Amy Daniels

Next summer Memphis architecture firm archimania will celebrate its 30th anniversary on July 4. One way they’re celebrating early is by becoming a Chairman’s Circle investor. Why? In a letter to Chamber President and CEO Ted Townsend, Barry Alan Yoakum, FAIA and archimania partner and CEO, wrote, “The Chamber has been instrumental in our success. We have been a member, a volunteer, and even the Chamber’s architect… We look forward to meeting with you and your team to discuss how we can be most effective in attracting new capital investment to Memphis.” In addition to reaching a milestone anniversary, archimania has another reason to celebrate. The company has been ranked nationally as high as the eighth best Design Architect from more than 20,000 architectural firms in the United States and is the most AIA award-winning architect in the history of Tennessee. Its work regularly draws national and international architectural attention, placing Memphis at the forefront of design that is relevant outside the traditional centers of design. Most recently, they created the world’s first two dual-certified Zero Energy and Zero Carbon buildings with certification by the International Living Future Institute. Both are certified LEED Platinum and have received a coveted COTE Top Ten Award, the industry’s best-known award program for sustainable design excellence awarded by The American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment, launched in 1997 to honor projects that integrate excellence in design with sustainability and performance. That first building, called Civitas, is the Mud Island home of Barry, his wife, Kathy and their son Crews. The second building is archimania’s new office at 663 South Cooper. archimania was founded in 1995, and it’s a thriving collaboration with 20-something “archimaniacs.” So, what’s the story behind the unique name? Founding Partner Todd Walker, FAIA, came up with the name archimania while still in college at Mississippi State University as a commingling of the words “architect” and “maniac.” Both partners sign their names in all lower-case letters. “I’ve signed my name that way since 7th grade,” Barry said. Given the pair’s propensity for lower-case letters, it is natural their company name uses only those smaller letters. Their work on behalf of their clients has been recognized with more than 300 design awards and has been published in many of the top architectural journals, featured in books and elevated in more business-minded publications such as Fast Company, Metropolis, Wallpaper*, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. The company is the Architect of Record and is collaborating with Pritzker prize laureates Herzog & de Meuron of Switzerland as Design Consultant on the new Memphis Art Museum and recently started design on a ground-up College of Veterinary Medicine for Arkansas State University. They’ve completed many projects including the Ford BlueOval Campus training center, The Oasis for FedEx Express, Hattiloo Theatre, Ballet Memphis, Collage Dance, Girls Inc, The University of Memphis Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center, a variety of projects at Regional One Health and Conservation Hall at the Tennessee Governor’s Mansion in Nashville. Barry takes particular pleasure in the Transplant Institute archimania designed for Methodist and UTHSC. The funder was Laurene Powell Jobs in honor of Steve Jobs’ high-profile liver transplant in Memphis in 2009. “We were the designer for a couple of floors of the new tower, and that part of the project has received multiple AIA awards,” said Barry. Laurene Jobs was quite pleased with the results, Barry said, “For me personally, to work on something that saves lives – that’s a life-extender project, that’s very rewarding.” Barry’s family moved to Memphis from Knoxville in 1957 and took up residence in a duplex on South Cooper. Coincidently, archimania relocated its offices from South Main to 663 South Cooper in 2019, a renovated building that was constructed in 1957. Barry is a graduate of Sheffield High School and the University of Tennessee School of Architecture. What most excites him most about Memphis? “It’s really on the rise,” he said. “I’m excited about where we can go.” Faith plays a big role in Barry’s life. In fact, he met his wife Kathy at church. “We are believers…” he said. Barry loves playing golf, “but it doesn’t rule my life. Golf is not better than architecture. Architecture is my work and my hobby.” His favorite book is Outliers. “It’s a game-changer. I wish I had read it a decade ago,” he said. His favorite movie? 2001: A Space Odyssey. “That was a big deal to me. I was drawn to it. It inspired me for the first time to draw something three-dimensionally,” he said. Barry has four children and seven grandchildren. Barry has a clear view of what he thinks is important for the continued success of the Greater Memphis region. “It’s education. It’s who helps young people along the way. That early education is important,” he said. And he has personal experience with that. It was his third-grade teacher who inspired him to become an architect. That third-grade teacher was Mrs. Atnip at Goodlett Elementary School. For extra credit she let him build models from milk carton flats (you remember those small milk cartons, right?). Barry built houses – what else?! – for his project. “She told me I’d be a good architect,” he said. “She set my career for me on the spot. What a good teacher says can be most impactful.” And architecture has been a good career for Barry, indeed.

Pierre Landaiche owns a red 1967 Mustang convertible, one of the most storied of U.S. cars. He enjoys duck hunting, fishing, cooking and breaking bread with his family. His favorite vacation spot is the beach, and he just finished reading The Splendid and the Vile, about Winston Churchill’s first year in office during World War II. Landaiche runs a group at the University of Memphis called UMRF Ventures. He’s the CEO of the company that employs UofM students to provide managed services – or a specified set of IT services – to clients including FedEx, the City of Memphis, MLGW, Sedgwick and Raymond James. For 22 years he managed the Renasant Convention Center – formerly the Memphis Cook Convention Center – and in 2018 led the startup of the Memphis Sports Hall of Fame before joining UMRF Ventures in 2020. Landaiche was recently interviewed about UMRF Ventures by UofM President Dr. Bill Hardgrave for the video news magazine The President’s Perspective. In the video Landaiche explains that UMRF Ventures is a unique for-profit company that is owned by a nonprofit that’s owned by the University of Memphis. The company employs UofM students to provide managed services in cybersecurity work, call center work and data analytics to organizations, private companies and government entities. “This company was created in 2017 as a way to provide good-paying jobs and practical experience to our students,” he said. The company employs 170 students working under about a dozen contracts with eight companies, he said. “It looks great on the students’ resumes,” he said. “They’re getting real-world experience. They’re earning money that helps support them while they’re in school. Some of them even go on to be supervisors with work within the Ventures organization.” Dr. Hardgrave explained the benefits of UMRF Ventures. “It’s a win for the students because we give them income to stay in school,” he said. “It’s a win for the university because they stay in school.” Landaiche explained the benefit to the business community. “It’s a win for the companies that we serve because we become a talent pipeline for the companies that work with us. FedEx has employed about 90 students from UMRF Ventures.” Landaiche clearly takes pride in what his company does for students. “Today’s students have to successfully balance life with their school commitments,” he has said. “Many students take on significant debt to further their education and work multiple jobs while they go to school to meet their financial obligations. UMRF Ventures’ mission is to help our students succeed by providing good-paying, part-time jobs scheduled around their classroom commitments and conveniently located on campus. Our employees are all UofM students who are getting paid well to support themselves and getting valuable experience before they graduate.” Landaiche is a native of Baton Rouge, La., as is his wife, Gay. They have a daughter, Caroline, who lives and works in her “beloved Memphis.” Pierre Landaiche earned his B.A. in communications from Louisiana State University. After graduation, he worked at the Baton Rouge Convention and Visitor’s Bureau before moving to Jacksonville, Fla., to manage that city’s convention center. The family moved to Memphis in 1996 when Landaiche was hired as general manager of the Memphis Cook Convention Center. In addition to his work serving the business community and UofM students, Pierre Landaiche has served on the boards of the Better Business Bureau, The Hospitality Hub, the Dorothy Day House and the Bridge Street Newspaper, among others. He is former president of the Rotary Club of Memphis and an active member of St. Peter Catholic Church downtown. Landaiche is excited about the potential of Memphis. UMRF Ventures chooses to invest in the Chairman’s Circle because “the success and progress of our city has a direct effect on the university and our employees,” Landaiche said. “We invest in the Chairman’s Circle because of its proven track record of influencing positive change in Memphis.”

Phillip May knew he wanted to be a banker from an early age, so he majored in banking and finance at Mississippi State. After graduating with honors, he married his wife and began his banking career with SunBank in Orlando. They eventually moved to Memphis in 2002 when he joined Regions. Phillip led commercial banking teams through a series of mergers at Regions. In 2007 he left Regions and join a small group to start Metropolitan Bank, where he served as West Tennessee market leader. The bank was very successful; Renasant Bank bought Metropolitan just 10 years later. In 2018 Phillip founded Avodah Mobilization Partners to provide private capital and consulting for organizations seeking a greater missional, social or environmental impact while delivering sustainable economic results. Avodah supported companies in a wide variety of industries, from organic agriculture and athletic training and rehabilitation to real estate development and women’s fashion. In 2020 Phillip became market president for Pinnacle Financial Partners. Pinnacle is headquartered in Nashville and has more than $50 billion in assets, offices in eight states and 3,600 associates. Pinnacle is the third largest bank in Memphis, with $2.4 billion in deposits, eight offices and 250 employees. Phillip says community involvement is a priority for Pinnacle. Pinnacle supports small businesses as the largest SBA loan originator in West Tennessee. The bank also invests in the economic prosperity of the community by supporting nonprofit organizations with financial contributions and employee volunteers. That’s where Pinnacle’s support of the Chamber – and particularly the Chairman’s Circle – comes in. “The Chamber is important to helping Memphis continue its growth and vitality for our future,” he said. Phillip himself gives generously of his time. He is vice chair for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Memphis and a board member of River City Capital Corp, Aurora Collegiate Academy and Downline Ministries. So what does Phillip think about Memphis today? “Memphis is surging now,” he said. “We’ve got so much to offer, and community leaders are working together to help realize our city’s potential. I believe the Chamber is playing a critical role in this surge, while our leaders in city and county government are listening and willing to take calculated risks to grow our local economy. There’s a lot of work to do to get our city where it needs to be, but I believe we have people who are willing to do things differently and shake things up to get better outcomes.” Phillip has been married to his wife, Robin, for 30 years. They have two children, Anna, who works on the legislative team for a congressman in D.C., and Ben, who is an engineer for an electric vehicle manufacturing company in San Francisco. He says Robin is his greatest influencer. “We have a lot of fun together, share a common faith that is most important and laugh at the same things, but we are so very different,” he said. “She is strong where I am weak and helps me find my many blind spots. She is always able to remind me of what’s truly important just by the way she lives her life and cares for others. She provides me so much confidence in knowing she’s always somewhere praying for me.” May enjoys running, working out and playing golf, and the couple likes to travel with friends. They particularly enjoy the ocean and mountains of the Pacific Northwest, and his favorite place to visit is the Monterey Peninsula in California. His favorite book? Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara. “This book talks about much of what has been missing in society in recent years, the simple, thoughtful act of giving people more than what they ask for and how that’s good for business,” he said.

Meet the Chairman’s Circle – An interview with John J. Webb

Besides what is on LinkedIn, where did it all begin? I was born and raised in my earlier years in Brooklyn, New York. Then, I finished high school in Upstate New York (Rochester). Still, after all these years, I remain a big city guy at heart! Since you are not from Memphis, when did you move here and why? My trek to Memphis was not a straight shot from New York.  I have lived in nine states, plus Canada (including twice in both New York City and Los Angeles). I was relocated here from Atlanta in 2020 by Cigna to be the president of Tri-South for the company. Can you share some insight into your early career path? I graduated as a mechanical engineer from Michigan State University. So the first chapter of my career was in aerospace, specifically working on the space shuttle program. I then received my MBA from Pepperdine University in Los Angeles, which facilitated my transition from a technical discipline to a business orientation in healthcare. Since that career change, people clearly found me more interesting at parties when I was in aerospace, as opposed to now when I am in insurance! Please provide an at-a-glance look at Cigna, a major employer in Memphis. Cigna Healthcare is a health benefits provider that advocates for better health through every stage of life. We guide our customers by empowering them with the information and insights they need to make the best choices for improving their health and vitality. Our products and services include an integrated suite of health services such as medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, vision, supplemental benefits and others. Key Points

• • 2,100 full-time employees in the Memphis area
  • 70,000 employees globally for The Cigna Group, which is made up of Cigna Healthcare and Evernorth Health Services
  • More than 164 million customers relationships
  • 2.2 million relationships with healthcare and mental health providers, clinics and facilities
  • #15 on the 2023 Fortune 500 list of biggest U.S. companies by revenue 

Anything you wish to share about your company’s commitment to moving Memphis forward?  Cigna Healthcare is a mission-driven company, which entails leaving a positive impact on the communities we serve. This includes creating a better environment for all people, whether they are clients or not. We want health and quality of life to be attainable for everyone. Thus we support health-related issues and environmental challenges like food insecurity and health access throughout the Tri-South (Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi) geography.  We also help support the YMCA and its many youth activities that focus on wellness. Any personal public service or community involvement you’d like to share? When I arrived, I told people that I was willing to help… and the City of Memphis has taken me up on it!  So I am on the boards of the Greater Memphis Chamber, New Memphis, Memphis Medical District Collaborative (MMDC), Mid-South Minority Business Council Continuum (MMBC) and the University of Memphis Board of Visitors. In addition, I am involved in a long-term initiative on the West Coast that uses entrepreneurship to help the homeless start their own businesses and new lives. This is one of the most impactful programs I have ever been associated with. What most excites you about Memphis? Unlimited potential!!!  My best contribution is to now help Memphis dream bigger! I want this city to achieve what it deserves and orchestrate the support of the right types of organizations/people across Tennessee who can make it happen. That aligns directly with the goals of the Chairman’s Circle. How about a peek inside your family? I am the oldest of three children. My two sisters, whom I am very close to, live in Las Vegas and Copenhagen, Denmark. I am also the proud father of a 26-year-old daughter who lives in the D.C. area and a just-turned-25-year-old son who lives in Orlando. Both are making positive inroads on their career journeys. Meanwhile, I have an adopted rescue dog that I named Memphis who brings me joy every day in my new city! Who is the most influential person in your life and best advice you were ever given? My mother was clearly the biggest influence in my life. She stressed education as a road to success. So I attribute all credit to her for what I have achieved. Yet her greatest advice was to always be a good person, no matter what. As a tribute to her, I will always adhere to that philosophy. Now, for the fun stuff… Any favorite pastime, hobbies or ways to unwind? I played a lot of sports in my youth, so now I love both watching and attending sporting events. I even had the pleasure of going to the Super Bowl in Vegas this year, which was a supernova for me! I also like to read, so I subscribe to about 12 different magazines a month for diversity of thought/info. And, although I do not have much spare time, I enjoy hitting the golf course. Finally, I need to admit that I am a rare breed of man who likes clothes and shopping. There are a few of us in the Chamber, and we know who we are! Favorite vacation spot/where do you like to travel? Hawaii… it is a paradise on earth. And I am indeed a traveling man. So, I love going to Europe, Asia, Caribbean and more. I actually have a large map with pins across the globe marking the many places I’ve been. Not bad for a kid who never got to fly on a plane until he was in college. Do you have a favorite book or movie and why? My favorite movie is Boyz in the Hood.  It is a very close depiction of what I experienced in the younger stage of my life in the inner city. So I have the framed movie poster in my house as a remembrance of where I am from and why I need to help others in difficult living environments. Anything else you’d like to add? While I have lived in many places, I must say that I have found Memphis to be the most welcoming of them all. For that, I am eternally grateful to be an honorary Memphian.

Chris Hughes found himself facing a challenge when he was looking to do something special for his son’s birthday. Determined to create a memorable experience, Chris set out to organize a celebration that would leave a lasting impact. Little did he know that this simple desire would lead him to an extraordinary encounter with Memphis Rox, a climbing gym and community center that was not yet open to the public. The journey would eventually have him leading as the chairman of the organization’s board of directors. [Read more…] about Outside the Office: Chris Hughes

Meet the Chairman’s Circle: Kelly Dobbins. [Read more…] about Meet the Chairman’s Circle: Kelly Dobbins

Meet the Chairman’s Circle: Matt Dunbar Matt Dunbar didn’t know much about Memphis when he moved his family here in 2023 so he could work with Cargill’s cotton group. But the city quickly grew on him. “There is something to be said for Southern hospitality, and my entire family is settling in very nicely,” he said. “For me, what is exciting about Memphis is the community. You can see how passionate people are about their city, and they want to see it thrive. You don’t find this passion in other large cities. That sense of shared purpose is contagious.” Matt is managing director at Cargill Cotton. He has worked at Cargill for more than 15 years, spending 14 years in risk management before moving to the company’s cotton group last year. He grew up in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and has spent time working there and in Boston, Miami/Ft. Lauderdale and Guatemala. He earned his bachelor’s in marketing from Boston College, then moved to Guatemala to learn Spanish and work for the nonprofit Common Hope, which helps children, families and communities improve lives through education, healthcare, housing and family development. He planned to spend six months in the Central American country, but then he met Sara, who became his wife. Four years later the couple moved to Spain, where Sara finished her graduate degree and Matt started his MBA, which he later finished at the Opus College of Business at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis after joining Cargill’s risk management business. Cargill has more than 100 employees in Memphis, more than 50,000 in the U.S. and more than 160,000 working in 70 countries. The 159-year-old company – that’s right, 159! – provides food, ingredients, agricultural solutions and industrial products with innovations and insights in a safe, responsible and sustainable way. Cargill makes an outsized contribution to the Memphis community. In 2023 the company contributed $100,000 to organizations like Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, Feed the Need and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis. Matt is also personally generous giving his time to community efforts, serving on boards for New Memphis, Cotton Council International and The Seam, a software company founded by four cotton companies in Memphis, including Cargill, that provides trading and technology solutions enabling food and agribusiness companies to operate profitably and efficiently throughout a sustainable global supply chain. Matt and Sara have three children: Sofia, 12, Oliver, 10, and Santiago, 6. “They keep us running,” said Matt. He embraces two pieces of advice: “Good decisions come from wisdom and wisdom comes from mistakes” and “The height of ignorance is thinking you know everything.” He plays ice hockey with a team in Olive Branch for “old guys like me, which has been amazing,” according to Matt. His favorite book is “Salt: A World History” by Mark Kurlansky. “Working in commodities, I have always been fascinated by world history. I am a bit of a history nerd.” And it probably comes as no surprise that his favorite vacation spot is Antigua, Guatemala, where his wife is from. When asked if there was anything else he’d like to add for this article, he said, “I’d just like to say thank you to the community that has been so welcoming in our first year in Memphis.”

Meet the Chairman’s Circle: Patricia Covington Patricia Covington is the youngest of 13 children. She was born in Brownsville, Tenn., and she followed her older sister to Memphis in 1992 to attend college. She started at Memphis State University and graduated from the University of Memphis. “Memphis State University transitioned to the University of Memphis while I was a student, so I was lucky to be part of the population that got to attend under both names,” she said. Patricia and her siblings now mostly live scattered across West Tennessee. Patricia’s and her sister’s shared love for Memphis extends to the rest of the family. “When the family travels and people ask where we’re from, the funny part is, the ones who still live in Brownsville are the first to scream ‘Memphis!’ That’s evidence that as Memphis goes, so goes West Tennessee,” she said. Patricia is executive director of the global integrated aftermarket supply chain for Cummins Inc. During her 26-year career at Cummins, she has worked in multiple areas including planning, marketing and operations. In her current role, she’s a key global leader for Cummins. She shares her career journey as an example for underrepresented employees to know they can flourish in the right environment. In all her roles, she’s focused on attracting and cultivating the best and most diverse talent. She’s the charter executive sponsor for the Memphis employee resource groups Cummins Black Network and Women Empowerment Network. She also focuses on encouraging diverse talent through her work on the Howard University engagement team. Patricia earned her bachelor’s in accounting from the UofM. After graduation, she worked as a materials planner in the new Memphis Distribution Center Cummins had relocated from Indianapolis. “I developed a passion for planning and logistics that caused me to change my career trajectory,” she said. “I fell in love with supply chain because of the challenges and continuous learning opportunities. It’s turned out to be the perfect career path for me.” Patricia went on to earn a master’s in human resources management from Webster University and an Executive MBA in global supply chain from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Cummins is a global power technology leader with 73,000 employees in 190 countries and more than $28 billion in annual revenue. In Memphis, Cummins has three locations and more than 1,200 employees. Caring is one of Cummins’ core values. “That focus extends beyond internal into the communities where we live. It’s what drive corporate responsibility at Cummins,” said Patricia. “Being a part of the Chamber’s Chairman’s Circle gives us greater insight into the needs of the community and how to help. It takes a collective effort, and we want to be part of what keeps Memphis a great place to live.” Caring is part of Patricia’s personal and professional DNA. “My dad and mom worked diligently to ensure we turned out to be great human beings with principles,” she said. “They would often say, ‘You may not be the smartest, but you will be the kindest and treat people right, fair and with respect.’” She lives that lesson through her passion for volunteering. She chairs the board for LeMoyne-Owen College and serves on Howard University’s Supply Chain Centers of Excellence Advisory Board. She previously served on the Multi-Cultural Advisory Board for the University of Memphis and has volunteered with JIFF – the Juvenile Intervention and Faith-based Follow Up – and the One Step Initiative, a nonprofit focused on education for underserved high school students. She’s also a 25-year member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority’s Shelby County alumnae chapter. Patricia is an introvert who loves to cook and travel with family to Destin, Fla., where her 20+ family members stay in one house. Her favorite movie is The Lion King. “The essence of that story touched my soul. Confession: I bought the soundtrack when the movie came out in 1994, and I was probably the only college kid riding around listening to Hakuna Matata on repeat. I’ve never been embarrassed about it,” she said. And she really loves Memphis. What exactly does she love about our city? “As cliché as this sounds, everything. I love the soul of this city. I love how cultured our city is. How accommodating and welcoming we are. We are the picture of diversity – not just in nationality, but in thought and other areas on the diversity spectrum. I love that you don’t have to be born in Memphis to be a Memphian. Being a Memphian is a state of mind. I love being a Tiger and I love our Grizzlies. I’m a big basketball fan and don’t want to leave out our LeMoyne-Owen Magicians. Sharing all these details about myself feels a little weird, but if it helps the City of Memphis in some way, count me in!” About the Chairman’s Circle: The Greater Memphis Chamber Chairman’s Circle is a group of more than 160 C-suite business leaders working to spur economic growth, develop the workforce, and improve the business climate throughout the region. Learn more about the group and its task forces here and follow the Chairman’s Circle on LinkedIn.

More than 2,000 meetings. That’s about how many Rotary Club meetings Nathan Lubin has attended in his 45 years as a Rotarian. Rotary Clubs meet once a week, and Rotarians are expected to be at practically every meeting – so the math is pretty simple.

[Read more…] about Chairman’s Circle: Outside the Office with Nathan Lubin