Mr. Taylor currently serves as the Foundation Chairman since October 1, 2018. He joined the Foundation in 2015 and also serves as a member of the Finance Committee. He is a graduate of Louisiana Tech University and is a licensed CPA with over 28 years of banking and financial services experience. He currently serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Century Next Bank, formerly Bank of Ruston and Century Next Financial Corporation.

Jo Tatum rejoined the Board as a Director in 2018 serving as the Lincoln Police Jury board membership appointee. Jo served on the original Lincoln Health Foundation Board from 2010 to 2015 as the appointee of Lincoln Parish Schools. She is a retired school nurse for Lincoln Parish Schools and is a member of the Foundation’s Grants Review Committee.

Mr. Hardison joined the Foundation board of directors in December, 2018. He has served as a law enforcement officer for most of his career, and currently serves as the Community Liason Officer for the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office. He is a very active member of numerous organization boards. He is also a member of the Foundation’s Grants Review Committee.

Mr. James Davison serves as the secretary-treasurer of Lincoln Health Foundation. He is the former President and CEO of Davison Transport, Inc., and Davison Petroleum Products, both of which were sold to Genesis Energy, L.P., in 2007. Mr. Davison remains a substantial stockholder in Genesis Energy, L.P. He is actively involved on the Board of Directors of several organizations and is a member of several local foundations.

Mr. Wilbert Ellis serves as vice-president of Lincoln Health Foundation. He retired from Grambling State University after 43 years where he served in various capacities including Athletics Director, Head Baseball Coach, Dean of Men and Counselor. Mr. Ellis has served as a board member of numerous organizations including Lincoln General Hospital, American Baseball Coaches Association, and is the president of the Friends of Eddie G. Robinson Museum. He is actively involved in numerous other civic and community organizations.

Dr. Dean Kirby is a primary care physician from Baton Rouge, LA who now calls Ruston home after living here and practicing Urgent Care medicine at the Green Clinic for approximately 25 yrs. He has been married to his wife Carol for 40 years and with whom he was blessed to have three children, Matthew, Ben and Catherine  – who have now added “granddad” as his most treasured role. His interests are many and varied, including photography, woodworking, ham radio, hammock camping, reading, fly fishing/tying.  He has enjoyed doing hurricane relief work such as feeding with Rolling Hills Ministries and Christian foreign missions with Share Int, inc. Most recently, much of his free time is spent working and serving at Ruston Community Men’s Shed.

Dr. Hood is a registered nurse and has been on the nursing faculty at Louisiana Tech University since 1992. She completed her PhD in Nursing at The University of Texas in Tyler. She served as the Director of Louisiana Tech’s Division of Nursing until 2020 and is currently the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies in the College of Applied & Natural Sciences. She serves as a peer evaluator and Evaluation Review Panel member for the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. Donna is a native of Ruston. She and her husband Richard are active members of Temple Baptist Church where she has served on multiple committees and worked with numerous medical mission teams serving in Nicaragua. Donna is an Edmond J. Safra Visiting Nurse Faculty Scholar with the Parkinson’s Foundation and is co-director of Louisiana Tech’s Parkinson Resource Center.

Donna Hood, PhD, RN, CNE
Associate Dean, Undergraduate Studies
Louisiana Tech University
Applied & Natural Sciences
Professor, Nursing

Dr. McGehee joins the Lincoln Health Foundation board in 2022.  He practiced pediatrics at the Green Clinic in Ruston for over 37 years, retiring at the end of 2022.  He served multiple terms on their Board of Directors.  He is on the advisory board for Life Choices in Ruston.  He has served as an elder at Christ Community Church (now The Bridge Community Church) and has served with committees in the Boy Scouts.  He is a native of Ruston and graduated from Ruston High School and La Tech University before receiving his Doctorate in Medicine at LSU in New Orleans.  He is married to Michele McGehee and has 4 children and 5 grandchildren.

Judge R. Wayne Smith joined the Foundation in 2019. He is a native Ruston. He is graduate of Ruston High School , Louisiana Tech University and LSU School of Law. Judge Smith engaged in the private practice of law in Ruston for 23 years prior being elected to District Judge for the Lincoln & Union Parishes. He served as District Judge for more than 18 years, retiring on December 31, 2014. Judge Smith has been married to Polly Smith for over 49 years, has 4 children and 11 grandchildren.

Rev. White joins the Lincoln Health Foundation Board in 2022.  For the past 16 years he has served as the senior pastor of Zion Traveler Baptist Church in Ruston, the largest African American Baptist Church in North Central Louisiana.  He is also the Founder and Chairman of the Board for Zion Traveler Community Development Corporation, a non-profit organization whose mission is to develop the community in the neighborhood surrounding his church by initiating the purchase of numerous properties, houses and vacant lots and develop them for the purpose of providing community housing and implement initiatives that benefit the community and City of Ruston.

Mr. Young is a graduate of Ruston High School, Louisiana State University, and Southern University. Prior to serving as principal of I.A. Lewis and Ruston Junior High School, he was a science teacher and coach in the Baton Rouge area. He is currently employed as Assistant Superintendent of Lincoln Parish Schools. Mr. Young is a member of the Louisiana Association of School Executives and holds completion certificates from the Louisiana Superintendent’s Academy and the National Institute of School Leadership’s Executive Development Program. He is a member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and several other local organizations.

Sonja Cardwell, RN 
Lincoln Parish School Board

Ben Haley, MD 
Chair, Retired Anesthesiologist Lincoln Health Foundation

Willie Hendricks, 
Mayor Village of Simsboro

Allen Herbert, MD 
Internal Medicine, NLMC Lincoln Health Foundation

Hazel Hunter 
Lincoln Parish Police Jury

Cathy Judd 
Lincoln Parish LSU Ag Center

David McGehee, MD 
Pediatrician, Green Clinic

Mary Murimi, PhD 
Nutrition, Louisiana Tech University

Shirley Reagan, PhD
Lincoln Health Foundation

Kathleen Richard
Life Choices

Jo Tatum, RN 
Lincoln Health Foundation

LaNell Washington, RN 
Lincoln Parish Health Unit

Sandy Allen
Family Counseling Center
Methodist Children’s Home

Stephen Turpin, DDS
Dentistry