Congratulations to our 2025 Memphis Next-Gen 10 Honorees! The Memphis Next-Gen Awards recognize ten young professionals for their achievements in making Memphis greater.

ZACHARY AMOS

Zachary Amos is the Associate Director of Advocacy and Public Policy at Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis. Prior to working at Habitat for Humanity, he lived in various states, working on political campaigns in one way or another. Despite living across the country, Zach chose to come back to the place he was born and start his own family. Zach is a father to his one-year-old son and, in his application for the Memphis Next-Gen Awards, said, “At the heart of everything I do is this: I want to build a better Memphis for him and for all of us.” Zach’s work is focused on advocating for better, more sustainable, and more affordable housing for Memphians. Outside of work, he spends his time volunteering as an ESL teacher. As he put it, Zach seeks to create a welcoming, inventive, and unafraid to lead Memphis.

DESIREE BURROUGHS-RAY

Dr. Desiree Burroughs-Ray is a physician at LeBonheur Children’s Hospital and Regional One Health. Additionally, she is an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at UTHSC. She spends her days caring for the Memphian inside and outside the hospital. Desiree is NOT a native Memphian but can certainly be considered one now. In fact, as part of her work, she created a Resident Wellness Committee for the Internal Medicine Residents with a goal of retaining medical talent in Memphis. This group supports wellness inside and outside of the workplace. As a result of the committee, residents have reported feeling less burnt out and are even talking about how excited they are to participate and explore the city.

MADSION DOBBINS

Madison Dobbins is the Scheduling and Results Administrator at Mid-South Drug Testing Inc. Madison is a Memphis native and loves this city. She believes that if you have the ability to give back, you should give back as much as you can, which is why as part of her work at Mid-South Drug Testing, she organizes partnership opportunities with local non-profits where employees can volunteer and give back. Madison continues to take on leadership roles within the company and make an impact on Memphis. She says that there is no place she’d rather live than right here in Memphis, Tennessee. Travel is fun, but Memphis is home.

DONAE GOODEN

Donae Gooden is the Human Resource Manager at the J.M. Smucker Company. She is passionate about leadership development and being a lifelong learner. Much of her work revolves around growing leaders and their skills in order to make the company stronger. Additionally, Donae spends some of her free time mentoring early-career professionals and helping them become better leaders. Donae is very connected to the community through volunteering, participating in local events, and visiting local businesses. She is especially interested in patroning local restaurants as a food blogger and content creator. Donae seeks to have a meaningful and lasting impact in all that she does.

ROMANETHIA GREEN

Romanethia Green is the Chief Operations Officer at TopCat Masonry. She is a born and raised Memphian but chose Memphis because of the community and culture the city provides. In a recent conversation with Romanethia, she said, “Why take my talents somewhere else instead of helping in the city that raised me?” Through her work, she seeks to provide solutions, address community needs, and create opportunities for success. Romanethia wants others to look beyond the barriers and see the possibilities. She hopes to inspire other people through what she does.

BRENT HOOKS

Brent Hooks is the Regional Vice President at Cornerstone Engineering. He lives and breathes Memphis. In all that he does, Brent wants Memphis to grow stronger, smarter, and more inclusive. Brent is passionate about projects that move Memphis forward. He routinely volunteers by mentoring students and educating them on the value of STEM. He said that he want the students to be inspired and know that the future can be built right here in Memphis. He is also launching a program here that encourages students to go into STEM-related fields. Brent encourages young professionals to dream big and get involved.

HANNAH LEON

Hannah Leon is a Special Projects Manager at Orion Financial.  Originally from Jackson, Tennessee, Hannah moved to Memphis in 2022. She is passionate about expanding financial literacy in the community. Hannah wants financial literacy to be accessible and equitable because she believes financial health is important to an individual’s overall well-being.  She encourages other young professionals in the community to find what they are passionate about and go after it. For Hannah, leadership is using the tools she has to remove barriers and build confidence. Hannah wants Memphians to get involved in the community and support one another—especially those making a difference in the city.

JAMAL MUHAMMAD

Jamal Muhammad is another proud Memphis native. He is a Field Technician at mStreet Fiber, a Memphis-based company that is bringing fast and reliable fiber connectivity to their clients, including Memphis. Jamal helps oversee fiber installation, provides technical guidance, and ensures compliance with industry standards. Outside of the office, he volunteers as a technology coach at CodeCrew after being an alum of the program. He wants those students to feel supported and foster confidence in computer science. Jamal says that when he thinks about fulfilling his dream, Memphis is the only place where he can truly do that. He is passionate about inspiring other young Memphians and showing that they can also thrive in this city.

JAMESON MURREY

Jameson Murrey is the Senior Director of Corporate Strategy and Operations at Alsac/St. Jude. Jameson is an active member of our Young Professionals Council and served as Vice-Chair. Jameson is originally from Jonesborough, Arkansas, but has called Memphis home for 11 years now. What excites her the most is not only the people we have now who are building a better future for Memphis, but the next generation. Jameson believes that purpose makes passion easy and that with a mission-driven city like our own, there is so much opportunity. She believes in the power of doing good to transform communities.

JEVONTE PORTER SR.

Jevonte Porter Sr. is the Director of Community Relations at Youth Villages. He is Memphian through and through. To him, Memphis is not just a city. It is his home, and he believes in his home. He believes in Memphis. Jevonte committed his life to service, knowing that it was his purpose. He felt that Memphis was the place where he could best fulfill his purpose and give back to his community. Jevonte’s call to action for other young professionals is to, “Be the leader Memphis deserves. One that is consistent. One that is humble. And one that is committed and rooted in service.”