Our Leaders

Our Team is Led by Experienced & Dedicated Professionals

First Choice is led by a team with more than 300 years of collective experience across retail sales, category management, merchandising, logistics, and brand marketing. Our leaders have represented brands at every major mass, drug, dollar, and specialty retailer in the country — and increasingly, in international markets across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and beyond. They show up, follow through, and make every relationship work.

Tyrone Burroughs

President & CEO

Tyrone founded First Choice in Memphis in 1987 with a straightforward belief: manufacturers who build great products deserve a real partner in the market, not just a vendor. He built the company from the ground up in multicultural beauty and personal care — categories that were underserved at mass retail at the time — and expanded it into a national firm with buyer relationships spanning mass, drug, dollar, and specialty channels. More than 35 years later, he still leads with the same direct, relationship-first approach that earned the trust of manufacturers and retail buyers alike.

Demar Roberts

VP / Chief Growth Officer

Demar leads growth strategy and client development for First Choice, overseeing the firm’s expansion into new categories, retail channels, and international markets. He has deep expertise in multicultural consumer markets and has been instrumental in building First Choice’s presence across mass, drug, dollar, and OTC channels. He also leads the firm’s international division, representing U.S. brands in markets across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and beyond.

Melanie Burroughs Cole

VP Human Resources

Melanie joined First Choice in its early years and has been a constant presence through every stage of the company’s growth. She manages executive operations and HR for the firm, keeping the internal team running so client-facing staff can stay focused on delivering results. In an industry where relationships and continuity matter, Melanie is the person who makes sure neither one slips.

Crystal Epps

Chief Financial Officer

Crystal oversees finance for First Choice, managing the operational and financial infrastructure that keeps the firm running cleanly on behalf of its clients. From vendor compliance and trade spend tracking to internal controls and reporting, she builds the systems that prevent the operational friction that costs brands money. Her work is the reason the business side of a client engagement stays as tight as the sales side.

Kevin Swinton

Chief Operating & Administrative Officer

Kevin leads legal strategy, HR operations, and enterprise administration for First Choice — the connective tissue across the firm’s legal, compliance, people, and operational functions. He brings more than 15 years of senior leadership experience managing complex commercial relationships, organizational build-outs, and enterprise operations across multiple industries.

Team Members

Sharon Parker

Executive Assistant to the CEO

Gloria Asher

Controller

Alice West

Controller

Xavier Washington

Warehouse Manager

Felicia D Washington

Sr. Director of Retail Sales

Ron Crawford

Sales Planning Manager

Trish Glaspie

Sr. Director of Specialty Retail

Derek Lee

Sr. Director of  IBS

Michael Hollifield

Sr. Director of International

Terri Gordan

Sr. Human Resources Generalist

LaTosha Pinckney

ED of Corporate Responsibility

Herbert Hilliard

Supply Chain Manager

Charlette High

Director of Merchandising

James Hughes

Sr. Account Manager 

Ray Robins

National Retail Account Manager