MEET OUR MENTORS
Our mentor panel has a diverse set of backgrounds and experience. Among these 40 plus highly-skilled mentors, there is over 420 years of business ownership and 455 years as C-suite executives. These individuals are motivated by the opportunity to help the entrepreneurs and businesses in our community.
Bob Anderson
Senior Vice President
Truist Financial
Brett Barrow
Market President
Renasant Bank
Holly Benson
CEO
Screen Corps
Former Florida House Rep.
Cover Brooks
Financial Advisor
Morgan Stanley
Mark Canada
Vice President
Synovus Bank
Jason Crawford
Founder, One In A Row Ventures
President, ARCO Marine, and AmCoat Industrial
Buddy Cummings
Co-founder and Partner
Cummings Camp Programs, LLC
Nikki Cummings
Co-founder and CEO
Cummings Camp Programs, LLC
Dean Dalrymple
Partner / Principal
Dalrymple Sallis Architecture
Mike Ellicott
Founder
Castle6 Group
Robert L. Foster
Division Manager
Apogee.us Telecom
Sterling Gilliam
Director
National Naval Aviation Museum
Travis Goins
President
EBI Management Group
Doug Gonterman
Chief Creative Officer at Lucid Advertising
Dr. Jessica Griffen
Chairwoman and CEO
The Urban Development Center, Inc.
Bob Hart
Retired Attorney
Chris Heaney
Deputy Supervisor of Elections for Operations
Escambia County, FL
Sean Heuer
CEO of Resolve Systems
James Hosman
Market President
Centennial Bank
Craig Hrabar
Business Consultant
Jerry Jackson
Retired
GM Deepwater Projects, Royal Dutch Shell
Benny Jeansonne
Partner Emeritus and Retired CPA
Silas Simmons
Christy Kisner
President
Neuro Services at SpecialtyCare
Barry Lintner
Owner, Partner, CEO of multiple LLC’s
James Mann
CEO
M4 Sciences Corporation
University of West Florid
Mechanical Engineering (courtesy appointment)
John McGregor
Professor
Clemson University
Department of Food, Nutrition and Packaging Sciences
Mike Myhre
Relationship Manager
FSA Advisory Group
Mort O’Sullivan
Retired Managing Member
Gulf Coast Region Warren Averett, LLC CPAs & Advisors
Destyn Patera
Founder and Director
LENSEA
LLoyd Rashard
CEO
Cognitive Big Data Systems
John A. Rigsby
CEO
eduocity, LLC
Jeff Rogers
Founder and Chief Buzz Officer
Buzz Marketing, LLC
Patrick Rooney
Director of Entrepreneurial Development
CO:LAB
Kristine Rushing
Risk Consultant
Rushing Insurance, LLC
Kathy Sandstrom
Retired Senior Partner
Heitman, LLC
Julie Sheppard
Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Counsel
IHMC
Lonnie Stockwell
Retired Managing Director
Postlethwaite & Netterville CPA Firm
Bert Thornton
Retired COO and Vice Chairman Emeritus
Waffle House, Inc.
Carlton Ulmer
Healthcare Advisor
David Uslan
Shareholder
Saltmarsh, Cleaveland & Gund
James Waters
Entrepreneur
Co-Founder and Former CTO
Performance Matters
Bill Wein
Executive Chairman
IMS Consulting and Expert Services
Abraham Wilson
Attorney
Veronique Zayas
Founder and Creative Director
HatchMark Studio
In Memoriam - Rodney Jackson
Director of Business Engagement, Studer Community Institute / The Spring
Rodney, our dear friend and colleague, tragically passed away on August 9, 2022. As the Director of Business Engagement for The Spring / Studer Community Institute, Rodney helped 60+ local small business owners and entrepreneurs acquire capital and grow their business. He served as a trusted advisor and mentor to many in our community. Rodney came to SCI with more than 28 years of banking experience, which included leading retail and commercial teams. In addition, he held the role of SBA product manager. He was instrumental in serving on several boards to include the inaugural Board of Trustees for the Community Maritime Park, Escambia County Planning Board, Escambia Board of Adjustment, and the Pensacola CRA Advisory Board.
SCI's VMS Program also partners with these local organizations:
