The Arc of the Mid-South

Board Members

	Merle Smith retired from Bell South Telephone Company in 1995, after 26 years of service. She has been a member of The Arc of the Mid–South for approximately 28 years. She has been a member of the Board of Directors for four years of which she has served as president for the last three years. She also serves on the Arc of Tennessee Board of Directors as Region 3 – West TN Vice- President.
	Connie Booker has over 25 years of active membership with The Arc including Past VP –Arc of Austin, TX; Past President, VP, Treasurer and long-term board member – Arc of the Mid-South, Memphis, TN; Past Regional VP – Arc of Tennessee. She is currently Assistant Customer Service Manager at Kraft Food Ingredients Corp. and previously worked for IBM for 18 years in various positions. She is an active member of Anointed Temple of Praise Outreach Ministries, serving as the usher ministry leader and a Core Group member. She is married and has one son who is a graduate of the Arc’s CDJP and participates in the monthly weekend retreats.
	Sherry A. Aaholm is executive vice president of Information Technology for FedEx Services. She has more than 23 years of experience in the logistics and transportation fields. A native of Wisconsin, Aaholm attended the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and is a member of the Council of Logistics Management. Aaholm was recognized in 2005 as Computerworld’s Top 100 IT Leaders. In 2008, Aaholm was awarded CIO’s ‘Ones to Watch’ award."
	Terry Hardaway has been with the Board of Directors since May 2007. A Memphis native, he graduated from White Station High School and attended the University of Memphis. Currently, he serves as Director of Food and Beverage for Horseshoe Casino & Hotel in Tunica, Mississippi, overseeing an operation that serves over 1.5 million guests a year.
	Florence M. Howard has been with the Board of Directors since April 2008. She is president and founder of SSCOMM, Inc., a public relations firm in Memphis, TN. Florence is a Memphis native and received her graduate degree in Journalism from the University of Memphis. Florence is the recipient of the 2004 NAACP Political Action Award and currently serves as secretary of the Memphis Branch NAACP. She is also a member of the Society of Entrepreneur’s Roundtable and the Memphis Regional Chamber of Commerce.
	Kathleen N. Gomes has been a member of the Board of Directors since February 2007. She is a founding partner of Peppel, Gomes & MacIntosh. Kathleen received her law degree from Memphis State University. She is currently Chairman of the Wills and Probate Section of the Memphis Bar Association. She is highly involved with the Catholic community in Memphis, TN and provides seminars on wills for the Catholic Diocese of Memphis and is Treasurer and past President of the St. Thomas More Catholic Lawyers Guild.
	Corey T. Young has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2005. He has a passion for music and plays piano in churches throughout the Mid-South. He is a graduate from the University of Evansville and is currently working on a graduate degree in microbiology from the University of Memphis. Corey also serves as a trustee for New Life Ministries Church in Millington, Tennessee.