William L. Zoccola is a licensed Attorney and a Certified Public Accountant in Memphis, TN and owns Zoccola & Associates, PLLC, Zoccola Law Firm, PC and Zoccola Investment Advisors, LLC. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Tennessee Bar Association, the Memphis Bar Association, the Tennessee Society of CPAs, the Shelby County Republican Party, University of Notre Dame Monogram Club, and the University of Notre Dame Alumni Association Memphis Club.
Jonathan Harrison is the Director, National Social Innovations for Rubicon Programs, Inc. Mr. Harrison is the Co-Founder of alt.Consulting and remains involved through Board membership. Prior to his work with alt.Consulting, Mr. Harrison was a fellow of the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise and Business Consultant with the North Caroline Institute of Minority Economic Development. In addition to starting and operating his own entrepreneurial ventures including two food coops and a non-profit bakery-apprenticeship program, Mr. Harrison has years of hands-on experience in strategic planning, marketing strategy, and fundraising/financing for organizations such as Carnegie Hall Corporation and Northeast Savings Bank.
Mr. Herman Strickland has been with Fist Tennessee Bank since June 1981. He manages the Memphis Commercial Banking Division and recently became Manager of First Tennessee Bank’s Mid-South Diversity Banking Group, a new initiative focused on providing financial services to the area’s minority community. Mr. Strickland earned his Bachelor’s of Science, Business Management from Arkansas State University and he earned his Masters of Business Administration, Finance from the University of Memphis.
Mr. Torres is the Director of the Interactive Teaching & Technology Center at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro where the focus is to create and provide professional training and development for faculty in the areas of online and classroom technologies. Prior to this, he was Senior Lecturer of Computer & Information Technology in the College of Business where he also was the key member of a startup software outsourcing company helping build it to over $1.2 million of annual sales by employing ASU graduates.
Mr. Torres received a B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering from Texas Tech University and a Masters in Business Administration from Henderson State University. He has served on the Board of several non-profit organizations including Accelerate Arkansas, Arkansas Capital Commerce Development Corporation, Hispanic Community Services, Bancorp South Bank Community Board and the United Way.
Donna Kay Yeargan is a native Arkansan born and reared in Howard County. She has been actively engaged in political and social issues throughout her life. Donna Kay lives in her state as many of us live in our communities. After graduating from the University of Arkansas, where she was a campus leader, she married and moved to Foreman, Arkansas, where she was involved in civic and church activities and became active in local, regional and state activities. During that time, Donna Kay earned a Masters Degree from East Texas State University, now affiliated with Texas A&M.
Donna Kay has served on the University of Arkansas Alumni Board of Directors, the Natural State Committee, and has been Chairman of the State Parks Commission and the Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council, along with a multitude of community and civic organizations.
In 1999, Donna Kay joined newly-elected Blanche Lincoln as the Director of Economic Development. She held the post until 1997 when she was named State Director for Senator Lincoln, overseeing the state operations of Senator Lincoln’s offices in Arkansas. She continued in that post until January, 2011.
Donna Kay and her husband, Circuit Judge Charles Yeargan, live in Glenwood, Arkansas. They have three children and six-year-old twin grandsons.
Ms. Cowan is the Senior Community Development Specialist with the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Memphis Branch. In her role there she works community based organizations, financial institutions, elected officials, academic institutions and professionals to address community development needs.
Ms. Cowan has an extensive background in community and economic development. Before taking her current position, she served four years as President/CEO of The Works, Inc. a non-profit in Memphis, TN growing the organization from a staff of one to a staff of seven and raising more than $7 million in grants and tax credits.
Ms. Cowan received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science/Sociology from Rhodes College in Memphis, TN and completed a Master of Science in Planning at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, TN.
