Meet Our Leadership Team
DeSoto Arts Institute is dedicated to supporting, training, educating, and mentoring the next generation of professional filmmakers and creatives. DAI teaches the craft of creative, positive storytelling by providing a professional working studio environment which actively demonstrates ethics, honesty, generosity, commitment, respect, and love for one another.
Founded by Robb Smith in 2016, DAI is known as an organization that provides entertainment appropriate for the entire family while offering hands-on opportunities for participation in the collaborative art of film.

Robb Smith aka Robb Rokk
Founder / Executive Director
Writer and director, Robb Smith (aka Robb Rokk) is the founder and Executive Director of DeSoto Arts Institute where he teaches acting and all aspects of filmmaking. Robb’s mission for DeSoto Arts Institute is to provide exposure, education, and hands-on experience in the arts to anyone and everyone interested – and to prove that great entertainment can be produced without in-your-face agendas, shocking language and gratuitous content.
Robb was born and bred a Memphis boy but moved away to the northeast in high school. Playing guitar and starting a heavy metal band in high school was a defining experience in his young life. He returned to the Mid-Soouth in the early ’90s after starting a family.
The next defining moment in his life was his salvation experience where he met Jesus Christ. Robb soon began teaching in the church youth, led worship, mentored youth, and preached weekly. He started a skateboard ministry which led to creating and producing larger local events such as the Extreme Youth Revolution (XREV) hosting a skateboard competition featuring 10 Christian metal-core bands over weekends at Horn Lake Skate Park 2006-2008. He then produced the event titled Sexual Revolution at the Landers Center in 2009 which drew over 6k people to hear music and messages about purity and chasing after God before all else.
Creating and ever-evolving, Robb began making music videos for Nashville artists and then began writing screenplays. Working with a student crew, four of his films have made the top ten cut in the Memphis Film Prize with those films and other student films playing in and winning awards in numerous festivals around the world.
In 2019, Robb founded the DeSoto Film Festival and found it to be a fulfilling endeavor providing family-friendly entertainment. The festival returns in November 2024 for its 4th annual event.
Advisory Board
Our journey of success is guided by the wisdom of trusted advisors. Their invaluable counsel propels us towards our goals and enables us to accomplish more than we ever thought possible. We humbly acknowledge their unwavering support and recognize that without their guidance, our accomplishments would be but a fraction of what they are today.

Clint Till
Video Specialist / St. Jude / DeSoto Film Festival Senior Manager
Those who have worked with Clint respect him for his creativity, cinematic visual style, strong storytelling techniques, and professional attitude. He’s an Adobe Certified Professional whose commercial and corporate work has earned recognition from AdAge, The Telly Awards, The Videographer Awards, and The DV Awards.
Clint is a filmmaker who has written and directed several films that have screened at numerous festivals, gaining accolades from journalists and festival attendees, while earning multiple awards. He is the winner of the Writer’s Digest 75th screenplay competition and a quarterfinalist in the 2024 Script Lab Screenplay Contest.
He’s also a writer and podcaster on Substack, publishing The Persistence of Vision, where he and other creative professionals share stories of their career experiences and the lessons they’ve learned along the way.

Rodney Hall
MS State Rep / U.S. Army
At 17, Rodney enlisted as a Military Intelligence code linguist in the 20th Special Forces Group, Mississippi Army National Guard, following in his father’s footsteps as a U.S. Army Paratrooper. He also served in Recruiting & Retention, helping young patriots join the ranks. In 2008, Rodney was commissioned as an Infantry Officer in the 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team “Dixie Thunder,” where he led as an Infantry Platoon Leader and deployed to Afghanistan as a Company Executive Officer.
Rodney’s military career continued with roles as a Battalion Staff plans officer and Company Commander, where he relied on the values instilled at Army Ranger School. His commitment to his troops was evident when he turned down a position in the Trump Administration to deploy with his men to Syria. He currently serves as the Battalion Executive Officer in the Mississippi Rifles Regiment.
Beyond his military service, Rodney has served Desoto County in Congress as Legislative Director for Congressman Trent Kelly, advising on Armed Services, Veteran Affairs, and Appropriations matters. He played a key role in defeating Red Flag Gun Laws, opposing the vaccine mandate for service members, and supporting local communities. Rodney is married to Tierra Marie Hall and is the proud father of four. An Ole Miss Law graduate, he is a life member of the National Guard Association and the VFW, and his many awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Ranger badge, and the Order of Saint Maurice. True to the Infantry spirit, Rodney lives by Isaiah 6:8: “Send me!”

Ian Eyre
Stunt Coordinator / Screenwriter
Ian’s work spans award-winning short films and feature projects, including co-writing and directing the urban short “Run Cholo Run,” which has a feature screenplay attached, and developing the teen action feature “Smash and Run,” a Producers Guild of America Diversity Workshop selection. He has directed 2nd Unit action on the female-led Western “Vengeance Trail,” produced and co-produced several thrillers, and contributed to acclaimed projects such as “Acts of Violence,” “The Silent Fall,” and the stunt ensembles of “Baby Driver,” “The Walking Dead,” and “Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.”

Austin Strayhorn
Social Media Manager
Beyond his cinematic pursuits, he is a talented fine artist, showcasing his creative versatility. As a social media influencer, Austin engages and inspires a wide audience with his content. He is also a dedicated leader in youth ministry at Brown Missionary Baptist Church, where he guides and uplifts young members of his community.

Mark Randall
Journalist / DeSoto Times-Tribune
Mark Randall is an award winning journalist who has covered news in nine states over the course of his 25 year-career. He’s had newsprint stained fingers since fifth grade when he first delivered his hometown newspaper on his bike to his neighbors.
Originally from Massachusetts, Mark currently lives in Memphis and works for the DeSoto Times-Tribune in Nesbit where he serves as both a reporter and editor. He holds a bachelor’s degree in History from Northeastern University in Boston, a master’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from Syracuse University, and a masters degree in History from Arkansas State University, where he taught undergraduate courses in U.S. History.
He’s given presentations at numerous scholarly conferences on Rock ‘n’ Roll Music with a focus on Sun Records and Elvis Presley, and as a baseball fan his articles have been published by the Society of American Baseball Research. He’s appeared as an expert in the documentaries “The Dyess Colony: A New Deal Comes to Arkansas” about Johnny Cash’s Boyhood Home which aired on PBS stations in Arkansas, and “Sultana: The Last Great Tragedy of the Civil War” which was shown in the Sultana Museum in Marion, Arkansas.
In his spare time, Mark enjoys watching baseball, watching classic movies and westerns, listening to rockabilly music on Beale Street, attending Comicons, and is a regular at Elvis Week and Graceland.

Marti King Young
Screenwriter / ABC's Will Trent
Marti King Young is an accomplished screenwriter, director, and producer whose career began as an assistant to horror legend James Wan. She has contributed her talents to acclaimed projects including The Conjuring 3 and Annabelle Comes Home. Marti’s own award-winning film, The Adventures of Wonderboy, has garnered international acclaim, earning multiple honors such as two Telly Awards.
A passionate advocate for women in film and for greater inclusion of individuals with disabilities, Marti’s work and advocacy have been featured in numerous media outlets. She is a sought-after speaker, regularly presenting seminars on screenwriting, and serves as a mentor at an annual writers’ retreat in Greece.
Known for her positive energy and her remarkable skill in drawing out authentic performances from actors, Marti continues to make her mark in the industry. She is currently working on the hit ABC series Will Trent.

John Heller
VFX Supervisor / Apple TV
Joining FuseFX in 2015, John brought his cinematic experience to television, working on critically acclaimed shows such as HBO’s True Detective, The Outsider, and Showtime’s Penny Dreadful: City of Angels. Working on set and in the studio, John focuses on creating visuals that serve the art of storytelling for clients including Netflix, Apple, Amazon, Marvel, Hulu, Sony, CBS, and ABC.
Building strong relationships is at the heart of everything we do, is John’s personal philosophy. While artistic talent and technical knowledge is paramount to putting the very best work on the screen, clear communication, transparency, and a good nature, is key to developing a trust that endures across multiple projects.

Marc Lewis
Musician / Educator
Marc travels the around the south leading worship for various events with the Marc Lewis Band, he is also a founding member of the Chris Layton Band for which he plays drums. At DeSoto Hills Marc is an assistant with the Student Ministries, maintains much of the church’s technology and leads the Wednesday night services as well as our Sunday Evening worship services in The Attic. He and his wife Jennifer live in Southaven with their daughters Riley and Keelyn.
Marc is currently working on several different projects in the studio.

Nannette Sandy
Author / Actress
Nannette Sandy, a lover of the arts, started in the entertainment industry as a talent manager, working with models and music artists. When she relocated to Baton Rouge in 2005, she wrote her first feature film screenplay and has been writing ever since. She wrote for the online magazine, examiner.com covering acting and entertainment and in 2014, she completed the Voice Over program at Clayton University in McDonough, GA. In 2015, she wrote her first short screenplay titled “Torn” that reached the finalist stage twice for different film festivals.
Nannette was recently nominated for writing “Homeless Girl” as Best Short Screenplay at the upcoming LA Under The Stars film festival in Los Angeles.

Ty Cobb
Daredevil / Youth Education
With a proven track record in business development and marketing, Ty’s innovative approach has earned him recognition from major brands like Anheuser-Busch, Nike, Converse, Pepsi, and Reebok. He founded the Daredevils, a unique performance team that has entertained audiences in over 400 U.S. cities and 22 countries worldwide, including features on ESPN and hundreds of local television stations. Ty’s leadership and organizational skills have allowed him to manage complex operations, from international tours to curriculum development for youth programs.
A graduate of the University of Mississippi with a degree in Business Administration and a major in Marketing, Ty’s collegiate achievements include serving on the Campus Senate, being elected Mr. Ole Miss, and setting a national mini-tramp record. His commitment to service is evident through his long-standing involvement with Grace Evan Church, where he helped launch the Junior High Program, and through his motivational speaking engagements in local schools.
Ty is also a member of the Screen Actors Guild, with appearances in national television shows and commercials. Whether mentoring coaches, leading nonprofit initiatives, or inspiring audiences from the stage, Ty C. Cobb brings energy, integrity, and a relentless drive to make a positive impact in every endeavor.

Selena Baker
Retired Educator / Curriculum Development
Selena is an award-winning high school advisor with 39 years of experience as an educator. Under her leadership, the Charger Nation News TV (CNTV) team earned multiple Mississippi Scholastic Press Association awards for excellence in editing, intros, weather, sports, and feature stories. Many of Selena’s former students have gone on to successful careers in video production, working as television reporters, editors, writers, and animators. In 2019, she directed an animated short film with her students titled Sean’s Christmas.
Beyond her work in media, Selena is an accomplished grant writer and course developer. She currently serves as a board member on the DeSoto County Planning Commission and is a VIP volunteer for the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Department.

Tom Briggs
Audio Specialist / FedEx
With over 30 years of experience in the audio industry, Tom Briggs has worn many hats—including touring audio engineer, audio sales representative, and sound system designer for corporations, bands, and churches. He currently manages one of the FedEx auditoriums, where he ensures every event sounds its best and runs seamlessly. Whether he’s mixing behind the board, designing custom sound systems, or helping clients find the right audio gear, Tom is dedicated to practical solutions, exceptional sound, and making sure every show goes off without a hitch.