MBJ_Top-in—Tech-2018

2018

Special event of the Mississippi Business Journal

Sponsored by

Photos by Stegall Imagery

Top in Tech

18 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q June 29, 2018

2018

TABLE OF CONTENTS 2018 CLASS SHEENA ALLEN, CapWay and Sheena Allen Apps .........................................19

CARLA LEWIS, C Spire................................................................................. 23

J. STAN BURTON, Burton Computer Resources, Inc. .....................................19

ROBERT LOWERY, The Taylor Group........................................................... 23

STEPHEN BYE, C Spire .................................................................................19

GARY MATTHEWS, Tishomingo Development Foundation........................... 24

DAVID FONTENOT, Liquid Creative .............................................................20

SUSAN MCDANIEL, St. Dominics ............................................................... 24

JAMES W. GARNER, TEC............................................................................20

J.P. MCINNIS, Copiah-Lincoln Community College ......................................... 24

CARRIE GOETZ, Paige DataCom Solutions ...................................................20

BARBARA MILLER, C Spire......................................................................... 24

BRAD GOFF, Huntington-Ingalls ....................................................................21

BENJAMIN MONCRIEF, C Spire.................................................................. 25

GARRET GRAY, Next Gear Solutions..............................................................21

DAVID J. SLIMAN, USM .............................................................................. 25

KIM GRIFFIN, Clinton Public Schools..............................................................21

CHAD WALLACE, Belhaven University.......................................................... 25

JAMES HARROD, Liquid Creative ................................................................ 22

NICHOLAS WILLIAMS, USM ..................................................................... 25

VICKI B. HELFRICH, Mississippi Wireless Communication Commission ........ 22

KEVIN YEARICK, UMMC ............................................................................. 26

CHRIS HENDERSON, Camgian Microsystems.............................................. 22

JONATHAN YOUNG, Members Exchange .................................................... 26

JUSTIN A. HOGUE, LEC Incorporated .......................................................... 22

Photos ..............................................................................................................17

JONATHAN HOLLINGSHEAD, Business Communications, Inc (BCI) .......... 23

Past winners..................................................................................................... 26

MICHAEL LENOIR, AmFed Insurance Services, LLC ...................................... 23

Driving Technology

Forward James W. Garner

Vice President Operations

TEC proudly congratulates James W. Garner2018 Mississippi Business Journal Top in Tech Award recipient.

James is not only the driving force behind technology operations at TEC, but also a leader within the industry. He is committed to providing the company and its customers with the highest level of technology available. His peers widely recognize James for his innovation and expertise.

Thank you for your dedication.

TEC.COM

2018 TOP IN TECH AWARDS ARTICLE REPRINTS Call 601-364-1044 or submit request online at http://msbusiness.com/mbj-article-request/

Top in Tech

June 29, 2018

Q

Sheena Allen

J. Stan Burton

CapWay and Sheena Allen Apps

Burton Computer Resources, Inc.

S

heena Allen is an entrepreneur from Terry. During her senior year of college, she thought of a mobile checkbook app after leaving WalMart. With no technical background, she created her first mobile app in mid 2011.

The app would be the start of her first startup, Sheena Allen Applications, a company with a portfolio of photo and social apps. Sheena bootstrapped the company to millions of downloads before starting her second startup, CapWay. After still seeing a large problem with the financial system while visiting her home state of Mississippi, Sheena’s research lead her to start CapWay after realizing the financially underserved was 3 billion strong worldwide.

Allen was featured in She Started It, a documentary that follows the startup journey of five young women. The film has been shown worldwide at schools, community organizations, and tech headquarters.

She is a 2011 graduate of Southern Mississippi with degrees in psychology and film.

Stephen Bye C Spire

S

tephen Bye is one of the U.S. wireless industry’s rising stars, according to Fierce Wireless, an internationally recognized online publication and email newsletter that focuses on the latest trends, analysis and news in the wireless industry.

Bye, who reports directly to C Spire CEO Hu Meena, is leading the company’s efforts to develop and deploy next-generation 5G and fixed wireless technologies for millions of Mississippi consumers and businesses.

Bye was named president of C Spire by Meena in December 2016 after an earlier stint as chief technology officer of the Mississippi-based diversified telecommunications and technology services company.

C Spire is one of the state’s leading employers and contributors to its overall economy. The company’s wireless unit is the sixth largest in the U.S. and the largest privately-held mobile service provider in the nation.

A well-known and widely respected 25-year veteran in the telecommunications industry, Bye served previous stints as CTO at Sprint, vice president of wireless at Cox Communications and executive director of converged services at AT&T. He is married with two sons and is involved in the community, including with the Troop 1 Boy Scouts in Jackson.

S

Mississippi Business Journal

tan Burton is CEO at Burton Computer Resources in Laurel.

For more than 20 years, Burton Computer Resources has been bringing professional-grade computer technology to small and medium-sized businesses of South Mississippi.

Burton Computer Resources is a 12-employee IT services company providing managed services, hardware, software, consulting, web development, web hosting, and email hosting and filtering.

Burton graduated from Meridian Junior College in 1977 and then 1979 from Mississippi State University with a degree in electrical engineering, followed by a masters in electrical engineering from MSU in 1980.

Stan is married to Sheree Warnick Burton and they have two children, Elise and Ellyn. He is a member and deacon of First Baptist Church, Ellisville, a Sunday School teacher of adult couples and a choir member.

Q

19

Top in Tech

20 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q June 29, 2018

David Fontenot

James W. Garner

Liquid Creative

TEC

A

s Liquid Creative’s resident web expert, David uses his vast array of skills and experience to lead the Web component of the Liquid Creative services.

The Ole Miss grad has worked in IT for several years. He has been proactive troubleshooting potential Web and technical issues for Liquid.

The “web whisperer” is integral to the creative process and ensures that our clients’ online brand messages are strong. David’s easy manner and willingness to share his IT knowledge make him a popular guy at Liquid Creative. He is married and has one child.

GOOD NEWS IS WORTH REPEATING! Digital Reprint Article or list will be reformatted with Mississippi Business Journal masthead on the top of the page and be provided in PDF format.

Framed Article

Plaque - 9”x12” or 8”x10” - $199

Articles are reformatted to fit on either one or two pages with Mississippi Business Journal masthead on the top of the page.

Article size is 8.5” x 11”.

Frame size - 14” x 16.5” - $199

Framed articles take approximately one month to complete.

Introductory Offer $199

R Digital Reprint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$375 R Framed Article 14” x 16.5” cherry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$199 R Framed Article 23” x 16.5” cherry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $250 R Plaque 8” x 10” or 9” x 12” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$199

601-364-1044 Fax: (601) 364-1007 WAYS TO ORDER » Call: Fax or mail: Mississippi Business Journal Attn: Marcia Thompson-Kelly 200 North Congress St, Ste 400, Jackson 39201 Email: marcia.kelly@msbusiness.com or submit a request online at http://msbusiness.com/mbj-article-request/

J

ames W. Garner is Vice President of Operations for TEC, an innovative full-service provider of telecommunications and network services. James leads a comprehensive array of operations teams in every aspect, including strategic planning, budgeting, project management, construction, technology upgrades, new service implementation, and maintenance.

He works daily with the operations team members to insure TEC provides quality broadband and voice services to customers throughout the southeast.

James is a graduate of Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Science and a Masters of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering, where he focused his postgraduate work on thermal analysis and fluid dynamics. After working at Rockwell International on various NASA Space Shuttle and Department of Defense weapons projects, James began working for TEC in 1992. Currently, James serves as board member for a number of TEC’s subsidiaries.

He also is a board member and past president of the Tennessee Telephone Association. James is married to Joey F. Garner, and they have three children, Jessica, Joseph, and John.

Carrie Goetz Paige DataCom Solutions

C

arrie Goetz is the Global Director of Technology at Paige DataCom Solutions.

She has more than 30 years of experience in all facets of IT and facilities.

She is globally published and speaks at Industry events globally. She holds and RCDD/NTS, CDCP and is a 1st degree Infrastructure Mason. Carrie has had 40 certifications throughout her career and holds an MBA. She is on the AFCOM board of advisors, Cnet Technical Curriculum Advisor Board, Vice Chairman and Liaison for STEM to AATC, a member of WIMCO, 7×24 Mentoring program and champions women in data centers and technology platforms. Carrie is published in over 250 publications in 69 countries and has designed and worked in mission critical environments around the globe.

Goetz is a STEM advocate, and mentors numerous young women, and men. She is on the AFCOM board of advisors, the Data Center Institute board of advisors and WIMCO, among many others. She was recently awarded an honorary doctorate for lifetime contributions to the industry from AATCU. She carries the values and hospitality of Mississippi wherever she goes, and often invites people to enjoy the Rez.

Top in Tech

June 29, 2018

Brad Goff

Garret Gray

Huntington-Ingalls

Next Gear Solutions

B

rad Goff is IT Program Manager at Huntington Ingalls Industries on the Gulf Coast.

Process Improvement, Leadership, Program Management are his main areas of focus. Given a problem, he can establish a team which can form a solution then manage through implementation. The keys to this success are through several factors: Strong communication, enhanced customer acceptance and constant collaboration, and lastly constant feedback and response to change.

Goff has been with Huntington Ingalls in some for or fashion since 2008 and before that was the Information Technologies Manager for IP Casino.

He is a graduate of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and the Information Technologies Program Management program at Capella University.

Kim Griffin Clinton Public Schools

A

s technology director at Clinton Public Schools, Kim Griffin has spearheaded numerous successful initiatives that transformed teaching and learning. The Clinton Public School District is widely recognized as a leader in educational technology, and administrators in other school districts visit regularly to tour classrooms and see first-hand how classroom technology is being used.

Among her duties are: Making sure schools and offices have adequate infrastructure to support technology, overseeing student and faculty devices, including negotiating with vendors for pricing and quality when purchasing devices, deploying computers/cords/cases to 5,200-plus students in grades K-12 each August, among many other things.

Griffin manages a staff of nine, including instructional technologists (who provide training and tech support for teachers); student data manager; Apple and Windows system administrators; and tech specialists.

Griffin is a strong leader in her department and throughout the Clinton Public School District. She is well respected personally and professionally. Her hard work does not stop at her job as she is also the mother of three children in CPSD.

G

Q

Mississippi Business Journal

arret Gray is president and CEO of Next Gear Solutions.

Gray is a dynamic consultant that promotes change resiliency and lean processing. Utilizing Six Sigma principles, industry experience and knowledge, Garret customizes processes that fit targeted organizations within unique markets.

Gray has a proven track record in designing and implementing quality improvement initiatives that both increase quality for the customer and cut cost for the organization. The core guiding principles for Garret are to assure all processes in a given organization are value added, lean and allow for “operating transparency”. Next Gear Consulting was launched by Garret and has allowed him to work with hundreds of restoration contractors in the United States and Canada to increase sales, profits and communications utilizing creative marketing tactics and developing uses for the latest technology.

Garret’s focus is on technology based lean solutions that both increase efficiency and effectiveness. This technology will also have significant marketing benefits that will attract clients to your organization.

Q

21

Top in Tech

22 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q June 29, 2018

James Harrod

Vicki B. Helfrich

Liquid Creative

Mississippi Wireless Communication Commission

J

V

ames Harrod is Web Developer and Programmer for Liquid Creative.

Harrod’s “can do” attitude is apparent the moment you meet him. Having earned both his Ph.D. and Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Mississippi State, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude, James knows what hard work means. He is also FE/ EIT Certified. His bevy of knowledge and research skills help Liquid Creative better serve its clients. When James sets his mind to a task, he accomplishes it. Whether that challenge is building a website or learning a new skill, James will do it. And he’ll probably do it with a smile.

icki Helfrich is responsible for overseeing the build out and operations of Mississippi’s Statewide Public Safety wireless communication system, the nation’s first statewide P25 Phase I I public safety communications system.

Over the past six years Helfrich has been instrumental in building a mission critical interoperable communication system from 6,000 subscribers to more than 35,000 including subscribers from state agencies, local entities, the federal government and non -governmental organizations.

The use of the system has increased interoperability among and provided the avenue to break down silos which were prevalent among emergency responders. As a result, coordinated efforts are achieved everyday between subscribers including the Mississippi Highway Patrol, Mississippi Department of Transportation, Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, local police, firefighters and sheriffs, Electric Power Associations, and ambulance service providers to name a few.

2018

Chris Henderson

Justin A. Hogue

Camgian Microsystems

LEC Incorporated

C

hris Henderson is the Vice President of Engineering at Camgian Microsystems. He is a pioneer in the Internet of Things space in building turnkey solutions from data collection at the Edge using different sensors that include Infrared, Seismic, Radar, Strain Gauge, Video etc, performing Edge analytics and then delivering summary data over the cellular network to the a Cloud platform where complex rules and algorithms are applied and results presented to the user in a web interface accessible to authorized users in a secure manner from any location.

Henderson has extensive experience in technology leadership positions that include several startup ventures as well as large established technology organizations including Computer Sciences Corporation. His roles have included multiple facets of technology development that cover software, hardware and embedded firmware.

He is co-author of a patent for “Systems and Methods for Auto-configuration of a Generic Metering device on a wireless Network”. Chris graduated with a degree in Computer Science from the University of Mississippi.

A

s VP Director of Business Development, Justin leads LEC’s cross-functional team in the expansion of the Company’s ecosystem of strategic partners and in the advancement of cutting-edge technology offerings related to the generation of new IIoT applications, platforms and network architectures to better serve Industry.

Justin pioneered and launched LEC’s IIoT platform and services in 2012, catapulting the Company to its current status as a proven market leader, business partner and end-to-end solutions provider in experienced IIoT enablement.

His extensive engineering experience combined with his continual commitment to LEC’s investment in technological advancement allows Justin to expertly manage and develop LEC’s already vast portfolio of industrial automation and IIoT enablement products and services.

Justin is a Certified Professional Engineer and received his degree from Mississippi State University’s Bagley College of Engineering. He was selected as one of Mississippi’s Top 40 Under 40 Business Leaders for 2009 by the Mississippi Business Journal.

Top in Tech

June 29, 2018

Q

Jonathan Hollingshead

Michael Lenoir

Business Communications, Inc.

AmFed Insurance Services, LLC

J

M

onathan Hollingshead became president of Business Communications Inc. this year after spending five years with Logistic of Jackson.

At BCI, Hollingshead leads the 25-year-old IT Solutions and Managed Solutions Provider with 60-70 employees spread across Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Arkansas.

He is responsible for maintaining and growing annual revenues of 40 million dollars, provides strategic direction and planning with a focus on profit margin growth, identifies operational efficiencies and implement new processes to lower costs and automate tasks o Identify and implement tools to provide better customer experiences and expands portfolio to differentiate from and increase advantage over competitors .

Hollingshead is a 1992 graduate of Mississippi State with a double major in mathematics and computer science. He earned his MBA from Mississippi College in 2001.

Mississippi Business Journal

ike Lenoir is the owner and senior engineer at Matrix Solutions in

Jackson.

Lenoir formed Matrix in 1992. He provides software development services and network consulting services, and is the primary provider of practice management software consulting services.

He has two engineering degrees: an MS in Computer Engineering from Ole Miss and a BS in Electrical Engineering from Mississippi State. He resides in Brandon with his wife, Rachael, son, Seth, and daughter, Clara.

In a recommendation letter for Lenoir is was said, “Mike and his team at Matrix Solutions go well beyond the standard ‘network service and support’ offerings of most tech providers. We use Mike’s mobile app platform NTOUCHAPP to create ratings APPs for our agents and Apps for our Annual Conventions. He provides us tools to geocode our homeowner policy addresses and view them together on a map. In addition to the innovative VOIP phone system Matrix sells and supports, they provide custom programming and consulting services. Mike and his team are the complete TECH Package!”

2018

Carla Lewis

Robert Lowery

C Spire

The Taylor Group

C

Spire CIO Carla Lewis, a longtime company executive, manages the firm’s sprawling information technology division.

She oversees all aspects of software development, including systems for sales and service, product delivery and billing – all with a laser-focus on delivering an exceptional customer experience. She also leads all aspects of the enterprise data center, database, network operations, support and quality assurance.

Lewis plays a central role in virtually every technology decision inside the company, especially since the lines between traditional IT and network have blurred in recent years with the advent of software-defined network solutions.

Under her leadership, the company has been named a top technology innovator and the top-ranked telecommunications provider in the U.S. by Information Week for three straight years.

As part of the company’s comprehensive technology movement initiative, Lewis is leading efforts to inspire and encourage students to pursue degrees and careers in information technology and computer science.

R

obert Lowery is director of information technology for the Taylor Group in Louisville, managing, controlling and evaluating computer systems and electronic data operations for 8 Taylor companies in 25 different locations.

And this is the only job Lowery has ever had, having worked for the Taylor Group for 39 years.

Lowery has earned his wings by coming up through the ranks of the IT group. From his programming days he wrote software to operate a mainframe big box computer system based on the unique demands of our business model. He wrote manufacturing shop floor programming coupled with the unique accounting and costing systems to monitor, schedule , record and report well before the ERP type systems of today were developed.

Robert oversaw, as the Assistant Manager of IT, all the Burroughs and IBM installations and operations through the server type interface with the current I-Series Mainframe, integrating legacy, laptop, smartphone and iPad technologies into one smooth data integration process.

Lowery has been married for 30 years and has three children.

Q

23

Top in Tech

24 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q June 29, 2018

Gary Matthews

Susan McDaniel

Tishomingo Development Foundation

St. Dominic’s

G

ary Matthews is the Executive Director of the Tishomingo County Development Foundation and has been with the Foundation since 2003. Matthews has four decades of experience in economic and community development. Matthews received B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of Southern Mississippi and has done further work at several other universities.

Matthews has received numerous awards including “National Dealmaker of the Year” in 2000 for putting together $470,000,000 in deals in one year.

Working in over a dozen counties and regions, Gary has been involved in the creation of over 14,000 new jobs over the last 40 years. Additionally, Gary has put together and administered approximately $334,000,000 in federal and state grants and over $600,000,000 in business and industry loans during the same time period. Gary has developed a number of industrial parks and industrial buildings, including two speculative industrial buildings that were committed before they were completed.

Matthews has three daughters and ten grandchildren. Matthews enjoys reading, rock and fossil hunting and he is a Master Gardener.

S

2018

usan McDaniel is the Director of Information Technology at St. Dominic’s – Jackson Memorial Hospital in Jackson. In her role at St. Dominic’s, she provides leadership to an incredible team that supports all IT application and infrastructure needs for the 535-bed acute care hospital and network of 28 clinics in central Mississippi. For the past seven years, St. Dominic’s has been named a “HealthCare’s Most Wired Hospital”, which recognizes healthcare organizations that demonstrate excellence in IT implementation and innovation.

With over 25 years of experience in Information Technology, McDaniel has worked in several industries including retail, manufacturing, financial, wireless/cellular, and warehousing/supply chain. Her past 16 years have been focused in healthcare. She holds a bachelors degree in Computer Science, with a minor in Business Administration, from the University of Southern Mississippi.

McDaniel is a past president of the Hartfield Academy Booster Club. With a passion for health and wellness, she also holds a nutrition certification and enjoys coaching busy, driven women in leading a full, healthy lifestyle. She and her husband, Jeff, have two lea grown sons, Taylor and Jacob. o

J.P. McInnis

Barbara Miller

Copiah-Lincoln Community College

C Spire

J.

P. McInnis is the director of technology for Copiah-Lincoln Community College.

JP and his staff of four handle all of the technology for all three Co-Lin campuses. He is on top of the latest technology and is always available when there is a problem. He is responsible for hundreds of the computers on all three campuses as well as security cameras.

They are always friendly and willing to help our faculty, staff, and students.

B

arb Miller, senior vice president of Human Resources, is a seasoned professional whose responsibilities include recruiting and retaining C Spire’s 1,500-member plus work force.

She has worked tirelessly to infuse within the company culture a passion for technology and its importance to the firm’s future. From her T-shaped employee initiative, which encourages employees to become more technology savvy and self-reliant, to many other initiatives and leadership in helping transform and contemporize human relations operations, Miller is a champion of change and innovation.

She has been the architect and senior leader behind a multiphase effort introduce a new employee onboarding process, an employee wellness program, a complete overall of the training and HR websites, introduction of new communication mediums to encourage more employee engagement and involvement (C Spire Workplace via Facebook) and other major initiatives.

Miller lives out the company’s core mission statement to be and become known as an industry leader and a company that is committed to helping transform its primary service area (Mississippi) through technology adoption, integration and assimilation.

Top in Tech

June 29, 2018

Q

Mississippi Business Journal

Benjamin Moncrief

David J. Sliman

C Spire

USM

B

D

enjamin Moncrief plays a key role in the telecommunications industry, particularly for Mississippi communities. In his role a s VP – Government Relations with C Spire, Moncrief is integral to business strategy planning, directing all aspects of the company ’s interactions with state and federal policy-makers, consumer advocates, technology and telecommunications industry associations, and media regarding antitrust, regulatory, legislative, taxation, and government procurement process matters. Most recently, Moncrief spearheaded significant advocacy achievements including the successful execution of C Spire ’s legal and regulatory strategy opposing AT&T’s attempted takeover of T-Mobile US, Inc. Prior to his work with C Spire, Moncrief was General Counsel for U.S. Sen. George LeMieux of Florida, was Legal Counsel in the office of U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, and was in private legal practice in Birmingham. Moncrief successfully utilizes this expertise in his position on the Board of Directors of Competitive Carriers Association – the nation’s leading voice of competitive mobile broadband providers including C Spire, Sprint, and T-Mobile.

2018

avid Sliman is the Chief Information Officer at the University of Southern Mississippi and has been a member of the USM technical staff since 1997. His office consists of over 80 employees, plus student workers, and is responsible for the academic and administrative technical needs of approximately 15,000 students and 2,600 faculty and staff in multiple locations. He was integral in the rebuilding of the technical infrastructure of all the USM Gulf Coast teaching sites after hurricane Katrina and the modernization of the USM Technology and Data Center in Hattiesburg.

Prior to USM, Sliman was co-founder, president, and CEO of Southwind Technologies, a computer integration company and one of the first Internet service providers on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Sliman worked for several contractors at the NASA Stennis Space Center as a scientific programmer, database administrator, and network specialist for NASA, the Naval Oceanographic Office, and the Naval Research Laboratory. Sliman helped develop database and network disaster recovery strategies and business continuity plans.

The Ocean Springs native graduated from LSU with a degree in computer science and has a MBA from the USM. com

Chad Wallace

Nicholas Williams

Belhaven University

University of Southern Mississippi

C

had Wallace is the digital communications specialist for Belhaven University. Responsible for the overall digital marketing efforts for the university, he also assists with various technology, marketing and public relations initiatives that have helped spur Belhaven to record enrollments.

Since Wallace joined the staff, Belhaven has won multiple awards from the College Public Relations Association of Mississippi.

Before going to Belhaven, the Brandon resident worked as a new media specialist for the Rankin County School District and as a web marketing/public relations specialist for Cellular South.

While with the Rankin County School District, Wallace directed Web 2.0 integration, launching one of the first school district blogs in the state.

A Mississippi State University graduate, Wallace was named to the Dean’s List and worked for the Office of Athletic Media Relations. And he a previous honoree of the Mississippi Business Journal Top 50 Under 40.

N

icholas Williams is the director of technology support services at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Williams has worked with USM’s iTech department for more than 5 years. Prior to joining iTech’s technology team, he worked in leadership roles with a number of other technology enterprises. Williams, a business and computer science major at Southern, has more than 15 years of experience in the technology field and holds certifications with Dell, Lenovo, Microsoft and CompTIA. Among his community duties, he is involved with a nonprofit organization that assists low-income and less fortunate families find funding for home repair and purchases.

Q

25

Top in Tech

26 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q June 29, 2018

Kevin Yearick

Jonathan Young

UMMC

Members Exchange

K

J

evin Yearick is Chief Technology Officer for UMMC in Jackson.

Yearick is responsible for 130-plus employees on the server, network, telecommunications, and technology services reporting to the CIO. He is responsible for $40 million-plus combined operating and capital budgets.

He sets strategic direction for UMMC technology initiatives and has changed the culture of bureaucratic department to one that runs “business at the speed of business”.

Yearick is a technology advocate throughout the organization for the effective application of technology to meet business needs and to support business changes and growth. He balances the pragmatism of operational tactics with the long term strategies required of a highly regulated environment. Yearick developed and managed a multi-year strategic plan for operations and technical infrastructure inclusive of system upgrades, enhancements, and implementation activities that address strategic initiatives, vendor product developments and support requirements.

onathan Young is the IT Project Manager for Members Exchange Credit Union. With his background in programming and networking, he uses this experience to keep Members Exchange on the cutting edge of technological advances in the financial industry.

As the IT Project Manager, Young assists with the planning and execution of large projects, as well as day-to-day operations; including but not limited to cybersecurity monitoring, improving online and mobile banking, and modernizing IT infrastructure.

Young has attended the SANS Institute for Cybersecurity to increase his knowledge of the threats associated with online security in the modern age. He conducts quarterly cybersecurity trainings to educate employees about the tactics used by today’s hackers. Young is currently working on a professional paper about Digital Footprints and Social Engineering to be published later this year on LinkedIn.

2018

PAST WINNERS CLASS OF 2017

ERIC ALAN HILL, Sportsnax

HUNTER ADKINS, Techsource Solutions

TONY JEFF, Innovate Mississippi

ALICIA BARNES, BC3 Technologies, LLC

HARPER MADDOX, EdgeTheory

GARY D. BUTLER, Camgian

WES MCGREW, HORNE Cyber

GEOFFREY E. CARTER, Hyperion Technology Services

BRAD MCMULLAN, bfac.com

RUSS DAVIS, SchoolStatus, LLC

HU MEENA, C Spire

LIZ DENSMORE, LEC Incorporated

CRAIG P. ORGERON, PH.D., Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services

MAYO FLYNT, AT&T Mississippi

W. WHITAKER RAYNER, Jones Walker

W. COY GAUTHIER, SCS, LLC

KATIE ROBERTS, Citizens National Bank

HANNAH BERRY GAY, MD, UMMC

TRENT TOWNSEND, Next Step Innovation

GERARD GIBERT, Venture Technologies

JAY VANLANDINGHAM, Bruce Telephone Company, Inc.

CHANDLER GRAY, Corinth School District

AARON VICK, Cicayda, LLC

TRAVIS Y. GREEN, PFG Precision Optics

GARY WATTS, fuse.cloud

ELI HARTNETT, Aerial Productions Photography, LLC

DR. LAKIESHA WILLIAMS, Bagley School of Engineering

CRAIG A. HARVEY, Nvision Solutions

JOEL YELVERTON, Yelverton Consulting

#

1 network. # 1 unlimited. # 1 customer satisfaction.

At C Spire, putting you first is what we do.

That’s why the #1 network now has twice the nationwide LTE. It’s why we invented Unlimited and our plans still rank ‘Best Value’ in the industry.

And why surveys rank us #1 for ‘Most Exceptional’ customer service.

You’ve got a choice when it comes to wireless.

Choose the one inspired by you. cspire.com

©2018 C Spire. All rights reserved.

+YP]L WYVK\J[P]P[` ^P[O *VTJHZ[ )\ZPULZZ >L»YL [OL MHZ[LZ[ )\ZPULZZ 0U[LYUL[ WYV]PKLY PU [OL UH[PVU MVY [OL ZLJVUK `LHY PU H YV^ HJJVYKPUN [V 7* 4HN :JHSL IHUK^PK[O HZ `V\ ULLK P[ 7S\Z `V\»SS OH]L H KLKPJH[LK SVJHS [LHT YLHK` [V OLSW KYP]L `V\Y I\ZPULZZ :^P[JO [VKH`

=PZP[ I\ZPULZZ JVTJHZ[ JVT VY *HSS

&'% ' #"& $$ + #' ) " % & $ #!$ % &#" '* " #! &' $& & %) " #% #*" # & #" + &'( + & #" % ) * # (&'#! % ' %#! &$ ' &' " ' & % &' % ! % # ) & " #% ' & #! &' , % '& % & %)