04/29/2026
2026 Making Connections Keynote Speakers! REGISTER TODAY! I am also attaching the link for our Tentative Agenda for our Breakout Sessions!
https://www.sresa.net/agenda-in
- Robert St. John
Robert St. John is a celebrated restaurateur, author, and media producer whose career spans over three decades of culinary innovation, storytelling, and
community advocacy. As President and CEO of New South Restaurant Group, he has shaped the dining landscape of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, with a collection of beloved restaurants. Beyond the kitchen, St. John has authored 14 books, penned a
widely syndicated newspaper column, and produced acclaimed television documentaries that spotlight Mississippi’s rich cultural heritage. His work in
media and hospitality reflects a deep commitment to sharing the flavors and stories of the South with a national audience. St. John is also a dedicated philanthropist and entrepreneur. He founded Extra Table, a nonprofit that provides millions of meals to food pantries across Mississippi at no cost to the agencies. He hosts groups on his Yonderlust Tours, offering immersive food and cultural experiences
throughout Europe. His leadership extends to numerous boards and civic initiatives, championing the arts, downtown revitalization, and community
development. In all his endeavors, St. John’s work embodies a joy and passion and for hospitality, storytelling, and service.
- Dr. Alvin Williams
Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Department of Marketing, Supply Chain Management, and Analytics, Mitchell College of Business, University of South Alabama. Previously, he was Interim Dean and Chair of Marketing, Mitchell College of Business. He worked at the University of Southern Mississippi from 1980 to 2008, where he served as Chair of Marketing from 1988-2005 and Interim Dean from 2006-2008.He has been active in the Society for Marketing Advances (SMA) since 1980, serving as President (2001-02 and 2016-17) and as a member of the Board of Governors. He is also active in the Academy of Marketing Science and the Institute for Supply Management. Williams has conducted over 350 presentations and seminars for supply management and marketing professionals and academicians in the U.S., Europe, South Africa, India, China, New Zealand, and Peru. He has taught at Aarhus University in Denmark (2023, 2024) and was a Visiting Professor at the University of the Virgin Islands (2021). He has published in various academic and professional journals in marketing and supply management, including Industrial Marketing Management, Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, International Journal of Bank Marketing, Decision Sciences, and Journal of Macromarketing. He is past Editor of the Journal of Supply Chain Management. Williams earned a BS degree in Marketing at the University of Southern Mississippi, MA degree in Marketing from the University of Alabama, and the Ph.D. in Marketing from the University of Arkansas.
- Mitch Williams
Prior to being hired with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Mitchell worked at WDAM-TV for 27 years, serving as sports director for 20 of those years. While at WDAM, the sports department was cited by the Mississippi Association of Broadcasters for excellence on 40 different occasions including being named the state’s best sportscaster 8 of the last 10 years. While at WDAM, he provided coverage for over 15,000 sporting events. Mitchell was called to FCA in 2011, fourteen months after leading the funeral for former NFL MVP Steve McNair on July 11, 2009. While now serving as FCA Multi-Area Director and Football Chaplain for the Southern Miss football team since 2015, the local growth of this nation’s oldest and most reliable athletic ministry has been tremendous. With just one staff member and a need to raise a budget of $55,000 at the time of Mitchell’s unique calling to FCA in 2011, the Southeast Mississippi Chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes now serves in 2026 with a budget just over $3,000,000 and has a team of 32 full-time, part-time, and volunteer staff serving over 120 middle and high schools, six community colleges and two universities from Meridian to the Gulf Coast. In addition, FCA of Southeast Mississippi hosts over 50 local events, including 6 local camps, and opportunities for coaches and their families. A licensed and ordained minister, he attended North Forrest and Southern Miss, where he lettered every year in cross country, indoor and outdoor track. Mitchell was enshrined in the Southern Miss M-Club Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001. In 2023, as part of “Generations Strong,” he was recognized by the City of Hattiesburg as one of the Most Inspiring African Americans in the city’s 140-year history. Mitchell and his wife Shelia are the parents of four boys, grandparents and are members of Grace Temple Church of Hattiesburg.
- Lauren Zarandona
Lauren Zarandona loves problems. Math problems. Lauren teaches 11th and 12th grade math and coordinates, plans, and facilitates Math Outreach programs at the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science. In her twenty-third year as a teacher in Mississippi, Lauren hopes to help every learner fall in love with their own (math) problems. She believes that just and equitable teaching starts (and ends) with teachers and learners solving problems together. She is National Board Certified and a Presidential Award recipient for Excellence in Mathematics Teaching (2015). When she is not teaching, she enjoys reading, jogging, preparing vegan meals, and watching Star Wars with her husband and two boys.
