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
