Click here for Lizzie’s interview

Lizzie Emmons is the Executive Director of the Jackson Arts Council in Jackson, Tennessee.

She is a native West Tennessean from Dyersburg, Tennessee. Lizzie is a passionate advocate for the arts with experience in arts administration, graphic design, education, therapy, and both music performance and visual art. She is involved with various arts advocacy initiatives in Tennessee. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for ArtsEd Tennessee and serves as the Board Secretary, is the vice-chair for the City of Jackson’s Public Arts Commission and serves on the City of Jackson’s Anti-Poverty Task Force. She has presented at many conferences on the benefits of the arts, including the National Association for Multicultural Education’s Tennessee Conference, the Tennessee Disabilities Mega Conference, UT Martin’s ARTStanding, and the Tennessee Arts Academy. She is also a graduate of Leadership Jackson.

Lizzie has a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a Master of Science in Education, both from the University of Tennessee at Martin, and a certificate in Arts Management from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Prior to her role at the Jackson Arts Council, she served as the Programs and External Operations Coordinator for the Department of Music at UT Martin.

Brought to you by Jodie Parrish, Coffman’s Home Furnishings, and Woman’s Clinic.

Click here for Genevieve’s Interview.

Genevieve Rene Dupree is a small business owner of a unconventional bakery: Floral Cakes in downtown Jackson, TN. The bakery is unconventional because they highlight other businesses within our bakery and use our bakery as a platform to create programs and small communities within our own community.

Genevieve also founded S.B.C. ( SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY), so that small business owners and those that work with non-profit organizations could intentionally network together. She is a strong believer that these two groups help  build a strong community.

Genevieve is also the Co-founder of S.A.L.T. ( SENIORS ACTIVELY LIVING TRIUMPHLY) a program that was created by Floral Cakes and a local non-profit organization. She’s a CASA and a Board Chair for the Salvation Army. She believes that a business owner can effectively contribute to the growth of their community by using their small business as a platform to do so. Her family and her businesses are proof that this works.

• Kindness is Contagious •

Click here for Dr. Dee’s Interview

Dr. Sandra V. Dee is a Cardiologist at the Jackson Clinic and has been in Jackson for 17 years. She is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology.  Dr. Dee graduated Cum Laude in Medicine from the University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines in 1987 and was awarded in 2012 as the Most Outstanding Silver Jubilarian. She completed residency training in Internal Medicine at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago, Cardiology Fellowship at the University of TN Memphis and Interventional Cardiology Fellowship at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. 

Dr. Dee has been actively involved with the American Heart Association Go Red for Women, Circle of Red and Breast Cancer Awareness Programs. She has been a speaker about heart health in women and breast cancer awareness.  

Even with her busy Cardiology practice, Dr. Dee finds time to engage in civic oriented activities. She is Past President of the West TN Filipino American Association in Jackson, TN.  During her term as President, her association held several events to foster camaraderie among the Filipino-American community, promote cultural awareness by educating the youth and our community about the Philippine cultural heritage as well as raise funds for scholarships and assist members in times of need, including the devastating super typhoon Haiyan.  She was part of the 34 member medical mission team from the United States who went home to the Philippines and spent time treating 3,000 victims of the worst typhoon in Philippine history. 

Dr. Dee was a member of the Citizens’ Commission on Unity, organized in 2013 by former City of Jackson Mayor Jerry Gist.  She was the lead chair of the successful Inaugural Jackson International Food and Art Festival held in October, 2014 and is still the Co-Chair of the event for the past 9 years.  

She is not only passionate about her work as a Cardiologist and involvement in community activities.  But, closest to her heart has always been music and playing the piano!  One of her most cherished possessions is her 7 ft “B” Steinway baby!  Dr. Dee has played for benefit concerts for St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Make a Wish Foundation, Alzheimer’s Day Services of Memphis among others. She has been part of the Steinway’s Doctors in Concert in Memphis for the benefit of St Jude Children’s Research Hospital.  

Dr. Dee is also a licensed Zumba instructor and has done zumbathon fundraisers for different causes in Jackson and Memphis.  She was the recipient of the STERLING AWARD for the 20 Most Influential Women in West TN in 2015 and awarded as one of West Tennessee’s Finest Leaders in 2017. The Jackson International Food and Art Festival, which Dr. Dee remains as the Co-Chair, was presented the Heart and Soul of the Arts Award by the Jackson Arts Council in 2020. Dr. Dee was nominated as one of West TN ‘s Woman of Impact by the American Heart Association in 2021 and was awarded as One of the Most Influential Women in West TN by Mayor Scott Conger, City of Jackson in 2021.  She is currently a Board Member of the Jackson Symphony and the Chairwoman of the American Heart Association Circle of RED, West TN for 2022 and 2023. She recently received the Go Red for the Heart and Soul Award from the Top Ladies of Distinction, Jackson, TN Chapter as speaker at the Go Red for the Heart and Soul Luncheon on February 11th, 2023, held at Lane Community College. 

Kimberley Harville currently works as the District Manager of WM, with 32 years of experience in the solid waste/recycling industry. She is results driven with a passion for helping the communities WM services.

Kimberley seeks to  solve problems and assist Madison County residents in becoming environmental stewards.

Julanne Stone is the Executive Director of the Scarlet Rope Project and she has been involved with Scarlet Rope since its beginning, in March 2015. She started as a volunteer and then transitioned over as the Executive Director and first employee of SRP in September 2017. She began networking with other like-minded organizations to learn and grow SRP into a nonprofit that provides the best services and resources specific to survivors of sex trafficking.

Julanne is a graduate of Baptist Nursing School Memphis, with an Associates Degree and University of Memphis Lambuth, with a Bachelors of Science. She is married to Jackson native, Will Stone. They have three almost-grown children. Joseph and Ella attend Mississippi State University and Emily is a high school student at Trinity Christian Academy. Julanne enjoys spending time with her family on their small farm and anything else outside.

Jodie Parrish is a highly accomplished and experienced real estate Broker and Owner of the Remax franchise in Jackson, TN.

Jodie’s commitment to excellence has not gone unnoticed, as she has been recognized for her achievements with numerous awards and accolades. She has been a consistent top producer in the Remax network, earning the prestigious Platinum Club Award, the Chairman’s Club Award, and the Lifetime Achievement Award, among others.

In addition to her professional accomplishments, Jodie is also actively involved in her community. When former players are asked why they still call her “coach” today, they respond by telling you she was much more than a great women’s basketball coach here in Jackson. She was a person they could look to for advice, both on and off the court. She earned the first MVP honors for a female athlete in Union University’s history. She has taken that same devotion and has successfully applied it to her professional ambitions.

Brought to you by Jodie Parrish, Coffman’s Home Furnishings, and Woman’s Clinic.

Kendra Watkins has been a Furniture Specialist at Coffman’s for six years.   She has been in the furniture industry since 1997.

Her passion as a furniture specialist comes from a life-long love of working with people and giving each client a personable experience.  Life happens around furniture and it thrills her to turn a house into a home.

Outside of work, Kendra loves cooking, shopping and decorating but most of all, spending time with her grandson.

Her role model is her mother, Flew Ellen Jenkins, who worked at Lane College for 37 years, working with four Lane College Presidents.

Brought to you by Jodie Parrish, Coffman’s Home Furnishings, and Woman’s Clinic.

Christin Gray is a Certified Family Nurse Practitioner with a Masters Degree in Nursing from The University of Memphis. Christin also has a Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Union University and a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration from The University of Tennessee at Martin. Christin has worked most of her career in emergency medicine as well as some time in dermatology. Christin was also a sexual assault nurse examiner in the emergency department for 3 years. Christin will be providing care as a primary care nurse practitioner as well as women’s health and cosmetics. Christin is serving as the 2023 Chair of the American Heart Association Go Red For Women movement.

Christin is originally from Martin, TN and is married to Chris. Together they have two children, Perry Wren and Porter. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, Tennessee football and volunteering with the American Cancer Society.

Special thanks to our sponsors: Jodie Parrish, Coffman’s Home Furnishings, and Woman’s Clinic.