Corporate Cornucopia Corporate Cornucopia

Dr. Joann Massey is the Vice President of Operations for EDGE, the Economic Development Growth Engine for Memphis and Shelby County. She is a recognized community leader with accolades such as 2023 MBJ Power 100, Memphis Business Journal Top 40 Under 40, Leadership Memphis Executive Class 2014 and Top Performer Shelby County Government. She received the 2019 Blaze Award for Economic Justice and the 2021 Memphis Power 30. She was also recognized by the Tri-State Defender as a 2017 Woman of Excellence, a 3V Leading Lady of Shelby County and was also awarded the 2017 Partnership Award by WBEC. She is a 2017 Rose Center Fellow for Equitable Economic Development.

 Dr. Massey has certifications in Economic Development from Harvard University, Executive Education Program; Managing Economic Development Organizations from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC); and as a Certified Compliance Administrator from Morgan State University. She is a graduate of Benedictine University, where she graduated summa cum laude with a Master degree in Business Administration (MBA) concentration in Finance. She holds a dual Bachelor of Business Administration and Finance degree from LeMoyne Owen College.https://edgemem.com/

Lisa Plath is the Director of the Town of Collierville Library, a role she’s held for the past four years. She’s worked for the library since 2008. Before becoming Director, Lisa was Assistant to the Director, Digital Services and Adult Services Coordinator. Her goal is to improve library services for Collierville by always trying to determine what Collierville needs and wants and strategizing a way to get those things done. She has overseen some of these improvements such as: the introduction of new self-checkout machines and new security gates, hosting an extraordinary series of events with a New York Times bestselling author, and streamlining automatic book returns.

Several other projects in the works look to update the Library catalog for more user-friendly searching, digital signage in the library, a new mobile app, and meeting the growth of the younger population. 

She currently lives in Germantown with her husband Tom. She has three adult children and seven grandchildren.

Collierville Library Website: https://www.colliervilletn.gov/visitors/library-273


The Case for Paper: Books vs. E-Readers 
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/well-read/202402/the-case-for-paper-books-vs-e-readers#:~:text=Research%20suggests%20that%20comprehension%20is,visually%20to%20a%20particular%20page.



What is Bibliotherapy?: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/well-read/202312/what-is-bibliotherapy



Reading print improves comprehension far more than looking at digital text, say researchers:  https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/dec/15/reading-print-improves-comprehension-far-more-than-looking-at-digital-text-say-researchers



7 Scientific Benefits of Reading Printed Books:  https://www.howlifeunfolds.com/learning-education/7-scientific-benefits-reading-printed-books

Dr. Mary Crowley McDonald is the Founder and CEO of MCD Partners, a national consulting firm that provides a broad range of services for educational, business, and leadership consulting with a presence in 34 states.   Dr. McDonald has received national acclaim as an innovative educator, published author, and public speaker.  She has been a professional educator for thirty-six years as a teacher, principal, and most recently, as Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Memphis for fourteen years. She left this position in June 2012, in order to start her own business, MCD Partners Consulting. As Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese of Memphis, Dr. McDonald was responsible for overseeing all aspects of the system of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Memphis, as well as for the creation of the Jubilee Catholic Schools, eight long-closed Catholic schools that were reopened in the inner-city of Memphis under her leadership.

Dr. McDonald is very involved in the community, locally as well as nationally.  Dr. McDonald is the recipient of numerous awards in recognition of her work in education, entrepreneurship, and community service. Dr. McDonald and her husband, Joe, have two adult children and six grandchildren.

Alex Piña has been a McDonald’s Owner Operator since 8/3/2018 in Memphis, TN. Alex owns eight McDonald’s restaurants in the Mid-South: five in Memphis, two in Cordova, and one in Collierville. Alex is the only Hispanic McDonald’s Owner Operator in Western Tennessee.



He was a 15 Year McDonald’s USA Company Employee and has a wide breath & depth of experience in the McDonald’s System. Alex is a CPA and MBA and was a Regional Controller in the McDonald’s Greater Chicago Region before taking an opportunity to transition into operations in which he was able to

utilize his collaborative approach to help his McDonald’s restaurants and partners to grow their business.

 

The Piña Organization was honored to be the recipient of the prestigious Ronald Award in 2023. The Ronald Award is bestowed upon the Top 1% of Owner Operator Organizations in the Unites States.

Stefanie Tolbert, a trailblazing entrepreneur with an illustrious 25-year career in the cosmetics and fashion industry, has recently embarked on her most exciting venture yet—a lifestyle boutique that perfectly encapsulates her keen eye for style, innovation, and a customer-centric approach. Stevie's Merle Norman Studio and Spa, located on the historic Collierville town square, is a testament to her passion and expertise.

 

Stefanie's remarkable journey began in the early 1990s when she entered the world of cosmetics as a beauty consultant. Her passion for making people feel confident and beautiful soon became evident, propelling her career forward. With over a decade of invaluable experience at industry giants Lancôme and Chanel, Stefanie developed an acute understanding of luxury and style, which she would later apply to her own ventures. 



Stefanie's crowning achievement came in 2022 when she fulfilled her lifelong dream by opening "Stevie's Merle Norman Studio and Spa," a lifestyle boutique that blends her passion for cosmetics, fashion, and interior design. The boutique, located on the historic Collierville town square, has quickly become a haven for fashion-forward individuals seeking unique, curated products that reflect their style and sensibilities.

Maureen Yarborough of Sign Matters, Inc. has come a long way since her college dreams of becoming a grade-school teacher. With her University of Missouri college degree and teaching certificate in hand, she taught for several years before accepting a new challenge in sales with a chemical manufacturing company. She eventually found herself in marketing and sales for a sign company and opened her own shop, Signs Matter, in 2005. Yarborough has found success since the early days of a one-person shop using her children’s little red wagon to deliver signs to a few customers onto the company’s current extensive list of clients throughout the region. The company’s capabilities range from designing and manufacturing to installation and phase management of sign projects. Sign Matters produces everything from reception logos to ADA-compliant signs, wayfinding, and large-scale exterior building signage. These days, she also operates Sign Studio, a division of Sign Matters, that specializes in colorful and personalized office signage.