COVER STORY
TABITHA TRENT
SOUTHSTATE MANAGER AND VICE PRESIDENT
Tabitha Trent, who is a lifetime resident of
Okeechobee, attended Indian River State
College and University of Central Florida, where
she earned her bachelor’s degree. She also
attended the Florida School of Banking at the
University of Florida, graduating with honors.
Trent, who has been in banking for 35 years, is a community banker
at heart and believes in investing in the lives of the community
she serves. She serves or supports the Chamber of Commerce of
Okeechobee County, Okeechobee Utility Authority board of directors,
Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office’s Citizens Advisory Board,
Altobello Charitable Donor Trust Fund, GRAD Nite, Economic Development
Corp. of Okeechobee and the Pregnancy Center of Okeechobee.
Her passions in life are her faith and her family. She enjoys serving
alongside her More 2 Life church family. She and her husband, Jay,
have a son, Chase, who recently graduated from Indian River State College
and is pursuing his lifelong career with Florida Power and Light.
What leadership skills do you find most useful?
Follow-up: inspect what you expect. Be an effective communicator;
communication is key. Be firm but fair. Empower your team members.
Honesty and integrity, always do the right thing first.
How would you sell hot chocolate in Florida, during the summer?
I would commission a fleet of hand-pushed ice cream carts along
the majestic Treasure Coast beaches and sell frozen hot chocolate
fudgesickles dipped in marshmallow to sweltering hot beachcombers
and sunbathers.
Whom on the Treasure Coast do you most admire and why?
Throughout my life I have been blessed with many people in which
I admire and who have impacted my life and career. From my parents,
family members, managers, colleagues and community leaders, there
are two individuals who stand out the most – my pastor and his wife.
We each have a calling in life and sometimes the call is not always the
easiest path. My pastor’s life is a prime example of the struggles and
ultimate joy of following your calling no matter what the cost.
MIKE ADAMS
PRESIDENT OF ADAMS RANCH
Mike Adams, who was born in 1955 in Fort Pierce
Memorial Hospital, attended Fort Pierce Elementary
School and Pinecrest High School in Fort Lauderdale.
He graduated from the University of Florida
in 1976. In January 1985, he was elected president
of Adams Ranch and handles the cattle and citrus
operations in St. Lucie, Okeechobee and Osceola counties. Adams has
served as supervisor of the St. Lucie County Soil and Water Conservation
District. He is an Indian River Citrus League board alternate and
is on its Land and Water Committee; and a board member and past
president of the St. Lucie County Farm Bureau. He is also president
of the Florida Bradford Breeders Association and the Treasure Coast
Resource Conservation and Development Council. He and his wife,
Rachael, have five children.
What leadership skills do you find most useful?
The cattle business and family business involves generations just
not measured on the clock. Agriculture is a very dynamic business
and is a constant learning process, so one must be flexible to change.
If you could choose one song to play every time you walked into a
room for the rest of your life, what song would you choose and why?
The theme to the classic television show, Rawhide.
What was the first leadership role you can remember being in
>>
He is committed to being a great corporate citizen and a leader
with his philanthropic endeavors. Through the foundation, Busch,
with the help of his employees, supports local causes such as combating
homelessness, fighting hunger, helping veterans and assisting
youth programs such as the Boys & Girls Club.
If you could choose one song to play every time you walked into a
room for the rest of your life, what song would you choose?
The Budweiser theme song – Here Comes the King
Have you ever watched a movie and gained a new perspective on
life? What movie was it and what did you learn?
Jeremiah Johnson – the appreciation of silence and accomplishing
objectives on your own. Do the right thing, especially when no one
is looking.
What was the first leadership role you can remember being in?
The first leadership role I had was playing sports, specifically football.
Being a leader on both defense and offense, I was responsible
for pushing the team to give their all, have discipline, and be aware of
their surroundings.
TCBusiness.com 5
SHANE MULLAN
COO ALUMA TOWER CO.
Shane Mullan, chief operating officer, joined
Aluma Tower Company in 2006. He began his journey
with Aluma as a welder/fabricator and quickly
rose through the ranks as shop lead, production
manager, vice president of sales
and vice president of operations.
As production manager, he was successful in reducing overtime
by improving workflow and implementing proven work procedures
on the production floor. As vice president of sales, he developed
Aluma’s first outside sales team and implemented many of the company’s
sales processes that are still used today.
And as vice president of operations, Mullan led the company
through record-breaking revenue growth, which resulted in the
company making the INC. 5000 list in 2020. He has also assisted in
the development of new products, such as Aluma’s skid system, the
Scorpion trailer model and Aluma’s un-guyed tower systems.
Since becoming COO, Mullan has been able to leverage his experience
and vast knowledge of the products to become a well-respected
and important element of Aluma’s leadership team. His current
focus is on the growth of the business, both in volume and margin,
while maintaining quality, efficiency and on-time delivery.
In addition to his role at Aluma, Mullan is also on the Indian River
County Chamber of Commerce board and sits on multiple community
committees. He has an associate degree in business administration
and management from Indian River State College and a Master
Welder Certification from Tulsa Welding School in Jacksonville.
Mullan moved to Indian River County with his family in 1986 from
Yonkers, New York. He resides in Vero Beach with his wife, and dog,
Louie. His daughter is a student at the University of Miami. He spends his
free time traveling with his wife and doing DIY projects on their home.
What leadership skills do you find most useful?
Relationship building/nurturing and decision making are the
leadership skills I utilize most on a day-to-day basis. This applies
to both internal and external relationships and activities. Building
relationships and nurturing them are two different, highly important
skills. Decision making, specifically knowing when and how to make
decisions is a key skill I utilize every day. Recognizing situations that
require a rapid decision, being able to make the right one and being
conscious of the impacts of that decision are critical.
How do you think people would communicate in a perfect world?
Verbally. We have lost the critical intimacy of face-to-face communication.
We all get caught up in technology at times, sometimes I
will be typing an email and then have to remind myself the recipient
is right down the hall. When I catch it, I will walk down for the discussion
and memorialize it in writing if necessary.
Have you ever watched a movie and gained a new perspective on
life? What movie was it and what did you learn?
Braveheart. It was always a favorite of mine as a young man. It
taught me to be selfless and always be willing to stand on the front
lines no matter how far I make it in life.
/TCBusiness.com
