Leanne Braddock, Commander, US Navy (Retired) has served as the President of Preservation of East Main and Surrounds (POEMS) for the past five years. She and her husband, Ed Cookenham, have lived in Jackson for the past five years.

Tim Hayes is a native of Humboldt who lives in Jackson. He began his bakery business in his Humboldt home. Initially he decided to focus on cakes. His maternal grandmother loves to bake. She was Tim’s mentor in baking. He went to her house and watched her bake amazing pies and cakes. “Baking cakes is a gift that God gave me!,” said Tim.

Lt. Mark Cancia, Corps Officer, The Salvation Army of Jackson, TN, is a child of God and a man of faith. While he was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the Cancia family quickly moved to the tropics of South Florida, where they made most of their memories and connected with The Salvation Army for the first time.

With more than 8 years in the non-profit industry in progressively responsible strategic positions, preceded by almost 22 years in the tourism and hospitality fields in significant positions, Nunnery has served as the leader for the Jackson, Tennessee Convention and Visitors Bureau/Visit Jackson TN for the past 12 years.

Exciting things are happening at The Ned McWherter West Tennessee Cultural Arts Center (The Ned). The new Executive Director, John Kimbrough, brings over 47 years of instructing music, directing shows, teaching music theatre, running lights and sound, overseeing and being an entrepreneur in Middle Tennessee. He has spent his entire career working with young people in various capacities, and he will always consider himself young at heart! All of these experiences make Mr. Kimbrough uniquely qualified to step into this role, and he is ecstatic at the opportunity. He is our real-life Music Man!

Dr. Mechelle Taylor Moragne is an established family practice physician with over 18 years of experience in Jackson, Tennessee. She is highly regarded in the community, earning numerous accolades for her stellar patient care. She has been awarded a total of four Silver Stevie Awards from the 2021 American Business Awards Division of the Stevie Awards Program for Minority Owned Business of the Year and Frontline Hero of the Years and 2020 International Women in Business Division of the Stevie Awards Program for Female Entrepreneur of the Year and 2020 Frontline Hero of the Year.

J. Brent Ward began his real estate career in 1997. He joined his parents who had been in real estate for about 5-6 years. “Being a single dad, I was only able to swing part time so I could only assist them for two years when I retired my license,” said Ward.

“While my license was in retirement, my parents, along with a few other partners, started RE/MAX Realty Source in Jackson. After a year or so in retirement, I reactivated my license, rejoined my parents fulltime, and we became the “aWARD Winning Team.”

Scott Stewart was born in Nebraska, but he tells everyone he’s from Storm Lake, Iowa because that’s where he spent most of his youth. His parents owned a feed, seed and fertilizer business. He was not a “farm boy,” but he was surrounded by agriculture and participated in 4-H, raised hogs, delivered feed, baled hay, walked beans, and de-tasseled corn as a teenager.

Dr. Marlon King, a transformational leader in the state of Tennessee, became Superintendent of the Jackson-Madison County School System in July 2020. Born and raised in rural West Tennessee where he attended public schools, Dr. King has given back over two decades of uninterrupted service and commitment to improving public schools. His career trajectory is unique amongst educators in Tennessee because of his wide range of experience that encompass being a teacher (Shelby County Schools—legacy), principal (Fayette County Schools), Superintendent (Haywood, Fayette, and Jackson-Madison Counties), and an Executive Director (Tennessee Department of Education), all in Tennessee. Dr. King has a proven record in improving many of Tennessee’s toughest schools and districts. He has built a reputation of turning schools around by promoting strong literacy programs with fidelity, recruiting and training school leaders, setting and expecting high standards for all, garnering community support and deep engagement, and managing fiscal service through a business-leader lens.