About the Board

READ MORE ABOUT TOMEKA +

For almost 30 years, Tomeka Hart Wigginton has worked to improve education outcomes and increase social and economic mobility at the local, state, and national levels. Specializing in building and managing strategic partnerships and coalitions, she founded The HarWigg Group in 2023, a consulting firm serving nonprofit, public sector, and philanthropy leaders and organizations.

Tomeka has served in multiple roles including managing director and special advisor to Blue Meridian Partners, managing investments and relationships in place-based partnerships focused on social and economic mobility. She served as senior program officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, leading grant making to civil rights and equity organizations focused on education policy and advocacy. Additionally, she has served as vice president for regional and national education organizations, and as the president and CEO of the Memphis Urban League.

Hart Wigginton served two terms on the elected school board in Memphis, including a term as Board President. She currently serves as board chair of the Data Quality Campaign, as a member of the Memphis Education Fund and the Schott Foundation boards, and on the University of Tennessee College of Education Dean’s Advisory Board. She is a Public Voices Fellowship on Racial Justice in Early Childhood fellow, an Aspen Institute Rodel-Fellowship in Public Leadership fellow and a Pahara-Aspen Institute Education Fellow. Tomeka Hart Wigginton holds a Certificate in Education Finance from Georgetown University; a J.D. degree from the University of Memphis; an M.B.A. from Kennesaw State University; and a B.S. degree in Education from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

READ MORE ABOUT PAMELA +

Since 2003, Pamela has served as a senior project manager and lead advisor to the firm’s municipal finance and economic and community development clients. Ms. Clary has assisted her clients in the issuance of over $11 billion of municipal tax-exempt and taxable bonds for public projects. She has provided financial advisory services to the City of Memphis, Shelby County, Memphis Light Gas and Water, the Downtown Memphis Commission/Downtown Parking Authority, the Memphis and Shelby County Sports Authority, the Jackson Redevelopment Authority (Jackson, MS), and the Memphis/Shelby County Redevelopment Agency.

Pamela has expertise financing large economic development projects which include the redevelopment of the former Pyramid Arena to a Bass Pro World Retail Center, the refinancing of AutoZone Park, the development of the Weston Hotel in Jackson, MS, the newly renovated Renasant Convention Center in downtown Memphis and the new food distribution facility for the Mid-South Food Bank.

Prior to joining ComCap Partners, Pamela served as Deputy Director of Finance with responsibility for all debt, cash, and risk management functions as well as oversight of the City’s pension plan. She additionally served as Deputy Director of Housing and Community Development with responsibility for the City’s affordable housing programs. Both for the City of Memphis.

Pamela is a graduate of Drexel University (PA) where she received a BS in Design/Textiles and LaSalle University (PA) where she received an MBA in Finance.

Pamela currently serves on various boards which include the Memphis Shelby County Airport Authority, the Pension Board and Investment Committee for Memphis Light Gas and Water, and the Tennessee Lawyer’s Fund for Client Protection. She is certified as an independent registered municipal advisor with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board, a member of the National Association of Municipal Advisors and the Urban Land Institute.

READ MORE ABOUT JOHN +

John is currently a Fellow in the Advanced Leadership Initiative at Harvard University. Previously, he served as the Chief Human Resources Officer at First Horizon Bank from 2006 until his retirement in 2021. He also served as CHRO at Regions Financial from 2000 through 2005. His career in banking started in 1975 as a messenger at Mellon Bank, while attending college at the University of Pittsburgh. He rose through the ranks and eventually became a Senior Vice President in Human Resources. He has inspired countless young people with his story of rising from modest beginnings to serving in the C-Suite of major banking companies.

John is also a longtime leader in the community. He currently serves on multiple non-profit boards. He has also been a passionate volunteer and supporter of the American Heart Association. John is a heart transplant recipient and often shares his powerful story of bouncing back from heart failure.

Boards:

• New Memphis
• River City Capital
• Facing History Memphis Advisory Board
• Seeding Success
• Green Circle Health Advisory Board

READ MORE ABOUT MARIE +

With experience in teaching and counseling, Dr. Marie Feagins focuses her efforts on transforming high schools in Detroit. She currently serves Detroit Public Schools as Chief of Leadership and High Schools, where she nurtures relationships between and encourages growth among district colleagues, community partners, students, and their families.

Dr. Feagins’s transformative practices in her “whole-soul” leadership style have sparked growth in several areas across high schools, reflected in student and staff accomplishments, and her background in media helps her connect with different audiences.

Dr. Feagins received her Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership from Samford University, an Education Specialist/ Master of Education in School Counseling degree from the University of West Alabama, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree from the University of Alabama, and a Certificate in Education Finance from Georgetown University.

READ MORE ABOUT BRIAN +

Brian is a lifelong Memphian and a graduate (K-12) of the legacy Memphis City School system and Bethel University (McKenzie, TN). He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in organizational leadership and an Executive MBA from Bethel University where he finished Summa Cum Laude. Prior to fulfilling his passion in education, he worked in senior leadership where he led operations and community affairs which emphasized youth engagement with two Fortune 100 companies, Apple and Amazon. As a seasoned business leader, Brian Harris has spent the last twenty-three years developing teams, building, and sustaining culture, community engagement, and delivering a world-class experience leading to world-class results.

READ MORE ABOUT CAROL +

Dr. Carol Johnson Dean, Ed.D., recently stepped down as Interim President of LeMoyne-Owen College. During her 18-month tenure, the college was the recipient of a forty million dollar beneficiary endowment, the largest in the College’s 158 year history. Under her leadership, the college shifted to remote learning in response to the

COVID-19 pandemic and the college garnered over $6 million dollars from federal, state, city and county government and community partners to acquire technology, internet access and transform the infrastructure to support students and faculty in the transition. The college established an on-campus Health and Wellness Clinic in partnership with Methodist-LeBonheur Healthcare, increased alumni engagement and student and faculty representatives joined the Board of Trustees. Prior to her role as Interim President, she served on the LeMoyne-Owen College Board of Trustees and she served as the Executive Director of New Leaders, South Region, a national organization providing leadership development for aspiring principals and teacher leaders. She has provided oversight to New Leaders programs in Tennessee, North Carolina, Florida and Minnesota. She has also served as Executive Director, Large District Support for the Tennessee Department of Education (2015).

Carol Johnson Dean is a 2014 Harvard Advanced Leadership Fellow and a Visiting Professor at Vanderbilt/Peabody College. She currently serves on the National Board of City Year, and Facing History and Ourselves; a member of the Memphis Teacher Residency Advisory Board, the Overton Park Conservancy Board, the Memphis Symphony Orchestra Board, and a member of the First 8 Advisory Board. She is also an Ambassador for the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP). She serves on the Alumni Association Board and the College of Education & Human Development Advisory Board, both at the University of Minnesota.

Dr. Carol R. Johnson Dean served as Superintendent of Boston Public Schools (BPS) 2007-2013, having been appointed by a unanimous vote of the Boston School Committee. As Superintendent of the 58,000-student district, she also served as a Cabinet Member for Mayor Thomas M. Menino. Under her leadership, the Boston Public School District improved proficiency rates, narrowed achievement gaps, focused on access and opportunity, as well as graduating students prepared for college and career success. During her tenure, graduation rates increased annually, the dropout rate decreased by over 40% to its lowest levels since 1977, and more students enrolled in Advanced Placement courses and the district more than doubled the number of 8th graders enrolled in Algebra I, demonstrating significant results on NAEP.

In 2012, Dr. Johnson Dean received the nation’s highest honor for urban education leadership, the Richard R. Green Award, presented by the Council of the Great City Schools. In 2010, the Boston Public Schools was recognized as one of the most improved school districts in the world by McKinsey and Company. A strong advocate for Arts Education, Dr. Johnson Dean received the AASA/VHI Save the Music Award, increasing the percentage K-8 students receiving weekly arts instruction from 67% to 93% and doubling the number of art teachers in the district. In 2021, she was recognized by the Shelby County Board of Commissioners (TN) as an “African American Living Legend”.

Dr. Johnson Dean has a wealth of experience in public education as a teacher, principal and district administrator. Prior to her appointment in Boston, Dr. Johnson Dean was Superintendent in Minneapolis, MN, Memphis, TN and St. Louis Park, MN. She was named Minnesota Superintendent of the Year and the Tennessee PTA Superintendent of the Year. Nationally, Dr. Johnson Dean has served on the Board of Directors for the Council of the Great City Schools, the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley Board, the Harvard University Urban Superintendent’s Advisory Board, the University of Michigan School of Education/Dean’s Advisory Board and she has served on both the College Board and the Spencer Foundation Board (Chicago). Dr. Johnson Dean earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Fisk University in Nashville, TN and a Master’s Degree (Curriculum and Instruction) and Doctorate Degrees in Educational Policy and Administration from the University of Minnesota.

She has also been awarded honorary degrees from LeMoyne-Owen College and Rhodes College, both in Memphis, TN, and Simmons College in Boston. Dr. Johnson Dean is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the Memphis Chapter of Links, Inc., the International Women’s Forum and St. Andrew AME Church. Dr. Johnson Dean is married to Dr. Willie Dean, a retired YMCA Executive.

Together, they share six adult children.

READ MORE ABOUT LIN +

Dr. Lin Johnson III is a seasoned PreK-12 education leader who has leveraged his strategy and finance expertise to ensure all students, families, and communities thrive. Currently, Lin is the Chief Strategy, Growth and Finance Officer at TNTP, where he leads the organizational strategy, business development and fundraising efforts, technology systems and plans, and finance.

Prior to joining TNTP, Lin served as Doctoral Fellow for Chicago Public Schools, where he guided a racially equitable approach to redesign the district’s school portfolio strategy. Also, he served as a Program Officer for the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, where he led the K-12 Education grant portfolio of charter schools, parent empowerment organizations, and education enablers and innovators. In the summer of 2020, Lin served as a K-12 Education Summer Associate for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where he developed a grant proposal rubric and risk assessment for the effective implementation of quality math curricula, and crafted a diversity, equity, and inclusion thesis and examples for the Network for School Improvements efforts.

Prior to this, Lin served as the Chief Financial Officer and then as the Deputy Superintendent of Finance & Strategic Operations at Shelby County Schools in Memphis, the most extensive urban school district in Tennessee. During this time, he led a number of innovative projects, including investments in high-quality curricula and advanced placement course expansion, the implementation of an equitable funding model, increased wages for teachers, and a community budget campaign securing recurring operational funds.

Previously, Lin served as the Director of Special Projects at the Tennessee Department of Education in Nashville, where he developed the agency’s first budget book, aligning the budget with strategic priorities. Prior to his work in Tennessee, Lin served on the DC Public Charter School Board as the Director of Finance and Operations, overseeing financial growth and fiscal accountability for a portfolio of charter school campuses.

Lin holds a BA of Economics from Reed College, an MA in Business Administration from the MIT Sloan School of Management, an MA in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School, and a Doctoral in Education Leadership at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Lin serves as the Board Chair for Mosaic Changemakers, a Board Member for Tennessee Charter School Center, the Board Finance Committee Chair for KIPP Memphis, and Finance Committee Member for the PIE Network. Lin also serves as the Senior Advisor for the Educational Resources Impact Fund (ERIF) at Maycomb Capital.

READ MORE ABOUT LEIGH +

With more than 25 years of experience in educational leadership and human capital growth, Leigh Mansberg serves as the President of Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South.

A rabid University of Memphis fan, where she received both her undergraduate degree in Liberal Arts and her masters degree in Education, Mansberg is an advocate for the entire Memphis and Mid-South area. Passionate about serving and improving the lives of children, she does this by forming dynamic and unlikely partnerships that focus on talent growth and development in order to improve outcomes.

Her fundamental belief is that every experience and every opportunity is a chance for a child to grow and to learn. Before joining Junior Achievement she most recently served as Chief Operating Officer of Epicenter, the Memphis region’s entrepreneurial hub. Prior to her role at Epicenter, she served Bridge Capital, Shelby County Schools, and St. Mary’s Episcopal School. Her community work when not serving Junior Achievement focuses on empowering the voices of the diverse citizens of Memphis. She currently serves as a lead writing coach with Reach Memphis and on the boards of Facing History and Ourselves and Temple Israel.

READ MORE ABOUT REGINALD +

Reginald Milton was elected to the Shelby County Board of Commissioners in August, 2014, as the first representative of the newly formed District 10, which includes Central Gardens, Chickasaw Gardens, Cooper-Young, Midtown, Orange Mound, Overton Square, and South Memphis.

Milton is a lifelong Memphian and holds a Master of Public Administration Degree from the University of Memphis with a concentration in Management. He also graduated from LeMoyne-Owen College with a Bachelor of Science Degree. With a career in social service spanning over 20 years, Milton has worked for Memphis Planned Parenthood as the Director of Education and Training, City of Memphis as Neighborhood Specialist and for the past 15 years he has been the Executive Director of the South Memphis Alliance which serve children in foster care and families in need. In October 2022, Milton was appointed as Deputy Administrator of Education and Youth Services by Shelby County Mayor, Lee Harris.

Milton currently sits on the board of Regional One Health and has been honored with several awards for his work in improving the lives of Memphians: The Harold Love Outstanding Community Involvement Award; Recipient of the Sierra Club Environmental Justice Award; Received the Volvo for Life Award for Civic Excellence; Received the JC Penny Golden Rule Award; Presented with the United States Jefferson’s Award for Civic Achievement.

READ MORE ABOUT ALICIA +

Alicia Norman is an early childhood education consultant. served as the Former Principal and Executive Director of Perea Preschool. She has over 20 years of experience in Early Childhood Education.

Ms. Alicia, a leader in education, serves on the CPAC Advisory Council for Shelby County School Pre-K Division. She served on the TAEYC and MAEYC boards in Memphis and Nashville, TN. She has led her school/staff through NAEYC Accreditation for two terms. She is a part of the Leadership Memphis 2014 Class. She is married to Dr. Keith Norman and has 4 beautiful children, Keith, Jr., Keasia, Keenan and Kiara and one adorable grandson, Khalil.

READ MORE ABOUT PATRICE +

City Council Vice Chairwoman Patrice Jordan Robinson was elected to the Memphis City Council in November 2015. A former Memphis City/Shelby County Schools Board of Education Commissioner and Board President in 2004 and 2007, Robinson was elected in 2000 and served until August 2013. As a Board member, she distinguished herself by chairing the Policy, Personnel, Audit, and Capital Improvements Committees, as well as an active participant on the Prevailing Wages Commission. While serving on the Tennessee School Boards Association’s Board of Directors, Robinson also served as the MCS Board representative on the 2010-2011 Tennessee Legislative Network as the President, which is composed of school board members statewide who set the legislative agenda for the Tennessee School Boards Association.

With more than 900 School Board members in the state of Tennessee, Robinson is one of approximately 50 board members that have earned the designation as a Master School Boardsman in Tennessee. She has 30-plus years of professional experience in Human Resources, Training and Development, Counseling, Job Development and Grant Writing. Robinson is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources. She retired as a Supervisor, Assessment & Development, at Memphis Light Gas and Water Division.

Robinson earned a Master of Science degree in Technological and Adult Education from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, with an emphasis in Management and Industrial Relations, from Memphis State University.In May of 2006, she was a graduate of Leadership Memphis and in 2010, a graduate of the Memphis Leadership Academy. Robinson has served as secretary-treasurer of the West Tennessee Technical and Adult Education Society, a member of Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society, the American Society for Training and Development, on the Board of Directors of Jobs for Stars, Memphis in May, Hands Across Memphis, Inc. and served as the Education Chair of the Tennessee Chapter of the American Association of Blacks in Energy.

Currently, she serves on the boards of the Memphis Weekend Academy and Paula Ratchford Ministries. Robinson is the President of the Valleywood Homeowners Association, former correspondence secretary for the Memphis (TN) Chapter, The Links, Inc., Director of the Women’s Ministry at Faith Temple Ministries C.O.G.I.C., member of the NAACP Memphis Chapter, member of the National Council of Negro Women, and a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.During her time on the Council, Vice Chairwoman Robinson co-sponsored the Pre-K Resolution in Memphis with Chairman Kemp Conrad, worked to re-establish the Greater Whitehaven Economic Redevelopment Corporation, initiated the MLGW Share the Pennies Initiative, and created the Weatherization Task Force.Vice Chairwoman Robinson serves as the Chair of the MLGW (Memphis Light, Gas & Water) Committee, the Vice-Chair of & Environment Committee, and the Vice-Chair of Planning and Zoning Committee. Councilwoman Robinson also serves as the Liaison of The Healthcare Oversight Board and the Memphis Light Gas & Water Board.

Robinson is married to Jackie Robinson and they have three adult children, Gina, “Jaee,” and Jackie “Jordan” II, two granddaughters, Demetria and Raya, and two great-grandchildren, Madilyn and Ayden.

READ MORE ABOUT YVONNE +

Yvonne Smith Madlock was appointed Director of the Shelby County Health Department in June 1995. She was Shelby County’s first female and first African American Public Health Director and served in that capacity for 20 years through the administration of three elected County Mayors until her retirement in July 2015. Prior to her appointment as Director, Mrs. Madlock was Administrator for the Memphis and Shelby County Health Department, Bureau of Personal Health Services. From 1990-1993 she was Executive Director of Mid-South Family Health Care Center. For 12 years Mrs. Madlock was employed by Memphis Health Center in various administrative capacities including Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Director of Patient Care Services after joining the Federally Qualified Health Center in 1978 as a Health Educator.

Ms. Madlock taught history for a number of years at Houston Community College and Lee High School in New Haven, Connecticut. A graduate of Wellesley College, Mrs. Madlock holds a Masters of Arts Degree in Teaching History and Urban Education from Wesleyan University (Middletown, Connecticut); she also completed graduate work at the University Of Texas School Of Public Health (Houston). She is a 1999 graduate of the Public Health Leadership Institute of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the University of California and is a member of the 1992 Leadership Memphis Class. In the summer of 2000, she completed the Harvard University Leadership in Minority Health Program.

Through her engagement in many local civic and professional organizations, Ms. Madlock has demonstrated her commitment to service focused on assuring and creating health equity, economic opportunity and social justice. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Community Alliance for the Homeless, Methodist Healthcare Foundation and the Grants and Initiatives Committee of the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis. Previously she has served on and held leadership positions on the boards of the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), Tennessee Primary Care Association, Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association (MIFA), the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis (CFGM), Leadership Memphis, Mid-town Mental Health Center, The First Years’ Institute and Girls Incorporated of Memphis. She is a member of the Memphis Chapter of the Links, Incorporated and Beulah Baptist Church.

She is the wife of Lawrence E. Madlock, MD and together they are the proud parents of three adult children.

READ MORE ABOUT JANA +

Mrs. Jana Swearengen-Washington, has served in many capacities in education, such as Principal, Assistant Principal, District Curriculum Specialist, and a teacher, Jana offers expertise in organizational planning, teacher coaching, data analysis, grant writing, budget overseeing, school/district partnerships, and community development. Her 30 year educational experience has afforded her opportunities to lead teams for the Forrest City School, Millington School, and Memphis Shelby County School Districts.

As a neighborhood and educational advocate, it has been her personal goal and commitment to invest and ensure that students and families are represented, supported, and have effective leadership. Within the Greater Memphis Community, she serves in many organizations such as: Board Member of W.I.L.L.O.W. (Women in Leadership Leaning on Wisdom) and Vice-President of the Northeast Ministers Spouses Association with the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. Jana is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Glenview Neighborhood Association, Magnalia Castalia Neighborhood Association, Mt. Pisgah C.M.E. B. R. Danner (which promotes the cultural arts within urban communities), and Democratic Women of Shelby County. She believes in being an active voice, where she serves her school community, church, people, and advocates for all within the Greater Memphis Community.

Jana serves as the Chair of the Public Works, Solid Waste, and General Services Committee and serves as Vice Chair for the Parks and Environment Committee. Additionally, she acts as the Council liaison to both the Convention Center and the Film/TV Commission. Jana is happily married to Dr. Reverend Robert H. Washington, Sr. They have five children within their blended family: VeAndrea Washington, Janeese Martina Swearengen Murphy (John) and James Swearengen Richey (Ebony) Robert Washington Jr., and Ana Washington. They have six grandchildren: Caleb, Durriya, Laila, John Charles III, James Greyson and Arie Jae. They have two beautiful fur babies: Boston and Bella.

READ MORE ABOUT MICHAEL +

Commissioner Whaley was elected to the Shelby County Board of Commissioners on August 2, 2018, representing District 5 in East Memphis and Cordova. A native of Dallas, Texas, Michael holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Public Policy from Southern Methodist University.He serves as the Tennessee Director of Leadership for Educational Equity (LEE) where he works with current and former teachers to build their civic engagement and leadership. Commissioner Whaley was also the Founder and Executive Director of Memphis College Prep, a kindergarten through fifth-grade public elementary school.

He is active in several local community and civil boards, including Shelby Farms Park, the Downtown Memphis Commission, and Let’s Innovate Through Education (LITE).A member of the 2006 Teach for America corps in Memphis, Michael taught elementary school with Memphis City Schools before being selected for the Building Excellent Schools Fellowship, nationally recognized for its rigorous, year-long training program in school leadership.Commissioner Whaley is a seasoned traveler, having been to all the continents at least twice, except Antarctica. He is currently studying to be a sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers. He is the proud owner of Harper, a Labrador retriever.