Who We Are
Formed in 1977 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, the Foundation serves to raise and administer funds to support the mission and enhance the growth and development of Jackson State. The Foundation provides funding for scholarships, programs, capital improvements, equipment and facilities, and other projects for which institutional funds are either not available or are in short supply.
The Board of Trustees is comprised of 13 Trustees, and 3 Honorary Trustees that meet quarterly on Jackson State's Jackson Campus.
Cary Vaughn - Chair
Memphis, TN
CEO and President of Love Worth Finding Ministries, Inc. Cary has served with the State of Tennessee, Department of Economic and Community Development representing the Southwest Region. In the community, Mr. Vaughn participates with several boards and commissions: Jackson State Community College Foundation Board of Trustees (Past Chair), Lambuth University Alumni Association (Past Chair), Leadership Millington Steering Committee, UT Martin WestStar Board of Directors, H.A.R.E. Board of Directors (President), Memphis YMCA Board of Directors (Past Chair), Millington Education Foundation Board of Directors (Chair), and the Tennessee Association of Community Leaders Board of Directors (Past Chair).
John Rountree - Vice-Chair
Memphis, TN
John is a graduate of the University of Memphis with a BA in Organizational Leadership. John joined the team at Safelite AutoGlass as an Area Sales Manager in July of 2011 after several years as a Regional Sales Manager for a Railroad contractor working all over the South-east. John was promoted to Operations Manager of the Memphis Market in 2014 and oversaw record growth in sales and contribution between 2014 and 2016. John received the Safelite Wall of Fame award for 2017. In 2017 John was promoted to District Manager over all operations in West Tennessee, Arkansas and North Mississippi for Safelite and continues to serve in that capacity today.
Al Da Silva - Treasurer
Memphis, TN
Al Da Silva is the founder and CEO of DaSilva Consulting-Your Consulting Network. His vision is to build a network of highly talented and diversified consultants to drive value to the business community through its Virtual COO Program. Al Da Silva is a graduate of Union University in Jackson, TN where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biology, Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Science in Nursing. He also holds a Master of Healthcare Administration from the University of Memphis. Finally, He is certified in Lean Six Sigma and Strength-based leadership development.
Mike Creasy
Decatur County, TN
Mayor of Decatur County.
Joseph Crone
Jackson, TN
Joseph is the Managing partner at Gibson Perryman Attorney's at Law and is a 7th generation Memphian, attending Briarcrest Christian High School and then being recruited to play football at the University of North Alabama in Florence, Alabama. Joseph graduated from Rhodes College in Memphis, majoring in History and then the Mississippi College School of Law in Jackson, Mississippi. Joseph focuses his practice in the areas of criminal defense, personal injury, and domestic litigation in the greater West Tennessee, North Mississippi and Eastern Montana areas.
Jim Crone
Eads, TN
Jim Crone is the Mid-South Director of Government and Corporate Relations/Comprehensive Solutions for the Trane Company working with Municipalities, Universities, School Districts and Hospitals throughout West TN, East AR, and North MS. His responsibilities are to develop energy performance based comprehensive solutions for capital improvements and operational efficiencies. Jim has been with Trane since 2010. His entire career has been helping to develop organizations (both corporate and non-profit/ volunteer) from a starting point into thriving organizations. He brings experience and energy to these organizations in an effort to support their mission. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Leadership Memphis and serves as the Chair of Volunteer Memphis. Additionally he serves on the Benjamin Hooks Institute for Cultural Change (University of Memphis), the Jackson State Community College Foundation (Jackson, TN), and serves on the Memphis/Shelby County Center City Revenue Finance Board.
Earnest L Evans
Memphis, TN
Earnest Evans, a JSCC alumnus with 25 years of global military logistics experience, recently retired after 14 as DOD civilian Army Materiel Command (AMC) and Defense Logistics Agency DLA).
Hannah Gore
Jackson, TN
A freelance photographer, graphic designer, and writer who serves the Jackson and West Tennessee area. She has worked with government and education entities, as well as advertising, public relations, entertainment, agricultural, and religious organizations. Hannah was a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, Vice-President of the Multicultural Student Association, and visual arts editor for the Spilled Ink Society. She was named Tennessee's New Century Workforce Pathway Scholar and was recognized in New York City. Hannah is a positive representative of Jackson and its surrounding communities, drawing on her broad range of experiences and connections.
Randy McKinnon
Jackson, TN
Randy McKinnon is a Civil Engineer and President of TLM Associates, an Architectural and Engineering firm serving West Tennessee. He is a 1992 graduate of Tennessee Tech University. Prior to joining TLM 1998, Randy previously worked for Environmental Systems Corporation in Knoxville as a designer and project manager of environmental assessment and remediation projects.
Natalie McCullough Porter
Jackson, TN
DeLaney Timberman
Hardin County, TN
Delaney Timberman is an alumnus of Jackson State Community College and the Executive Director of the Hardin County Chamber of Commerce.
Dr. Burton Williams
Nashville, TN
Chief Executive Officer of Ayers Foundation Trust in 2023 and is a veteran leader in business, development, and education. Burton spent nearly 25 years in higher education administration, community engagement, academics, and research. Most recently, Burton was the Director of TrustCore Institutional at TrustCore located in Brentwood, TN. He previously served as Associate Vice President for Advancement, as well as Assistant Dean of the College of Education and Associate Dean of the College of Business at Lipscomb University in Nashville. He earlier held similar roles at Freed-Hardeman University in West Tennessee.
Joe T. Woods
Lexington, TN
Joe T. Woods has worked in or with public education since 1986 serving as a teacher, coach, and administrator. He served for nine years as the Director of Schools for Lexington City Schools in Lexington Tennessee until 2011. He also worked as the Statewide Coordinator for Battelle for Kids to support the Tennessee Department of Education's implementation of First to The Top from 2011-2015. Since 2015, Joe has worked with the Paris Special School District and Marion County Schools in the area of expanding career exploration and career pathways. He is currently serving as the Special Projects Coordinator for Collierville Schools. Joe is also working with the National Rural Education Association and the Henderson County Alliance on Rural Workforce Development efforts.
Jim Ayers - Honorary
Known as one of the state's most successful and admired businessmen, Jim established what is known today as FirstBank. He grew the FirstBank from a single branch in Scotts Hill, TN, into Tennessee's largest independently owned and operated bank with more than 40 locations and $4.9 billion in total assets.
Jim is also a leading philanthropist as Founder of the Ayers Foundation located in Parsons, TN. Jim established the Foundation in 1999 to increase educational opportunities for young people and has since also established and funded the Ayers Institute at Vanderbilt University, which conducts advanced cancer research, the Ayers Children's Hospital in Jackson, TN and the Ayers Institute for Teaching Learning and Innovation at Lipscomb University.
Neta McKnight - Honorary
Jackson, TN
After receiving a 12-month certificate in Roentgen ray technique from the University of Tennessee Medical School in 1957, Neta began her career at the Ochsner Foundation Hospital in New Orleans. She then returned to Tennessee and, in 1970, was employed at Jackson State Community College. After 37 years as an associate professor and the first director of the radiography program, she looks back with pride at having developed the first college degree program in radiologic technology in the state of Tennessee - one of the first programs to receive national accreditation.
Reggie Smith - Honorary
Jackson, TN
Click below to view the latest Foundation documents
| View our Case for Support | Read our Annual Report | View Meeting Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| JSCC Foundation Case for Support | 2023 Foundation Annual Report | December 2023 Meeting Minutes |