Richards College Joint Board of Advisors

Southwire Company

He oversees all of the operations and supply chain management for Southwire’s wire and cable commercial teams. Adkins leads a team that focuses on accelerating growth in the company’s core wire and cable business.

Adkins joined Southwire in 1998 as director of international sales and manufacturing. He was named director of marketing in the Energy Division in 2001 and was subsequently promoted to vice president of sales and business development. In 2005, Adkins assumed the role of president of Southwire’s OEM Division. He later took the position of senior vice president of electrical distribution and retail sales and eventually was named president of the company’s electrical business. Prior to joining Southwire, Adkins worked at Corning Incorporated for 12 years in increasing levels of responsibility in diverse functional areas of engineering, operations, sales, marketing and international business development.

Adkins graduated from Virginia Tech with a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and completed his MBA with a concentration in finance and international business from the Stern School at New York University. He is a member of The Rotary Club of Carrollton and the Virginia Tech Alumni Association and serves on the Affiliated Distributors (AD) Supplier Advisory Council. Adkins also currently serves on the board of advisors for the University of West Georgia’s Richards College of Business and the Board of Directors for Carroll Tomorrow. Adkins has also been active as a mentor in the New Business Venture Program at New York University, as well as Southwire's 12 for Life program. He has previously served on the board of directors of the Fulton County Education Foundation and the IMARK Manufacturing Supplier Advisory Council and the Lowe’s Corporation Supplier Advisory Council.

Adkins and his wife, Heba, currently live in Sandy Springs, Georgia and have three grown children.

Merrell and Associates

Carroll Tomorrow

On March 31st, 2021 Daniel Jackson retired from his position as President and CEO of Carroll Tomorrow and the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce. (Carroll Tomorrow, created in 2001, is a public-private partnership focusing on economic and community development, workforce development and leadership development). Daniel worked with Carroll Tomorrow for almost 20 years and he also served as the Chamber President for 16 years.

Jackson’s previous experience includes 26 years in the men’s retail clothing industry as VP and partner in the popular men’s store, the Squire Shop, and 3 years with the Carroll Electric Membership Cooperative. During his retail career, Jackson served in many merchant leadership roles including five years as charter president of the Carrollton Mainstreet Program. Jackson was also a partner in Courtyard Square, the first Mainstreet Carrollton real estate redevelopment project and was co-owner of Baskin Robbins in Carrollton and Courtyard Cobbler, a shoe repair shop.

Jackson is a 1975 graduate of West Georgia College (University of West Georgia) with a BS in Business Administration. He attended Floyd Junior College (Highlands) from 1970-1972 as part of the inaugural class. He is a graduate of Leadership Georgia (’97) and the US Chamber Institute (IOM, ‘10). He also holds the designation of GCCE (Georgia Certified Chamber Executive, ‘14).  

Jackson serves as Chairman of the Tanner Health System Board of Directors and Chairman of the TMC East Board of Directors (Wedowee, Alabama Hospital). He also serves on the Carroll County College and Career Academy Board of Directors and the UWG Richards College of Business Advisory Board. 

Daniel and his wife Carol moved to Carroll County as newlyweds in 1972 to complete his education at West Georgia College. Carol, a longtime elementary teacher, completed her teaching career as an adjunct reading instructor with West Georgia Technical College and UWG. 

Over the last 45 years, Jackson has served in many leadership positions in church, civic, youth, education, business, healthcare, and the non-profit community throughout Carroll County and Georgia.  
Daniel and Carol have two adult children, Russ (wife, Karen) and Katie Nalls (husband, Chris) and 7 grandchildren. Russ works for Chick-fil-A Corporate as a Director of Marketing, and daughter Katie and son-in-law Chris are IMB career missionaries currently living in Nairobi, Kenya. 

In retirement, Jackson is enjoying more family time, traveling, kayaking, fishing, volunteer activities, and occasionally, short term consulting projects. 

Southern Company Services, Inc.

Mr. Shiver serves as the Chief Economist and Director of Planning and Regulatory Support for the Atlanta-based Southern Company. At Southern Company, his teams monitor the economic environment, develop operational analytics, forecast energy demand, and conduct cost/benefit studies that drive the company’s planning and analysis processes. From this deep engagement on the demand side of the utility industry, he represents the company as a witness in its regulatory filings and engages with the industry on current issues related to electrification, electric transportation, pricing, energy efficiency, and utility planning. Currently, he is serving as a Commissioner on the Alliance to Save Energy’s 50x50 Transportation Commission. He has over 25 years of experience in the planning and analysis functions of Southern Company and has degrees in Economics from the University of West Georgia and Georgia State University.

Systems and Methods, Inc.

In 1971, SMI founder and Chairman of the Board, Bob Stone, built Systems & Methods, Inc., to provide technological solutions to government agencies. 

SMI partners with state and local government agencies by providing document management, payment processing, customer service, financial systems and case management. SMI exceeds industry expectations in the delivery of solutions and services. 

Today, the second generation of the Stone Family continues Bob’s legacy. They have built upon his vision, philosophy and achievement. Bob’s commitment to service, integrity, and a family –to- family approach of doing business is the bedrock of SMI’s belief that success depends on quality long-term relationships. This commitment is evident today.

Edward D. Jones & Co.

I began my career with Edward Jones in 1988 after working with the Social Security Administration from 1982-1988 as a claims representative. Over the years, I have obtained several degrees, including a BBA and MBA from the University of West Georgia.

I am consistently involved in the community, holding seats on several boards including Tanner Health. Other positions include serving as past president of the Carrollton Lions Club; past trustee of the University of West Georgia; past chairman of the board of directors for West Central Technical College; I currently serve as Chairman of the Community Foundation of West Georgia. I am also a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity-Carrollton/Douglasville Alumni Association where I serve as the Vice-Polemarch (President) and Chairman Emeritus of the Community Diamonds Foundation.

Over the years, I have received numerous community and professional awards as a result of my service to the community. I was the 2019 A.F. Mckenzie Award winner at Edward Jones and won the 2019 Centennial Service Award from the Optimist Club of Carrollton. I was selected as Melvin Jones Fellow for the Lions Club International in 2014 and received the Distinguished Leadership Award from the Omicron Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority in 2018. I have been an active member of the First Baptist Church of Carrollton for over 40 years, serving as a Deacon and Board member.

I currently reside in Carrollton, GA with my wife of 34 years, Lillian Rozena Wilson, our son, Wilson, and our daughter, Maya. I get the most out of my work serving individual clients who desire a personal relationship with an experienced, thoughtful advisor. Our staff provides consistent, confident financial solutions for the serious investor. We are convenient, accessible and interested in the client's total well-being.

Santander US

Senior audit leader delivering innovative audit practices and high-impact assurance & advisory outcomes.

Georgia Charter Schools

Christopher T. Sanders serves as the Executive Director of the East Metro Community Improvement District. Before working for the CID, he previously was with the Georgia Department of Revenue as an Assistant Director and Georgia Pacific in various roles such as customer relations, marketing, and business development. In his spare time, he participates in various activities at his old Alma Mata Redan High School, serves on The University of West Georgia Alumni Association Board of Directors, MBA recruitment ambassador for the Professional MBA program at the University of Georgia, and serves as a men’s group and boys’ high school group leader at Buckhead Church. 

Sanders holds a B.B.A in Business Management from the University of West Georgia and an M.B.A from the University of Georgia.

Tisinger Vance, PC

J. Thomas ("Tommy") is a graduate of the University of Georgia, having received his BBA, with a major in accounting, in 1968. After graduation from undergraduate school, he attended and graduated from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1971. Tommy began practicing law in 1971 and continues to practice with the law firm of Tisinger Vance, P.C. During the initial years of Tommy's practice of law, he specialized in the area of commercial transactions, commercial litigation, healthcare, municipal law, corporations, estate planning and probate law. During the latter portion of Tommy's career, he began practicing in the area of domestic relations. During the course of Tommy's career, he has tried numerous jury and bench trials in the areas of domestic relations, commercial litigation and probate law.

City of Clarkston

Since January 2015, Dan Defnallhas been serving as the FinanceDirector for the City of Clarkston,GA. His responsibilities includemanagement of all areas relating tofinance and accounting including accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, budgeting and financial reporting. The city’s annual budget is $8 million.

Dan Defnall has a varied background in all aspects of financial management, accounting systems implementation and review,audit preparation, and general hands-on accounting. Dan is a seasoned executive manager with experience in financial reporting, board governance,accounting systems and operations, budgeting, facilities management andoperations management primarily in not-for-profit and governmen talentities. Dan is highly skilled in financial reporting, accounting systems, project management, corporate governance, client and partner relationship management, systems implementations and corporate business operations. Dan also has extensive experience in designing and implementing corporate training programs for accounting software and systems, financial management for non-financial executives and continuing education programs. Dan has also been engaged on several internal audit reviews to examine and determine the scope and nature of fraudulent financial activities of accounting staff for various companies.

Prior to the City of Clarkston, Dan served as the Finance Officer for the City of Morrow, GA from October 2004- December 2014 performing the same duties. The city’s annual budget was $12 million. Dan also assisted in management of the Downtown Development Authority of the City of Morrow managing the leasing, collection of rents and financial reporting for various commercial properties owned by the DDA throughout the city. Prior to joining the City of Morrow, Dan was a co-founder of Harrison Gray, Inc., management consulting firm, and served as CFO and Managing Partner for two years. Prior to launching Harrison Gray, Dan was the Chief Financial Officer with the American Cancer Society Southeast Division and spent 13 years (1989-2002) in various financial functions at the regional and national levels of the organization. Dan’s accomplishments included nationwide implementation of Fundware not-for-profit accounting and financial reporting system. Dan’s role included oversight, standardization, support and training for all Fund Ware users throughout 57 Divisions and the National Headquarters. Dan was also responsible for all financial and stewardship reporting and audit coordination for all Divisions. Prior to his career in the not-for-profit industry, Dan served in various corporate financial and accounting positions in the textiles manufacturing industry. Dan has been actively involved on several not-for-profit Boards of
Directors/Advisors including the Institute of Management Accountants, CDC Federal Credit Union, Richards School of Business at the University of West Georgia and various local community organizations. His board member responsibilities have included serving as Chairman of Board, President, Vice- President, Treasurer, Secretary and a multitude of functional responsibilities.

Dan earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and a degree in Accounting from the State University of West Georgia. Dan is also Certified Management EN Accountant (CMA).

Waterstone Solutions

Carroll County Chamber of Commerce

Rhyne Owenby is the Senior Vice President of the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce, where she has made significant contributions to the community through her leadership. She also serves on the Board of the Rotary Club of Carrollton and is actively involved in numerous local non-profit organizations. Rhyne and her husband Richard have two sons and two daughters-in-law and are proud grandparents to two little girls. The Owenbys are active members of Carrollton First Methodist Church, where they continue to serve and engage in the community.

Carroll EMC

Tanner  Medical Center

For more than 25 years, Crews has served the community through her many positions at Tanner Health System. As enterprise CFO of Tanner, she oversees all business-related activity for the system, including budgets, audits and governmental filings. Her responsibilities also include accounting, payroll, patient financial services, patient registration and scheduling, health information management and revenue integrity. Crews earned her bachelor's in business administration and accounting from the University of West Georgia and later became a certified public accountant. She is a member of the west Georgia chapter of the Georgia Society of CPAs, the Healthcare Financial Management Association and the Georgia Hospital Association.

Antares Capital LP

Lofton is a senior vice president with Antares Capital. He is responsible for structuring, underwriting, documenting and managing transactions. Lofton joined GE Antares in 2001 after beginning his career at Ernst & Young, LLP.

Lofton has a bachelor’s degree in business from State University of West Georgia, a master’s degree in accounting from Auburn University and holds a CPA designation.

Southwire Company

Deana Grant serves as the Vice President of Accounting Strategy and Operations at Southwire, where she leads the corporate shared services organization, including the Collections, Credit, Payroll, and Accounts Payable teams. She delivers strategic initiatives aimed at improving processes, fostering professional growth, and driving technological innovation across the finance organization to ensure the company can grow efficiently and sustainably. During her 17-year career at Southwire, Deana has served in multiple positions, including Assistant Corporate Controller, Director of Corporate Financial Planning and Analysis, and Senior Manager of SAP Financial Systems, to name a few. 

In addition to her primary responsibilities, Deana participates in various cross-functional Committees, including the Robotics Processing Applications (RPA) Steering Committee, the Artficial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) Council, and the Master Data Governance Council. In the past, she has also served on the Risk Oversight Committee and was a member of the 2023 Southwire Leadership Academy. She is deeply committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace, demonstrated through her involvement in Southwire's Women's Network Employee Resource Group (ERG) and the Link Mentorship Program. 
Deana holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Accounting and a Master of Professional Accounting (MPAcc) from the University of West Georgia. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants(AICPA).

Outside of her professional commitments, Deana enjoys spending time with family and friends, exploring the outdoors, and traveling. She is also passionate about giving back to the community, actively volunteering with Southwire’s Project Gift; program. 

Grant Thornton

Jason is the Southeast Region Managing Principal at Grant Thornton Advisors, a $2.4B accounting and consulting firm with more than 9,000 U.S. professionals and almost 50 offices nationwide.

Jason previously served as Atlanta’s Market Managing Principal, where was responsible for achieving growth through personalized and integrated services that help the firm’s clients meet their most challenging needs. He was also responsible for hiring, retaining, and mentoring a dedicated Atlanta team of almost 350 professionals. Prior to serving as the Market Managing Principal, Jason was Grant Thornton’s Audit Practice Leader in Atlanta for almost nine years.

Jason has had previous experience directly serving some of Grant Thornton’s largest clients, a role that required him to guide highly skilled professionals from different parts of the firm. He possesses more than two decades of experience collaborating with public and private businesses in a range of industries, including manufacturing, technology, and life sciences. His industry knowledge has made him a sought-after resource at Grant Thornton, both locally and nationally. Further, his client-experience set ranges from pre-revenue businesses to multi-billion-dollar enterprises, giving him a deep understanding of varied business environments and their unique challenges. 

He has long felt that leaders should make a difference in their communities through connection, compassion, and hard work. To this end, he currently serves as a board member of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and is a member of The Carter Center Board of Councilors. Additionally, he is part of the Rotary Club of Atlanta and was previously involved with the Georgia Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. He is a 2024 graduate of Leadership Atlanta.  He frequently participates in philanthropic events, including walks benefitting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the Alzheimer’s Association, the Soldiers’ Angels Atlanta Veteran Food Assistance program, and the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program.

In the broader Atlanta community, Jason has served as an audit committee member for Georgia Tech’s Christian Campus Fellowship and Atlanta Christian College (now known as Point University). He has also served as treasurer for Cobb County Court Appointed Special Advocates. Additionally, he has been a board member of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce.  

Jason is a licensed certified public accountant in Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, and he is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the Georgia Society of CPAs.  

The Atlanta native has deep roots in the city and is a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Management with certificates in Accounting, Finance and Economics. He is married to his wife, Betsy, also a graduate of Georgia Tech (School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, 2001), and they are proud parents of three children — Hadley, Hayden, and Hudson.

Southwire Company

Alicia Wilson is the Chief Audit Officer at Southwire. In this role, Mrs. Wilson leads a team that provides financial assurance and advisory projects for the corporation. A big believer in the field of Accounting and Audit, Alicia Wilson supports the career interests of students interested in embarking in this field through organizations like National Association of Black Accountants and Institute of Internal Auditors. She has previously worked for Georgia Pacific’s & Pepsi’s Internal Audit Department and Deloitte & Touche External Assurance practice. In her personal time, Mrs. Wilson volunteers on her community’s HOA board as the President; she has been in this role for the last five years. She was also appointed by the Mayor on the City of East Point’s Budget & Finance Committee as the citizen representative. Additionally, she serves on the Board of Governors for the Institute of Internal Auditors – Atlanta Chapter.

Alicia Wilson is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Internal Auditor, Certified Risk Management Auditor and a Chartered Global Management Accountant and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Claflin University in South Carolina and a Master’s degree in Accountancy with an emphasis in Financial Reporting and Auditing Analysis from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. Mrs. Wilson was born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago, is a wife and mom to two beautiful boys (9 and 3 years) and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Colony Bankcorp, Inc.

Derek Shelnutt is the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Colony Bankcorp, Inc. He joined Colony in 2020 and has previously served in other leadership roles at the bank, including Chief Accounting Officer, Treasurer, and Controller. Shelnutt is responsible for managing financial reporting, accounting operations, investments, asset liability management, and is directly involved in strategic initiatives and decisions for the Bank. Shelnutt's 10 years of experience includes accounting and finance roles at other publicly traded community banks as well as in public accounting. Additionally, he has a Master of Professional Accounting and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of West Georgia and is an actively licensed Certified Public Accountant in the State of Georgia and South Carolina.