I am a professional storyteller. I have been fortunate and honored to
share the stories of some of today’s top global brands and the people
behind them in the aerospace, entertainment, professional and
collegiate sports, defense, and energy sectors. I graduated from Arizona
State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass
Communication and proudly served in the U.S. Air Force for 21 years.

Lindsay Cline is the Director of Strategic Partnerships for the United States Navy’s Maritime Industrial Base, where she focuses on building strong ecosystems to support our nation’s critical mission to increase maritime defense capacity in both the ship and submarine production sectors. Her role requires strong collaboration across education, government, and industry – and she is committed to fostering a synergistic approach to all aspects of the mission.

As she has worked to stand up the ecosystem for submarine production across the Gulf states, she has worked intentionally to ensure that the entire region understands we ALL play a role in expanding our nation’s maritime defense capabilities – and that this is NOT just a waterfront mission. To that end, she is working to bring additional resources and support to industry partners across Alabama that have the desire to join the maritime supplier base while also building and expanding training programs to support the 10,000 jobs expected to be created over the next five years.

An Alabama native, Lindsay is passionate about bringing training and career opportunities to this state. She is a graduate of both Jacksonville State University and Auburn University. Her journey was unconventional, as she quit high school during her junior year and earned a high school diploma in May of 2025 at the age of 43 years old. This experience has driven Lindsay to ensure that all students understand a bright future is possible, regardless of the path they may travel.

John joined Porchlight officially in 2022, bringing with him more than a decade of experience in real estate. His unique career path spans real estate brokerage, property acquisition, property management, historic preservation and redevelopment, economic development, and affordable/workforce housing development.

John’s career began in Mobile, AL, in residential sales and brokerage with Sam Winter and Company, where he played a pivotal role on the initial Porchlight acquisition team. After moving to Birmingham in 2019, he served as Portfolio Director with Retail Strategies, working with communities across the Southeast on retail recruitment and community development strategies. In 2022, he took on the role as Real Estate Director and Qualifying Broker for Porchlight.

A true advocate for neighborhood revitalization and housing affordability, John is passionate about forging partnerships between public and private entities to achieve mutually beneficial goals. His recent experience includes the development of affordable, workforce, and market-rate housing in the Bessemer, AL, and Mobile, AL, communities. John has leveraged tax credits, grant funding, and public incentive structures to help subsidize the cost of single-family, for-sale housing. He is currently involved in catalytic redevelopment projects and public-private partnerships focused on neighborhood revitalization and the activation of unused or underused spaces.

A Louisville, Kentucky native, John graduated in 2010 from Sewanee: The University of the South with a B.A. in Political Science. In May 2023, he earned his Master of Real Estate Development from Auburn University. He received his Alabama Real Estate Salesperson’s license in 2016 and his Alabama Broker’s license in 2021.

John serves on the Workforce Housing Committee of the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce and on the Vestry at Christ Church Cathedral. He returned to Mobile in 2022, where he lives with his wife, Francie (O’Hea) Ruzic, an Obstetrician and Gynecologist with Mobile Bay OB-GYN / Infirmary Health System, their 3½-year-old son, Watts, and a daughter due in October 2025.

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Mike Rogers

President

Rogers & Willard, Inc.

 

Mike Rogers has lived most of his life in Mobile and has dedicated his career to both construction and community revitalization. After earning a degree in Building Science from Auburn University, he began his career in Nashville with Hardaway Construction. In 1989, he returned to Mobile and founded what is now Rogers & Willard, Inc. Under his leadership, the company has become one of the region’s leading contractors, licensed in twelve states, consistently ranked among Business Alabama’s Top Contractors, and recognized four times as a Harbert College of Business “Top Tiger” company.

Mike’s work reflects his belief that building is about more than structures—it’s about strengthening communities. He has led numerous preservation and revitalization efforts in Mobile, including the award-winning restoration of the historic Buick Building. In 2017, he co-founded Porchlight Communities, a development company focused on restoring underserved neighborhoods. His leadership has been recognized with the Alabama Historical Commission’s Roy Swayze Preservation Award and the Outstanding Individual Award from the Mobile Downtown Alliance and Main Street Mobile.

Deeply committed to conservation and the arts, Mike has served as Chairman of the Alabama Contemporary Art Center, overseeing both the restoration of the Saenger Theatre and the conversion of the historic Press Register building. He has served on the boards of the Alabama Coastal Foundation and The Nature Conservancy of Alabama, where he was project champion for the Gulf Islands area, earning the EPA’s Gulf Guardian Individual Award in 2009. He has also served as president of Associated Builders and Contractors, where he helped establish the South Alabama Education Trust to advance training and workforce development.

Mike maintains strong ties to Auburn University, where he is a Sustaining Life Member of the Alumni Association and has served in leadership roles with the College of Architecture, Design and Construction, the Alumni Association, and the Harbert School of Business. He and his wife, Cay, established both the first-ever endowed scholarship in Industrial Design and an Ever Auburn Endowed Scholarship in the CADC. He was also instrumental in creating Auburn’s Industrial Design Studio in Mobile, where students collaborate with local organizations including Airbus, Austal, the Mobile Airport Authority, and the City of Mobile.

Outside of his professional and civic commitments, Mike enjoys fishing, nature photography, and time with his wife Cay and their three daughters, Catie, Jackie, and Leigh.

With four decades of distinguished experience in the aviation industry, G. Anderson “Andy” Wilson serves as Executive Director of the Mobile Airport Authority. Wilson’s career is marked by his innovative leadership and strategic problem solving in airline support, airport administration and professional consulting services with proven success in the planning, design, construction, and delivery of complex airport programs.

Wilson played an essential role in developing the Mobile Airport Authority’s Federal Aviation Administration-approved Master Plan as an external consultant, and he will now lead the Authority through its next phase of growth. Wilson most recently served as Director of Aviation at Hill International and was instrumental in the organization’s aviation delivery services. Prior to his tenure at Hill International, Wilson served as the Chief Development Officer for Aerostar Airport Holdings where he oversaw the transition of Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU), the first privatized U.S. airport, and led the implementation of cutting-edge solutions like video analytics for enhanced passenger management.

Wilson has an extensive history in interacting with federal, state, and municipal agencies, driving financial development strategy, and executing operational business plans for both domestic and international projects. Throughout his career, he has partnered with nationally recognized architectural, engineering, and consulting organizations, successfully managing multi-client project teams through terminal development, baggage handling systems, Federal Inspection Services, and airside and landside design. His proficiency extends to facility planning and programming, airline representation, air cargo development, forecasting and capacity analysis, program definition and development, and construction management. Wilson has supported teams across all aspects of the aviation industry, including within the Federal Aviation Administration, Transportation Security Administration and United States Department of Transportation, and maintains significant relationships with commercial carriers, airport leadership, and a vast network of state and federal personnel.

A graduate of The Ohio State University, Wilson holds a B.S.B.A degree with a focus in Aviation Logistics and Economics. He honorably served our country in the United States Army as Flight Engineer for the Aviation Attack Helicopters in South Korea, Flight Engineer and Flight Medic in the 237^th Medical Detachment MAST Unit in California, and in the 137^thAviation Regiment Ohio Air Guard during his time at Ohio State.

Stuart Holmes is the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Outokumpu’s
business area Americas, which is headquartered in Calvert, Alabama. He has been
working with the company since 2008.
Prior to this position, Stuart worked as a financial analyst with Kimberly-Clark and held
multiple finance roles with ThyssenKrupp. He currently serves on the Mobile Area
Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors.
A native of Pensacola, Florida, Stuart served in the United States Marine Corps. before
receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Auburn University as well as
a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the University of West Florida. He also has
a Master of Business Administration from Auburn University.
In his spare time, Stuart enjoys traveling, being outdoors and spending time with his
family. He also has a passion for photography.
Stuart is married to Ashley Holmes and they have two children, Chloe and Silas.

Commander Guernsey is a Philadelphia native who graduated from the University of Southern California in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences and received his commission through the NROTC Los Angeles Consortium.  He later earned a master’s degree in System Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School.

At sea, Guernsey served as electrical officer and communications officer aboard USS Donald Cook (DDG 75); weapons officer aboard USS Independence (LCS 2); combat systems officer and operations officer aboard USS Montgomery (LCS 8); and executive office aboard USS Cincinnati (LCS 20).

Ashore Guernsey served as assistant operations officer and LCS training liaison officer at Afloat Training Group San Diego; on staff as N3 operations officer at Surface Division Eleven; and as Director of Fleet Training – Pacific at Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center.

He assumed command of LCS Crew 235 in August 2024.

Personal awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, and Navy Achievement Medal, as well as other personal and unit awards.