BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 Jarvis serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of the PEARSON Foundation, Inc., based in Pearl, Mississippi. He began this role in April of 2014 after having served nearly 17 years as the National Facilitator of City & Community Ministries with the Mission America Coalition/United States Lausanne Committee. Jarvis continues to cultivate strategic partnerships locally and nationally for sustained positive and wholistic culture change. 

Jarvis served as: National Prayer-Care-Share Trainer/Instructor for the Church of Christ (Holiness) USA ; former pastor of Second Temple Church in Jackson, Mississippi; founder of Christ for the Cities, a cityreaching collaboration; co-founder of the National City Impact Roundtable (NCIR), a learning community of practitioners, theorists serving together to have a sustained impact in every institutional sector of life in each city in the United States. He is a sought after conference and pulpit supply speaker.

Jarvis is a graduate of: The Evangelical Institute of Greenville, SC; the University of Memphis. 

  ShaRhonda Gipson – Educator, Mentor, and Community Advocate

ShaRhonda Gipson is a proud native of Gautier, Mississippi, and currently resides in Pearl, Mississippi. With a deep passion for education and community service, she is an active member of House 2 House Church and a proud, dedicated member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated.

Professionally, Mrs. Gipson serves in the Pearl Public School District, where she not only supports students academically but also coaches girls’ basketball, instilling discipline, teamwork, and leadership in her athletes. Her educational journey reflects her commitment to lifelong learning: she holds a Bachelor’s degree from Lincoln University, a Master’s degree from Alcorn State University, and an Educational Specialist degree from Mississippi College.

Mrs. Gipson has devoted much of her life to mentoring youth, consistently serving as a role model and guide for young people across various settings — in her school, community, and through her sorority. Her compassionate spirit and unwavering dedication have earned her a respected place among those she serves.

She is also a devoted wife and the proud mother of two amazing children. Her son is an active participant in Pearson’s school and summer programs, reflecting the family’s strong commitment to educational excellence.

ShaRhonda Gipson is honored and excited to be a part of an organization that is deeply rooted in supporting youth and strengthening communities. Her drive to uplift others and create lasting impact continues to shape every aspect of her personal and professional journey.

   Brayden Cook joined the board of directors for the PEARSON Foundation in 2024. His partnership started as a volunteer in his youth as a tutor over the years and later joined the board after graduating from Mississippi State University with a bachelors in Civil Engineering.

Brayden was born in Tallulah, Mississippi but was raised in the Pearl and Brandon area for almost all of his life. He is currently working in Structural Engineering at Benchmark Engineers and Surveyors, LLC. He enjoys spending time with the people he cares about and making sure that every moment of his life is used to it’s fullest capacity for God’s glory.

Jasmine Wells is a 2012 graduate of Pearl High School. She graduated from Jackson State University in the Fall of 2016 with her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. She also received her master’s degree of Science in Education with a School Counseling from Jackson State in the Fall of 2022. She began her career as a School Counselor and is now a mental health crisis counselor for adolescents in the community. She has been married for 8 years to Stephon Wells. They have 4 children together, Quintin, Charli, Cayden, and Carter Wells, with Carter and Charli being involved with after-school tutoring and Summer Leadership Learning at PEARSON. Jasmine volunteered as a tutor with PEARSON Foundation in 2016 and is enjoying restarting her volunteer commitments to PEARSON as a Parent Volunteer. She has also volunteered as a Mental Health Counselor Intern at Henley Young Juvenile Justice Court and Rankin County Youth Justice Court. Jasmine and her family have recently joined The Bridge Church of Jackson in Pearl, MS. In her free time, Jasmine likes to spend time with her family and friends, listen to all different genres of music, and dance. She also likes to read fiction books, such as thrillers, mysteries, and any books of a series. Her favorite movie types are musicals because she loves to sing. Jasmine enjoys working with children of all ages and helping them grow mentally, socially, and emotionally.

 Tony Granger is a 30‑year veteran educator who has taught at the elementary, middle, and high school levels across Mississippi. Before retiring in 2025, he spent his final years teaching a Special Education Community‑Based Classroom, working with teens with Autism, Down Syndrome, intellectual disabilities, and multiple disabilities. His passion was helping students grow academically, functionally, and in daily living skills, always aiming for maximum independence.

Mr. Granger holds a B.S. in Social Science Education from Jackson State University, a Master’s in Social Science Education from Mississippi College, and a Master’s in Educational Leadership from JSU. His career includes teaching K5–1st grade, twenty years of middle‑school Social Studies at Peeples Middle School, and five years as an inclusion teacher at Holly Springs High School, where he supported students in U.S. History and other graduation‑required courses.

Originally from Memphis, he has spent his entire career serving Mississippi students. He and his wife live in Horn Lake and are active members of Brown Missionary Baptist Church, where he teaches middle‑school boys Sunday School. He enjoys reading, walking, sports, and travel.

Shaped by mentors who invested in him—from a second‑grade teacher who encouraged his love of reading to high‑school teachers who believed in his potential—Mr. Granger now lives by the conviction that he is called to invest in others. His guiding words: “May I extend a helping hand or heart to anyone God places in my path.”

Lashaunte Allen is a California native whose journey has taken her from the West Coast to Georgia and now to Mississippi, where she lives with her husband, a proud Mississippi native, and their two beautiful daughters. A highly skilled and compassionate registered nurse, Lashaunte brings more than a decade of diverse clinical experience to her work. She currently serves as a case manager in a long‑term care setting, where she advocates for residents and ensures they receive comprehensive, coordinated care.

Before transitioning into case management, Lashaunte traveled the country as an emergency department travel nurse, serving in fast‑paced, high‑acuity hospitals from coast to coast. Her extensive background in emergency medicine has shaped her into a calm, decisive, and deeply empathetic caregiver, qualities that continue to define her leadership today.

Lashaunte has always carried a sincere desire to grow as a servant of the Lord. She views her opportunity to serve on the Board of Directors of the PEARSON Foundation as a meaningful step in that calling. With a heart for ministry and a laser‑focused commitment to the path God has set before her, she is eager to use her gifts, experience, and faith to help strengthen families and transform communities.

Andrew Howard is a proud native of Indianola, Mississippi, deep in the heart of the Delta, where he was lovingly raised by his grandmother, Lucy Mae Howard. In a bustling home of 14, Lucy Mae created an atmosphere of warmth, faith, and generosity, feeding not only her family but anyone in the neighborhood who needed a meal.

At nine years old, Andrew received his first Bible from his father. When the language proved difficult, his grandmother traded him for a children’s Bible. Sitting beside a big ant pile, he read until one truth settled in his heart: Jesus loved him.

Andrew graduated from Gentry High School and briefly attended Mississippi Valley State University as a football walk‑on, hoping to study criminal justice and become a fireman. A freshman‑year injury ended his college plans, leading him to work various jobs before moving to Bristol, Connecticut in 1995 after his grandmother’s passing. There, he found stability at Firestone Building Products under the mentorship of a supervisor who invested deeply in his growth.

In 2001, Andrew relocated to Atlanta, his dream city, where he built a successful 25‑year career as a chemical technician with major companies, including Dow Chemical. Known for his steady leadership and ability to bring clarity to complex situations, he became a trusted and respected presence in every workplace he entered.

Now semi‑retired, Andrew enjoys yardwork, watching sports, volunteering alongside his wife Pamela, and occasionally traveling the world. He is the proud father of a son and daughter.

Bradley Knight is a life-long resident of Pearl, MS. He is married to Marquice Palmer Knight; they were united in marriage in 2004. Bradley has worked in banking for many.  He is a member of Pilgrim Rest M.B. Church under the leadership of Dr. Ava S. Harvey Sr. and Lady Leslee Harvey. At Pilgrim Rest he serves as an elder, instructor of ministerial training, and a member of the youth department known as the PRMBC Youth Nation. He is a graduate of Faith Bible Institute out of Monroe, LA. He has served as a board member of the Pearl Educational Foundation for Excellence and is a current member of the Pearl Ministerial Alliance and a board member of the Pearl Main Street Organization. Bradley Knight has been working in banking for over 20 years