Carroll Countians Recognized Among 20 Most Influential Women in West Tennessee

JACKSON (April 15) — On Tuesday, the Jackson Area Business and Professional Women (JABPW) hosted the 2025 Sterling Awards recognizing the 20 Most Influential Women in West Tennessee, the Outstanding Woman Military Veteran and the Sue Shelton White Award recipient.

The friends and families of the approximately 22 women gathered in the J. Walter Barnes Conference Center at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital to celebrate the milestone. The free event lasted approximately an hour and was followed by a reception.

The 20 Most Influential Women in West Tennessee 2025 are:

Carroll County: Lori Dillahunty, chairperson for the Carroll County Inclusion Park; Brittany Martin, publisher of the McKenzie Banner, president of Tri-County Publishing Inc., president of Carroll Arts, Inc.; LaShonda Williams, owner of Lakeway Nutrition and Rexair distributor.

Chester County: Courtney Bingham, systems operations analyst at Jackson Energy Authority (JEA); owner of Mimi’s Boutique; Kim Morris, co-founder and president of 45 South Offroad; insurance agent at Godfrey Insurance in Selmer.

Hardeman County: Harriet Thompson, Hardeman County General Sessions and Juvenile Court judge, Bolivar city judge, Middleton city judge, attorney at law.

Henderson County: Mary Jowers, attorney at law, city judge of Lexington.

Madison County: Virginia Conger, volunteer, retired educator; Delois Dailey, aerospace science instructor at Haywood High School; Anita Hamilton, certified public accountant, senior director of personal financial strategies at Horne LLP; Mamie Hutcherson, executive director of Wo/Men’s Resource & Rape Assistance Program (WRAP); Sarah Jones, major crimes and special operations intelligence analyst with the Jackson Police Department; Brenda Locke, Catering sales manager (acting), DoubleTree by Hilton Jackson, and independent contractor affiliate broker, Conner Real Estate; Pam McCarty, certified grief counselor, consultant for university writing classes, board member and founder of the nonprofit Morgan McCarty Scholarship Foundation; Liz Mayo, English professor and global learning coordinator at Jackson State Community College (JSCC); Twana Miller, executive clinical director and owner of The Positive Living Group; Angela Snider, attorney at law; Debbie Swacker; Community activist, entrepreneur.

Tipton County: Rose Stemmons, President, CEO, and founder of Krayola Learning Academy Inc.

Weakley County: Rafielle Boone Freeman, Executive, Healthcare Dynamics International, Quality and Business Strategy.

Winning the 2025 Outstanding Woman Military Veteran Award is Peggy McLean of Jackson, US Navy 1978-1989, post service officer at American Legion Post 12 in Jackson, retiree.

Winner of the 2025 Sue Shelton White Award is Sara Barnett of Jackson, attorney at Spragins, Barnett & Cobb, PLC.

For more information about Sterling Awards, email Jacque Hillman, editor of the Sterling Awards magazine, at jacquehillman@gmail.com.