Making a difference in the lives of others is important to Steffani Jenkins, first vice president and director of community development at Trustmark National Bank.

“I recently heard someone say that they come to work in downtown Jackson the same way every day because they are afraid to venture outside of the normal route,” Jenkins says. “This is true of many people, not just logistically, but also in life. If you take the same path every day, you’ll never learn, and others won’t learn from you.” That’s why she loves her job, which she says allows her to meet people of diverse backgrounds and determine how the bank can make a difference in their lives.

The Mississippi State graduate serves on the boards of Housing Education and Economic Development, Habitat for Humanity, Mississippi Jumpstart Coalition, Midtown Partners, Mississippi Housing and Community Development Planning Committee, the Jackson Medical Mall Foundation, Alliance for Economic Inclusion, Mississippi Gulf Coast/Delta AEI Small Business Conference and Southern Community Capital. She was one of Mississippi’s 50 Leading Business Women in 2007. Jenkins has been married 24 years, and has two sons, ages 19 and 21.

Aaron Lacey BankPlus Robert Aaron Lacey is Vice President and Cash Management Officer of the BankPlus Cash Management Relationship Services Department in Ridgeland.

Lacey has worked for BankPlus for 12 years while holding a variety of positions. He is currently responsible for developing new treasury management business and expanding existing business banking relationships.

His current sales territory expands from DeSoto County to the Gulf Coast with a primary focus in the Jackson Metropolitan area. He consults regularly with prospective and existing treasury management customers throughout Mississippi and the neighboring states to cultivate and promote excellent long-term relationships.

Lacey is a graduate of Mississippi College where he received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Master of Business Administration. He is also a graduate of the Mississippi School of Banking at the University of Mississippi and is currently enrolled in the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University. Lacey is a current member of the American Bankers Association, Southern Financial Exchange, American Financial Professionals, Madison County Chamber, graduate and alumnus Leadership Madison County, Mississippi Young Bankers, Young Business Leaders, and the 2015 honoree of Mississippi Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40 award.

He resides in Madison County with his wife, Courtney Lacey and their daughter, Abbie. Lacey and family are active members of Apostolic Lighthouse Church in Canton.

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Wilkins H. Montgomery II, CPA Wilkins H. Montgomery II, better known as Monty, is a partner in the Jackson CPA firm of Montgomery & Bivins.

Montgomery has been a personal financial adviser since 2001.

Montgomery earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Mississippi State in 1977.

LEADERS IN FINANCE | Nominees |

Montgomery & Bivins CPAs

2015

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Travis B. Moore The Citizens Bank Travis Moore has been active in a host of civic and economic development organizations throughout South Mississippi. He holds three degrees from Mississippi State University and is a graduate of the Gulf Coast Masters Leadership Program, DeSoto Leadership Program and Southeastern Commercial Lending School, conducted at Vanderbilt University.

Moore has previously been named as one of Mississippi’s “Top 40 Under 40” by the Mississippi Business Journal.

He serves as Kiwanis lieutenant governor and as president of Kiwanis Division 14 Foundation. He serves on the board of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Honor Flight, Home Builders Associations of the Mississippi Coast and Louisiana, Mississippi, West Tennessee. Kiwanis District Foundation. Moore also serves as co-chair of the Honor Flight Junior Guardian Program, tournament director of the Carl Legett Memorial Fishing Tournament and is a member of the Gulf Coast Business Council. In addition, Moore is a member of First Baptist Church, Gulfport, where he serves as a deacon.

Moore tries to make Mississippi a better place to do both business and reside. He is committed to the community through his many endeavors to help those less fortunate.

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| Nominees | LEADERS IN FINANCE

2015

Leigh M. Pace Community Trust Bank As a senior level commercial lender for the Mississippi division of Community Trust Bank, Leigh M. Pace develops and manages a significant commercial portfolio of client relationships and develops new-to-bank business opportunities in the state of Mississippi. Pace is responsible for leading and implementing strategic objectives to increase market share and maximize opportunities for growth in the Mississippi market.

Pace feels that his most significant professional accomplishment was his role as a Board member/Executive Officer during the rebuilding of Madison County Bank. When he first joined the bank in 2004, Pace was challenged with a small, virtually unknown bank with very little deposit base and an even smaller loan base. As a small bank based in Madison, it was important to use all of his banking knowledge and background to help grow the bank from the $20M dollar institution to the more than $70million dollar institution at its highest level before merging with Community Trust Bank. With this merger, it was able to take a small bank in Madison and grow it to more than $500M in total assets.

Pace says banking is essential to the financial life of any community. Working with business leaders to create ways to enhance their business makes a positive impact on everyone in the community.

A native of Canton, Pace is a graduate of Mississippi State University. He has been married to Elizabeth for 20 years and has three children.

Taylor M. Sledge Jr Sledge and Company When Taylor Sledge, owner and founder of Sledge and Company, works with a client, he uses a process-driven approach, which follows proven steps to develop a customized plan that is well suited to his client’s individual situation and needs.

Sledge specializes in working with small business owners, executives, retirees, and professionals in estate, business succession and retirement and risk management. His process involves well-designed areas to help his client maintain control and create synergy among advisers. Sledge speaks nationally about the process that has optimized the results for many of his clients.

Sledge grew up in Jackson and graduated from the University of Mississippi with a B.A. in 2007. He is married to Dr. Catherine Sledge, owner of Carter Sledge Family Dentistry.

He is a member of the Phoenix Club, which raises money for the Boys and Girls Clubs, and volunteers at Mission First Inner City Ministry. He is on fundraising boards for the Boy Scouts of America, The Million Dollar Round Table (where he plays harmonica in the band), Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Jackson Prep. He loves hunting, fishing, traveling and seeing concerts.

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Cindy Sloan, CPA Cindy Sloan is a CPA in Wiggins at the firm of Alexander, Van Loon, Sloan, Levens and Favre.

Her responsibilities as tax partner include firm wide responsibilities for audits with all taxing authorities, including the Mississippi State Tax Commission and the Internal Revenue Service, as well as, income and estate tax planning. Responsibilities also include maintaining services our firm provides to a client base, special projects and consultation engage-

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ments.

She also participates with the firm’s three other partners in management, administration and development of the firm’s practice.

Sloan, a 1998 member of the Mississippi Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40, is also a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the Mississippi Society of CPAs as well as the Mississippi Tax Institute.

In 2010 she was named the Stone County Economic Development Citizen of the Year, where she has served in many roles.

Sloan is a member of the Stone County Jaycees and is a member of the First United Methodist Church where she is on the Finance Committee and is Chairman of the Audit Committee.

LEADERS IN FINANCE | Nominees |

Alexander, Van Loon, Sloan, Levens & Favre, PLLC

2015

Sharon Tew Community Trust Bank Sharon Tew is currently a Vice President with Community Trust Bank supporting CTB’s Mississippi market. She has 30 years of Banking experience with 15 specifically focused on Treasury Management. She is an active member of Association of Financial Professionals and Southern Financial Exchange.

Tew has a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Mississippi College and makes her home in Madison with her husband Randy. They have two married children, Scott and Lindsey, and recently welcomed their first grandchild, Reese. Tew is very active in her church and community and is an active member of the Ridgeland Chamber of Commerce.

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Wes Thomas

| Nominees | LEADERS IN FINANCE

BancorpSouth Wealth Management

www.msbusiness.com

2015

Wes Thomas is a Senior fixed income portfolio manager who excels in proven leadership in an evolving financial environment, using initiative and problem solving to work for the best interests and needs of clients.

He has significant experience in the management of complex investment portfolios for a wide range of clients. Thomas specializes in multi-discipline equity and fixed income strategies, with expertise in common fund and institutional account management. He is also an effective professional in sales, client relationship management, retention, and analytics.

Thomas manages in excess of $1.25 billion in discretionary fixed income assets for clients and institutions in 8 southeastern states. In addition to specialized bond portfolio management, Thomas sits on the BancorpSouth Trust Policy Working Group and chairs the technical analyst role for BancorpSouth’s Investment Policy Committee. Thomas is a First Vice President and been with BancorpSouth more than 9 years in the Portfolio Management role.

Thomas says his role models are are the quiet professionals in any organization that place a high degree of personal satisfaction in doing a job to the best of their abilities. Everyone will fail at some point or another, but failing while trying your best has always garnished my respect.

Thomas is a 1996 graduate of Mississippi State University and in currently working on his MBA at Belhaven University.

Chandler C. Tipton KPMG During his career with KPMG, Chandler Tipton has seen the world. He has been based in KPMG offices in Jackson, Paris, Amsterdam, Washington and New York.

Now, he’s in Jackson as managing director in KPMG’s Compliance Center of Excellence. He has 24 years of experience serving in tax and knowledge management roles. He currently is a Global Compliance Management Services Leader in the U.S. and leads the KPMG LINK 360 technology for the Americas region.

Tipton leads engagements in the Tax Transformation & Technology practice for design and implementation of tax technology solutions. He leads the delivery of tax and regulatory compliance process design, transition, project management, technology integration, and process improvement for many domestic and multi-national clients.

Tipton received his BBA from Millsaps College in 1991.

He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accounts and the Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants.

20

Jon Crosby Turner

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For more than 35 years, Jon Turner has provided clients audit, tax and advisory services as well as consultation on strategic affiliation planning, merger and acquisition efforts and forensic investigations. Jon’s client responsibilities span multiple industries, including health care, not-forprofits, financial institutions and manufacturing. He serves as leader of BKD National Health Care Group for Mississippi.

A native of Belzoni and 1978 Ole Miss graduate, Turner began his career with Peat, Marwick Mitchell & Co. (now KPMG) in 1978 and after joining a small local firm in 1981 helped lead its growth into one of the three largest firms in Mississippi. In 2008, he guided the merger of his firm Smith, Turner & Reeves and two other Mississippi CPA firms with BKD. He is a member of the Mississippi chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association, the Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He has served on the Accounting & Auditing Committee and currently is a member of the Long Range Planning Committee of the MSCPA. In 2013, Turner was selected as the “MSCPA Public Service Award Winner” and was recognized at its annual convention.

Turner and his wife Pam served as co-chairmen of the Ole Miss First Scholarship Endowment component of the $200 million MomentUM Campaign and have held leadership roles on multiple other University campaigns.

Turner and Pam have two grown, married daughters and Ole Miss graduates and a grandson and granddaughter.

LEADERS IN FINANCE | Nominees |

BKD, LLP

2015

Darryl Waltman The Metropolitan Bank Before becoming director of accounting and finance last year at Metropolitan Bank in Ridgeland, Darryl Waltman faced a task no one envies – closing down an office. After working 12 years with Parkway Properties, the finance office was moved from Jackson to Florida. Many working in Jackson, including Waltman, didn’t make the move.

During the transition, he was able to keep his team modivated while it did its work and train replacements. “Most teams would have thrown in the towel and not finished strong but our team did the opposite. I consider this my most significant accomplishment to date.”

Previously, he worked three years for KPMG after earning this MBA from Mississippi College in 1998.

Personally, he considers being happily married for 16 years as his most significant accomplishment.

He and his wife have four sons.

Waltman is also an elder and children’s Sunday school teacher at at Riverwood Bible Church He spends leisure time with his family, playing golf, running and participating in church activities.

21

James E. Wood, CPA/ABV, CVA Haddox Reid Eubank Betts James E. Wood is responsible for income tax, auditing and accounting engagements including engagements involving non-profit organizations, real estate entities, nursing homes, automotive and equipment dealers, wholesalers/retailers, franchisors, information technology entities, and other closely-held entities. He also devotes a significant amount of his time and efforts toward individual income and estate/gift tax planning and compliance matters for his clients. He is accredited to perform business valuations by the AICPA as well as the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts. Additionally, @ooe performs peer reviews for CPA firms in the State of Mississippi and across the country.

He has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and an MBA from Ole Miss and is a member of Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

He is a deacon at Colonial Heights Baptist Church in Ridgeland and is a Board member of St. Catherine Village as well as treasurer for the Foundation to Eradicate Muscular Dystrophy

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| Nominees | LEADERS IN FINANCE

2015

Edward Woodard Priority One Bank After spending much of his life selling outdoor power equipment in Koscuisko, Eddie Woodard found a new start in banking. Since 2014, he has been president of the Madison Division of Priority One Bank.

For 25 years, he operated and owned K.M. Distributing Co., but when his suppliers changed policies, he changed jobs, joining M&F Bank in Madison as a commercial loan officer, before making his move to Priority One. In Kosciusko, he was a member of the board of directors at M&F bank.

Woodard earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Electronic Engineering Technology at DeVry University in Dallas. He also studied at University of Louisiana in Monroe and at Holmes Community College.

He was a member of the Leadership Mississippi Class in 2007, and was a member of the board of directors at Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce.

22

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Congratulations, Alon Bee, on being named a Leader in Finance.

Regions is proud to congratulate our own Alon W. Bee on being named among the Mississippi Business Journal Leaders in Finance. Alon serves as the Metro Jackson City President for Regions Financial Corporation and believes the primary leadership skill is to lead by example. That means never asking others to do what you are not willing to do yourself. A native of Jackson, Alon is also an active leader in his community. He serves on the boards of the Greater Jackson Chamber, Baptist Health Foundation, Mississippi Heritage Trust, University of Mississippi Business School Advisory Board and the Madison County Business League & Foundation. Alon is also a recipient of the Goodwill Industries Outstanding Volunteer Award. Congratulations, Alon, on your honorable achievement.

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