BIOGRAPHY: I began my professional career as an engineer with Mobile after graduating from Mississippi State University. With experience in creating repeatable and sustainable processes, the move into a ServiceMaster Clean franchise was a natural transition. After serving the organization as Vice President of administrations and program development and then as chief financial officer, I took over the top position as president/CEO. Through my vision and passion for excellence, I have led ServiceMaster by Stratos – which now has more than 500 employees across North Mississippi, Tennessee, and Alabama – to become one of the largest ServiceMaster Clean franchises in the world. As a businesswoman, I lead with the ‘two Cs’ – culture and communication. The strong internal culture coupled with the motto, ‘service before self,’ lays a path for the Stratos team to succeed. Over the years, my team and I have received awards such as Memphis Business Journal’s Super Women in Business and Small Business of the Year, as well as Inside Memphis Business as CEP of the Year. In 2019, Stratos received the Marion E. Wade Award, the highest honor a ServiceMaster franchise can receive. Each year, ServiceMaster rewards one of its 800 ServiceMaster Clean franchises with the award for outstanding growth, performance and leadership. I currently serve as president of the NAWBO Memphis chapter, sit on the board for Boy Scouts of America Chickasaw Council and am former treasurer for Memphis in May International Festival.

DESCRIPTION OF WHAT YOU DO: As President and owner I am responsibly for leading the company daily and setting the vision for the future.

WHAT IS YOUR WHY FOR WHAT YOU DO: I do what I do because I enjoy helping people grow – personally and professionally. Stratos’ second corporate objective behind honoring God in all we do is to help our people develop. As an organization, we are committed to providing employees with skills training and opportunities to accomplish meaningful and significant achievements both inside and outside the workplace.

WHAT SETS YOU APART FROM OTHER PEOPLE IN YOUR INDUSTRY: I am a female executive in a male-dominated industry, so these two facts set me apart from the competition. However, when looking at Stratos as a whole, the differences are far more significant. For our organization, internal communication and cultivating culture is something we believe is imperative to success, as there is a direct correlation between the success of our service partners and the satisfaction of our customers. Executing effective communication at all levels is a priority in our daily operations, as it empowers our people with knowledge and understanding, as well as delivers a consistent brand promise beyond our people to our customers and business partners.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF BEING A MEMBER OF LINK: Meeting and networking with women in business.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO GIVE OR RECEIVE AS A MEMBER OF LINK: I hope to discover more women I can do business with or network on behalf of.

WHAT IS THE BEST BUSINESS ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TODAY TO YOUR YOUNGER SELF: I would tell myself to always demand a seat at the decision-making table.

WHO WOULD BE INVITED TO YOUR DREAM DINNER PARTY AND WHY: Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, Margaret Thatcher, Billy Graham, Benjamin Franklin, King David and Solomon. Can you imagine the depth of thought around that table!

WHAT IS SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE WOULD BE SURPRISED TO LEARN ABOUT YOU: My passion for scuba diving