The Farish Street Festival Committee

Alberta Ross-Gibson, Chairperson of Farish Street Festival Committee

Alberta Ross-Gibson is the owner of Ross Gibson Insurance Agency and ARG Cruise & Travel.  She is a native of Hinds County and has been in the insurance industry for over thirty years. She has been a local gospel musician for thirty-nine years and currently serves as musician for four choirs. Alberta has served as chairman of the Board of Directors, for the Farish Street Heritage Festival since 1998. She is a member of the National Minority Business Network Association,the National Association of Female Executives  and Community Organizer and spokesperson for North Hinds County residence and the MaClean Volunteer Fire Department.

Lee King, Executive Producer

Lee King is the president and owner of Lee King Productions, a 36 year old production and promotion company and is the executive producer of the Farish Street Heritage Festival.  His production company produces state fairs, music festivals, plays, concerts and various entertainment events.  He is also the co-owner of First Class Booking Agency, First Class Entertainment & Management, and Phoenix Entertainment Record Company. He is Director of Operations of Blackberry Records and has over 20 years of experience producing television shows.  Lee has worked with the Farish Street Heritage Festival for more than 10 years as site producer and in various other capacities before assuming the Executive Producer role.

 

Jesse Thompson

Jesse Thompson, a McComb, Mississippi native and graduate of Jackson State University, is the founder and president of Jackson Music Awards, Incorporated, which produces the Annual Mississippi Gospel Music Awards and the Jackson Music Awards.  He serves on the Board of Directors of The Farish Street Heritage Festival and The Jackson Arts and Music Foundation, which presents the annual Jubilee Jam Festival.

 

Kamel L. King

Kamel L. King was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi.  He graduated with honors from Tougaloo College, earning a bachelor’s degree in Political Science with an emphasis in International Relations. He was subsequently accepted into Mississippi College School of Law (MSCOL) and in the spring of 2006, successfully passed the Mississippi Bar and was admitted into the Mississippi State Bar.  Kamel is the Attorney on the Road for the Grammy nominated gospel group, The Williams Brothers.  He also is the Director of Operations of Blackberry Records and Sales Manager of Terminal Recording Studios. Additionally, Kamel practices entertainment and sports law at the Frascogna Courtney Law Firm.

 

Michael D. Robinson

Jackson, Mississippi native Michael D. Robinson, has traveled extensively performing with the likes of Patrice Moncell, Henry Rhodes, Eddie Seawood and legendary singer Dorothy Moore.  With a keen idea of what equates to success on stage, Michael has nearly a decade of artist management for artist such as Tonya Youngblood and Compozitionz.  Currently he is the production coordinator for both Farish Street Heritage Festival and the Jackson Music Awards, as well as a co founder of FLAW, a youth mentoring initiative, and the 2007 recipient of Jackson Music Awards Local Male Vocalist of the Year.

 

Jennifer C. Kimbrough

Jennifer Carter Kimbrough serves as a special projects coordinator for the Farish Street Heritage Festival Planning and Steering Board. She brings a wealth of experience as director of sales and special projects coordinator for the Jackson Music Awards and the Mississippi Gospel Music Awards. She also coordinates media relations, event hospitality and aesthetics.  Jennifer is a native of French Camp, Mississippi and a graduate of Jackson State University. 

 

Dr. Elayne Hayes-Anthony

Dr. Elayne H. Anthony graduated from Jim Hill High School, Jackson State University and earned the PhD from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. She was the first African American female anchor, producer and reporter for the CBS affiliate in Jackson Mississippi. She is currently the head of the Department of Communication at Belhaven College. Along with your duties at the college, Anthony serves as President and CEO of Cybernostic Healthcare Services, Inc. She has also served as host of her own television program entitled
F.Y.I. with Elayne Anthony. She is the wife of Eddie Anthony, Director of Grants for the City of Jackson and they have one adult son.

 

Tyrone Lewis

Tyrone Lewis is a native of Jackson, Mississippi and a 1982 graduate Jackson State University. In 1983, Tyrone began his career as a certified law enforcement officer at the Jackson Police Training Academy.  Shortly thereafter, he was promoted to Sergeant where he served as Acting Commander of Precinct 3 and as Commander of the Neighborhood Enforcement Team.  In 2002, he was promoted to Director of the Jackson Police Academy, a position he still holds proudly and with distinction.  Chief Lewis was promoted to Deputy Chief of Jackson Police Training Academy in April 2008.  On April 1, 2009 Mayor Frank E. Melton appointed Chief Lewis as Chief of Police for the Jackson Police Department.

Shameka L. Reed

Shameka L. Reed, a native of McComb, Mississippi and 2003 graduate of Jackson State University, has more than 10 years of experience in the mass media and communications field. As an experienced and award winning journalist, she has covered an array of stories ranging from entertainment and sports to historical features about the Underground Railroad. She spent several years working in higher education and the corporate world before venturing into entrepreneurship.

 

Jamye T. Horton

Jamye Terrell Horton has served as the Convention Services Coordinator for The Jackson Convention and Visitors Bureau since November 1996. He is a 1995 graduate of Jackson State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. Jamye is currently pursuing a master’s degree and is a member of the Association of Conventions Operational Managers (ACOM).