ACIG_OnePg_wBio

ABSTRACT
The purpose of the Auburn Corridor
Investment Group (ACIG) is to offer
leadership, vision, and resources for
quality commercial development
along the Martin Luther King Blvd
(MLK) Corridor while preserving the
historical significance and
contribution of one of Auburn's oldest
communities.
AUBURN
CORRIDOR
INVESTMENT
ACIG Members
Dr. Royrickers Cook, Co-Convener
Colonel (Ret) Eric Zellars, Co-Convener
Mr. Mychal H. Walker, Board Member
Dr. Malcolm Zellars, Board Member
Dr. Olivia J. Cook, Board Member
Dr. RaEll Foster, Board Member
Ms. Bridgette Gipson, Board Member
Mr. Sam Glover, Board Member
GROUP (ACIG)

Auburn Corridor Investment Group (ACIG)
Purpose: The Auburn Corridor Investment Group (ACIG) aims to provide leadership, vision,
and resources for quality economic development along the Martin Luther King Blvd (MLK)
Corridor while preserving the historical significance of Auburn's oldest African American
community. ACIG will partner with the City of Auburn on economic opportunities and issues
impacting the MLK Corridor, including, but not limited to: infrastructure improvements,
commercial development, public and private investment opportunities, job creation,
communication, and marketing. Members of the ACIG are real estate owners/stakeholders
along the MLK Corridor. Each member supports the responsible expansion and commercial
development of the MLK Corridor.

Auburn Corridor Investment Group (ACIG)

Royrickers Cook, Ph.D.
Dr. Royrickers Cook serves as Vice President for University Outreach and Associate Provost
at Auburn University. Auburn University is the State of Alabama's preeminent Land and Sea
Grant Institution with over 30,000 students, 1200 faculty, and an annual budget of $1.4 Billion.
Dr. Cook provides university-wide leadership for all outreach and engagement initiatives,
spanning 15 colleges and schools to advance Auburn University's outreach mission of
applying its educational resources to problems and issues faced by citizens of the State of
Alabama across the globe. Dr. Cook is directly responsible for the following Centers and
Institutes: the Government and Economic and Development Institute, Outreach Global, the
Center for Educational Outreach and Engagement, the Office of Professional and Continuing
Education, the Encyclopedia of Alabama, the Office of Public Service, the Osher Lifelong
Learning Institute and the Office of Faculty Engagement.
Beyond his administrative responsibilities, Dr. Cook is actively involved in connecting Auburn
University to the international community. With international travel and partnership
development experiences in more than 40 countries, his academic work focuses on
government and corporate training, faculty, and student exchanges, educational tours, and
international program development. Heavy emphasis is placed on strategic partners in Africa
and Asia.
A native of Auburn, Alabama, Dr. Cook holds three degrees in Public Administration and Public
Policy from Auburn University, culminating with a Ph.D. in 2000. Besides his public academic
responsibilities, his private business interest includes serving as Founder and President of
Profundity Investments, LLC., a global investment company centered on real estate
development, consulting services, and international trade.

Olivia J. Cook, Ph.D.
Dr. Olivia Janay Cook is a multi-passionate, innovative leader who thrives on helping
institutions and organizations develop their human capital to gain greater efficiencies and
productivity. A native of Auburn, AL, and a three-time graduate of Auburn University, Dr. Cook
holds a Bachelor's Degree in Polymer and Fiber Engineering and a Master's and Ph.D. in
Public Administration and Public Policy. As an undergraduate research assistant, she focused
on reducing the porosity in aircraft wings by using carbon fiberglass and polyisocyanurate. Dr.
Cook's research resulted in significant savings and gross profits across several companies in
the aviation industry. She has also made significant contributions to the field of healthcare. By
working directly with senior-level administrators and across various sub-units, she successfully
addressed logistical issues and communication patterns across multiple levels of leadership to
improve the overall patient experience and reduce the wait time to see a healthcare provider.
Dr. Cook has also received many fellowships and awards from local to international
organizations such as KPMG, Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the
American Political Science Association (APSA), Alabama Power, and the Auburn University
Board of Trustees, to name a few. She is a member of the Advisory Board for the Women's
Leadership Institute (WLI) at Auburn University and occasionally serves as an adjunct
professor for various campus departments. As a life-long scholar, she continues her research
on the leadership style development process, which focuses on an underexplored population,
African American women. Her research extensively examines their authentic leadership style
development experience by investigating factors influencing their preferred leadership style.
Beyond her industry and academic accomplishments, Dr. Cook is fluent in Spanish and
CoFounder of Snippety Snap. This technology-based start-up company integrates
technology, public/private partnerships, and social media. She is also a proud member of Delta
Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. These endeavors have helped her greatly in her work globally,
including international collaborations in Spanish-speaking countries, Canada, Europe, and
Africa.

Bridget Gipson
Bridget Gipson is a Senior Field Reimbursement Manager for Novo Nordisk, Inc. She has
been in the pharmaceutical industry for 18 years and working at Novo Nordisk Inc. for 15
years in various roles from Diabetes Sales to the Biopharmaceutical Division. She is the
Founder and CEO of Mental Health Real Talk Inc. and Steven A. Gipson Hope For
Tomorrow Foundation Inc.
Her Education and Credentials include:
❖ Norfolk State University: Master of Arts Degree - Corporate Communications and
Marketing (1996)
❖ University of Alabama: Bachelor of Arts Degree – Journalism (1991)
❖ Villanova University: Master Certificate in Project Management (2012)
❖ Project Management Professional (P.M.P.) Certified 2012-Present
❖ Advanced Medical Representative (A.M.R.) Certified (2012)
Her Achievements include:
❖ Top Sales "Circle of Excellence" Award Winner 2007, 2008, and 2012
One of Bridget's primary passions is helping those with mental health needs. In 2020, she
launched a website, mentalhealthrealtalk.com, that focuses on mental health. Beyond her
many interests and activities, Bridget is interested in developing commercial real estate.

Mr. Sam Glover
Sam Glover is a native of Auburn, Alabama, and attended Auburn City Schools. He earned a
BS. Degree in Psychology from AUM.
Sam retired from (Ala.Gas.Co./ Spire Co.) after 33 years, serving as an Operational
Supervisor. He is now the owner of the LEUMAS CO.LLC.

Mychal H. Walker, CLTC
Mychal graduated from Auburn University, where he received a degree in Mass
Communications with a minor in Marketing, Philosophy, and Theatre. Mychal's radio,
Television, and Telecommunications experience have provided many venues to Mychal in the
business world. After working several years with telecommunications giants such as AT&T,
Bell South, and US Sprint in their marketing departments, he decided to make his mark as an
entrepreneur. Mychal started TriComm, Inc, his first company, in 1986. TriComm provided
communications systems to clients such as the Department of Defense, Centers for Disease
Control, and the Federal Aviation Administration.
In 2007, Mychal ventured into the Insurance and Financial Services industry and provided
consulting services to small businesses focused on government contracting. He utilized
insurance and financial products to assist his clients in growing and maintaining their
businesses.
Mychal now manages The Walker Agency, which addresses the needs of the senior market
and healthcare-related issues; it also provides group benefits, property and casualty, and other
commercial insurance.
Mychal currently serves as President of The Georgia Association of Health Underwriters. He is
the Health Underwriters Political Action Committee Chair for the Southeast for the National
Association of Health Underwriters and a member of the Medicare Advisory board for the
National Association of Health Underwriters. Mychal serves on the Stakeholder Advisory
Committee for the Georgia Insurance Commissioner, Jim Beck.
Mychal served on numerous civic boards, including Gwinnett County as a member of The
Marta board of directors and Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce board directors. In 1993, US
Senator Paul Coverdell selected Mychal to represent Georgia in Africa at the 1 st African /
African American Economic Summit.

Colonel (Retired) Eric F. Zellars
Colonel (R) Eric Zellars graduated from Auburn high school and enlisted in the United States
Army Reserves, 803 rd General Supply Company, Opelika, Alabama. He attended Florida
A&M University, where he received an ROTC commission on April 29, 1989, as a
Distinguished Military Graduate with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computers and
Information Systems. He also holds a Master's of Science Degree in Information Technology
Management from the Naval Postgraduate School and a Masters in Strategic Studies from the
United States Army War College.
In 2018, Eric retired from active duty with 34 years in uniform. His final duty assignment was
as the Commandant of the United States Army Finance and Comptroller School, Fort Jackson,
SC. Throughout his career, he served in numerous command and staff positions, including
deployments to Haiti, Iraqi, Kuwait, and Afghanistan. His other foreign duty assignments
include Germany, The Netherlands, and South Korea. He has commanded Army
organizations at the company, battalion, and brigade levels.
His military education includes Finance Officers Basic; Finance Officers Advanced Course;
Airborne School; Combined Arms & Service Staff School; the Command and General Staff
College; and the United States Army War College.
His awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, the
Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal,
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global
War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Parachutist Badge.

Malcolm Zellars, Ph.D.
Dr. Malcolm Zellars obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology from Auburn
University in 1983 and his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Molecular Biology from Georgia
State University in 1993. He pursued a Post-Doctoral Fellowship at Tufts University in Boston,
MA. During his fellowship, Dr. Zellars received specialized training in the discipline and
science of gene regulation in bacterial model systems. He has also co-authored two scientific
publications: Zellars, M. and Squires, C.L. (1999), Antiterminator‐dependent modulation of
transcription elongation rates by NusB and NusG. Molecular Microbiology, 32: 1296-1304 and
Torres M, Balada JM, Zellars M, Squires C, Squires CL, In vivo effect of NusB and NusG on
rRNA transcription antitermination. J Bacteriol. 2004 Mar;186(5):1304-10.
In 2001, Dr. Zellars was awarded a grant from the National Institutes of Public health for the
"Bridges to the Future" program. An initiative that assisted the admittance of
underrepresented minorities from two-year colleges into four-year colleges and universities. In
2010, he was awarded the Howard Hughes Medical Institute grant to co-direct a national
science program to introduce undergraduate students to scientific research.
In 2021, Malcolm retired as a Sr. Lecturer at Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA; he has
held this position since 1999. At Georgia State University, he instructed courses in Genetics,
Molecular Biology, and Microbiology, and Public Health.