Our Team
Meet the Adams Keegan Team
JAMES F. “JAY” KEEGAN, JR | President and Chief Executive Officer
Jay joined Adams Keegan in May of 1997 and currently serves as President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the company. He previously served as Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Vice President of Sales. He is also the founder and director of The James Group, LLC and Staffline, LLC. Jay served a three-year term as treasurer for the largest YPO chapter in the world. He is a founding partner of Mempho Music Festival, an annual event that brings chart-topping artists and regional favorites to Memphis. Jay’s civic involvement includes membership in St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's Memphis Club, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art board member, past director of the Navy League Memphis, and association with New Memphis Institute. Jay holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Colorado and a Master of Business Administration from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
GEORGE G. EARLY III | Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
George joined the company in May of 2002 and currently serves as Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer. He previously served as Controller for Adams Keegan. He is a Certified Public Accountant and member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He is a director of The James Group, LLC. Prior to joining Adams Keegan, George was a senior staff accountant at Guardsmark, Inc. He also has experience in commercial lending and credit underwriting. George holds a bachelor’s degree from Washington and Lee University.
MARTY BARTON | Senior Vice President and General Counsel
Marty has served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for Adams Keegan since June of 2000. Prior to joining Adams Keegan, Marty was awarded a judicial clerkship with the Tennessee Supreme Court and Court of Appeals in Jackson, Tennessee. After completing this clerkship, he joined a labor and employment law firm and began practicing law, primarily focusing on laws and statutes that impact the dynamic relationship between employer and employee. In this capacity, Marty was involved in advising, training, and litigating for a large range of clients – diverse not only in size, but also in type of business. He earned his bachelor’s and Juris Doctorate degrees from the University of Memphis. He is a member of the American, Tennessee, and Memphis Bar Associations.
EUGENE “GENE” FIDELL | Regional President, Atlanta
Gene joined Adams Keegan in June of 1999 and serves as Regional President for the company's Atlanta region, which he established in August of 1999. With more than 25 years of PEO (Professional Employer Organization) and ASO (Administrative Services Organization) experience, he has served in a variety of management positions, including operations, marketing, sales, workers’ compensation underwriting, and risk management. Prior to joining Adams Keegan, Gene worked for Vincam Human Resources, Inc., where he received the President’s Club and Outstanding Achievement Awards for sales and leadership excellence. He also brings more than 20 years of domestic and international property/casualty experience, having served in various marketing and underwriting management positions with AIG, Fireman's Fund, and Cigna Worldwide. Gene attended Widener University.
BOB FRANK | Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer
Bob joined Adams Keegan in December of 2003. Bob is Adams Keegan’s Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer and has served in that capacity since 2007. He possesses more than 20 years of experience in the IT field and has a diverse background in both consulting and corporate settings, with extensive experience in creative information systems and web development, research, instructional, and enterprise computing, as well as telecommunications. Bob is responsible for all facets of technology, including promoting the effective and efficient design and operation of major software and information systems, as well as designing and implementing IT resource management processes, strategies, applications, infrastructure, and support. Bob is responsible for a team of IT professionals who support proprietary software and HRIS creation and development, enterprise applications, enterprise data, research support, user support, infrastructure, communications, and information security.
KELLY MERCURIO | Executive Vice President and Chief Service Officer
Kelly joined Adams Keegan in September of 2004 and currently serves as Executive Vice President, Chief Service Officer. She previously served as Senior Vice President of Client Service and has more than 20 years of experience in account management, human resources, and benefits administration. She is a volunteer for the American Cancer Society and the Arthritis Foundation. Kelly holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration in management with an emphasis in human resource management from Georgia Southern University.
NICHOLAS C. “NIC” ADAMS | Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer
Nic joined Adams Keegan in May of 2009 and currently serves as Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer of the company. He previously served as Chief Administrative Officer, Senior Vice President of Operations, and Business Development Manager with a focus on franchise operators. Nic is responsible for managing and developing the team of Payroll, Benefits, and HR professionals delivering industry leading service and support to the high growth industries served by the company. Nic’s focus is on scalable, cost effective service delivery combining proprietary technology and process automation with the talented, client focused Adams Keegan team. Nic holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Mississippi State University and is a graduate of the New Memphis Institute Leadership Development Intensive.
TREVOR BENITONE | Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer
Trevor joined the company in April of 2015 and previously served as Senior Vice President of Business Development. Prior to joining Adams Keegan, he served as an MC-130H instructor pilot, staff officer and commander in the United States Air Force and United States Special Operations Command. He served as the Commandant of the United States Special Operations School during his last assignment prior to retiring from active duty in 2015 as a Colonel Select. Trevor holds a B.S. in Political Science from the United States Air Force Academy, an M.A. in Political Science from the University of Alabama, and he has completed a host of additional courses at military universities, the New Memphis Institute, Wharton and Georgetown University. He has been a licensed insurance agent for over seven years and an active supporter of numerous nonprofits groups in the greater Memphis area and beyond.
DONNA L. GETTINGS | Vice President of Quality
Donna joined Adams Keegan in October of 1997 and currently serves as Vice President of Quality. She previously served as Vice President of Operations. Donna has been a Certified Payroll Professional since 2006. She is the current treasurer of the Memphis chapter of the American Payroll Association, and is a Past President of the North Mississippi chapter. She is a recipient of the Citation of Merit from the American Payroll Association and a Master Graduate of the New Memphis Institute Leadership Development Intensive. She is the current president of the Memphis chapter of the American Payroll Association, where she also previously served as treasurer and Director of Education. In 2022, she was one of only ten individuals to receive its Meritorious Service Award. Donna attended Delta State University.
LYNETTE ROCHELLE | Vice President of Client Services
Lynette joined Adams Keegan in June of 1995 and currently serves as Vice President of Client Service. She previously served as Client Service Manager and Payroll Account Manager, and is a licensed life and health insurance agent. Lynette is a public safety diver, assisting local and regional agencies in water rescue and recovery operations. She is a 2007 graduate of Leadership Memphis.
KRISTIN LOCKHART | Vice President of Recruiting
Kristin joined the company in October of 2014 and previously served as Director of Recruiting Services. Prior to Adams Keegan, she owned her own recruiting firm, through which she worked closely with Adams Keegan as a client. She serves as an officer on the Board for the RISE Foundation, and Kristin was previously named a 2018 Super Woman in Business by the Memphis Business Journal. Kristin holds a bachelor's degree from Christian Brothers University.
CHARLES RODRIGUEZ | Vice President, Human Capital Advisory
Charles joined Adams Keegan in 2003 and currently serves as Vice President and practice leader for our human resource and human capital strategy practice. He has more than 18 years of experience advising executives, managers, and businesses with their organizational design, research and best practices, change management, and development programs. He has previous experience in labor relations with the City of Minneapolis’ Mayor’s Office, and is a volunteer board member at various civic organizations. Charles is a frequent content contributor on all HR and leadership topics for associations and industry conferences. He holds a bachelor’s degree in management from University of Florida, and an M.B.A. from Auburn University.
BRIAN EVANS | Vice President, Senior Care Practice Leader
Brian joined Adams Keegan in 2017, and he currently serves as a Vice President and Senior Care Practice Leader. He leads Adams Keegan’s Nashville office, working with clients across industries in that region, as well as specializes in healthcare companies nationwide. Brian is a seasoned sales and operations executive with extensive experience in brand building and operational efficiency. For healthcare organizations, he provides guidance on how to leverage people, technologies, and processes to remove administrative burdens and maintain compliance. He received a bachelor's degree from Hampden-Sydney College in Economics and attended the McIntire Business Institute at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Brian is a licensed insurance agent for life, health, property and casualty insurance.
CINDY MASTROFRANCESCO | Vice President of Payroll Operations
Cindy joined Adams Keegan in 2006, and currently serves as Vice President of Payroll Operations for the company. She previously served as a Payroll Account Manager, and has also held the roles of Payroll Supervisor, Special Projects Manager, and Director of Payroll Operations with Adams Keegan. Prior to joining Adams Keegan, Cindy completed a payroll system conversion as a specialist, supervisor and analyst with MedShares, Inc. and Storage USA, both based in Memphis. She currently serves as webmaster for the Memphis Chapter of the American Payroll Association and previously was Director of Education with the organization, while also holding different officer roles in the North Mississippi Chapter in previous years. Cindy is also a proud member of the American Legion’s Auxiliary Unit 53, which she joined in 2018.
AMANDA MCCOLLUM | Vice President of Human Resources
Amanda joined Adams Keegan in 2008, and currently serves as Vice President of Human Resources. Amanda oversees strategic HR plans and policies both internally and for Adams Keegan’s clients, researching and implementing competitive compensation, performance management, and employee incentive programs. Her knowledge of legal regulations and best practices in HR are highly valued by colleagues and sought after by clients. Prior to joining Adams Keegan, Amanda worked in the financial services industry. She is certified as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) with the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI), and a Certified Professional (CP) with the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM). Amanda received her bachelor’s degree in counseling and psychology from Southwestern Assemblies of God University in Waxahachie, Texas. She is an enthusiastic supporter of the Forrest Spence Fund, a nonprofit launched to assist with the non-medical needs of critically and chronically ill children, and also regularly dedicates her time to volunteer services through her church to provide resources, food, and services to meet tangible needs of the people of Memphis.