Advisory Team
Dr. Dionne Rosser-Mims
Dionne Rosser-Mims, Ph.D., is as a Full Professor of adult education and former Dean of the College of Education at Troy University (TROY). Appointed Vice Chancellor of the Troy University Phenix City Campus effective October 1, 2020, Dr. Rosser-Mims has served in a range of administrative positions during her TROY... tenure. She completed Harvard's Women in Educational Leadership Institute and is the recipient of the 2013 Wallace D. Malone, Jr. Distinguished Faculty Award, a 2016 Chancellor’s Fellow, and past president of Troy University’s Faculty Senate serving two years consecutively. Dr.Rosser-Mims has nearly 20 years of adult education experience to include work in collegiate teaching as well as training and development. Over the past ten years she has engaged in a range of international-related work to include having led study abroad experiences, negotiated agreements with Kyambogo University and Makerere University, and served as a 2019 workshop presenter in the inaugural year of the Higher Education Resource Services, East Africa Leadership Academy held at Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda. She has authored four books with the most recent 2020 co-edited publication titled Pathways into the Political Arena: The Perspectives of Global Women Leaders. She has published over 15 articles and book chapters combined and delivered conference presentations and speaking engagements at the regional, national, and international levels. Dr. Rosser-Mims is the co-founder and former co-editor in chief of Dialogues in Social Justice: An Adult Education Journal, a peer-reviewed open-access journal.
Prior to Troy University, Rosser-Mims held a faculty position at the University of Georgia’s Fanning Institute for Leadership. She worked on projects targeting communities suffering from economic, educational, and social disparities by providing program development, leadership training, and facilitation services. She continues to work with a range of audiences to provide facilitation services in the areas of team-building, group dynamics, leadership assessments, conflict management, communication, board development, and strategic planning.
Dr. Rosser-Mims holds a doctorate in adult education and a master’s in public administration from the University of Georgia. She maintains membership and serves in leadership positions in several professional organizations. Selected examples include Piedmont College Board of Trustee, AAUW of Alabama College/University Relations Chair, member of the Alabama School Readiness Alliance board of directors, and advisory board member for the City of Troy, Alabama Boys and Girls Club. Dr. Rosser-Mims is a founding board member and vice president of Steps of Love, Inc., a nonprofit organization that collects clothing items for those in need, and a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
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Maria Reed
Maria Reed is a proud military spouse of 18 years, mother of 2, filmmaker, interior designer and advocate for military families. She is a Cuban immigrant, Executive Producer and creator of the series Moving With The Military, co-founder of My Ultimate PCS app and Co-founder and CEO of the Inspire Up Foundation. As ... the creatively inspired fearless leader of MOVING WITH THE MILITARY, Maria created the popular series to honor military families with surprise home makeovers. MOVING WITH THE MILITARY is driven by the true emotion, and real life needs of military families. With every episode, Maria brings the loving touch that proves home is where the heart is, or as she puts it, home is where the military sends us. Maria Reed began her career in film as a television producer, and director creating spots for SCION, AT&T, and Proctor & Gamble, to name a few, in both English and Spanish. In 2018, Maria collaborated with a fellow military spouse to find a way to simplify the military family lifestyle. They knew that moving shouldn’t be so complicated for military families. They decided to work together and to create a revolutionary new way for today’s military families to move and live. Together they developed MY ULTIMATE PCS app. In 2019, Maria was named the Armed Forces Insurance ARMY Spouse of the Year for work in bridging the civilian-military divide and improving the quality of life of military families. And in 2020, she was named the Hiring Our Heroes Military Spouse Small Business Entrepreneur Impact Award winner for her work supporting military families. Maria has a B.S. in Professional Studies from Barry University in Miami, Florida, a member of the American Society of Interior Designers, and a proud Army spouse of 18 years married to her loving husband SFC Patrick Reed.
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Joe Beck
Over the past twenty-five years Joe Beck has been one the most successful and prolific creators of Inspirational based music in the world. Composing over 2000 new copyrights. He has had 65 hit songs and over 650 major cuts in all markets from Adult Contemporary, Rock, Inspirational, Southern Gospel, Country and Black Gospel. He has ... contributed to six Grammy nominated projects including the writing the Grammy winning song “The Reason” for Diamond Rio in 2010 and has been nominated a dozen times for Dove awards having won with Michael English for the song, “Holding Out Hope To You”. He has received multiple BMI awards for airplay including the 2004 most performed song of the year, “To Ever Live Without Me”.
Not only has he had dozens of his songs made into hits by some of the top artists in Christian music, like Michael English, Avalon, Gaither Vocal Band, Jody McBrayer Phillips, Craig & Dean, Larnelle Harris, his songs have also been recorded by pop artist like Oleta Adams and country artist like Diamond Rio. He has also produced over 50 albums, won awards, and performed with some of the top names in music. Not content to rest on any of his many laurels, Beck decided to explore the other side of the music business. He took a job as head of publishing for Springhill Music a company owned by Bill Gaither. While there he helped launch the Springhill Worship Label a direct to church marketed copyright driven label.
After moving to Nashville in the mid-80s, Beck was part of the major-label country rock band, “Ride the River”. The Group released four major singles and although their lifespan as a group was short-lived, doors were opened that allowed him to write for a major publisher in town. While Beck had no aversion to Christian music, having grown up in a missionary family, he had no intention of writing songs for the Christian market. Until one day when his publisher invited Christian songwriter Brian White, to write with he and Beck. The first song they composed together was the Multi-award-winning No.1 single “Holding out Hope to You”, performed by Michael English. “The next thing I knew I was in the inspirational market-place. God does move in mysterious ways,” says Beck.
Joe’s passion for songwriting led him, along with Michael Blanton, Gary Glover and Billy Sprague to launch Songwriting University which offers mentoring to anyone who has a passion for writing songs. Through the process of collaboration anyone of any age or skill level can be writing one on one with Grammy and No 1 hit songwriters.
Joe and his wife Chris live with their three children, Lindsey, Michael, and Parker in Brentwood, Tennessee, where Joe is involved in a number of business and musical projects. He also continues to compose over 100 new copyrights a year.
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Dr. Jana' Sparks
Dr. Jana’ Sparks is an Assistant Professor of Instructional Leadership and in the Department of Counselor, Leadership, and Special Education in the College of Education at Auburn University at Montgomery. Dr. Sparks joined the faculty after seventeen years in the public school system. In the public school setting, she has served... as a Principal, Assistant Principal, New Teacher Mentoring program coordinator and has taught a variety of grade levels in the K-12 setting. Scholarly endeavors include peer reviewed presentation at international, national and state conferences on topics such as new teacher mentoring programs, quality staff development, and innovative leadership practices. Dr. Sparks teaches a variety of graduate and Educational Specialists level courses that provide opportunities for future leaders and instructional leaders to enhance their personal and professional career. Her commitment to education has been recognized as she has received the Phenix City Public School Administrator of the Year, 2020 Valdosta State University Alumni, Graduate of the Last Decade award and the 2021 Auburn University Montgomery College of Education Service award. Dr. Sparks is currently serving as the Program Chair for the Instructional Leadership program.
Ed.D. (2016) Valdosta State University
Ed.S. (2005) Troy University
M.Ed (2003) Troy University
B.S. (2000) Delaware State University
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Leo Buehler
Leo Buehler is a longtime friend of the Maggart family who works in general management in the electronic security industry. In addition to holding a Six Sigma Black Belt, Leo brings with him over 20 years of operations leadership, with a focus on developing strong organizations through both process improvement ... and people development. He is also a veteran of the United States Army, where he served multiple combat tours in Iraq as an Infantry Officer prior to entering the private sector. Leo is a Ranger qualified Senior Rated Jumpmaster with both the Expert Infantryman’s and Combat Infantryman’s Badge. His military decorations also include The Meritorious Service Medal, three Bronze Star Medals, and The Purple Heart. He earned a B.S. in Systems Engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point, and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
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Dr. Paige Paquette
Paige Paquette is an Associate Professor in the Department of Teacher Education at Troy University and has a love for literacy and learning that started when she learned to read in kindergarten. Her passion for literacy and learning led her into a career as an educator. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English and ...a master’s degree in Secondary English Education from the University of Alabama. After teaching English Language Arts at Central High School in Phenix City, AL for six years, she was offered an opportunity to teach adults at Troy University. Paige’s career in higher education encouraged her to pursue and complete a PhD in Secondary English Language Arts at Auburn University. Paige has taught English composition, World Literature, English Language Arts Education, and Secondary Education courses for more than 18 years at Troy University’s Phenix City/Columbus location. Paige is the TROY at Work coordinator for the university. This program provides educators with flexible opportunities to successfully pursue higher degrees while accommodating their busy schedules. Having lived in the Chattahoochee Valley for over 25 years, Paige feels that it is important to serve this community. She is an Ambassador and Board member for the East Alabama Chamber of Commerce. As a faculty member at Troy University, she has been awarded grants from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation and the Alabama Humanities Foundation to provide literacy opportunities for the Wounded Warrior Battalion at Fort Benning, Central Freshman Academy, Phenix City Housing Authority summer program, and the Hurtsboro Senior Citizens Community Center.
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Kim Wiggins
Kimberly Cummings-Wiggins is an Academic Instructional Coach for the Muscogee County School District. She is also an Educational Consultant and provides professional learning for numerous school systems. Kimberly holds her Ed.S. from Troy University and as a former classroom teacher taught a variety of... grade levels in the K-5th grade setting. Along with this, she worked for the Alabama State Department of Education as an ARI Regional Support Specialist. Throughout her career she has won numerous awards to include Teacher of the Year at three different schools and District Support Teacher of the Year. Kimberly also received the prestigious WRBL Golden Apple Teacher Award and plans to pursue a Doctorate degree of Education in the field of leadership and curriculum. Kimberly is a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and the Delta Kappa Gamma teacher society. Closest to her heart is a mentoring group and scholarship fund, “Kelly’s Gifts,” Girls Inspired for Talent and Service, that she began in memory her very own personal angel, and to honor her daughter, Kelly Judith Wiggins.
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Tammy Horvath
Tammy Horvath is an accomplished business professional with extensive experience providing the leadership and support needed to drive the achievement of key organizational business goals and objectives. In addition, she brings proven strength building strong, long-term relationships with strategic business partners....
Areas of Expertise Include:
- Business Solutions
- Organizational Sales Leadership & Support
- Service Excellence
- Office Management
- Business Process Improvement
- Client Engagement
- Consultative Sales
- Executive Administrative Support
- Financial/Data Analysis & Reporting
- Accounts Receivable & Billing
- Coordination & Logistics
- Strategy & Execution
- Business Relationships
- Stakeholder Communication
- Workplace Collaboration
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