See the full list of 2014 Board nominees
Phil Buffington
Phil Buffington joined Adams and Reese in 2011 in the Transactions Practice Group, practicing in the firm’s Jackson office, which is a GOLD Sponsor of the Madison County Business League. He has been practicing law since 1984 in transactions, and has extensive experience in representing financial institutions. Phil currently serves as the Partner-in-Charge of the Jackson office of Adams and Reese LLP and also serves as the Co-Leader of the firm’s Banking and Finance Team.
In the legal arena, Phil is a member of the American Bar Association, including the Banking Law Committee. He is also a member of the Business Law Section of the Mississippi Bar Association. He also is a member of the Independent Community Bankers Association, the American Bankruptcy Institute, and the International Association of Defense Counsel.
Phil serves as an adjunct professor at Mississippi College School of Law, and is a former President of the Mississippi College School of Law Alumni. He earned his J.D. from Mississippi College School of Law in 1984. He earned a double major in banking and finance/insurance at University of Mississippi, earning a B.B.A. in 1981.
In the community, Phil is heavily involved with St. Andrew’s Episcopal Cathedral, currently serving as a Vestry Member and having served in various positions and on numerous committees. In addition, Phil serves as the chairperson of the Government Relations Committee for the Madison County Business League. In the past, he has also served on various nonprofit organizations boards, including serving as a former board member of Jackson Futbol Club, Inc. and Habitat for Humanity/Metro Jackson, Inc.
Phil is a Mississippi native, born in Canton. He is married to Sarah Yelverton and they have three children, Phillip, Avery and Will.
Brad Maley
Brad Maley is North Metro President in BancorpSouth’s Mid Mississippi Division. BancorpSouth is a
PLATINUM Sponsor of the Madison County Business League. Brad is currently fulfilling a one year
unexpired term on the MCBL board of directors for former board member Sarah Lofton.
He is responsible for managing operations in the Madison County and North Metro markets. Brad
began his banking career in 1996. He has served many roles over the past 18 years including: Credit
Analysis, Retail Management, Private Banking, Public Finance and Market Management. Brad received a
degree in Managerial Finance from the University of Mississippi and a Master of Business Administration
from Mississippi College. He holds NASD Series 7 and Series 66 securities licenses and has successfully
completed the Mississippi School of Banking and the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State
University.
Brad is an active member of the community. He currently serves on the boards of the Madison County
Business League, Mississippi Children’s Home Services and Mississippi Council on Economic Education.
In addition to his board responsibilities, Brad sits on the Business League’s Government Relations
Committee for Madison County. Brad is past President of the Madison City Chamber of Commerce, Past
Trustee for the MS Nurses Foundation, a graduate of Leadership Mississippi, a graduate of Leadership
Greater Jackson and was named to the Mississippi Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2010. He
is married to Olivia Holmes of Meridian and will celebrate 16 years of marriage this year. Brad is a
devoted father and a strong supporter of youth athletics, previously coaching in Madison Ridgeland
Youth Leagues, Jackson Futbol Club and NJYBB. His two children, Holmes (12) and Hart (7) currently
attend First Presbyterian Day School. A resident of Madison, Brad and his family are active members of
Pear Orchard Presbyterian Church in Ridgeland.
Brad McMullan
Brad McMullan is a busy man. This father of three is the host of his own soon to be released late
night TV show and the CEO of two award winning technology companies. McMullan is the
founder and CEO and founder of bfac, LLC and Texting Leader, LLC. BFAC.Com is a GOLD
Sponsor of the Madison County Business League. The two technology
companies own or operate more than 120 websites/domains including bfac.com,
textingleader.com, BuyFromAChristian.com, WeddingTexting.com and CollegeGarageSale.com.
Today, bfac.com is the #1 ranked Business Texting Company according to Google and Bing. The
company ranks #1 out of more than 16 million listings when you search business texting
companies. Media outlets around the country have featured bfac.com, including NBC, ABC,
CBS, FOX, Clear Channel Radio, Raycom Media, The Radio People and Gannett publishing.
bfac.com is also the #1 mobile app publisher in Mississippi (Apple) and one of the fastest growing mobile app design companies in North America. ;bfac.com has built apps for a number of companies and organizations including Chick-fil-A, Back Yard Burger, 7-Eleven, AT&T Ozarka Water, Pepsi and F.C.A. (Fellowship of Christian Athletes).
TextingLeader.com is also an award winning business texting and mobile app technology company. TextingLeader.com boasts clients all over the world including FMG (Furniture Marketing Group) and Gannett’s VIP Magazine.
Other bfac, LLC and Texting Leader, LLC clients include: *The Salvation Army, *The Better Business Bureau, *The United Way, *Mississippi College, *Another Broken Egg, *The National Guard, *Valero, *the Braves, *Sweet Peppers, *Weight Watchers, *Belhaven University and Braum’s Ice Cream and Dairy Stores.
Under McMullan’s leadership, TextingLeader.com won the 2012 MTA New Venture Challenge. One year earlier, bfac.com won the 2011 MTA New Venture Challenge. It marked the first time a CEO guided two different companies to the victory. The award highlights the best commercial technology company. For his success in growing bfac, LLC and Texting Leader, LLC, McMullan was voted the Executive of the Year by the Madison County Chamber of Commerce.
In April 2013, McMullan was named the Community Advocate of the Year by New Horizon International Church for his work with non-profit organizations. McMullan is an active volunteer for multiple organizations and serves as the Chairman of the Mississippi Salvation Army Advisory Board. McMullan also serves as a deacon at Broadmoor Baptist Church.
When he is not running his company or working in the community, McMullan can usually be found on the speaking circuit. He was invited to speak at more than 30 events and conventions over the last year including the FMG (Furniture Marketing Group) Symposium at the Venetian in Las Vegas (2013), North American Rental Car Association at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and at the Better Business Bureau Regional Conference in Asheville, North Carolina (2012).; He was also the keynote speaker for the 2013 Witnessing Through Media Awards.
McMullan is also known by many as an Emmy Award Winning Journalist. In April 2011, McMullan and his former WAPT colleagues were recognized with an Edward R. Murrow Award and another Emmy nomination (McMullan’s fifth).
McMullan has interviewed a number of newsmakers including President Obama, Former President George W. Bush, Former Vice President Dick Cheney, Former President George H. Bush, Sen. John McCain, J.C. Watts, Oliver North, and Rudy Giuliani.
McMullan’s work has been featured on Real Sports with Bryant Gumble (HBO), The History Channel, CNN, and in a number of newspapers including the Washington Post.
McMullan is a graduate of Norman High School and The University of Oklahoma. While at OU, McMullan was elected student body president and was selected by Project Interchange as one of only 13-student body presidents nationwide for a leadership seminar in Israel.
During the fall, McMullan can be heard on Mississippi’s #1 rated high school football radio show, “The Mississippi Scoreboard with Brad McMullan.” The Clear Channel Radio show airs during the football season on Miss 103 FM WMSI, miss103.com and on the i heart radio app.
Julie B. Mitchell
Julie B. Mitchell is a founding member of Mitchell Day Law Firm, PLLC which is a SILVER Member of the Madison County Business League. Mrs. Mitchell holds a Master’s Degree in Health Law (LL.M. Health Law). As an attorney whose primary focus is health care law, Mrs. Mitchell’s practice encompasses such matters as: Medicare and Medicaid payment issues, corporate compliance, CON law, health care fraud and abuse, provider and physician contracts, healthcare corporate matters, hospital law, DMEPOS matters, licensure and certification, HIPAA, nursing home law and healthcare integration. She is named to Best Lawyers in America in Health Law.
Mrs. Mitchell lectures locally and nationally regarding emerging issues in health care and has addressed organizations such as the American Health Lawyers Association, American Health Care Association, Tennessee Health Care Association, Mississippi Health Care Association, Mississippi Independent Nursing Home Association, Louisiana-Mississippi Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, and Mississippi Healthcare Financial Management Association. Julie, her husband, Tucker, and their children reside in Madison, Mississippi. She is currently serving as Chairperson of the Health & Wellness Committee of the Madison County Business League.
Nancy New
Dr. Nancy New, has dedicated her life to education in various roles to include teacher, administrator and founder/developer of special schools. She has given much time and energy to creating unique educational services for all ages. In that time she has established New Learning Resources, Inc. which is a GOLD Member of the Madison County Business League.
Dr. New received a Bachelor of Science degree in English/Education from Southern Miss, her Master’s Degree from Miss State and later earned a Doctorate degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from Southern Miss. During the early nineties Dr. New left public education to become an entrepreneur in the truest sense. She established New Learning Resources, Inc., a multi-purpose educational company focusing on offering diverse services to include tutorial services, parent education and teacher training. That center grew quickly and Dr. New expanded those services into fulltime, K-12 accredited school programs. She currently serves as Administrator/Executive Director of New Learning Resources School District which includes New Summit School Jackson, North New Summit School Greenwood, New Learning Resources Online High School, and an affiliate school, New Summit Academy, Costa Rica. These schools provide individual academic attention while encouraging emotional and social growth. In addition, she serves as the Executive Director of the Mississippi Community Education Center, a 501(c) 3 organization addressing educational and family needs throughout Mississippi.
Over the course of Dr. New’s career in education and business she has received numerous honors such as being selected among the top Ten Business Women of the Year- Jackson Business Journal, the Red Rose Award of Delta Kappa Gamma International, National Adult Education Administrator Award, the Mississippi Community Education Distinguished Service Award, the National Community Education Association Award and was inducted into the Greek Hall of Fame, Southern Miss. She was recognized with the prestigious President’s Award- Educational and Training Service Division, Rescare, Inc. Dr. New has served or continues to serve on various boards to include North Madison EXCEL by FIVE early childhood program, Madison County Children Advocacy Board, Southern Miss Alumni, Foundation and Athletic Boards, Phi Mu Fraternity Alumni Board and other committees as needed.
Of great pride to Dr. New, are her sons, Zach New and his wife Ashly and Jess New and his wife, Allison and her four awesome grandchildren, Luke New, Mary Madison New, Joseph New and Maddox New. Dr. New resides in Madison County and attends Pinelake Church in Madison.
Trace Swartzfager, Fache
Mr. Swartzfager joined St. Dominic Hospital in July 1996 where he has served in various administrative positions within hospital operations. St. Dominic Health Services is a PLATINUM Sponsor of the Madison County Business League. In January of 2014, he transitioned into his current position of Vice President, Business Development and is responsible for leading the hospitalís strategic planning, marketing, communications, physician relations and clinical outreach programs.
Mr. Swartzfager is a native of Laurel, Mississippi. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Mississippi in 1987 receiving his Bachelorís Degree in Business Administration. Mr. Swartzfager received his Masterís Degree in Business Administration from Mississippi College in 1993.
Trace Swartzfager was named nationally as one of twelve “Up & Comers” in Modern Healthcare magazine in 2004 and was chosen as the Mississippi Business Journal’s “Top 40, Under 40” in 2003. In 2000, Mr. Swartzfager earned his Fellowship in the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and is Board Certified in Healthcare Management. In 2002, Mr. Swartzfager received ACHE’s “Early Careerist Award” by the Mississippi Regent of ACHE. He went onto serve as the ACHE Regent for Mississippi from 2008 – 2011.
Mr. Swartzfager is the former Board Chairman of the Mississippi Chapter of the American Diabetes Association, served as a Board Member of the American Red Cross, Mississippi District and currently serves on the Board as Treasurer of the Epilepsy Foundation of Mississippi and the Board of DREAM, Inc.
Mr. Swartzfager has been a resident of Madison County since 1987 and currently resides in Ridgeland, MS with his two children, Sam and Lauren. He and his family are members of Chapel of the Cross Episcopal Church in Madison.
