Mercer University’s Executive Forum, sponsored by BB&T, now Truist, concludes the 2020-2021 academic year with two presentations on May 19 by Jackson Healthcare President Shane Jackson. 

Jackson will deliver a 12 p.m. lunch presentation at the Atlanta Marriott Northeast and a 6:30 p.m. dinner presentation at the University Center on the Macon campus.

COVID-19 guidelines will be in place, including social distancing and mask wearing when not eating or drinking.

Since assuming the role of president of Jackson Healthcare in 2014, Jackson has led the organization of 16 health care staffing, executive search and technology companies to growth of more than double the industry average, crossing the billion-dollar annual revenue mark in 2018. Prior to his current position, he was president of LocumTenens.com, Patient Placement Systems and NextStart Capital.

Jackson is a speaker on the conference circuit and frequently writes on the topic of intentionally nurturing a values-based culture. In 2018, he published Fostering Culture: A Leader’s Guide to Purposely Shaping Culture, his first book chronicling his philosophy on workplace culture.

Over the past four years, he has been recognized on Staffing Industry Analysts’ Staffing 100, a list of the top North American leaders shaping the industry and influencing the workforce solutions ecosystem. In 2020, he received the distinguished Jerry Noyce Executive Health Champion Award from HERO, the Health Enhancement Research Organization, for his contributions in advancing employee health and wellbeing – as well as the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Corporate Citizenship Award.

At Jackson Healthcare, he champions the organization’s LoveLifts community impact platform that focuses on improving access to health care and the wellbeing of young people. In 2016, he spearheaded the launch of the nonprofit venture Connecting Kids With Care, aligning volunteer doctors and nurses to deliver free, tech-enabled health care to thousands of global orphans.

Jackson serves on the boards of Junior Achievement of Georgia, 3DE and King’s Ridge Christian School. He also is chair of the Health and Wellness Policy Committee for the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, and vice chair of the leader-led goBeyondProfit business initiative that promotes the belief that giving back is good for business and good for Georgia. 

He earned his MBA from Emory University and BBA from Harding University. 

The Executive Forum was founded in 1979 as a business outreach program of Mercer and its School of Business and quickly became an invaluable resource for the business community and professionals across corporate Georgia through the presentation of high-quality management and leadership seminars on timely subjects. 

Mercer alumnus William H. Anderson II, then-President Dr. R. Kirby Godsey and founding dean of the business school Dr. Charles H. Andrews worked with the Office of University Advancement to plan, develop and implement the Forum in order to establish a closer relationship with the business community. 

For more than four decades, the Executive Forum has benefited countless students and faculty with exposure to practitioners, and simultaneously, members of the Forum have benefited from a relationship with academia. These benefits include business networking opportunities, employee development skills and knowledge of current business trends. 

BB&T, now Truist, is celebrating its 13th year as presenting sponsor of the Forum. This year’s co-sponsors include The 1842 Inn, Sheridan Construction, Cox Communications, Synovus, Georgia CEO and Georgia Trend.