LEADERSHIP | mygeba

2023-2024 Executive Board

The George Edgecomb Bar Association Executive Board: July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024

Cornelius Demps, Esq., President

Cornelius Demps serves as the 21st President of the George Edgecomb Bar Association (“GEBA”). GEBA is the largest predominantly African-America bar association in Hillsborough County consisting of nearly three hundred members including attorneys, judges, elected officials, corporate counsels, non-profit leaders, and other legal professionals. GEBA awards scholarships to graduating seniors who exhibit academic excellence and who are the first in their families to attend college. GEBA also hosts its annual Know Your Legal Rights Workshop where it provides free consultations to underserved communities seeking legal assistance.

Attorney Demps is the Founding Partner of The Demps Law Firm, PLLC in Wesley Chapel. The firm specializes in the areas of appellate practice, commercial litigation, and personal injury. The Fort Pierce native first developed his passion for the law when he competed at the Harvard National Invitational Debate Tournament at 14-years-old making him both the youngest student and the first African American student in St. Lucie County history to accomplish such a feat.
Attorney Demps earned his bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from The Florida State University in 2007 where he conducted a senior design project with the United States Air Force at Eglin Air Force Base in Niceville, Florida. He later earned his juris doctorate from Stetson University College of Law in 2010. He earned his certification in Stetson’s Concentration in Advocacy program. He also competed as a member of the legendary Stetson Law Trial Team where he earned Best Advocate awards at competitions across the country including Portland, OR; Kansas City; Orlando; and New Orleans. He was bestowed the Victor O. Whele Award for Excellence in Trial Advocacy and inducted into the National Order of the Barristers.

His career began serving as an Assistant State Attorney in the Sixth Judicial Circuit of Florida. Assigned to the West Pasco Division, he prosecuted serious felonies including Drug Trafficking, Sexual Battery, Home Invasion Robbery, and Murder in jury trials. During his tenure, he was also appointed as a special prosecutor in a video voyeurism trial involving a Pasco Sheriff’s Office deputy charged with committing the crime. The Tampa Bay Times recognized Attorney Demps’ effort in successfully prosecuting this case.

Following his time as a trial prosecutor, Attorney Demps would go on to serve as an appellate prosecutor at the Florida Office of the Attorney General in Tampa during the Pam Bondi Administration. As an Assistant Attorney General, he conducted over twenty-six oral arguments including cases before the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, the United States District Court for the Middle District, and the Second District Court of Appeal.

After a stellar career in public service, Attorney Demps went on to serve as a corporate litigator for prestigious Tampa Bay law firms. During his career, he has represented privately held and Fortune 500 companies in a variety of commercial litigation matters including contract disputes, employment litigation, intellectual property claims, and professional liability defense.

Attorney Demps’ professional recognitions include holding an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell; being listed among Florida Trend Magazine’s Legal Elite Government Attorneys; Florida Super Lawyer's Rising Stars from 2019 through 2022; and named as one of the Best Lawyers in America 2022 and 2023. Attorney Demps was also listed among the “People to Know in Law” by the Tampa Bay Business Journal for a significant win in CARES Act litigation involving Florida garnishment law and the Paycheck Protection Program. Attorney Demps has also been nominated for judicial appointments to the Hillsborough County Court, the Pasco County Court, and a magistrate judicial appointment in the Middle District of Florida encompassing Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, and Fort Myers.

Dionne M. Jones Esq., Vice President

Dionne Jones serves as the Vice President of the George Edgecomb Bar Association and graduated from the
University of Florida College of Law as a Council on Legal Education Opportunity Fellow. She is a trial attorney for
Allstate Insurance Company.

As a native of Tampa, Dionne is the past Co-Chair of the Diversity and Community
Action Committee for the Hillsborough Association of Women Lawyers. As a member of the George Edgecomb Bar
Association, Dionne has served as Co-Chairman of the Role Model Committee for multiple years as well as
Chairman of the Scholarship Banquet Committee, and Treasurer. Dionne has been awarded the President’s Award
under two separate presidencies. Dionne is also the Vice President of the National Black Prosecutors Association,
which led to her acceptance as a fellow for Stanford Business School and Prosecutors Leaders Now program.

In 2013, Dionne graduated from the USF with a Ph.D. in Leadership and worked as a faculty member for several years teaching leadership as well as law curriculum. She was selected by the Provost to be an integral part of the Diversity
Task Force for the recruitment and retention of faculty of color. In the community, Dionne is the President of the Board of Trustees for Abe Brown Ministries, Inc. and served on the Board of Trustees for Tampa Preparatory
School. At Tampa Preparatory School, she distinguished herself as an Executive Board member, Chairman of the Strategic Plan Committee and tenure on the Governance, Financial Resources and Risk Management Committees. Dionne is also a former Harvard.

Travis J. Coy, Esq., Immediate Past President

Travis Coy is the Immediate Past President of the George Edgecomb Bar Association. He is an Assistant State Attorney with the Office of the State Attorney, Thirteenth Judicial Circuit wherein he is the Juvenile Division Chief. Prior to becoming Juvenile Division Chief, Travis was the Deputy Chief in Circuit Criminal Division A, where he prosecuted serious felony cases. Travis graduated from The Florida State University with honors in Communication Studies and a minor in Sociology.

As a law student at Stetson University College of Law, Travis served as Associate Chief Justice of Stetson’s nationally recognized Moot Court Board, and as Treasurer and Parliamentarian of the Black Law Student Association. He functions as a member of The Florida Bar’s Judicial Nominating Procedures Committee and is a Barrister in the Tampa Bay Inn of Court. He has also served as the Vice President of the Tampa Bay Chapter of the National Black Prosecutors Association. Travis is a Tampa native and was Hillsborough High School’s first recipient of a GEBA scholarship.

Tiffany S. Hilton, Esq., Treasurer

Tiffany S. Hilton serves as the George Edgecomb Bar Association Treasurer.

Andre Sesler, Esq., Secretary

Andre Sesler serves as Secretary of the George Edgecomb Bar Association.

Krystle Cacci, Esq. Press Secretary

Justin O. Scott Esq., General Counsel

Justin represents employers in a broad range of employment-related disputes and litigation. He has experience helping employers respond to claims of discrimination, retaliation, harassment, and breaches of contract. Justin has represented clients in both state and federal courts, before the Florida Commission on Human Relations and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”). He also has experience litigating disputes involving covenants not to compete.

Justin graduated from Stetson University College of Law. While in law school, Justin served as a legal intern for the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) in Tampa, Florida. Justin was also a member of Stetson University College of Law's nationally recognized Trial Team where he competed in several competitions across the nation and has been recognized nationally as Best Advocate in competition.

Justin began his career as an Assistant Public Defender for the 13th Judicial Circuit where he represented hundreds of clients in County and Circuit level criminal court, including several dispositive hearings and jury trials culminating in verdicts.

Shannon Walker, Esq. Parliamentarian

Kim Madison, Esq. At Large Member

Kim Madison serves as one of the At-Large members for the George Edgecomb Bar Association. She is a proud “Double Gator” who graduated from the University of Florida and earned her juris doctorate from the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law.
Kim is Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel at Strategic Property Partners (SPP), a real estate development firm and developer of the Water Street Tampa development in Tampa, Florida.

Prior to joining SPP in 2015, Kim was a partner in the Tampa office of the law firm of Adams and Reese. Kim has over 20 years of private practice experience in the areas of commercial litigation, real estate, land use and contract law.

Kim serves on the Board of Directors for the Tampa Bay History Center and the Tampa Downtown Partnership, where she also sits on the Executive Committee. She also serves on the advisory board for the Tampa Bay Chamber’s Minority Business Accelerator. Kim is a graduate of both
Leadership Tampa and Leadership Florida.

LaKisha M. Kinsey-Sallis, Esq. At Large Member

LaKisha M. Kinsey-Sallis serves as one of the At-Large members for the George Edgecomb Bar Association. She graduated magna cum laude from Florida A & M University and earned her juris doctorate from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. The school recognized her trial advocacy skills by naming her a Philip H. Corboy Trial Fellow.

LaKisha is Of Counsel at Fisher Phillips. She has extensive experience representing private and public sector employers of all sizes and across several industries including hospitality, retail, healthcare, education, public housing, and technology. She is a 2012 graduate of the Hillsborough County Bar Association’s Leadership Institute and currently serves as the National Legal Advisor to Jack and Jill of America, Inc. As an At-Large member, Lakisa is an ambassador for GEBA at various organizations including Junior League of Tampa and the Florida Bar’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee.