BOBBY BRAGG is the director of practice growth for JamisonMoneyFarmer PC, where he is responsible for planning, strategy and new business development for the firm. He also runs JMF Technologies, which focuses on outsourced managed technology services, and technology implementation projects in the health care and hospitality sectors. Bragg is a former chairman of The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama board and still serves as vice chair of economic development.
PATRICIA CADE is president and co-founder of the Tuscaloosa Area Black Chamber of Commerce and president and CEO of Consulting Done Write LLC. She also is a grants and projects coordinator for Cahaba Medical Care Foundation, where she has helped secure more than $50 million in federal and state funding for rural health care and behavioral and maternal health initiatives. Cade also serves on the Alabama State Black Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee. A University of Alabama graduate, she holds a master’s in public administration from Ashford University.
MIKE DARIA is the superintendent of Tuscaloosa City Schools. Two years ago, the School Superintendents of Alabama named him State Superintendent of the Year for 2023. Prior to becoming Tuscaloosa superintendent in 2016, Daria held a number of administrative roles, including assistant superintendent of Tuscaloosa City Schools and executive director of personnel. He is the former principal of Eastwood Middle School. Daria, who is set to retire in June 2026, holds a doctoral degree in education from the University of Alabama.
SONDRA DUFF WILDER is founder of The Duff Wilder Group LLC, a Tuscaloosa mental health provider specializing in mental health therapies, including trauma-focused therapy. The psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner previously worked at the Tuscaloosa Veterans Affairs Medical Center as its military sexual trauma coordinator. She is a Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society member and recently won the Alabama State Black Chamber of Commerce 2025 Rising Star Award. She earned both her bachelor’s degree and a doctorate in education from the University of Alabama and her master’s in nursing from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
LARRY HOWELL is president of Hinton Lumber Products Inc., a family-run wooden pallet manufacturing company headquartered in Tuscaloosa. Howell has served on the boards of the Business Council of Alabama, the Alabama Wildlife Federation and the Pallet Foundation. He also has served as chairman of the board for the National Wooden Pallet Association, Tuscaloosa Academy and Indian Hills Country Club. Last year, Alabama Power elected him to its board of directors. Howell earned both a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in taxation from the University of Alabama.
KERI JOHNSON is superintendent of the Tuscaloosa County schools. She serves on the state Accountability Taskforce, is a member of the Alabama Transformational Leadership Academy and recently founded LeadHERship Alabama, a group for women superintendents. Johnson earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Jacksonville State University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham respectively and doctoral degrees from the University of Montevallo and Samford University.
KATRINA KEEFER is CEO of DCH Health System. Becker’s Hospital Review recently named her one of the Women Hospital Presidents and CEOs to Know for 2025. Prior to joining DCH, Keefer was CEO for Augusta University Health and executive vice president of health affairs at Augusta University in Georgia. Earlier, she worked in finance leadership at UAB Health System and Baptist Health. A Huntingdon College graduate, she holds a master’s from New York University.
FEDERICO KOCHLOWSKI is president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz U.S. International Inc. in Vance, leading more than 6,000 team members. Kochlowski’s experience with Mercedes-Benz is extensive, with leadership roles across several regions, including the United States, China and Mexico. Prior to his appointment as CEO and president, he served as MBUSI’s vice president of operations. He earned his engineering degree from Catholic University Cordoba and an executive MBA from Michigan State University.
JONATHAN KOH is president of Shelton State Community College. Prior to becoming president in 2023, Koh served as Shelton State’s director of grants and governmental relations and later as the dean of workforce and economic development. Koh is a 2022 graduate of Leadership Tuscaloosa and a 2025 graduate of the Alabama Leadership Initiative. In addition, Gov. Kay Ivey recently appointed him to her advisory board for minority affairs. A native of Mobile, Koh earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Alabama.
WALT MADDOX is in his sixth term as mayor of Tuscaloosa. Under his leadership, the city has made the largest infrastructure investment in its history. The investments include upgrades to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Jack Warner Parkway, construction of the new Saban Center that will feature both STEM and arts, and the Elevate Tuscaloosa initiative that has fostered investments in the Western Riverwalk, the Benjamin Barnes YMCA, the McDonald Hughes Center and other projects. Maddox holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and government and a master’s in public administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
MIKE MITCHELL is the chief administrative officer and chief credit officer at Bryant Bank in Tuscaloosa, where he leads multiple departments and oversees strategic initiatives. Mitchell served 35 years in the Alabama Army National Guard and retired as brigadier general. He is a board member of the Community Foundation of West Alabama, a member of the American Heart Association of West Alabama’s executive leadership team, and of The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama’s Public Affairs Council. Mitchell earned a degree in corporate finance from the University of Alabama and a master’s in strategic studies from the United States Army War College.
PETER MOHLER is the University of Alabama’s 30th president. The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees unanimously appointed him to the role on June 16. Mohler previously served as Ohio State University’s executive vice president for research, innovation and knowledge and was chief scientific officer of OSU’s Wexner Medical Center. He was OSU’s acting president in 2023. Mohler holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Wake Forest University and a doctorate in cell and molecular physiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Duke University’s Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
YOLANDA PAGE is the eighth president of Stillman College in Tuscaloosa. Under her leadership, the college’s School of Education recently earned full accreditation from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. Page holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Dillard University and a master’s and a doctoral degree in American and African American literature from Louisiana State University. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., and of Jack and Jill of America.
JORDAN PLASTER is a private wealth adviser and managing director for Plaster & Shumaker Family Wealth Management, a financial advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services in Tuscaloosa. He has been honored by both Forbes and Barron’s. He chairs Tuscaloosa Rotary Honor Flight and is a past chair of United Way and The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama. A graduate of Leadership Alabama, he serves on the board for Tuscaloosa County Economic Development Authority, Business Council of Alabama, Community Corrections, Salvation Army, Boy Scouts & Veterans Memorial Park. The University of Alabama graduate serves on the board of visitors for Culverhouse College of Business.
KELSEY RUSH is president and CEO of Visit Tuscaloosa, the county’s destination marketing organization, and is a member of the Alabama Tourism Advisory Board. Rush serves on The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama, Theatre Tuscaloosa and the Alabama Association of Destination Marketing Organizations. She also is a member of the Mayor’s Young Professional Advisory Committee and a graduate of the 2024-2025 Alabama Leadership Initiative. Rush earned a master’s degree in marketing communication management from the University of Alabama Online in 2022 and a travel marketing professional certification through the Southeast Tourism Society.
JILL STORK is Alabama Power’s vice president for the Western Division, where she manages community and economic development initiatives and external affairs for West Alabama. She earned her electrical engineering degree from the University of Alabama. Afterward, she began her career at Alabama Power as a distribution engineer in the company’s Mobile division before moving into various management roles at the company. Stork serves on the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences’ board of trustees and on the boards of directors for The West Alabama Chamber and the Tuscaloosa County Economic Development Authority.
SID TRANT is chancellor of The University of Alabama System, the state’s largest higher education enterprise. Earlier, he served as general counsel and senior vice chancellor of the system for more than six years. Before he joined the UA System, Trant was a partner at Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP for more than 30 years. He is a graduate of the University of Alabama and earned his juris doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center. He is a member of several professional organizations and chairs the Freshwater Land Trust board.
This article appears in the September 2025 issue of Business Alabama.
