Category: Past Speakers

Van Sims – Bio
Van was raised in the small town of Jackson, AL and has resided in Mobile for over 15 years. Growing up in a rural community helped Van appreciate the outdoors and sparked his interest in conservation. Upon arriving in Mobile after college, he began his involvement with the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo (ADSFR) and the Mobile Jaycees. Over the past 12 years, Van has served in numerous roles within the organization including Vice President of Finance, Vice President of Awards, Vice President of Technology, member of the Board of Directors, President of the 84th annual ADSFR in 2017, and is currently serving as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the 85th ADSFR. Van is committed to assisting the ADSFR in expanding its mission of conservation of the Gulf of Mexico fisheries.
Justin Thompson – Bio
Justin grew up in Mobile County and in the ADSFR. Justin’s grandfather served as Chairman of the Board in the 1950’s and his father, Joe Thompson, served as President of the 66th ADSFR (1998). After graduating from Auburn University, Justin moved back to Mobile County and became involved within the organization himself. He has served various roles as Vice President of Publicity, Vice President of Awards, Vice President of Weights and Measures, Jaycee Chapter Board member, and was recently selected to serve as President of the 86th ADSFR. Justin plays an integral part in the growth of the ADSFR and in aiding its legacy of conservation.

Having worked in public, private and non-profit communications in Alabama, Louisiana and northwest Florida for over 25 years, Scott was named Director of Communications for AM/NS Calvert by former owner ThyssenKrupp AG in January 2008 prior to the facility’s construction. In 2014, the facility was acquired by a joint venture of ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation, the world’s first and second largest steel producers.
Under this new joint venture ownership, he is responsible for all aspects of internal and external communications and corporate responsibility for the state-of-the-art steel processing facility, which has an annual production capacity of 5-million tons of exposed and non-exposed material for the automotive, pipe and tube, appliance and steel service center industries. The facility employs approximately 1,700 team members.
Prior to joining the facility, he held communications and governmental affairs related executive management positions at the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce and the State of Alabama Public Service Commission.
A native of Andalusia, Alabama, he is a graduate of Auburn University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications.
He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, the Mobile Area Education Foundation, Mobile Baykeeper, and is 2018 Board Chair of the Alabama Iron and Steel Council. He is a past board member of the Gulf Coast Exploreum and Science Center.

Joni Hendee is the Marketing and Public Relations Director for the Dumas Wesley Community Center. For over 11 years, she has been serving the community center in a variety of capacities, including: public speaking, special events and fundraising; communications planning; media relations; crisis management; online promotion and cause-related marketing; social media and Web 2.0, and website content management.
Her dedication to service and genuine desire to help others has propelled her career in the non-profit sector, where she has been recognized among her peers with an Award of Excellence from Public Relations Council of Alabama.
Joni and her husband Marcus have a 21 year-old son, Elijah, a 14 year-old son, Tyrek, and a 9 year-old son, Anthony. They reside in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.
Bulletin Summary:
Joni Hendee is the Marketing and Public Relations Director for the Dumas Wesley Community Center. She will tell the story of someone who survived against all odds and with the help of Dumas Wesley has gone on to make a real impact in our community.

ABOUT SUJIN KIM
Sujin Kim, Esq., was born and raised in Korea. Due to her understanding of both the Korea and U.S. business environments and cultures, she has been able to provide a vast array of legal and non-legal services to clients and communities (for both in- and out-bound related business and investment with South Korea), including connecting them with private and public sector resources. She is fluent in English and Korean.
Ms. Kim founded KOCAMA Consulting to assist American and Korean companies, institutions, and individuals to capitalize on opportunities for business and economic development in the US, particularly in the southern and southeastern regions, and the Republic of Korea. Services include assisting them to explore opportunities via business and economic activities, such as trade and investment delegations, import and export initiatives, or targeted business-to business and industry-to-industry partnerships. She also founded Gulf Coast Immigration (GCI) to meet the needs for comprehensive and sophisticated services in all aspects of immigration, including legal services, in the southern Gulf Coast region with subspecialties focusing on the Religious Worker and the Immigrant Investor visa programs.
Ms. Kim was appointed by President Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye as a member of The National Unification Advisory Council, a constitutional institution, to the President of South Korea and served two terms. She currently works with a Provincial government, Jeollanam-do, in South Korea as JoellaNam-do Special Advisor. In this capacity, she provides advice and counsel to Jeollanam-do and its businesses and industries regarding business and economic development with the U.S., particularly in the southern and southeastern regions, from marketing to connecting them with related private and public sectors. She previously served as Of Counsel to a U.S. regional law firm, working in the Economic Development and Incentives, International Trade, and Immigration practice groups.
As a board member and current Vice President of the Korea Southeast U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and as an advisory legal counsel to the Federation of Korean Associations of the Southeastern U.S., Ms. Kim works closely with various Korean governmental and quasi-governmental entities and Korean trade and industry associations, including Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), Korea International Trade Association (KITA), Korean Chamber of Commerce & Industry USA (KOCHAM), Korea Petrochemical Industry Association (KPIA), and the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business.
She has been active in Rotary International (in both South Korea and US). She participated in the Rotary International Group Study Exchange Program twice between South Korea and India in 2000 and South Alabama and South Korea in 2012. Through this program, she helped to reinvigorate the sister city relationship between the City of Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province and Mobile in 2012.
Ms. Kim also has been involved with L’Arche Communities in the US, and the Jesuit Volunteer Corp (JVC). She was the first Korean citizen who joined JVC to work with marginalized and underserved populations in the US. She taught Korean language, culture, and history at the University of South Alabama for 5 years. Currently, she serves as Vice Chair of the Human Rights Committee of Mobile L’Arche Inc.
She earned her BBA in International Business from The George Washington University in 1998 and was awarded her JD from the University of Maryland in 2008, with a Health Law Certificate from the Law and Health Care Program. Prior to attending law school, she pursued a career in international business and politics in Korea. Ms. Kim is admitted to practice in Alabama and is eligible for admission in the District of Columbia. She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, American Bar Association, Alabama Bar Association and Mobile Bar Association. Ms. Kim has been married for 15 years to a native Mobilian. She and her husband are members of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception parish and are active volunteers for the Little Sisters of the Poor.

Matt Ericksen, P.E. – Mobile River Bridge and Bayway Project Director
Matt Ericksen is the Project Director for Alabama Department of Transportation’s (ALDOT) Mobile River Bridge and Bayway project. A Professional Engineer with 25 years at ALDOT in the Mobile area, he has served as the District Engineer, County Transportation Engineer, Materials and Tests Engineer, Construction Engineer and Assistant Region Engineer.
Ericksen is a graduate of the University of Alabama with a bachelor of science in civil engineering. His is a Professional Engineer and a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Ericksen and his wife have three daughters; they live in Daphne. He is a soccer coach and member of Christ the King Parish.

With over fifteen years of experience, Stacy Wellborn has worked with a variety of companies solving myriad communication challenges. From brand development to website design, email and social media marketing and public relations, Stacy works with clients to identify creative solutions to business challenges, to generate awareness, build community relationships and increase revenues.
Wellborn Strategies works with business leaders and entrepreneurs to identify, execute and realize their visions. Whether starting from a fresh idea or moving in a new direction, Wellborn Strategies develops strategic plans to facilitate effective execution and goal realization.