James Collins, currently serves as U.S. Vice-President and General Manager of McDonald’s Greater Southwest Region.  In this position, he oversees the marketing, finance, operations, franchising, training and human resources functions for over 700 restaurants. His region encompasses a four state geographic area, whose annual sales top $1.5 billion dollars. Under Collins’ leadership, the region strives to ensure every guest receives the Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value that they have come to recognize from McDonald’s.

James began his McDonald’s career in 1976 as a crew person in the Cleveland Region and with great success quickly advanced through the restaurant ranks.  After leaving McDonald’s to pursue other management opportunities, the ketchup in his veins didn’t allow him to stay gone for long.  Since returning to the company in 1985, James has continuously strengthened his leadership ability and strives to build strong customer focused teams in his region.

Prior to becoming Vice President and General Manager, Mr. Collins joined the Greater Southwest Region in 2001 as U.S. Vice-President of Operations/QSC.  He has also held positions as Sr. Director/Operations Team Leader of the Great Lakes Division and a variety of other operations positions including Field Consultant, Training Consultant, Operations Manager, Field Service Manager, Multi-Department Head and Director of Operations in the Cleveland Region.  Mr. Collins also served as a District Manager in the Detroit Region.

Mr. Collins has a keen focus on building a customer-centric service culture. He strives to find innovative solutions to grow sales and guest counts, all while fostering the partnership of regional staff, franchisees and suppliers.  He serves on numerous National and Regional teams including: National Chairman of the McDonald’s African-American Council (MA2C), National Franchisee Relations Team and National Relationships-Economic-Alignment-Leverage (REAL) Team.

Mr. Collins has been recognized numerous times throughout his career for his leadership and dedication to the McDonald’s System. Recent awards include recognition for “Best Field Execution” and the Pat Harris Diversity Award.

Although his current position demands a great amount of his time, he stays involved in the community by volunteering with such organizations as the Urban League of Dallas and Habitat for Humanity. Mr. Collins also sits on the Boards of Directors of the Big Brother/Big Sister of Detroit as well as the Board of Directors for the Dallas Ronald McDonald House and Ronald McDonald House Charities. He is also the founding Board member for the Tackle Myeloma Foundation. Additionally, Mr. Collins demonstrates his desire to mentor young people through his work with the National Pre-Law & Leadership Institute for Youth.

James and his wife Patricia have three children, and three grandchildren. In his free time, James enjoys golfing, listening to music and spending time with his family.


Joy Wallace, President & Chief Executive Officer of J.O.Y. Foods, Inc.
Prior to founding J.O.Y. Foods, Inc., Ms. Wallace was Senior Director of National Sales for the Pizza Hut® Nontraditional Business Group. In her five years at Pizza Hut, Ms. Wallace took the lead in developing new business opportunities previously untapped by the company. Among her many accomplishments was the development and implementation of the Pizza Hut Pizza Pack.

Additionally, Ms. Wallace’s foodservice experience includes key roles in finance, marketing, sales and product development at Pilgrim's Pride, Prepared Foods, Inc. and Uncle Ben's, Inc. 

Ms. Wallace has established J.O.Y. Foods as a successful organization built on a strong foundation of Christian business principles.


Michael S. Wilson, Attorney, founded Berent & Wilson, LP in July 2006 with the primary goal of providing unparalleled legal representation to his clients. Mr. Wilson represents individuals in business and commercial disputes, as well as in cases involving construction, real estate, negligence, personal injury, and wrongful death.  Mr. Wilson also represents numerous small businesses and provides a broad range of transactional services to both new companies and ongoing entities.

Prior to forming Berent & Wilson, LP, Mr. Wilson began his legal career with Thompson, Coe, Cousins & Irons, LLP.  He later joined Godwin Gruber, LLP (n/k/a Godwin Ronquillo, LLP) and became one of the youngest partners in that firm’s history.

Mr. Wilson graduated from the University of Mississippi with a Bachelor of Arts in English and History, and he obtained his law degree from Southern Methodist University.  In addition to the State Bar of Texas, Mr. Wilson is a member of the Dallas Bar Association and Dallas Association of Young Lawyers.  He is a past member of the Executive Board of the Fort Worth Opera, as well as the junior board of Dallas Summer Musicals.  Currently, Mr. Wilson is Legal Counsel and sits on the board of I’m Dying To Tell You Something, a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of terminally ill cancer patients.

Mr. Wilson resides in Dallas with his wife and two sons.

 

Jason M. Berent, Attorney, a founding partner of Berent & Wilson, LP, is a tenacious litigator who has successfully handled hundreds of cases throughout Texas and the United States in both state and federal courts.

 

The majority of Mr. Berent’s practice can best be described as consumer advocacy involving representation of the “little guy” against the Goliaths of the world. Mr. Berent has particular expertise in matters involving real estate, construction, insurance and professional malpractice. Mr. Berent also serves as general counsel to a number of small to mid-size businesses and handles virtually all of his clients’ “in-house” legal needs. Mr. Berent is known for his aggressive style, his unparalleled dedication, his tactical acumen and his ability to deliver results for his clients time and time again. 

 

Mr. Berent earned his undergraduate degree from Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service in Washington, D.C. and his law degree from the University of Texas. Mr. Berent is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the Texas Association of Young Lawyers the Dallas Bar Association and Dallas Trial Lawyers Association. When he is not litigating, Mr. Berent enjoys spending time with his wife and two young children.