Leadership
Board of Directors
Our board brings together leaders from technology, education, government, and business to guide MCA's mission and growth.
Officers
Executive Leadership
Mike Forster
Chairman
Retired executive with more than 50 years of sales, marketing, and general management experience in the information technology industry. Most recently served as CEO and Chairman of CommerceQuest, Inc. Former Chairman of the Innovate Mississippi board of directors (2017–2019).
Tony Jeff
Board of Directors
President and CEO of Innovate Mississippi and a technology evangelist who regularly speaks on emerging trends in technology and innovation commercialization. Has overseen the coaching of more than 1,200 entrepreneurial ventures.
Board Members
Directors
Dr. Nashlie Sephus
Board of Directors
Applied Science manager for Amazon AI focusing on fairness and identifying biases in technology. Ph.D. from Georgia Institute of Technology. B.S. in Computer Engineering from Mississippi State University. Native of Jackson, Mississippi.
Glenn McCullough
Board of Directors
Led economic development and community programs resulting in record private capital investment, job growth, and global export trade. Former Chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority and former mayor of Tupelo, Mississippi.
Willie Jones
Board of Directors
President of DSC Training Academy with 30 years of experience in workforce development. Dedicated to creating diversity in the job market and serving the needs of women and underserved young people in the Jackson Metro area.
Eric Hill
Board of Directors
Executive Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach at Mississippi State University. Believes in the potential for young entrepreneurship and technology startups in Mississippi.
Joe Donovan
Board of Directors
Division Director of The Entrepreneur Center at Mississippi Development Authority. Focuses on developing an entrepreneurial eco-system targeting next generation technologies and technology-based economic development in Mississippi.
Dr. Sarah Lee
Board of Directors
Director of the School of Computing Sciences and Computer Engineering at the University of Southern Mississippi. Previously served 19 years at FedEx Corporation in IT. Passionate about increasing diversity in computing in Mississippi.
In Memory Of
Richard A. Sun
Board of Directors — Co-Founder
We lost co-founder Richard Sun in the spring of 2022. Rich focused on start-up and high-growth companies as a private equity investor, adviser, board member, and executive. He was the first Entrepreneur in Residence at Innovate Mississippi (2017–2018).