Our Team

Shane Hooper
President/CEO
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[ c ] 662.231.8961
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Shane is President/CEO of the Shelbyville-Bedford Partnership, a local economic
development organization focusing on industrial recruitment and retention, workforce
development, and community development. He graduated from Itawamba
Agricultural High School and Lipscomb University. After graduation, he served his
country as an officer in the United States Marine Corps. Shane earned a Master's in
Economic Development from the University of Southern Mississippi.

In 2012, the Governor of Mississippi appointed Shane to serve on the MS Institutions of
Higher Learning (IHL) Board, representing the Third (Northern) Supreme Court District
for nine years. The MS IHL sets policy for all eight public universities; three R1
research universities, three historically Black universities, two regional universities,
and the University of MS Medical Center, the state's only level one trauma center.
While on the board, he served on numerous committees and was President of the
Board from 2018 to 2019.

In 2022, the Governor of Tennessee appointed Shane to serve on the Tennessee Board
of Regents, representing the Fourth Congressional District. Mr. Hooper is also a
Lipscomb University Board of Directors member and the Tennessee Walking Horse
National Celebration Association.

He is the past president of the Tupelo Rotary Club, past president of the
Gardner-Simmons Home for Girls, and past president of United Way of Northeast
Mississippi. He has also served as the Planning and Property division chair for the
Community Development Foundation (CDF) and the Economic Development division
chair for CDF. Past board member seats include North Mississippi Medical Center,
Good Samaritan Free Clinic, Sanctuary Hospice House, and North Mississippi Health
Care Foundation.

Shane and his wife Sarah have two sons, Christopher and Channing, and one daughter,
Ellabess. The family enjoys their two Springer Spaniels, Max and Millie.

Beth Davis
Director of External Affairs
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Beth received her bachelor’s degree in education from Miami University and her Masters’s Degree in
Nutrition Education from the University of Cincinnati. She has worked in both public and private
educational environments as well as the corporate setting. Beth has been extensively involved with
multiple foundations and non-profits with an emphasis on community outreach and fundraising. Beth is
passionate about building strong relationships and being the link between the community, local
businesses & organizations, and educational systems. Beth resides in Shelbyville, TN with her husband,
Mike. They have three children Drew (who lives in Atlanta with his wife Sarah), Meghan (who lives in
Shelbyville with her Husband Straton), and Eli, a recent graduate of Ole Miss, currently living in
Shelbyville.

Kelly North
Director of Existing Business Development
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Kelly North brings a passion for economic mobility and 8 years experience in rural workforce development to her role. As Director of Existing Business Development for the Shelbyville-Bedford Partnership, Kelly fosters educational alignment with industry needs through collaborative initiatives and strategic partnerships. She works closely with existing businesses to build workforce development solutions across the employee life cycle. 

Kelly earned her Bachelor’s degree in Entrepreneurship and Master’s degree in Social Innovation & Non-Profit Management from Middle Tennessee State University. She serves on advisory boards for Vanderbilt Bedford Hospital and Tennessee Vocational Rehabilitation Center, is a long-standing tnAchieves mentor, and is a Tennessee Business Leaders United and SkillSPAN Workforce Policy Coalition member.

Yolanda Flick
Director of Member Relations
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Yolanda Flick, a native of Arkansas has claimed Shelbyville as her hometown for the past 15 years. She
attended Motlow State Community College and received her medical assistant certificate from
Tennessee College of Applied Technology. Yolanda has held positions in healthcare as a Marketing
Executive in Bedford County as well as an Advertising Sales Executive for the Shelbyville Times-Gazette.
Yolanda is passionate about supporting, promoting, and advocating for the business community of
Shelbyville and Bedford County in her role as the Director of Member Relations. Yolanda is a member of the
Shelbyville Woman's Club and a graduate Leadership Bedford. Yolanda and her fiancé, Josh, and
daughter, Kennedi reside in Shelbyville.

Carroll O’Brien
Partner, Taylor & Mathis

Carroll offers the accumulated experience and insight gleaned from 40 years of service to Taylor & Mathis in the development, marketing and management of office, industrial and mixed-use projects in both the Atlanta and Birmingham markets. Among her many responsibilities, she served as General Manager of Perimeter Center, a 3.5 million-square-foot office park and mixed-use project, and as General Manager of TownPark, also an office and retail campus. A native of Murfreesboro, she earned an undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt and an MBA from Emory University.

Chad Graham
Mayor, Bedford County

The first Republican Mayor of Bedford County, Chad has spent more than 20 years serving the County in various roles: Director of Emergency Medical Services, 7th District School Board member, and the Tennessee Ambulance Service Association president. As EMS director, he built a nationally ranked, high-performance, Advanced Life Support EMS system before becoming a local physician group practice administrator. He graduated from Cascade High School in 1985 and served in the United States Army before graduating University of Alabama-Huntsville's paramedic program.

Christy Womack
Co-Owner, Dabora, Inc

Christy is Publisher and co-owner of Dabora, Inc., a family-owned publishing company where she has 30 years of experience. Womack was valedictorian at Shelbyville Central High School and earned undergraduate and master’s degrees at the University of Tennessee before becoming a certified public accountant. She was honored with the Chamber of Commerce Volunteer of the Year Award, primarily for her work with the Boys and Girls Club of Bedford County. She presently serves on the Bedford and Rutherford County Boys and Girls Club board.

David Coffey
CEO, Palmetto Properties, LLC

David Coffey brings more than 40 years of business development, marketing, operational and real estate management experience to his role as CEO of Palmetto Properties, LLC. He graduated from the University of Tennessee's School of Transportation and Logistics. Upon graduation, Coffey served as a United States Army Infantry Officer and then as a Special Agent in the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS)

After finishing his service, David entered the private sector. He began his career at Goggin Truckline, learning the trucking industry from operations to business development. He joined Host Communications, Inc. to further his sales and marketing experience, eventually serving as the Vice President of Marketing.

David joined Nationwide Express, Inc. in 1994, first as its Director of Marketing before becoming President in 2000. He oversaw the creation of Nationwide Logistics and Nationwide Waste Management, leading the company through six acquisitions. In 2023, he facilitated the company's successful sale to Jones Logistics.

Throughout his career, David has adhered to the Christian values instilled in him by his mother and father and furthered by his government service. He credits any success that he may have enjoyed to those principles. He believes this provided the source for his strategic vision, ability to react timely to changing economic conditions, and recognition of the importance of collaboration.

Gary P. Fayard

Gary is a senior financial executive with Fortune 100 global experience. He has 20 years of leadership experience with a $175+ billion global consumer products company, leading a global finance organization of 8,000 associates in 70+ countries. He was responsible for financial reporting (SEC and local GAAP), planning and analysis, M&A, treasury, tax, investor relations, internal audit, shared services, risk management, real estate and IT. He also has 19 years of public accounting experience leading engagements in financial services, consumer products, manufacturing and airlines.

Jody Lambert
Joe M. Lambert Law Office

Jody is a native of Shelbyville. He is an attorney with a private practice which focuses on commercial transactions, business organizations, real estate, taxation, estate planning and probate. Prior to forming his legal practice, Jody was employed by Ernst and Young where he worked in the tax section on mergers and acquisition. He graduated from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Accountancy. Jody obtained his Doctor of Jurisprudence from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University and a Master of Laws in Taxation from the University of Alabama School of Law.

Scott Johnson
Commissioner, Bedford County

Scott has over 40 years of public and community service experience. Raised in Bedford County, he served 23 years in the United States Air Force and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. His last assignment was as Chief of Investigations on a 9-11 related Terrorism Task Force in Washington, DC. Scott was Director of the county Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency for 17 years. He is past President of the Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development/Tourism Board and currently serves as Chairman of the Celebration Walking Horse Board. Scott earned a Finance degree from the University of Tennessee and a master’s degree in Public Safety from Auburn University. He serves on the county commission Finance Committee.