Mississippi Economic Council
 Leadership Mississippi
The Leadership Letter  is a monthly newsletter dedicated to announcing current events related to MEC's Leadership Mississippi Program. It is a special publication that highlights alumni and their outstanding work and achievements in the business economy across the state of Mississippi.

"It's only when you risk failure that you discover things. When you play it safe, you're not expressing the utmost of your human experience."
- Lupita Nyong'o

EXCITING THINGS ARE UNDERWAY FOR 
LEADERSHIP MISSISSIPPI!


Leadership Mississippi invites you to the first-ever 
"Coffee and Conversation" 
alumni engagement event:

"Leadership Mississippi" Day at the Capitol

February 26, 2020
8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Mississippi State Capitol (First Floor)


Other Alumni Engagement Events:

Leadership Mississippi invites you to an alumni social hour:

April 30, 2020
5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Rooftop at Old Capitol Inn, 226 N. State St., Jackson, MS 

5% of proceeds will be donated to Leadership Mississippi.


Brick & Spoon is happy to work with Leadership Mississippi to host: 
"Coffee and Conversation"

Date: June 10, 2020
Time: 7:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
Location: Brick & Spoon, 140 Eisenhower Drive, Biloxi, MS 

5% of proceeds will be donated to Leadership Mississippi.

More alumnae engagement information and events to come. 
You won't want to miss it!

"Leaders Listen" is the opportunity for you to talk back to us!
We want to know your thoughts on an array of topics--from personal to professional.

Tell us:
How did Leadership Mississippi help you advance or evolve in your career?

Send responses to [email protected].

We want to hear from YOU!
Leadership Mississippi Class of 2020
 will begin sessions this month!

Do you remember your excitement when you were selected to participate in your Leadership Mississippi class?  Do you remember meeting and working with other Mississippians who believed in our state and the possibilities that being a part of Leadership Mississippi would bring? 

Through Leadership Mississippi, you made friends and experienced personal growth and development. If remembering these moments brings a smile to your face, then you know the impact of Leadership Mississippi in your life. 

Please join us this Thursday to welcome MEC's Leadership Class of 2020 at its Alumni Reception sponsored by and held at Butler Snow from 6-8 p.m.

If you are unable to attend the reception, record a 30-second video clip welcoming the class and sharing memories from your experience. Send clips to Cathy Northington at 601-540-4480 or [email protected].  (A little iPhone video recording tip: Turn your phone on portrait mode while recording.)    

Special thanks to Butler Snow for being an opening session sponsor!

For more information on how to become a session sponsor, contact Cathy Northington at 601-540-4480.

The 2020 Program Year is as follows:

Jackson -  February 6th and 7th
Southaven -  March 26th and 27th
MS Gulf Coast - June 11th and 12th 
Clarksdale - August 20th and 21st
Hattiesburg - November 5th and 6th
Graduation (Location: TBD) - December 4th
                                     

Introducing the Leadership MS Class of 2020:

Penney Ainsworth - President & CEO, Boys & Girls Club of Central MS
Julia Bradley - Audit Manager, Harper, Rains, Knight & Company
Dr. Suzana Brown - Executive VP of Institutional Advancement, MS Gulf Coast Community College
Justin Bruce - Senior Program Manager, Tyler Technologies, Inc.
Dr. Creston Burse - Executive IT Director, MINACT, Inc.
Kimberly Campbell, Esq. - State Director, AARP of MS
Douglas Cunningham - Director- Program Planning/Production Control, Ingalls Shipbuilding
Mathew Davidson - VP of Rates & Regulatory, Atmos Energy
Kelvin Davis - Director of Student Business Services, Delta State University
Marvin Dickey, Jr. - Special Projects Manager, Southern MS Planning & Development District
Jeremy Erwin, MD - Chief Medical Director, Magnolia Health, Inc.
Sharendra Evans - Director, The Workplace
Aaron Foster - General Manager- Assembly Manufacturing, Toyota Motor North America
Elissa Fulton - Communications Specialist, Electric Cooperatives of MS
Hadley Eisenberger, Esq. - Inspector General/ Deputy Executive Director, MS Dept. of Human Services
Dr. Pamela Gary - CEO, Central Mississippi, Inc.
Shane Germany - Architect, Landry Lewis Germany Architects, PA
Matthew Grice - Finance Director & Assistant Treasurer, Mississippi Power
Veronica Haas - Human Resources Lead, Baxter Healthcare Corporation
Ritchie Hampton - Senior Vice President, BancorpSouth
Joshua Hancock - Analyst, Entergy Mississippi, Inc.
Leonette Henderson - Director of Development Partnerships, Higher Purpose Co.
Donald Hinton, Jr. - Vice President/General Counsel, Cooperative Energy
Aleesha Hudson - Analyst Area III, Enbridge
Michelle Kerr - Human Resources Manager, Caterpillar, Inc.
Geoffrey Knesal - Sr. Project Manager, Roy Anderson Corp.
Nicole Martz - Special Events and Promotions Manager, IP Casino Resort & Spa
James Mayo - Executive VP & Chief Lending Officer, Community Bank
Sarah Swanner-Medlock - Operations Manager, MS Band of Choctaw Indians
Richie Moore - General Manager, Public Service Commission of Yazoo City
Michael Mosher - Associate Director- Office of Technology Commercialization, The University of Mississippi
Ceejaye Peters - Corporate Counsel, Yates Construction
Kristi Plotner - Executive Director, MS Physician Health Program
Andrew Ratcliffe, III - Logistics Management Officer, 1108th TASMG
Lakeisha White-Richardson, MD - Physician, Delta Regional Medical Center
Annie Sanders - Founder/Director, Safe Haven Center for Domestic Violence
Ann Sansing - Community Health Coordinator, Mississippi State University
Dr. Tamala Boyd-Shaw - Founder/Executive Director, MS Delta Academies
Dr. Mitchell Shears - Associate VP for Student Success/Executive Director of Title III, Jackson State University
Kristen Smith - Communications/ Public Relations, Glass, Inc.
Brad Stevens - President- Amory, Community Bank
Laura Tinsley - Director of Preconstruction Services, Century Construction and Realty
Dr. Scott Tollison - Provost/ VP for Academic Affairs, Mississippi University for Women
Thomas Walker, Jr. - Partner, Jones Walker, LLP
Ryan Warner - Senior Facility Engineer, Aerojet Rocketdyne
Luke West - CEO, Relias Healthcare
LaShetta Wilder - Bureau Director II of Re-entry and Pre-Release Services, MS Dept. of Corrections
Bryce Yelverton - Consultant, Yelverton Consulting

Please join us in congratulating this year's class!
2020 ALUMNI CONTRIBUTORS

Stay tuned to hear how you can be a part of the 2020 Giving Campaign!

Special Thanks to All of Our 2019 Alumni Contributors
  • Linda R. Aldy (Class of 1982) - Aldy & Company
  • R. Mark Alexander, Jr. (Class of 2008) - Balch & Bingham, LLP  
  • David L. Allen (Class of 1983) - Mississippi Blood Services, Inc.
  • Sidney Allen, Jr. (Class of 2010) - Butler Snow, LLP
  • Robert J. Barnes (Class of 1994) - PriorityOne Bank
  • Carlos Bell (Class of 2010) - Mississippi State Port Authority At Gulfport
  • Michael Bellipanni (Class of 2015) - Northcentral Electric Power Association
  • Heather Farris Bennett (Class of 2017) - W.G. Yates & Sons Construction Company
  • Russell Bennett (Class of 2014) - Entergy Mississippi, Inc.
  • Leonard Bentz (Class of 2012) - Southern Mississippi Planning & Development District
  • Paul Bertucci (Class of 2008) - F. E. B. Distributing Company, Inc.
  • Christa Bishop (Class of 2017) - Cooperative Energy 
  • Steven Blaylock II (Class of 2017) - North Mississippi Health Services
  • Dianne Bolen (Class of 2011) - Retired
  • Barry Bouchillon (Class of 1980) - State Farm Insurance Companies
  • Mark S. Bounds (Class of 1983) - NAI/Mark S. Bounds Realty Partners
  • Jerome Brown (Class of 2014) - The First Bank, A National Banking Association
  • Greg Burks (Class of 2017) - Renasant Bank
  • William L. Burle, Jr. (Class of 1990) - W. L. Burle Engineers, P.A.
  • Odean Busby (Class of 1985) - PriorityOne Bank
  • Augustus L. Collins (Class of 2012) - MINACT, Inc.
  • Martha C. Cooke (Class of 2016) - MISSCO
  • Goerge P. Cossar III (Class of 2007) - Entergy Mississippi, Inc.
  • James Covington (Class of 1984) - First Bank
  • Richard Cowart (Class of 1974) - Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz
  • Angela Curry (Class of 2007) - Greenwood-Leflore Industrial Board
  • William Daly (Class of 1980) - The Personnel Department
  • John M. Dean, Jr. (Class of 1974) - LANDMART/ Dean Land & Realty Company
  • Dave Dennis (Class of 1993) - Specialty Contractors & Associates, Inc.
  • J. Kane Ditto (Class of 1975) - StateStreet Group, LLC
  • Portia B. Espy (Class of 2010) - The William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation
  • Jan Farve (Class of 2016) - Merchants Foodservice 
  • Keith Ferguson (Class of 2009) - LogoStoreUSA, Inc
  • Robert Gibbs (Class of 1982) - Gibbs Travis, PLLC 
  • Allison L. Graves (Class of 1997)
  • Thomas G. Gresham (Class of 1987) - Double Quick - Gresham Petroleum
  • Walton Gresham, III (Class of 1976) - Gresham Petroleum Company
  • Rodney L. Grogan (Class of 2003) - MMC Materials, Inc. 
  • Rodney Harris (Class of 2014) - Mississippi National Guard
  • John Hatmaker, Jr. (Class of 1990) - Tronox
  • Jamie Higdon (Class of 2013) - TempStaff, Inc.
  • William Hodges (Class of 2017) - Hancock Whitney Bank
  • Jamie Holder (Class of 2009) - Hol-Mac Corporation
  • Ryan Holmes (Class of 2015) - Dungan Engineering, P.A.
  • Rosalyn Howard (Class of 2016) - Mississippi Nurses Foundation
  • Chuck Howell (Class of 1985) - Pontotoc Electric Power Association
  • Edmond Hughes (Class of 2012) - Ingalls Shipbuilding
  • Susan Hunt (Class of 2008) - Retired
  • Elizabeth Corso Joachim (Class of 2009) - Corso, Inc.
  • David Johnson, Sr. (Class of 2000) - BankPlus
  • Samuel Jones (Class of 2010) - Jones County Junior College
  • Rex Kelly (Class of 1979) - Strategic Communication
  • Carmen Kyle (Class of 2018) - Southaven Chamber of Commerce
  • Amanda Lott (Class of 2018) - Irby Construction Company
  • Robert Luke (Class of 1988) - LPK Architects
  • Nora Miller (Class of 2008) - Mississippi University for Women
  • Melanie Morgan (Class of 2002) - Trustmark
  • Charles L. Morris (Class of 1987) - Morris Petroleum, Inc. 
  • Deanne Mosley (Class of 2016) - The Mississippi Bar
  • Barbara Ousby (Class of 2007) - C&B Enterprise, Inc.
  • Rebecca Phipps (Class of 1988) - Rebecca Phipps Law Office
  • Jack Reed, Jr. (Class of 1976) - R. W. Reed Co.
  • Dr. Michael Robbins (Class of 1975) - Robbins Research & Planning, Inc.
  • Paige Roberts (Class of 2010) - EPIC Enterprises, LLC
  • Ginger Robey (Class of 2012) - Daniel Coker Horton & Bell, P.A.
  • Robin Robinson (Class of 1988) - Retired
  • Jason Siegfried (Class of 2009) - Southern Pine Electrical Power Association
  • Ed Simmons (Class of 2015) - Benefit Administration Services
  • C. D. Smith (Class of 2010) - AT&T
  • Deidre D. Smith (Class of 2018) - Mississippi National Guard
  • Mark Smith (Class of 2004) - The CPI Group, LLC
  • E. Gregory Snowden (Class of 1984) - Mississippi State Representative
  • Honorable Keith Starrett (Class of 1979) - U. S. District Judge
  • Belinda Stewart (Class of 1993) - Belinda Stewart Architects, PA
  • Dr. Jennifer Sutton (Class of 2018) - Gulf Coast Veterinary Services
  • William A. Taylor, III (Class of 1979) - The Taylor Group of Companies
  • Denny Terrell (Class of 2007) - Ivey Mechanical Company 
  • Pat Thomasson (Class of 2007) - Thomasson Company
  • Amanda Tollison (Class of 2008) - Butler Snow, LLP
  • Clay Wagner (Class of 2016) - Hancock Whitney Bank
  • Amy Walker (Class of 2017) - Ergon, Inc.
  • Anthony Webb (Class of 2011) - Community Bancshares of Mississippi, Inc.
  • Lewis Whitfield (Class of 1974-1975) - CREATE Foundation
  • Rebecca Lee Wiggs (Class of 1994) - Butler Snow, LLP
  • Kenneth W. Williams, Sr. (Class of 1974-1975) - Refreshments, Inc.
  • Anthony Wilson (Class of 2000) - Mississippi Power

Michael Arnemann  - February 12
Charles Beasley  - February 26
Eric Brown  - February 13
Gregory Butler  - February 25
Reatha Clark  - February 13
Ashley Comstock - February 26
Penny Danford - February 15
James Davis  - February 5
David Donnell  - February 8
Cheryl Duhon  - February 16
Jennifer Easley  - February 17
Julia Garrett  - February 24
Dr. Felicia Gavin  - February 2
Cheryl Henning  - February 20
Jamie Higdon  - February 14
Gregory Hoff, Jr.  - February 21
Will Hooker - February 26
Troy Johnston  - February 9
Robert Jolly  - February 16
Jamie Kennedy  - February 3
Robert Kerley -  February 25
Charles Lewis  - February 4
John Mercer  - February 5
Gregory Michel  - February 3
Carlos Moore  - February 18
William Orlansky  - February 22
Glenn Patrick  - February 26
Robert Patton - February 12
Emily Pickering - February 15
Ryan Pratt  - February 27
Rhonda Rhodes  - February 1
Robert Ridgway  - February 22
Carla Rushing  - February 19
Raymond Russell  - February 25
LaMarcus Smith  - February 9
Amy Walker  - February 9
Orrden Williams  - February 10
Joy Yates - February 4
 
And all other alumni celebrating February  birthdays!

 
Alumni Search!

We want to stay connected with the Leadership Mississippi alumni from every class: 1974-1975 to the present!

If you or someone you know has changed jobs, surnames, home and/or email addresses, contact phone numbers, etc., please update it with us at [email protected]. 

If you have any news you would like to share or see featured in next month's newsletter, let us know!

We hope to hear from you!
Our Mission

To build a strong diverse network of leaders from every corner of the state balanced with a broad variety of leadership abilities and career accomplishments creating a core of individuals committed to Mississippi's future.

MEC's Leadership Mississippi is a program of the 

M.B. Swayze Foundation 
Mississippi Economic Council - The State Chamber of Commerce

248 E. Capitol Street, Suite 940 - Jackson, Mississippi 39201

P.O. Box 23276 - Jackson, Mississippi 39225-3276

Phone: 601-969-0022 - 1-800-748-7626

Fax: 601-353-0247 - 1-888-717-2809

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