Leadership Team

President and CEO, North Mississippi Health Services

Michael “Shane” Spees is the president and chief executive officer of North Mississippi Health Services (NMHS). A native of Tupelo, Mississippi, Shane joined NMHS as president and CEO in December 2013. Before joining NMHS, he served as president and CEO for Baptist Health System in Birmingham, Alabama, from 2007-2013. He previously worked in Texas, where he was president from 2004-2007 of Valley Baptist Hospital Holdings Inc., which serves the Rio Grande Valley, and senior vice president and CEO of Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen, all of which are part of Valley Baptist Health System. Spees held several leadership roles within the Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, which serves the greater Houston area and much of Southeast Texas, from 1995-2004.

He received his master's degree in health care administration from the University of Houston at Clear Lake in 1997, where he was recognized for academic and leadership excellence. Spees graduated from the University of Mississippi with a bachelor of public administration degree in 1992 and the University of Mississippi School of Law with his juris doctor in 1995. He was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 1995.

President, North Mississippi Medical Center-Tupelo and Chief Operating Officer, North Mississippi Health Services

David Wilson is chief operating officer of North Mississippi Health Services and president of North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo. His responsibilities include operational responsibility for all NMHS hospitals and existing joint ventures.

Wilson received his master’s degree in health administration, graduating with honors from the University of Alabama-Birmingham. He holds bachelor’s degrees in zoology and biology, both with honors, from the University of Tennessee.

Before joining NMHS, Wilson served as president of Shelby Baptist Medical Center and southern market leader for Baptist Health System in Birmingham, Alabama. Wilson has led hospitals ranging in size from small to large in Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and Alabama.

He serves on the United Way of Northeast Mississippi Board of Directors and is a past campaign chair, CREATE Tupelo/Lee County Board of Directors, Mississippi Trauma Care System Foundation Board and Mississippi Hospital Association Medicaid Committee. He is a member of the Tupelo Kiwanis Club.

President, North Mississippi Medical Clinics and Chief Network Development Officer, North Mississippi Health Services

David Barber serves as chief network development officer of North Mississippi Health Services and president of North Mississippi Medical Clinics, a regional network of more than 60 clinics affiliated with NMHS.

Barber joined NMHS in 1994 and has served in several leadership positions with the clinic system, including regional manager and chief operating officer.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in public administration from the University of Mississippi and a master’s degree in health administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and a Certified Medical Practice Executive by the American College of Medical Practice Executives.

Chief Medical Officer, North Mississippi Health Services

Jeremy Blanchard, MD, MMM, CPE, is the chief medical officer (CMO) of North Mississippi Health Services. Dr. Blanchard has a wide breadth of experience working as a CMO in two rural health care systems at a regional and institutional level, in Washington and Montana. Most recently he was the Head of Player and Family Wellness for The Alliance of American Football, a startup professional football league, based in San Francisco. His experience also includes Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of Innovation for Language of Caring, a cultural transformation group serving health care systems and individual physician practices. He served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps for 11 years.

Clinically, Dr. Blanchard’s background is as an intensivist in both the U.S. Army and in rural Washington. He was the inaugural medical director of the combined intensivist and adult hospitalist program at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland, Washington. He led his team to being recognized in APACHE Outcomes as the No. 1 Intensive Care Unit in the nation, compared to 137 other like, mixed surgical/medical adult ICUs of 20 beds or smaller.

He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Montana in Missoula in 1986, and his medical studies at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque in 1991. He completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at Madigan Army Medical Center in Ft. Lewis, Washington, and his fellowship in critical care medicine at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. He has a master’s degree in medical management (MMM) from the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business in Los Angeles, where he graduated with honors. In addition, Dr. Blanchard is a certified physician executive (CPE) and a certified patient experience professional (CPXP).

Chief Human Resources Officer, North Mississippi Health Services

Sondra Davis serves as the chief human resources officer for North Mississippi Health Services. She is responsible for managing recruitment, retention, education, employee health, compensation and benefits for the organization’s employees.

Davis previously worked at Centura Health System in Denver, Colorado, where she served as regional vice president for human resources for the Denver and Mountain markets, comprised of nine hospitals and numerous freestanding emergent/urgent Care centers, outpatient centers and provider practices. She previously served as vice president for human resources with Harnett Health System, based in Dunn, North Carolina, where she also provided leadership for several operational and support services in addition to her human resources scope.

She has more than 20 years of experience in varied settings, with most of that experience in rural healthcare markets.

A native of Colorado, she spent more than 15 years living and working in North Carolina and Georgia. Davis holds a bachelor of science in business from the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs and a master of science in human resources management from Troy University in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

She is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources by the Human Resources Certification Institute and has a history of strong involvement in her professional organizations and communities.

Chief Information Officer, North Mississippi Health Services

Chris Davis, MD, joined North Mississippi Health Services as chief information officer (CIO) in 2020. He brings expertise in improving patient care, quality and safety by implementing and optimizing electronic health record (EHR) systems, promoting technology adoption and partnering with health care providers on leveraging IT capabilities.

He previously worked at Brookwood Baptist Health System in Birmingham, Alabama, where he served as CIO and chief medical informatics officer for six years. His employment history includes serving as CMIO for Baptist Health System in Birmingham and Inpatient CMIO for Mercy Health System in St. Louis.

Davis received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas, a master’s degree in medical informatics from Northwestern University in Chicago, and his medical degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine in Little Rock. After completing flight surgeon training at the School of Aerospace Medicine at Brooks Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, he served as a flight surgeon and chief of aerospace medicine with the Arkansas Air National Guard in Little Rock and Ft. Smith. He is board certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine and the American Board of Preventative Medicine in Clinical Informatics.

Chief Financial Officer, North Mississippi Health Services

Sharon Nobles serves as chief financial officer for North Mississippi Health Services.

Before joining NMHS in 2017, Nobles worked with Baptist Health Care Corporation in Pensacola, Fla. She served as vice president and chief financial officer for Acute Care Services and led all aspects of financial operations for three acute care hospitals and two joint venture ambulatory surgery centers. During her 23-year tenure with Baptist, she served in various financial leadership roles, including system CFO for two years.

A graduate of the University of West Florida, she is a certified public accountant, designated as a certified treasury professional with the Association for Financial Professionals and a member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association.

Chief Legal Officer, North Mississippi Health Services

Bruce Toppin serves as chief legal officer for North Mississippi Health Services.

Toppin, who joined NMHS in 1996, previously worked as a partner with Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrier’re and Dene’gre in New Orleans. He is licensed to practice law in Louisiana and Mississippi.

He received a bachelor of arts degree in political science from the State University of New York at Albany and a juris doctor degree from Loyola University School of Law in New Orleans. He received a master’s degree in health administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Administrator and Vice President, Cardiovascular and Surgical Services, North Mississippi Medical Center-Tupelo

T.J. Adams, RN, BSN, MSHA, is administrator of North Mississippi Medical Center-Tupelo and vice president of Cardiovascular and Surgical Services at North Mississippi Medical Center. In addition to serving at NMMC-Tupelo’s administrator, his responsibilities include oversight of surgical services at NMHS hospitals in Amory, Tupelo and West Point, Mississippi and Hamilton, Alabama, central sterile processing and cardiovascular services.

A native of Mantachie, Adams graduated from Mantachie High School in 2000. He earned his bachelor’s degree in nursing in 2004 from Mississippi University for Women and his master’s degree in healthcare administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2011. He joined the NMMC staff in May 2004 as an operating room nurse and later served as a charge nurse and a nurse manager for Cardiothoracic Surgery. Adams was director of Supply Chain Support from 2010-2014 and was promoted to vice president of Cardiovascular and Surgical Services in 2014.

Adams currently serves as the vice president of the Mississippi Board of Nursing. He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, Mississippi Nurses Association, Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses, Mississippi Hospital Association and the Community Development Foundation. He also serves as a board member for both the Health Care Foundation’s Take a Swing at Cancer and Tombigbee Electric Power Association.

Administrator, North Mississippi Medical Center-West Point and North Mississippi Medical Center-Iuka

Barry Keel is the administrator at North Mississippi Medical Center-West Point and North Mississippi Medical Center-Iuka.

Keel, an Alabama native, most recently worked at Bay Medical Center–Sacred Heart Health System, a 323-bed hospital in Panama City, Florida, where he served as chief executive officer. He previously worked as the Alabama Market CEO for Health Management Associates. In addition, he has served as CEO with several Alabama and Tennessee hospitals.

Keel received his bachelor’s degree in health administration from Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, and a master’s degree in health policy and administration from Mercer University in Atlanta, Georgia.

His recent community involvement includes serving as a member of the West Point Clay County Community Growth Alliance Board of Directors and the Boy Scouts of America Board of Directors. He is a member of the West Point Rotary Club and a former president of the Alabama Hospital Association Central Regional Council.

Administrator, North Mississippi Medical Center Gilmore-Amory and North Mississippi Medical Center-Pontotoc

Jamie Rodgers is administrator at North Mississippi Medical Center Gilmore-Amory and North Mississippi Medical Center-Pontotoc.

Rodgers came to North Mississippi Health Services from Choctaw Regional Medical Center in Ackerman, where he served as chief executive officer and administrator for six years. In addition to Choctaw Regional, he served in that capacity with Baptist Memorial Hospital-Tipton in Covington, Tennessee, and Covington County Hospital in Collins. He started his health care career with Mississippi Baptist Health System in Jackson.

A native Mississippian, Rodgers was born in Brandon. He received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master of health services administration from Mississippi College in Clinton, and a master of healthcare administration from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. He is a board-certified fellow with the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Administrator, North Mississippi Medical Center-Eupora and North Mississippi Medical Center-Hamilton

Robin Mixon, FACHCA, FACHE, is administrator of North Mississippi Medical Center-Eupora and North Mississippi Medical Center-Hamilton. She is a Fellow of the American College of Health Care Administrators and the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Mixon, who joined the hospital’s staff in 2004, became a licensed nursing home administrator in 2013 and was promoted to associate hospital administrator and nursing home administrator in 2014. She assumed the role of NMMC-Eupora administrator in 2018 and added leadership responsibility for the Hamilton hospital in 2023.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in management from Mississippi University for Women and a master’s degree in health administration from Trident University International. She is a licensed preceptor under the Mississippi Board of Nursing Home Administrators as well as a certified health safety professional and a certified rural health professional.

Mixon was named among Mississippi Business Journal Distinguished Leading Business Women in 2022 and was a Business Women of the Year finalist in 2023. Mixon is an active member of the Mississippi Rural Health Association, Rural Health Alliance, Mississippi Public Health Association, Eupora Rotary Club, Eupora 20th Century Club and Vibrant Church in Columbus.