Derrick Dewayne Cotton Jr.
Derrick Dewayne Cotton Jr. is the son of The Cotton Family’s youngest son Derrick Cotton Sr. And Lashon Cotton, as well as the youngest Cotton of his Generation and resides in Dallas, TX. He is a Fall 2020 Initiate of the Gamma Rho Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated and a recent Graduate from Purdue University where he was a recipient of a Full Merit Based Academic Scholarship, currently Derrick Jr. plans on continuing his dreams of giving back by attending Medical School to work towards his dreams in becoming an OB/GYN to help alleviate the disparities amongst Women of Color in Health Care. Derrick Jr. is the Co-Founder of The Cotton Foundation and is currently a sitting Member on the Executive Board.
Vickie Renee Madison
Vickie Renee Madison, of Fairfield, Alabama is the third child of Aaron and Cliffie Mae Cotton. After graduating from Shades Valley High School in 1978, she attended the University of Alabama to study nursing. During her junior year of college, she was accepted to the Capstone School of Nursing, graduating in 1982 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. After graduation, she immediately started her nursing career as an ICU registered nurse at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and later at St. Vincent’s Hospital. With a nursing career expanding almost 40 years, she has worked on several different medical units and did travel nursing for over 15 years. In 2012, Vickie started working as a traveling IT consultant. Several years later in 2016, she founded her own LLC, Reliable Healthcare IT Consulting, where she trains healthcare workers on Electronic Medical Records (EMR). She is married to Larry Madison and had two daughters, Adrienne and Candace Madison. Vickie is still currently working in healthcare and helping the community.
Dr. Adrienne Madison
Dr. Adrienne Madison is a native of Fairfield, Alabama. She is the daughter of Vickie and Larry Madison and the eldest grandchild of the late Aaron and Cliffie Mae Cotton.
Dr. Madison is currently the Chief of the Musculoskeletal Injury Prevention and Protection Team at the U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory in Fort Rucker, Alabama. In her current role, she oversees injury biomechanics research aimed at ensuring that the helmets and helmet systems Soldiers wear in military environments do not contribute to decreased mission performance or increase the risk of neck/back injuries.
Adrienne is a biomechanical engineer by training and was first introduced to this union of medicine and engineering through her grandmother Cliffie’s diabetic complications. Her interests in prosthetic devices and artificial organs led her to the University of Tennessee-Knoxville where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Materials Science and Engineering. Dr. Madison holds the honorable distinction of being the first graduate from University of Georgia's newly established College of Engineering in 2013, where she earned her Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Biological and Agricultural Engineering. Her doctoral research focused on the development of novel applications using medical imaging and computational modeling to simulate and predict the biomechanical behavior of muscle, bones, tissues, and organ systems in animals and humans. Amongst her many accolades, Dr. Madison has been honored as a UGA Amazing Student (2013) and a member of the 2019 class of UGA's 40 under 40. Most recently, she was featured in the Centennial Anniversary edition of Georgia Magazine, the official magazine of the University of Georgia.
Lastly, Dr. Madison is passionate about opportunities and initiatives that allow her to engage and give back to the community. For almost 20 years, she has been committed to providing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) focused mentoring to minority and underrepresented students from elementary to collegiate levels. Adrienne is also a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and is using her recent appointment as the Kappa Pi Omega Chapter’s Target 2 Chairperson as a platform to promote health and wellness awareness within communities of color throughout the Wiregrass (Southeast AL) area.
Lisa Marie Cotton-Woodall
Lisa Marie Cotton-Woodall, of Pleasant Grove, Alabama is the fifth and middle sibling of Aaron and Cliffie Mae Cotton. She is an alumnus of Lipscomb School and Shades Valley High School class of 1983. After High school, she attended Lawson State Community College and graduated from Debbie’s Beauty College in Birmingham, Alabama. Upon receiving her License in Cosmetology, she started her career as a beautician working for Essentials Beauty Salon in Mountain Brook, Alabama from 1986- 1999. In 2000, Lisa decided to pursue a career in retail sales and management, to continue her passion for helping others. Her retail career has expanded over 22 years, including working with fashion and technology. She is currently a Sales Specialist at Von Maur and a healthcare assistant. Lisa is an active member of True Love Church in Ensley, Alabama where she is on the greeting ministry. She has two daughters, Amberle Cotton and Kaitlyn Woodall.