Business and Industry: Management Development Conference

Christina is a senior manager with KPMG's Audit Practice. She received her B.A in Accountancy at Belhaven University and her Masters in Professional Accounting at the University of Texas at Austin. She is a licensed CPA in the state of Mississippi and has 13 years of experience serving both public and private companies, primarily in financial services such as banking/insurance and industrial manufacturing industries.

Bob Mims, CPA, is a financial consultant and VP Finance for promising enterprises. For 20 years, Bob has worked with numerous startup ventures and nonprofits in the roles of Strategic Planning, Business Modeling, Controller and CFO. His focus is understanding the fundamentals of profitability. Bob worked ten years as a Big Four Senior Assurance Manager, earning National Instructor of the Year on three occasions. Bob has served on FASB Advisory committees and is based in Memphis, TN.

Tracy Cooper, CPA, is a specialist serving small and mid-size businesses in resolving their accounting, technology, business process, and reporting challenges. She has worked with Price Waterhouse, ALLTEL, and other leading firms. Tracy's ability to communicate at both the strategic and tactical levels has given her the privilege of leading training with individuals and groups of all sizes throughout her career, both in the US and abroad. Tracy graduated from The University of Texas San Antonio summa cum laude, and is currently based in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Ralph is the President and Founder of First Resource Capital. He is a trained Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Ralph has a passion for helping others hone their skills in leadership and communication.

Kellie Shannon, CPA, is an audit manager with KPMG in Jackson, MS. She is a University of Mississippi graduate with a Bachelor of Accountancy and Master of Accountancy and Data Analytics. She joined KPMG in 2019 and has experience with both public and private companies, primarily in the real estate, insurance, and telecommunication industries.

Ginny is a senior manager with KPMG's Audit Practice. She received her B.A. in Accountancy and Master of Accountancy from the University of Mississippi and is also a graduate from the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College. She is a licensed CPA in the state of Mississippi and has 10 years of experience providing financial statement audit and audit of internal control services for both public and private companies. The clients she serves are primarily in the real estate industry.

Brenda Barron has been in the staffing industry since 1999, starting out in Jackson MS and eventually relocating to Atlanta, GA. Brenda became Vice President of recruiting and compliance for a national firm who provided outsourced services to major e-commerce corporations. Brenda relocated back to Mississippi in 2017 and acquired Professional Staffing Group in 2019.
As President and owner, Brenda primarily focuses on business development in both professional services and light industrial sectors. She also manages the training and career development of PSG recruiters and provides support to the entire staff to increase the company's capacity to provide exceptional service to more clients and candidates.
While Brenda is not one to stay still very long, her business is not her only focus. She loves decorating projects, growing flowers in her garden and spending time with her 3 grandchildren and family.
Brenda currently serves as Director Elect of MS SHRM, and is the Chair of the MS SHRM State conference. Brenda is also a member of the American Heart Association Circle of Red and is very involved with fund raising events for children fighting child hood diseases.

I am an Enneagram 8w7 entrepreneur from Starkville MS. I am married to Justin Casano and we have three children. I am a Certified Enneagram Coach and business developer through my company EBC Consulting, LLC, the host of the podcast Honey, Hush and recently published my book, "Learning Differently, A Mom's View of Raising Children with Dyslexia and ADHD".

Corey Miller was named State Economist for Mississippi and Director of the University Research Center in November 2020. He has more than twenty years of experience as an economic researcher and his research has been published in numerous peer-reviewed economics journals. His areas of specialization include regional economics and agricultural policy.
Mr. Miller serves as the chief economist for Mississippi with responsibilities that include economic forecasting, monitoring collections of state general fund revenue, and socio-economic policy analysis. He serves as chair of the Revenue Estimating Group and works closely with the Legislative Budget Office, Department of Revenue, and other state agencies.
Mr. Miller also constructs and maintains the state's Leading Economic Index, which is used to forecast economic trends and assess the Mississippi economy. He continues to serve as editor of Mississippi's Business, a monthly publication that tracks the performance of the state and national economies, as well as the Mississippi Economic Outlook, a quarterly publication that describes the latest forecasts for the state and national economies. He also produces a monthly podcast that summarizes these publications.
He is a native Mississippian and earned a bachelor's degree in agribusiness and a master's degree in agricultural economics, both from Mississippi State University. He also completed additional Ph.D. courses in economics at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.
Immediately prior to his selection as State Economist, Mr. Miller served as an economic analyst for URC for nearly seven years. Prior to his tenure at IHL, Mr. Miller served as a research associate and an instructor for twelve years in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Mississippi State University.
He and his wife live in Flowood, Mississippi.