Our Board of Directors
And Advisors

  • Leslie Kelly serves as Board President of Lighthouse Academy for Dyslexia, bringing more than two decades of leadership experience in banking, business development, and strategic growth.

    Leslie began her career with Community Bank in 2003 and currently serves as Senior Vice President of Business Development for the Mississippi Coast Region. With experience across every area of the bank, she provides leadership in sales, marketing, treasury management, and commercial banking, helping both businesses and individuals operate efficiently and responsibly. A graduate of the Mississippi School of Banking and Leadership Gulf Coast, Leslie has been recognized by the Mississippi Business Journal as both a Top 50 Under 40 honoree and one of Mississippi’s Top 50 Leading Business Women.

  • Mike resides in Ocean Springs, MS with his wife Dawn. Mike was raised on the Mississippi Gulf Coast where he began his career in banking and finance during summers and on weekends while in college at the University of Southern Mississippi. At USM he served in many leadership positions while earning his undergraduate degree in Finance and was selected by the Mississippi Economic Council to the Leadership Mississippi Program. Mike received his Master’s in Economics from USM before he and Dawn were married. 

    Mike and Dawn moved to Germantown, TN in 1985 and Mike embarked upon a 30-year career with First Horizon Corporation in Memphis. While at First Horizon Mike completed the Chartered Financial Analyst program, earning the CFA designation. Mike and Dawn served in many capacities at Germantown Presbyterian Church, and they were also active in their children’s school. Learning at school was easy for their daughter, but their younger son struggled from an early age.  He spent many hours with doctors, therapists and tutors until they finally found a doctor with the appropriate battery of testing and analysis to determine that he had processing difficulties with characteristics of Dyslexia. After a time of proper instruction, they watched his grades and confidence improve, and he went from struggling to successful. They have witnessed the changes in their own child’s life, and are excited about the lives being changed at Lighthouse Academy.

    Mike retired from First Horizon in 2016, and he and Dawn moved back to Ocean Springs. They are members of First Presbyterian Church of Ocean Springs, where Mike is an Elder and serves on the Finance Committee, and Dawn is a Deacon. Mike also serves on the Board of the Historic Ocean Springs Association.

  • Ernest Taylor is a resident of Bay St. Louis, MS. He served as a Bay St. Louis police officer for 17 years, where he was certified as an SRO and DARE officer. He was elected to the office of Constable for Place II in Hancock County in 2004. He retired from law enforcement in 2013 as a Senior Criminal Investigator for the Mississippi Attorney General. Ernest has been married to his wife, Lodis Taylor, for 36 years, and they share 3 children and 5 grandchildren together. He serves as an associate minister at First Missionary Baptist Church in Bay St. Louis, MS. He still serves the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department as a community liaison. He also serves on the board of Trustees of the Hancock County Resource Center.

  • Holly Gibbs serves as a Member At Large on the Board of Directors for Lighthouse Academy for Dyslexia, bringing deep experience in nonprofit leadership, community engagement, and organizational management.

    With more than 12 years in the nonprofit sector, Holly has led volunteer outreach initiatives across the Mississippi Gulf Coast, including programs that generated more than 12,000 volunteer service hours. She currently serves as Executive Director of Hands On Mississippi and previously held leadership roles with the Boys and Girls Club of the Gulf Coast.

    In addition to her nonprofit work, Holly is a top-performing Luxury Realtor® in South Mississippi with over 16 years of experience, more than 250 verified five-star reviews, and multiple elite industry certifications. She holds degrees in early childhood education and management and is passionate about serving children, families, and communities through strategic leadership and meaningful outreach.

  • Haley Martin received her undergraduate degree from the University of Mississippi, her Masters in Business Administration from William Carey University, and her Juris Doctor degree from Mississippi College School of Law. As a professional consultant, Haley advocates for businesses and non-profit organizations, focusing on government affairs and business development. Haley also worked in Washington, DC and Jackson, MS, with various governmental entities, as well as in hospital administration.

    Haley is a recipient of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Top 10 Under 40 Award, was elected to serve as a delegate to the State Republican Convention, and was featured in South Mississippi Living 2016 Women in Business. Haley has been actively involved with the Mississippi and Jackson County Bar Associations, Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce Advocacy Committee, Junior Auxiliary of Ocean Springs and Biloxi, Mississippi College School of Law Scholarship Board, a member of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Business Council Masters Class, and an active Honorary Commander at Keesler Air Force Base.

  • Lauren Williams serves as a Member At Large on the Board of Directors for Lighthouse Academy for Dyslexia, bringing extensive experience in nonprofit governance, legal compliance, and philanthropic strategy.

    Trained as an attorney, Lauren holds degrees in Journalism and Public Relations and a Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi. Her professional background includes nonprofit leadership, private law practice, and child-advocacy work, with a strong emphasis on donor education, regulatory compliance, and collaborative community partnerships. She has served in leadership and board roles with organizations focused on child advocacy and philanthropy and has contributed to nonprofit training and leadership development across the Mississippi Gulf Coast. A graduate of Leadership Gulf Coast and the Gulf Coast Business Council Masters Leadership Program, Lauren is deeply committed to strengthening organizations that serve children and families.

  • Lawrence Dupont serves as a Member At Large on the Board of Directors for Lighthouse Academy for Dyslexia, bringing more than 25 years of executive leadership experience in financial services, risk management, and organizational strategy.

    Over the course of his career, Lawrence has led organizations through growth, change, and enterprise transformation, with deep expertise spanning consumer and commercial banking, regulatory compliance, enterprise risk management, and executive leadership. He has played key leadership roles in large-scale mergers and enterprise integrations, strengthening organizational resilience, enhancing performance, and aligning teams around shared mission and vision. Known for his commitment to transparency, accountability, and forward-looking strategy, Lawrence offers steady leadership focused on long-term sustainability and strong governance.

  • Traci is the Executive Director of Lighthouse Academy and also serves on the board of directors. A resident of Biloxi, MS, Traci, received her undergraduate degree in Reading Education in 1994 from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, TX. After teaching at St. James Catholic Elementary School, she homeschooled her four children through high school while serving as a representative and regional consultant for Total Language Plus, a comprehensive language arts program based in Seattle, WA.

    Additionally, she served as a consultant for Winsor Learning’s Sonday System based out of Bloomington, MN. In 2014, she completed her Master’s Degree in Education with an emphasis in Dyslexia Therapy through William Carey University. She is a Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) with the Academic Language Therapists Association (ALTA) and a Certified Structured Literacy/Dyslexia Therapist (CDT) with the International Dyslexia Association (IDA).  She has piloted dyslexia therapy programs for St. James Elementary School and St. Patrick Catholic High School.

    Traci has served on the WINGS Performing Arts Board of the Lynn Meadows Discovery Center and has served as the Chairman of the Board for the non-profit Strings with Wings. She also served three years as a member of the Captains' Council for the Cenacle Retreat House in Metairie, LA and has been a Retreat Captain for the Arch Diocese of New Orleans Retreat Center for more than 27 years. She and her husband, Sal, enjoy visiting with their adult children, Arielle, Gabrielle, Brittani, and Jonathan and their only grandchild, Peter in their free time.

    Over the course of his career, Lawrence has led organizations through growth, change, and enterprise transformation, with deep expertise spanning consumer and commercial banking, regulatory compliance, enterprise risk management, and executive leadership. He has played key leadership roles in large-scale mergers and enterprise integrations, strengthening organizational resilience, enhancing performance, and aligning teams around shared mission and vision. Known for his commitment to transparency, accountability, and forward-looking strategy, Lawrence offers steady leadership focused on long-term sustainability and strong governance.

Advisory Committees:

  • Angel & Carlos Barbosa
    Jason & Jennifer Lapin
    Courtney Anderson
    Kory Duncan
    Ben Smith
    Representative Casey Eure
    Mike Bruffey
    Clay Wagner
    Missy Dombroski
    Jill Compton
    Alderman Rickey Authement
    Representative Hank Zuber

  • Lauren Germany
    Lisa Authement
    Brent & Laura Warr
    Jerry St. Pe
    Joe Cloyd
    Jason Lapin
    Greg & Meredith Descher
    D’Auby Schiel
    Bill Williams
    Dawn Goodwin
    Sal Barrientos
    Dan & Melissa Burton
    Eric Chambliss

  • Dr. Marcus Boudreaux
    Dr. Carla McCaleb
    Dr. Billie Tingle
    Dr. Ben Burnett
    Sarah Smith
    Dr. Katie Tenore

  • Drs. Perry & Nicole Walton
    Dr. Letch Kline
    Molly Pontius

  • Jesse Hill
    Blake Houston
    Gabrielle Barrientos
    Arielle Barrientos
    Jordan Zimmer