ESFOA.NET - Key Persons
Alison Gorrie is a businesswoman, civic leader and volunteer who is involved with many of Birmingham's best and most impactful causes and companies. Co-founder and former co-owner of Dorm Décor, one of the most popular dorm room furniture providers in the nation, Ms. Gorrie has been involved in interior design for many years. Her business background also included founding Bridesmaids, Inc., a bridesmaids apparel store that served the wedding industry for more than three decades.
A graduate of Auburn University, she volunteers with a number of nonprofit organizations, including serving as board member of Red Mountain Theatre and The Linly Heflin Unit. She is a past member of Junior League of Birmingham, The Service Guild and a board member of The Alabama Ballet.
Andy Robison is a partner at Bradley. He advises primarily privately held companies and private equity funds and their operating companies in formation, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and corporate finance transactions. He also represents publicly traded clients in these matters, as well as in securities offerings, divestitures, proxy contests, and general corporate and securities law issues. Andy is chair of the firm's Corporate & Securities Practice Group. He is a former chair of the firm's Recruiting Committee and a member of the firm's Business Review Committee.
Job Titles:
- Member of the OFFICERS Team
- Secretary
- Managing Director of the Investment Advisory Division and Principal for Colliers International
Andy Sink is the Managing Director of the Investment Advisory Division and Principal for Colliers International | Alabama in Birmingham. He has more than 25 years' experience in a wide variety of real estate types. Sink has also been involved in a wide range of investment and development projects and has created and managed investment funds valued at more than $100 million. He has served on the board of directors for Global Healthcare REIT and worked at Founders Investment Banking and was a partner in Eason, Graham and Sandner.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce and Business Administration with a major in real estate from The University of Alabama. He is also a board member of Restoration Academy, an inner-city Christian school based in Fairfield and a member of the Monday Morning Quarterback Club. He is a former member of the Compass Bank (BBVA) Young Executive Board, former president and board member for the Birmingham chapter of the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), a former board member and founding member of the Birmingham Entrepreneurs Organization (EO), former chairman of the MBHS baseball dugout club and board member of MB Sports Corp.
Job Titles:
- Professor Emeritus, Dept Ophthalmology at University of Washington Adjunct Professor of Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute at University of Pennsylvania
C. Randall Minor is a shareholder in Maynard Cooper's Real Estate, Public Finance and Economic Development practice teams and serves as the co-chair of the firm's Banking and Finance Practice. Prior to joining Maynard Cooper, Randall completed a clerkship for Judge U.W. Clemon of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama and worked for a firm in New York City.
He received a bachelor's degree from the University of Alabama and received his J.D. from Yale Law School, where he served as the editor of the Yale Journal on Regulation.
Caroline Thompson Little started her real estate career at Bayer Properties after graduating Bowdoin College in 1997 and working for a short time in New York City at Court TV. She rebranded Thompson Realty, developer of the Shoal Creek Community and Golf Club to Shoal Creek Properties, where she serves as president.
She has been involved in many community organizations throughout the years, such as Symphony 30, JWC PTO and others. While at Bayer Properties, she started the Junior Executive Board of the American Cancer Society and has served as president of the Ballet Guild, an organization benefiting the Alabama Ballet. Little also has been active in her church, Saint Luke's, serving several years as the inaugural Chair of the Saint Luke's Day School Board and the 2017 Clerk to the Vestry. She is a member of the Mountain Brook Club Board of Governors, the Board of Directors of Smile-A-Mile and Friends of the Botanical Gardens.
Job Titles:
- President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham
Christopher Nanni is the president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham. He has more than 30 years of experience in nonprofit and community work and joined the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham as president and CEO in February 2014.
He has a Master's in social work from the University of Chicago and a Master's in cross-cultural theology from Catholic Theological Union. He earned his bachelor's degree in theology and Computer Applications from the University of Notre Dame where he was a walk-on for the men's basketball team.
Job Titles:
- Member of the OFFICERS Team
- Vice Chair
Danny Mckinney serves on the Board of Directors for McKinney Capital as chairman. He is also the CEO of McKinney Communications Corporation and co-founder of prior McKinney Capital holdings Pixsys Technologies and Digital Electronic Supply (DES). He graduated with honors from the University of Alabama where he received a BS in International Finance and is an alumnus of Harvard Business School. He serves as a board member of the TumTum Tree Foundation and as a trustee of both the Alabama Symphony Orchestra and the EyeSight Foundation of Alabama. He was a member of the 2016-2017 class of Leadership Birmingham.
Job Titles:
- Secretary for the American Glaucoma Society
Dr. Girkin has served as the Secretary for the American Glaucoma Society (AGS), program chair for several national and international meetings, including the AGS meeting, the Glaucoma Program for Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) and American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Glaucoma Subspecialty day. He has chaired the AAO Basic Science Review Course for Glaucoma. He was awarded the American Glaucoma Society Clinician-Scientist Award, the Research to Prevent Blindness Clinician-Scientist Award, EyeSight Foundation Eminent Scholar Award, the Ronald Lowe Medal, the AAO Senior Achievement Award, the "Best Doctors in America" award yearly since 2003 and is a fellow of ARVO and the American College of Surgeons.
Since 1998, Dr. Callahan has held a faculty position as Professor of Ophthalmology in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Medicine and teaches the intricate surgical procedures of phacoemulsification and intraocular lens insertion. In addition, Dr. Callahan lectures on ophthalmic plastic surgery. Dr. Callahan is also very involved in providing ophthalmic care in the U.S. and countries worldwide, where medical care is not readily available. He serves as president of the Board of Directors of the International Retinal Research Foundation.
Job Titles:
- Chief Development Officer
Felix Frennen is the chief development officer at Cobbs Allen.
He began his career in insurance in 2011 when he became chief development officer at Cobbs Allen. Prior to Cobbs Allen, Felix worked in construction for over 35 years as CEO of Brice Building Co. for more than 10 years.
He has served as board chair of Callahan Eye Foundation at UAB Hospital, The EyeSight Foundation, Girls Inc. and Children's Theater. He received his bachelor's degree from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, VA.
Job Titles:
- Member of the OFFICERS Team
- Grants Chair
- Management Instructor
George Garzon is a management instructor pilot at Delta Air Lines. Additionally, Garzon is a lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard, serving as a Senior Operations duty officer for North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). Before joining Delta and the Air National Guard in 2014, Garzon served for 14 years as an F-15E fighter pilot, instructor pilot and mission commander in the United States Air Force. During this time, he led more than 60 combat missions in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Horn of Africa. Garzon graduated from The University of the South (Sewanee) with a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources with an emphasis in Economics. He received a Master of Science degree in Aeronautical Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Garzon serves on the Bellingrath-Morse Foundation Board, The Bellingrath Gardens and Home Foundation Board, The Cornerstone Schools of Alabama Board and the EyeSight Foundation of Alabama Board. He is also a member of the Birmingham Monday Morning Quarterback Club and Downtown Kiwanis Club of Birmingham.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Board of Metalplate Galvanizing, Inc
Hartwell Davis is chairman of the board of Metalplate Galvanizing, Inc., a provider of hot dip galvanizing service for the steel industry throughout the South. For the past 45 years, he has been president or chairman of Metalplate. He holds a BS in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Columbia University. After college, Hartwell served in the United States Navy as a commissioned officer.
Hartwell is past president of Rotary Club of Birmingham, past president of Crippled Children's Foundation, former Captain of Monday Morning Quarterback Club, past chairman of EyeSight Foundation of Alabama, former vice chairman of Alabama Ear Institute and former trustee of Birmingham-Southern College. He is a member of Canterbury United Methodist Church, where he served as chairman of the Church Council among other roles.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of Jemison Investment Co
Jim Davis is chairman of Jemison Investment Co. Inc., a privately-held company with a diversified portfolio of investments, including controlling interests in a steel service center business, a customer-care call center and an auto parts distribution business.
Davis serves as a director several private businesses and is involved with several civic organizations, including The EyeSight Foundation of Alabama and St. Vincent's Health System.
He is a 1972 graduate of Auburn University.
With more than 17 years of experience, John Coleman joined Graham & Company in 2006 as a broker for the company's Industrial Group. He is a lifetime member of the Commercial Real Estate Club of Excellence and has earned the Specialist in Industrial Real Estate designation (SIOR).
Coleman has a bachelor's degree in Finance from the University of Alabama. He is a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and serves on Children's Hospital of Alabama Committee for the Future, the Monday Morning Quarterback Club, the National Multiple Sclerosis Leadership Class 2011 and 2012 and is a board member for Birmingham Business Alliance.
Job Titles:
- Member of the OFFICERS Team
- President / COO of the Gateway Companies
- Treasurer & Finance Committee Chairman
Josh Mandell is the President/COO of the Gateway Companies, an owner-operator of multifamily housing communities across the Southeastern US. He is a graduate of the University of Alabama with a bachelor's degree in history and received his law degree from Loyola University School.
He is a member of the Louisiana and Alabama State Bar Associations. His community activity includes service on the boards of directors of The Alabama Wildlife Federation, The EyeSight Foundation of Alabama, Birmingham Jewish Federation and Mountain Brook Athletics.
Koko Mackin joined Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama in 1981 and has held a variety of positions including Performance Review Analyst, manager of Corporate Planning and vice president and corporate secretary. She serves as vice president, Corporate Communications and Community Relations, and as Blue Cross' spokesperson. She also is responsible for Corporate Giving and The Caring Foundation.
Mackin serves as immediate past board chair of The EyeSight Foundation of Alabama; on the Strategic Communications Advisory Network of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association; and member of the Business Education Alliance Advisory Council, the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham, The Women's Network, Junior League of Birmingham Community Advisory Board and the Newcomen Society.
A native of Meridian, Mississippi, Mackin is a Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of The University of Alabama with a BA in Mathematics and an MBA in Finance.
Lee Clanton is an attorney specializing in defense litigation with Porterfield, Harper, Mills, Motlow & Ireland. His areas of practice include all aspects of defense litigation with a specialty in medical malpractice and professional liability.
Lee is a graduate of Vanderbilt University where he earned a B.S. degree in economics; and the Cumberland School of Law, Samford University, where he earned his J.D. While in law school, Lee was a member of the Cumberland Law Review and a recipient of the Presidential Merit Scholarship.
Lee is a member of the Alabama Defense Lawyers Association and the International Association of Defense Counsel. He holds multiple bar admissions in Alabama and is past president of the Shelby County Bar Association. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Advancing Sight Network, formerly the Alabama Eye Bank.
Job Titles:
- Member of the BOARD
- Head of Community Affairs for Regions Bank
Leroy Abrahams is the head of Community Affairs for Regions Bank as well as the president of the Regions Foundation. Abrahams served as Area President in North Central Alabama. He joined Regions in 2013 as head of Strategic and Corporate Planning. His prior experience includes serving with SunTrust Bank as president and CEO of the company's Hampton Roads region in Virginia.
Before joining SunTrust, Abrahams was a consumer banking manager in eastern Tennessee for Regions.
Abrahams graduated from Texas Christian University with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a major in Finance.
Abrahams currently serves on the Operation HOPE Southeastern Board, as well as the boards of the Woodlawn Foundation, the EyeSight Foundation of Alabama and The World Games 2021. He is also a member of the Southeastern Council of Foundations.
Job Titles:
- Financial Consultant
- President
Linda Flaherty-Goldsmith is a financial consultant and was the 15th president and the first female president of Birmingham-Southern College. She was named President Emerita upon her retirement in 2018.
Flaherty-Goldsmith grew up in Mississippi. She earned her bachelor of science in commerce and business administration at the University of Alabama and a master's in business administration at UAB. Her 1980 to 1993 tenure at UAB included 5 years as UAB's CFO; she was then promoted to vice chancellor for financial affairs for the University of Alabama System until January 1998. For four years after that, she taught as an adjunct faculty member in the University of Alabama College of Commerce. Flaherty-Goldsmith was also one of the founding members of the UAB Health System board and chaired its finance committee from 1996 to 2002. In 1997, she was named "Vice Chancellor for Finance Emeritus" and awarded the President's Medal for her service to UAB.
She founded her own firm, Flaherty-Goldsmith Consulting LLC, in 2000 and has advised institutional and corporate clients in need of financial overhauls. In 2003 she served as a pro bono consultant on Governor Bob Riley‘s "Task Force on Tax Reform". In August 2003, she was recruited by the University of Connecticut as its first Chief Operating Officer.
In 2010, she returned to her consulting role as special advisor to the Board of Trustees of Birmingham-Southern College. One year later, she became Chief of Staff to the newly appointed president, General Charles Krulak. In 2013, she moved to New York City to work as a pro bono consultant for Human Rights First, but continued her association with BSC as Special Advisor to the President. That year, BSC's faculty awarded her an honorary doctorate for her role in stabilizing BSC's finances. In June 2016 she was asked by the Board and the faculty to succeed Edward Leonard III as president of the college. She announced in August 2018 that she would serve through the 2018-2019 academic year. She ultimately stepped down effective October 1, 2018.
Flaherty-Goldsmith is an alumnus of Leadership Birmingham (1992), Leadership Alabama (1994), Leadership Tuscaloosa (1996) and Leadership Greater Hartford, Connecticut (2004). She has served on the boards of YouthServe, the EyeSight Foundation of Alabama and the National Collegiate Housing Foundation.
Flaherty-Goldsmith is also author of one published work, An Anguished Hallelujah.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Member of the Alabama Hospital Association Birmingham Regional Council
Grover completed his administrative residency at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi, and assumed the position of director of Business Operations for the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation in 2010. He joined UAB Callahan Eye Hospital & Clinics as the operations administrator. In 2015, Grover became the hospital's chief operating officer, and in November 2017, he transitioned into the role of interim chief executive officer.
Grover is a member of the Alabama Hospital Association Birmingham Regional Council and the American College of Healthcare Executives. He serves as a board member for the Alabama Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the Ophthalmology Services Foundation and the EyeSight Foundation of Alabama.
Grover completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Alabama, and received his master's degree in health administration and master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He completed his administrative residency at UMMC.
Robert Field earned a B.S from the University of Alabama with a major in Accounting. He was a CPA in the Washington office of Arthur Andersen prior to returning to Alabama. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Advancing Sight.
Stephen Yoder has been associated with the EyeSight Foundation and Callahan Eye Hospital since 1996. He served as chair of the EyeSight Foundation from 2010 to 2012. He is currently on the Executive Committee of Callahan Eye Hospital.
He started working in higher education in 2008 as an assistant professor in the UAB Collat School of Business after a 30-year career as a business lawyer, including nearly 10 years as the general counsel of a predecessor of Regions Financial Corporation. Since 2018, he has been Associate Provost for Academic Administration in the Office of the Provost of UAB.
He and his wife, Louise, have created the Henry M. Hollis Ophthalmology Research Fund in the Department of Ophthalmology.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Chairman of the Prevent Blindness Board of Directors
Torrey DeKeyser joined the EyeSight Foundation of Alabama (ESFA) as Executive Director in 1999, following a 20-year career in university advancement and administration within the University of Alabama System, including both the University of Alabama (her alma mater) and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).
Ms. DeKeyser is responsible to the EyeSight Foundation governing board in all aspects of the foundation's work. As a charitable grant making organization dedicated to serving as a catalyst for improving eyesight through education, research and access to care in Alabama, ESFA awards $2.5 million in grants annually. In 2012 the EyeSight Foundation was named Outstanding Charitable Organization by the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
Active in the philanthropic community, she belongs to state, regional and national funders groups, including Alabama Giving, for which she is past-president of the Board of Directors. She has been a member of Grantmakers in Health and is a past member of the Board of Directors of the Southeastern Council of Foundations (SECF).
Within the eye care community, Ms. DeKeyser is Chair of the Prevent Blindness Board of Directors, where she also has served as Board Secretary and as Co-Chair of its Public Health and Policy Committee. She is involved with the National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research/Alliance for Eye and Vision Research, as well as the Priory in the USA of the Order of St. John. She has served on the Steering Committee of the Sight Savers America's Hall W. Thompson Hero for Sight Award event since its inception.
She is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham and is a past member of the Birmingham Women's Committee of 100, the American Heart Association (AHA) Circle of Red and the Junior League of Birmingham. Ms. DeKeyser also has been involved in the YWCA Purse & Passion program, the VOICES for Alabama's Children Board of Directors, the Birmingham Women's Network and the United Way of Central Alabama as a Loaned Executive.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Member of the OFFICERS Team
W. Spencer South is from Birmingham and operates Waldwic Capital, an investment management platform focused on private equity and commercial real estate. He has served as the operating manager at Waldwic Plantation and as an advisor at Greer Capital Advisors.
He received his bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Alabama and his MBA from Harvard Business School.