James H. Sanford

James H. Sanford – Chairman, is chairman of the board of HOME Place Farms, Inc. and is a fourth-generation cotton producer whose great-grandparents began operations of a cotton farm in 1881. Sanford received a BS in business administration in 1968 and an MS in economics in 1971 from Auburn University. He is affiliated with many organizations, including the Prattville Area Chamber of Commerce, Autauga County United Way and various advisory boards with Auburn University.

Steven E. Taylor, PhD, PE, Fellow ASABE

Steven E. Taylor, Ph.D., P.E., Fellow ASABE, serves as Auburn University’s senior vice president for research and economic development. In this role, he provides leadership to various research and economic development units, including Sponsored Programs, Proposal Services and Faculty Support, Contracts and Grants Accounting, Research Compliance, the University Veterinarian, Research Security Compliance, Electronic Research Administration, the IP Exchange, External Engagement and Support and university-based start-ups.

Taylor previously served as interim dean of Auburn University’s Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, as the College of Engineering’s associate dean for research, head of the Department of Biosystems Engineering—where he is a tenured professor—and as director of the Center for Bioenergy and Bioproducts.

As the Ginn College of Engineering’s associate dean for research, Taylor led significant growth in the college’s annual external funding that saw nearly $300 million in new research contracts awarded during the past five years. During this period, he facilitated the creation of the Auburn University Applied Research Institute and Auburn University Transportation Research Institute, and he helped secure funding for several new research facilities such as Auburn’s Advanced Structural Engineering Laboratory. Additionally, he led the efforts to acquire and operationalize the university’s Research and Innovation Campus in Huntsville’s Cummings Research Park.

Taylor holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural engineering from the University of Florida and a doctorate in the same discipline from Texas A&M.

Bill Ham Jr.

Bill Ham was elected to the Auburn City Council in 1986 and then served as the city of Auburn’s mayor from 1998-2018.  Ham, an Auburn native and 1977 graduate of Auburn University, is owner of Varsity Enterprises, LLC.   Ham  serves on numerous community and university boards including The Gouge Performing Arts Center, East Alabama Community Foundation, Auburn Bank Board and the Industrial Development Board for the City of Auburn.

Mayor Ron Anders, Jr.

Mayor Ron Anders, Jr. was elected in October 2018 to serve as Auburn’s new mayor, stepping into the position held for 20 years by former Mayor Bill Ham, Jr. After six years on the Auburn City Council and years of service to the community, Mayor Anders was sworn into office in early November 2018.  Since 2015, Anders has served as the director of special projects for Tailgate Guys’ Auburn Crew. He previously served 20 years as the CEO of Anders Bookstore, a small, family-owned business that was established on Magnolia Avenue in 1966. A multigenerational venture, Anders grew up working in the store with his father and grandfather. He took over as owner and operator until the business was sold in 2005.  A lifelong resident of Auburn, Anders has been an active member of the community and an ardent supporter of youth athletics. He has served as past chair, past president, past director and past board member for a number of civic, community, recreation and charitable organizations including: the Auburn Chamber of Commerce, Auburn Planning Commission, Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Lee County and Child Advocacy Center. Anders is a 1982 graduate of Auburn High School and a 1986 graduate of Auburn University.

Greg Barker

Greg Barker was named president of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama in June 2020. Barker came to EDPA from Alabama Power Company, where he started in 2002 as an economic development project manager and was later named vice president of Economic and Community Development. He also held positions as senior vice president, Business Development and Customer Support, senior vice president, Marketing and Economic Development and executive vice president, Customer Services. Barker’s career has also included experience in local and regional economic development, serving as president of the Calhoun County Economic Development Authority and as executive vice president of the Metropolitan Development Board in Birmingham. Greg graduated from Mississippi State University, where he was named an Alumni Fellow of the College of Arts and Sciences in 2018. He also attended the Institute for Organizational Management at the University of Georgia and the Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma. He is a member of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), the Southern Economic Development Council (SEDC), the Utility Economic Development Association (UEDA), and the Economic Development Association of Alabama (EDAA). He also serves on the boards of directors for Opportunity Alabama, the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Development Council, the Bill L. Harbert Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Innovation Depot. He is a 2008 graduate of the Leadership Alabama program.

Chris Crumbly

Chris Crumbly, joined the Von Braun Center for Science & Innovation in January 2018 as its Executive Director.  After a 25-year career at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Mr. Crumbly retired and entered the business community.  Mr. Crumbly was most recently the Vice-President for Business Development, Civil and Commercial Space at Teledyne Brown Engineering.  While at NASA, Mr. Crumbly managed the Space Launch System (SLS) Program’s Spacecraft/Payload Integration and Evolution Office, located at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

Michael A. DeMaioribus

Mr. DeMaioribus currently serves on the Board of Directors of Davidson Technologies and PeopleTec, Inc., in Huntsville, AL.  He also provides board and executive level consulting to other local, high technology defense and aerospace firms through DeMaioribus Technologies LLC, and holds an active TS/SCI clearance.  Mr. DeMaioribus is a member of the Board of Trustees of Auburn University and is a member of the Advisory Council of the Charles D. McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security at Auburn University.  He has been inducted into the State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame.  He is also a member of the HudsonAlpha Foundation Board, the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville, a member of the Committee of 100 and a member of the Huntsville Rotary Club.  He is a former member of the Huntsville Botanical Garden Board and a former United Way of Madison County Board Chair.  

Mr. DeMaioribus retired as executive vice president of Dynetics in 2016, after a 39-year career.  He has extensive experience as a Defense and Aerospace contractor involved in high technology areas of Intelligence, Missiles, Aviation, Cyber, Space and Sensors. He was involved in growing Dynetics from 30 to 1500 people over his career, with increasing levels of technical, management and leadership responsibility in both the technical and business operations aspects of the business.

Mr. DeMaioribus holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Electrical Engineering from Auburn University along with additional graduate coursework in radar, signal processing, phased arrays and missile seekers.

Mr. DeMaioribus has lived in Huntsville since 1960 and is married to Leta Hornbuckle DeMaioribus.  They have four children and nine grandchildren.  

Robert W. Dumas

Robert W. Dumas is President and CEO of AuburnBank, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Auburn National Bancorporation, Inc. He joined the bank in 1984, began serving as a Director of the bank in 1997, and was elected President and CEO in 2001. He is an Auburn native and a 1976 graduate of Auburn University with a BS in Business Administration. He has served on numerous community boards and currently serves as an Auburn University Trustee representing the Third District-Lee County, AL. He is also a board member for East Alabama Medical Center and the Alabama Bankers Association as well as is a member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.

Thom Gossom, Jr.

Thom Gossom Jr. is an American actor, writer, and communications professional. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, he received his Bachelor of Arts in communications from Auburn University where he was the first black athlete in the Southeastern Conference to walk on, earn a full scholarship and graduate. Gossom furthered his education with a Master of Arts in communication from The University of Montevallo in Alabama. He is owner and President of Best Gurl Inc. a communications firm. Gossom’s career has spanned film, television and the stage. Gossom also writes a current events blog, “As I SEE It”. When not writing, producing or acting, Gossom is a frequent speaker for universities, corporation and civic organizations.

Laura D. Grill, RN, MBA

Laura Grill serves as president and chief executive officer of The East Alabama Health Care Authority. Her leadership responsibilities include the Authority’s two hospitals, East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika and East Alabama Medical Center – Lanier in Valley.

Laura currently serves as the legislative chairperson for the Alabama Hospital Association. She also serves on several other boards including Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, the Business Council of Alabama, the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind Foundation, AmeriFirst Bank, and United Way of Lee County. She also serves on the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church Endowment Committee and is an Auburn University Women’s Resource Advisory member. She has also served on the boards of Habitat for Humanity – Lee County, Affiliate and the Chamber of Commerce of Opelika.

Laura has served the Authority in various roles since June 1992. She received her Bachelor of science Degree in Nursing in 1984 from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a Master’s in Business Administration in 1990 from the University of Alabama.

Patrick T. Murphy, Jr.

Patrick T. Murphy, Jr., was named Vice President of Alabama Power Economic and Community Development department in April 2016. Murphy joined Alabama Power as senior project manager in November 2011. Prior to Alabama Power Company, Murphy was senior vice president of Economic Development for the Birmingham Business Alliance. He led all economic development recruiting, business retention and expansion efforts in the seven-county Birmingham metropolitan area. During his tenure with the Birmingham Business Alliance, Murphy worked with numerous Fortune 1000 companies across various business sectors, including aerospace, automotive, pharmaceutical, finance, technology and distribution. Murphy sits on the boards of directors for the Economic Development Association of Alabama, the Alabama Communities of Excellence Board, where he serves as President and Chairman, is a member of the Birmingham Kiwanis club, Birmingham Monday Morning Quarterback Club, BBVA Compass Advisory Board and “You Might Be” for Auburn Club. He is a graduate of Auburn University with a Bachelor of Science in Finance. He lives in Birmingham with his wife and their four children.

Vini Nathan, PhD

Dr. Vini Nathan began serving as Auburn University’s provost and senior vice president for academic affairs in May 2023 after serving as interim provost since March 2022. Prior to the Provost’s Office, Dr. Nathan was dean and McWhorter Chair of the College of Architecture, Design and Construction (CADC) from 2011-2022. She is also a tenured professor of Architecture and Interior Architecture and is a Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council (DFC).

As provost, Dr. Nathan is the university’s chief academic officer and oversees the university’s academic and outreach missions. Dr. Nathan works with faculty, staff, students, alumni, and other stakeholders to ensure the university maintains the highest possible outreach and teaching and learning programs. In carrying out these responsibilities, Dr. Nathan works directly with the deans of the 12 colleges, the university’s shared governance groups, university administrators, student leaders, and other Provost’s Office team members. In addition, Dr. Nathan oversees various faculty matters, including academic issues and policies, accreditation, strategic planning, educational services and resources, faculty development, and outreach, and is responsible for the university’s tenure and promotion process.

As dean of CADC for over a decade, Dr. Nathan has led several nationally ranked programs, including graduate and undergraduate programs consistently recognized among industry outlets as the best in their fields. With more than 150 full-time faculty and staff members, CADC maintains an enrollment of 1,800 students across its Schools of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture, Industrial and Graphic Design, and the McWhorter School of Building Science. During her tenure as dean, Dr. Nathan has worked to strengthen the academic reputation and visibility of the college, resulting in record levels of student enrollment, extramural research funding, and philanthropic support.

Working with CADC faculty, staff, and students, Dr. Nathan has initiated several curricular advancements, including a custom graduate program for the US Army Corp of Engineers, a master’s program in Public Interest Design, a bachelor’s program in Landscape Architecture, and a doctoral program in Building Construction. She also spearheaded the creation, development, and successful implementation of the futures studio in Mobile, Alabama. The studio offers a robust industry-supported study-beyond program for students in industrial design. In addition, Dr. Nathan collaborated with the Harbert College of Business to co-create a donor-funded, interdisciplinary institute on real estate development. She also oversees the world-renowned Rural Studio and Urban Studio off-campus design-build programs that offer Auburn students hands-on experiences while providing underserved communities with sustainable homes.

Dr. Nathan currently serves as a board member of the Auburn Research and Technology Foundation and is a member of the Board of Trustees at Saint Leo University in Florida. In addition, she served on the Dean’s Executive Advisory Board for the College of Technology (now Purdue Polytechnic Institute) at Purdue University and is the former president of the US-based Architecture+ Construction Alliance. Dr. Nathan was honored in 2014 with the silver medal of the Tau Sigma Delta for her nationally recognized service, dedication, and leadership in design education.

Before Auburn, Dr. Nathan held the position of dean and professor in the School of Architecture at Thomas Jefferson University (formerly Philadelphia University). There, Dr. Nathan led the development and implementation of two new graduate programs in Construction Management and Interior Architecture.

As an architect working for Walker Group/CNI in New York, Dr. Nathan collaborated with Cesar Pelli Associates on the design of the Kuala Lumpur City Center (Petronas Towers) in Malaysia (when it opened in 1996, it was tallest building in the world).

Dr. Nathan holds a Ph.D. (major: Architecture; minor: Urban and Regional Planning) from the University of Michigan (1994), a master’s degree in Interior Design from Virginia Tech (1990), and a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Anna University (1988).

Jim Odom

Jim Odom – Emeritus, was a consultant for Science Applications International Corporation at his last position. He began his career in the launch vehicle business with the Huntsville/von Braun Team, transitioning with this team to become NASA’s Marshall Flight Center. His many responsibilities at NASA included the Saturn, Apollo, Shuttle, and Hubble Space Telescope and last NASA position was Associate Administrator for Space Station. He retired from NASA in 1989 and has remained active in space research.

Paul M. Patterson, PhD

Dean, College of Agriculture
Director, Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station
Professor, Agricultural Economics
Auburn University

A native of Alabama, Paul Patterson earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business and economics from Auburn University in 1985.  He then earned a master’s degree in agricultural economics from Purdue University.  Between 1987 and 1989, Patterson worked as a cotton economist for the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service in Washington, D.C.   In this position, he traveled with inbound and outbound cotton trade teams.  Patterson returned to Purdue University to pursue a doctorate in agricultural economics as a USDA National Needs Fellow.  He completed his doctoral studies in 1994.  From 1995 to 2009, Patterson was on faculty in the Morrison School of Agribusiness at Arizona State University, where he advanced through the faculty ranks to eventually serve as dean of the school.  As a faculty member, he provided leadership for the National Food and Agricultural Policy Project, a research project that provided economic analysis on the outlook for fruit and vegetable crops.  He worked with producer organizations in Arizona, California, and Mexico.  From 2009 to 2016, Patterson served as Associate Dean of Instruction in the College of Agriculture, Auburn University.  In 2016, he was appointed as Dean of the College of Agriculture and Director of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station.  His research focused on international trade and agricultural marketing.  He is a co-author of five journal articles selected as the best article of the year in their respective journals.  He and his wife, Louisa, are the proud parents of five children and proud grandparents of three grandchildren.

Christopher B. Roberts, PhD

On February 4, 2022, The Auburn University Board of Trustees unanimously voted to select Dean Christopher B. Roberts of the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering as the university’s 21st president. Roberts will begin serving on May 16. As the dean of the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering at Auburn University, Roberts was responsible for the overall direction, scope, and mission of the college. Dr. Roberts is the former department chair and the George E. and Dorothy Stafford Uthlaut Professor of Chemical Engineering. Roberts began his career at Auburn in 1994 as an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and became department chair in 2003. He earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Missouri and a master’s degree and doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Notre Dame.

John G. Rocovich, Jr. JD, LLM

John G. Rocovich, Jr. JD, LLM is the founder of the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) and Chairman of its Board. Mr. Rocovich is an attorney and Chairman of the law firm Moss & Rocovich, Attorneys-at-Law, P.C. in Roanoke, Va. Mr. Rocovich has dedicated himself to his alma mater, Virginia Tech, and has held countless offices to assist in the enhancement of that university, including Chairman of its governing board. VCOM’s first campus is located in the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Park. Additional VCOM campuses have been built in Spartanburg, South Carolina, near Wofford College, on the University of Louisiana – Monroe Campus, and in the Auburn University Research Park. Mr. Rocovich is a graduate of Virginia Tech (B.S., with honors, 1966); University of Richmond (J.D. 1967); New York University (LL.M. in Taxation, 1968); Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (Doctor of Humanities and Letters, 2007); North Greenville University (Doctor of Christian Leadership, 2012). He is a member of the Bars of Virginia and The District of Columbia.

David R. Thrasher, MD

David R. Thrasher, MD, is a pulmonary and critical care physician in Montgomery, Alabama. He received a BS in fisheries biology and an MS from Auburn University. He received his MD from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He has been involved with several early stage companies that eventually went public and sits on a venture capital board in Atlanta. He is also on numerous civic, as well as business boards and serves on the Judicial Inquiry Commission.