Industry Councils

How is your community reflected in our work? Directors and advisory council members share their perspectives. Watch the videos and read the blogs.

The St. Louis Fed's four industry councils help to build a consistent line of communication between our staff and industry representatives. Council members' observations complement data and information developed through the Federal Reserve's Beige Book, and their keen insights on the economic conditions affecting their businesses, organizations and industries help to inform discussion at Federal Open Market Committee meetings. The councils were created in 2006; they meet twice a year. To learn more, download our Industry Council Brochure (PDF).

Each council is based at one of our offices and represents an industry critical to the Eighth Federal Reserve District:

Agribusiness - Little Rock, Ark.
Health Care - Louisville, Ky.
Real Estate - St. Louis
Transportation - Memphis, Tenn.

Agribusiness

Bruce L. Ahrendsen
Professor, University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture and Bumpers College
Fayetteville, Ark.
Little Rock Zone
John Rodgers Brashier
Vice President, Consolidated Catfish Producers LLC
Isola, Miss.
Memphis Zone
Ray Dillon
Former President and CEO, Deltic Timber Corp.
Little Rock, Ark.
Little Rock Zone
Cynthia Edwards
Deputy Secretary, Arkansas Agriculture Department
Little Rock, Ark.
Little Rock Zone
Sharon Furches
Owner, Furches Farms Partnership
Murray, Ky.
Louisville Zone
Dominique Gumirakiza
Associate Professor of Agricultural Economics, Department of Agriculture and Food Science, Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, Ky.
Louisville Zone
Jennifer H. James
Owner, H&J Land Co.
Newport, Ark.
Little Rock Zone
Susan L. Lang
President, Bumper Crop Farm LLC
Somerville, Tenn.
Memphis Zone
Wade Litton
President and CEO, Wade Inc.
Greenwood, Miss.
Memphis Zone
Kathleen Roberts
Senior Vice President, Institutional Recovery Management, CoBank
St. Louis
St. Louis Zone
Shari Rogge-Fidler
President and CEO, Farm Foundation
Oak Brook, Ill.
St. Louis Zone
Tania Seger
CEO, Plastomics Inc.
St. Louis
St. Louis Zone
Richard C. Siemer
President, Siemer Milling Co.
Teutopolis, Ill.
St. Louis Zone
Ashley C. Smith
Co-Founder and CEO, Black Soil KY
Lexington, Ky.
Louisville Zone

Health Care

Rhamy Alejeal
Founder and CEO, People Processes
Memphis, Tenn.
Memphis Zone
Carla Balch
Founder and CEO, Spesana Inc.
Memphis, Tenn.
Memphis Zone
Nick Barto
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, BJC HealthCare
St. Louis
St. Louis Zone
Mike Castellano
Strategic Advisor, Esse Health
St. Louis
St. Louis Zone
Zach Chandler
Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, Baptist Memorial Health Care Corp.
Memphis, Tenn.
Memphis Zone
Julie Erickson
President and CEO, Rx Outreach
St. Louis
St. Louis Zone
Diana Han
Vice President, Global Health, Unilever
Louisville, Ky.
Louisville Zone
Lisa M. Klesges
Professor and Founding Dean Emeritus, University of Memphis, School of Public Health
Memphis, Tenn.
Memphis Zone
Leanne L. Lefler
Professor and Associate Dean for Research, University of Memphis, Loewenberg College of Nursing
Memphis, Tenn.
Memphis Zone
Pearl Anna McElfish
Director, Office of Community Health and Research, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Springdale, Ark.
Little Rock Zone
Brandy N. Kelly Pryor
Founder and CEO, BKP Strategies
Louisville, Ky.
Louisville Zone
Troy Wells
President and CEO, Baptist Health
Little Rock, Ark.
Little Rock Zone
Alan Wheatley
Executive Chairperson, Sevita
Louisville, Ky.
Louisville Zone
Casey Willis
COO, National Park Medical Center
Hot Springs, Ark.
Little Rock Zone

Real Estate

Amy Berg
President, S. M. Wilson & Co.
St. Louis
St. Louis Zone
William “Bill” Burns
Broker/Owner, RE/MAX FIRST
Jeffersonville, Ind.
Louisville Zone
Andy Cates
CEO, Colliers International-Memphis
Memphis, Tenn.
Memphis Zone
Lisa C. Ferrell
Founder, President and CEO
North Bluffs Development Corp.
North Little Rock, Ark.
Little Rock Zone
J.T. Ferstl
President, Ferstl Valuation Services
Little Rock, Ark.
Little Rock Zone
David L. Hardy
Managing Director, CBRE Inc.
Louisville, Ky.
Louisville Zone
Larry K. Jensen
President and CEO
Cushman & Wakefield ¦ Commercial Advisors
Memphis, Tenn.
Memphis Zone
Greg M. Joslin
Senior Broker, Colliers International Arkansas
Little Rock, Ark.
Little Rock Zone
Joshua Poag
President and CEO, Poag Shopping Centers LLC
Memphis, Tenn.
Memphis Zone
Lester T. Sanders
Vice Chair, Housing Opportunity Committee, National Association of REALTORS^®
Louisville, Ky.
Louisville Zone
Melissa Setser
Senior Vice President, Portfolio Management, The DESCO Group
St. Louis
St. Louis Zone
Madison C. Silvert
President, The Malcolm Bryant Corp.
Owensboro, Ky.
Louisville Zone

Transportation

Aaron S. Burkes
CEO, Northwest Arkansas National Airport
Bentonville, Ark.
Little Rock Zone
Condrad Daniels
President, HJI Supply Chain Solutions
Louisville, Ky.
Louisville Zone
Bryan Day
Executive Director, Little Rock Port Authority
Little Rock, Ark.
Little Rock Zone
Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge
Director of Airports, St. Louis Lambert International Airport
St. Louis
St. Louis Zone
Bertram C. “Bert” Hodge
General Manager, Heritage Ford
Corydon, Ind.
Louisville Zone
Stephanie Ivey
Director, Intermodal Freight Transportation Institute, University of Memphis
Memphis, Tenn.
Memphis Zone
Stacey Lyons
Manager, Government and Public Affairs, Canadian National Railway
Memphis, Tenn.
Memphis Zone
Shannon Newton
President, Arkansas Trucking Association
Little Rock, Ark.
Little Rock Zone
Nihad “Nick” Sinanovic
President, Vega Transport
St. Louis
St. Louis Zone
John Waggoner
Founder and Chairman, American Queen Voyages
New Albany, Ind.
Louisville Zone
Brent Wood
President, Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis
St. Louis
St. Louis Zone