Category: Past Speakers

Thomas “Chris” Curry was hired as the Executive Director of the Mobile Airport Authority in October 2017, and was recently promoted to the position of President in September 2018. Upon his appointment to the position, he placed airline recruitment, evaluating the roles of Mobile Regional and Downtown Airports, and expanding business opportunities on the Brookley Aeroplex at the top of his priorities. His overall objective is to provide premium air service to the community and manage the assets of the Authority to achieve the greatest economic benefit to the customers of the region.

Since Mr. Curry’s arrival in Mobile, he has provided professionalism and expertise in representing MAA with the overall needs of its largest tenants, such as Airbus, VTMAE, and Continental Motors. During this past year, Airbus announced a partnership with Bombardier to build the A220 aircraft and Flight Works aviation experience center at the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley. In addition, he spearheaded the complex negotiations of a new agreement with Continental Motors, where they are investing $75 million in a new state of the art facility scheduled to open in 2019. Further to his achievements, Mr. Curry also created a new organizational structure with high caliber talent designed to meet the challenges required to lead MAA into the future.

Because of Mr. Curry’s wealth of experience in the Airline industry, he was able to recruit Via Airlines to provide non-stop service to Orlando/Sanford; Mobile’s first new airline since 2003. Working with the FAA, he also managed the Metropolitan Airport Systems Study to determine the feasibility of moving commercial service from the Regional to Downtown Airport. Under his guidance, the MAA is moving into the Masterplan process for the Mobile Downtown Airport.  This is a brief snapshot of a few items on a long list of his many accomplishments in under a year as Executive Director.    

Prior to his current position with MAA, Mr. Curry was the Director of Aviation for the City of Tallahassee from December 2013 to September 2014.  During his tenure at TLH, he guided the transition of the Airport from a regional to International facility.  He was responsible for the $15M modernization project that significantly improved the terminal aesthetics and writing legislation that resulted in $1M state contribution toward improving air service to the Capital City.  In addition, Chris lead the airport effort to increase the use of green technology by utilizing more than 375 acres of Airport property to build two solar farms.

Before his employment in Tallahassee he served as Executive Director of the Collier County Airport Authority, Gary Chicago International Airport and Project Manager of Airspace and Procedure Design for the Boeing Company.

Mr. Curry began his military career in the United States Air Force in 1982 as an air traffic controller and retired in 2001. During his tenure, he served as manager of air traffic control radar, tower and airfield management.

A native of Savannah, Georgia, Mr. Curry earned his associate’s degree in airway science from the Community College of the Air Force, Montgomery, AL. He also earned a bachelor’s degree from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in professional aeronautics. He was recently selected as “Aviation Professional of the Year” by the Florida Department of Transportation in 2016.

Bio: Stephen McNair is the owner and senior consultant of McNair
Historic Preservation, Inc., a national full-service historic
preservation consulting firm based in Mobile. The firm specializes in
historic tax credit development projects and National Register
nominations. McNair serves as a Commissioner on the Alabama Small
Business Commission and Southern Rail Commission. McNair received his
Bachelor of Arts from the University of Alabama, a Master’s in
Historic Preservation Architecture from Tulane University, and a Ph.D.
in Architectural History from the University of Edinburgh.

Dr. Gia Wiggins HR management career has spanned 21 years. A native of Mobile AL, she
received a BA in Psychology and Sociology from Grambling State University, a MBA from
California State University and a PhD in Business Administration at the University of South
Alabama with a concentration in Management. She also holds a (SPHR) and (SHRM-SCP)
Human Resources certifications. Gia has held executive human resource management roles in
companies such as AT&T (Formerly Southwestern Bell), Cintas, Target, and BAE Systems
Southeast Shipyards.
In 2015, Gia founded Morale Resource LLC, a boutique human resources consulting firm that
specializes in building and repairing human resource functions for small and mid-sized
businesses using a three-pronged approach – compliance, process and, strategy.
In addition to serving her diverse client base, Gia also serves as an Adjunct Instructor with the
University of South Alabama and the University of Mobile teaching Human Resources
Management, Intro to Business, and Small Business Entrepreneurship.
Morale Resource helps clients take care of their most valued assets—its people.

William Admire, D.O., is the Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for Mobile Infirmary and North Baldwin Infirmary and has served Infirmary Health in multiple capacities since joining the organization in 2013. In addition to Chief Medical Officer responsibilities, Dr. Admire continues to work with Infirmary Occupational Health and iHealthy, Infirmary Health’s external wellness program.
Dr. Admire holds a Bachelor of Arts from Susquehanna University and Doctor of Osteopathy from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed an internship at Delaware Valley Medical Center and an internal medicine residency at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Penn. Dr. Admire is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. In 2016, Dr. Admire participated in the Institute for Physician Leadership program through the University of California, San Francisco.
Dr. Admire has numerous professional accomplishments and affiliations including serving with the Mobile Police Department as the police surgeon for 20 years, ProAssurance board member, Infirmary Health physician advisor and claims committee member, Spanish Fort High School team physician, Gulf Coast and Kensington Nursing Home director, Mobile Infirmary, Thomas Hospital, and North Baldwin ACOM medical director, and as the Alabama Hospital Association physician representative. In his spare time, Dr. Admire enjoys basketball, bicycling and the outdoors.

Biography of Nina Ford Johnson, MD
Nina Ford Johnson, MD, FAAP, has been practicing as a general pediatrician in Mobile, AL for nine years. She graduated in 2003 from Tennessee State University with a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences. Shortly thereafter, she completed her medical doctorate from Meharry Medical College in 2008 and finished her pediatric residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. Currently she holds board and committee appointments with the Medical Society of Mobile County, Alabama Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Alabama Medicaid Medical Care Advisory Committee. In her spare time, she loves to read, give lectures on pediatric issues, kissing the cheeks of her children (Poppy, Bella, and Ava), traveling with her husband (Pastor Alexander Johnson, Jr.), and singing classical music.

Garrett Williamson
A native Mobilian, Garrett is a graduate of UMS-Wright Preparatory School and holds a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from the University of Georgia where he was a pole-vaulter. After graduation, he earned his Master’s in Fitness Management from the United States Sports Academy, interning in Dallas, Texas at Dr. Kenneth Coopers’ Aerobic Research Facility and also in Tulsa, Oklahoma at St. Johns Medical facility.
After eight years of personal training in Georgia, Oklahoma and Alabama, he opened Personal Edge Fitness in 2000 which offers a-la-carte services in personal training, rehabilitation, Virtual training, and Corporate wellness by certified and degreed professionals. He is also the Host of the Personal Edge Fitness Podcast and Radio show.
In 2010 Garrett re-entered the competitive athletic field in Sprint Triathlon for Team USA. Still at it today, he has competed in 8 World Championship races for TEAM USA in 3 different multisport categories (Sprint triathlon, Aquathlon and Aquabike) He is slated to represent the US in the 2021 Multisport World championships next September in Amsterdam.
Garrett is married to Stephanie Jane Eads from Jasper, Alabama, who is the executive director of Save a Stray. Stephanie and Garrett are the proud parents of five dogs, in addition to providing temporary homes to 100s of foster dogs every year for over 20 years. In addition to other charitable and civic organizations, Garret has been a member of the Rotary club of Mobile since 2010 and serves currently as our Vice President.

Kenneth Dale Speetjens is the Co-Founder and CEO of Shipshape Urban Farms, an agritech company focused on the design, manufacturing, and operation of hydroponic farms built inside up-cycled shipping containers. The technology developed by Dale and the Shipshape team requires 90% less water, significantly less energy vs. conventional farming, and can go anywhere.
Dale began his career by serving in the United States Armed Forces. During this time with the military Dale was deployed, Iraq, where he served with honor. After leaving the military he began his studies at Auburn University were he graduated Summa Cum Laude with a bachelors of Environmental Design and a masters in both Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning while working as a Graduate Research Assistant. After graduation, Dale joined Mobile’s Bloomberg Innovation Team. His work focused on the Blight Index, a project Mobile has received international attention for in several publications including; Fast Company and Strongtowns. After nearly two years with the Innovation Team, Dale was asked to teach alongside an international team of architects, landscape architects, urban designers, and planners at the Galapagos International Architecture Studio in the Galapagos Islands. His class spent five weeks developing a path for the islands to become more sustainable. Upon his return to the United States Dale was asked to join Auburn University’s College of Architecture, Design, and Construction as a visiting Professor. Over the next three semesters Dale taught while planning to launch Shipshape Urban Farms.

BIO – JANET L. COBB, MG (USA Retired)
Executive Director, USS Alabama Battleship Commission and Battleship Memorial Park, Mobile, Alabama
Janet Cobb became the eighth executive director of the USS ALABAMA Battleship Commission and Battleship Memorial Park on December 14, 2015.
She enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve in May 1974 and served until August 1976. She was commissioned a Second Lieutenant, Signal Corps in May 1978 from the University of Alabama ROTC program, where she was named a Distinguished Military Graduate. MG (Ret.) Cobb was the fifty-fourth general officer and first female general officer to graduate from the University of Alabama. In April 2017, MG (Ret.) Cobb was one of seven selectees for the inaugural University of Alabama ROTC Hall of Fame.
She commanded at the detachment, battalion, brigade, directorate/brigadier general and major general levels. Her deployments include post-Desert Storm operations at the Ports of Al Jubayl and Ab Dammam, Saudi Arabia; Operation Iraqi Freedom port operations, Port of Ash Shuyabah, Kuwait (2002-2003).
MG (Ret.) Cobb’s additional deployments were joint assignments, where she served as Commander, 598th Transportation Group (Terminal)(2007), Rotterdam, the Netherlands, with oversight of military ports in Europe and North Africa; and Director, Central Command Deployment & Distribution Operations Center (Camp Arifjan, Kuwait)(2011), which directed all intra-theater airlift for Iraq and Afghanistan.
MG (Ret.) Cobb was assigned to the Department of the Army Staff as the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, G-4, (Mobilization and Training) from 2011-2014. She was mobilized and served in the Pentagon on the Army Staff as Deputy G-4 in 2012. In October 2013, then-Secretary of the Army John Marsh appointed MG (Ret.) Cobb to the Army Reserve Forces Policy Committee for a two-year term.
Her last assignment was Commanding General, 81st Regional Support Command, Fort Jackson, South Carolina and Senior Commander, U.S. Army Garrison Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico. On August 8, 2016 she was retired from the Army of the United States after 42 years in uniform.
Her decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (3), and various campaign and service awards.
She holds a J.D. from Cumberland School of Law, Samford University; an M.S.S. from the United States Army War College and a B.A. from the University of Alabama.
MG (Ret.) Cobb is a past USS ALABAMA Battleship Commissioner. She serves on the boards of the Historic Naval Ships Association, The Lee Foundation and the Equine Therapy Group for Veterans. She is member of the Mobile Bay Area Veterans Day Commission Board of Trustees and serves on the Veterans Initiative Advisory Council of the Community Foundation of South Alabama. MG (Ret.) Cobb holds a real estate license with the State of Alabama. She is a member of VFW Post 5658, American Legion Post 99 and other professional and civic organizations.
She is a resident of the Barnwell community in Baldwin County.