Madison County Business League & Foundation 2023 Board of Directors Election Nominees

Richard “Vinny” Caputo
President of Aerospace & Defense Services (formerly Vertex)
Aerospace Solutions V2X- PLATINUM INVESTOR $3,000
 
President of Vertex’s Aerospace & Defense Services division. He joined Vertex in 2012 as Senior Director of Aviation Field Maintenance, Army Sustainment Division based in Huntsville, Alabama. Vinny’s other senior leadership positions within Vertex included Vice President of Operations and Senior Vice President and General Manager of Aerospace Defense Services. In 2021, he was promoted to his current position and gained responsibility for the execution of providing aviation maintenance, flight, logistic services and customer support to the Department of Defense and Other Government Agency (OGA) customers globally.
 
Vinny retired from the U.S. Marine Corps with the rank of Colonel after 24 years of commissioned service in command and operational positions throughout the U.S. and overseas. His last military assignment was Commanding Officer of Marine Aircraft Group 24, in Kaneohe, Hawaii, where he trained and deployed operational heavy lift assault support forces and aircraft to Afghanistan and throughout the Pacific.
 
In 1988, he earned his Naval Aviator Wings and amassed over 3,600 flight hours in various Marine Corps aircraft, including over 700 hours of combat flight time. Vinny is a veteran of operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom and the Kosovo campaign. He has served in numerous operations and aviation maintenance officer positions, including a graduate level flight and tactics instructor at Marine Aviation Weapons & Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1). At U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), he was responsible for the development of strategy for the DoD’s War on Terror campaign plan and provided leadership and oversight on numerous sensitive planning efforts and Special Technical Operations.
 
Vinny’s military career includes several key operational roles in the Marine Corps and Unified Combatant Command, such as Commanding Officer, Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, and Deputy Plans Chief at USSOCOM.
 
He earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology at Rhode Island College and holds two master degrees; one in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College and the other in military operational art and science from the Air Force Command and Staff College. He is also a graduate of the U.S. Army Advanced Strategic Arts Program, and Wharton Business School’s Executive Leadership Program at the University of Pennsylvania. Vinny moved to Madison in 2015 and currently resides in the Westlake area. He is proud to call Madison his home.
Matt Davidson
President
Atmos Energy MS Division – CORNERSTONE INVESTOR $6,000
 
Matt Davidson assumed the role of President of the Mississippi Division on September 1, 2022.  An Alabama native, Matt began his career in 2004 as an analyst in New Orleans with Atmos Energy Marketing. In that role he purchased and scheduled natural gas and ultimately led teams responsible for forecasting natural gas pipeline capacity needs. In 2011, Matt was promoted to Director of Gas Supply and was responsible for structuring and negotiating contracts with natural gas pipelines and storage facilities, in addition to leading the financial hedging program. 
 
Matt joined the Mississippi Division in 2018 as Vice President of Marketing, leading the team and working with local and state economic developers. In 2019 he transitioned to Vice President of Rates and Regulatory Affairs, responsible for communicating the Mississippi Division’s position on business and regulatory matters to various governmental authorities. Matt served more than two years as chair of the Marketing Leadership Team, leading Atmos Energy’s enterprise strategic marketing efforts.  
 
Matt is a board member of the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership, the Mississippi Economic Council, and a graduate of Leadership Mississippi. Matt holds a Bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Alabama and a Master’s in Business Administration from Tulane University. He and his wife, Aimee, live in Madison and have three children who attend St. Joseph and St. Anthony Catholic schools.
Brian Johnson
Executive Vice President
Trustmark/Fisher Brown Bottrell Division- PILLAR INVESTOR $10,000
 
Brian Johnson began his career with Trustmark National Bank as a management trainee in Jackson, MS in 2006. Subsequently, he joined FBBInsurance, a subsidiary of Trustmark National Bank as an insurance broker in 2007. Brian currently is an Executive Vice President of Fisher Brown Bottrell, the 44th largest property and casualty insurance agency in the U.S. with locations in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas. In this role, he serves as a Risk and Insurance Advisor specializing in but not limited to public entities, non-profits, educational risks, manufacturers, and surety support for general contractors.
 
Brian is a native and has lived in Madison, MS for over 30 years. He is a product of the Madison County Public School District graduating from Rosa Scott Middle School and Madison Central High School. A graduate of Alcorn State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, he also received a Master of Business Administration degree from Jackson State University. Brian is a graduate of MEC’ s Leadership Mississippi and Youth Leadership Madison County.  He was named a Top 50 under 40 Leading Business Leader by the Mississippi Business Journal in 2018 and was recently named as Insurance Business Magazine’s Top 100 Insurance Advisors in America for 2017,2019,2020,2022 and 2023.
 
Brian has a personal passion for community involvement and serves extensively through his philanthropy and membership in many various organizations such as Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc, Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association, National Association of Surety Bond Producers, Mississippi Roadbuilders Association, St. Dominic’s Health Services Foundation Board of Directors, USA International Ballet Competition Board of Directors, Mississippi Early Childhood Investment Council Board of Directors and the Mississippi Museum of Art Board of Directors. Brian also was most recently appointed by Governor Tate Reeves to the Mississippi Business Finance Corporation, an organization which promotes economic development throughout the State of Mississippi. He also serves as an Institutions of Higher Learning Advisory Committee Member for Alcorn State University and the Madison County Business League & Foundation Diversity & Inclusion Committee Chairperson.
 
Brian, his wife Christina, daughter Nova (6) and son Bronx (2) reside in Madison and are members of Redeemer Presbyterian Church.
Deborah Martin
President/CEO
Service Specialists – GOLD INVESTOR $1,500
 
Deborah Martin is the President and CEO of Service Specialists, a thriving human resources and staffing company located in Canton, Mississippi, with additional branch offices in Ridgeland and Oxford. With a remarkable 56 years of experience in the industry, Service Specialists continues to make significant strides under Deborah’s visionary leadership.

Hailing originally from Kosciusko, Mississippi, Deborah earned her Bachelor’s in Business and Statistics from Mississippi State University in 1985. She further honed her leadership skills by completing the esteemed Center for Creative Leadership’s program on Leadership through Stanford University, obtaining a coveted Train the Trainer certification. In addition, Deborah is recognized by the American Staffing Association as a Certified Staffing Professional, showcasing her commitment to excellence in her field. Deborah’s career commenced at Coca-Cola USA in marketing before she took on prominent roles at The Clorox Corporation, Sara Lee Products, and BASF/Englehard. Throughout her journey, she excelled in various Human Resources management positions, overseeing intensive leadership training programs in the Netherlands, Rome, and the United States for Englehard’s 800 employees.

In 1998, Deborah seized the opportunity to acquire Service Specialists, and since then, the company has thrived under her guidance. The firm’s three divisions, Staffing and Recruiting, Temporary Employment, and Government Services, have expanded their footprint across multiple states, employing over 500 professionals annually in Madison County and beyond. Notably, Service Specialists boasts a significant relationship with the USDA National Forest Service, securing contracts throughout Mississippi.                                          
Recognized for her outstanding achievements, Deborah has been honored as a Top 40 Business Woman by the Mississippi Business Journal. Additionally, she was celebrated as one of the Top 40 CEOs in the state of Mississippi in 2018. An active participant in Madison County’s business community, Deborah and her team contribute actively through their involvement with the Madison County Business League and the Gluckstadt Madison Business Alliance. Her involvement extends to having served on the Madison County Economic Development Authority Board of Directors and the Governor’s Workforce Development Task Force.                                                   
Beyond her professional pursuits, Deborah is deeply committed to philanthropic endeavors. She wholeheartedly supports organizations such as the Warrior Bonfire Program for Purple Heart Recipients, But God Ministries, Operation Shoebox, Palmer Home for Children, and You Gotta Believe Football. Moreover, Service Specialists regularly contributes to educational and athletic initiatives at Velma Jackson High School, Canton High School, Germantown High School, and Madison Central High School.
Service Specialists’ involvement in Madison County is a testament to Deborah’s commitment to uplifting communities. The company is also proudly recognized as an SBA certified Woman-Owned Small Business and a HUBZone Business.

Deborah, along with her husband, David, has been a proud resident of Madison County for 38 years. They raised their two sons, Will and Sam, who now, along with their families, continue to reside in the same community, ensuring that the Martin family legacy remains deeply rooted in Madison County.
Grant Montgomery
Market President- Madison County
Cadence Bank – PLATINUM INVESTOR $3,000
 
Grant was born and raised in Madison County, MS and is a 1999 graduate of Madison Central High School. He is a 2003 graduate of Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Business as well as a Graduate of both the Mississippi School of Banking at Ole Miss and the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University.
 
Grant and his family now live in the city of Gluckstadt, where they attend Grace Crossing Baptist Church. Grant’s involvement with the church includes teaching children’s Sunday school, volunteering every year for VBS, chaperoning children’s church camps and serving as part of the AV team. Grant’s wife Lindsey is the 8th grade guidance counselor at Madison Middle School and has been with Madison County Schools for over 20 years. Their daughter Sloane attends 4th grade at Madison Station Elementary.
 
Grant has been with BancorpSouth/Cadence Bank since June of 2006. Grant has held various positions within the bank that include Vice President in Retail Administration, Vice President -Relationship Manager, First Vice President -Market Sales Manager, Senior Vice President of Corporate Banking and currently holds the position of Madison County Market President since 2019.
 
Community leadership roles include: Chairman of the Madison County Executive Leadership Program 2021-Present; Inaugural President of the Gluckstadt Madison Business Alliance 2022-Present; Past Chairman of the Madison County Young Professionals; Madison County Schools Technology Advisory Board 2021-Present; Advisory Board Member of Madison County Business League & Foundation 2019-2020; Past President of the Madison County Chamber of Commerce; Leadership Mississippi Class of 2019; Leadership Madison County Class of 2016; Past Board Member of Our Daily Bread Ministries in Canton, MS; Past Advisory Board Member of Antonelli College; Past President of Masonic Circle Lodge in Madison, MS
 
Honors given to Grant include: 2021 Mississippi Business Journal’s Top 50 under 40; 2019 Madison County Young Professional of the Year; 2017 Mississippi Business Journal’s Leaders in Finance; 2017 Madison the City Chamber of Commerce Top 10 Under 40; 2014 Madison County Chamber of Commerce Rising Star Award
Raymond VanNorman
South MS President, EVP
Executive Director- Private Client
Renasant Bank – PILLAR INVESTOR $10,000
 
Raymond VanNorman is the South Mississippi President & Executive Director of Private Client for Renasant Bank. Raymond is a native Mississippian, born and raised in McComb then attended the University of Southern MS, where he graduated with both a BS and MBA.
 
 He has been married to Dr. Michelle VanNorman for 33 years. They have lived in Madison County for 25 years. He and his wife have 3 children, Zac, Katie, and Natalie. All three of his children graduated from Germantown High School. He and his family reside in Twin Cedars.
                                                                                                                                                                                                      Raymond and his wife also own a farm in Camden, MS. His family are members of the Broadmoor Baptist Church in Madison, MS.

Over the course of his career, Raymond has served on numerous Boards of Directors, including President of the University of Southern MS Foundation and current member of the Madison County Community Trust Board.