Luncheon
Wednesday
September 25, 2024 11:30 a.m.
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church
113 S. 9th Street
Oxford, MS
jenny addy
Jenny Addy made Oxford her forever home when she began attending the University of Mississippi in 1998. She served as president of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, was named Miss Ole Miss by her peers, and was initiated into the Ole Miss Hall of Fame. After a stellar career in pharmaceutical sales, Jenny changed career paths in 2022 and now spends her professional time as a real estate agent for Nix-Tann Oxford. Jenny not only is a professional go-getter, but she is a professional do-gooder. She has served on four Parent-Teacher Organization Boards, holding the positions of president, vice-president, personal relations, treasurer and assistant treasurer. She has served on both the Oxford Athletic Association Board and Oxford School District Foundation Committee. She was named Bramlett Parent of the Year and Oxford School District Parent of the Year in 2016. Jenny’s leadership and teamwork qualities have aided every group that she has ever served. Her gift of volunteering and making a difference is contagious, and spreads to others as well. She is a former member of the Oxford Junior Auxiliary, served as chapter advisor and recruitment advisor for Kappa Kappa Gamma for fifteen years, and gives of her time to More Than a Meal, Love Packs, the Boys and Girls Club of Oxford, and the Ole Miss Young Alumni Council. Jenny is also active in her church, where she has chaired Vacation Bible School, taught Sunday School, led third and fifth grade boy’s Bible study that turned into a 2-year mission project, and served on the children’s council and youth council.
julia aubrey
Julia Aubrey has served as the director of the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts since 2016. During her tenure, she has worked to use the arts as a bridge between the campus and community. In 2017, she brought the Youth Music Theatre Workshop to the Ford Center. The YMTW is a project she and her husband Bob have collaborated on since 1997 to provide area children with professional quality instruction in musical theatre. Julia is also an associate professor of music at the University of Mississippi and served as Director of Opera Theatre in the Department of Music from 1995 until 2021. She served as vocal area head and assistant chairman of the department of music and was president of the National Opera Association. For 12 years, she was musical director for the theater department, and she was associate artistic director, stage and musical director for the Oxford Shakespeare Festival for eight years. Under her direction, the UM Opera Theatre placed first in the NOA Collegiate Opera Scenes Competition in 2011, and in the NOA Opera Production Competition in 1999. She served as Artistic Director and Stage Director for the world premiere (Ford Center) and European premiere (Prague, Czech Republic) of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Julia is an excellent collaborator and leader. She sets ambitious goals and sees them through to completion. She has served as a member of numerous professional, academic and community organizations and held leadership positions in many of them. Julia has an exceptional ability to see what is possible, develop a plan and execute it. In doing so, she also is able to bring others in to create strong effective teams committed to succeeding
laurie beth ellis
Utilizing her degree in Education, Laurie Beth Ellis is not only passionate about her students’ success and building creativity, but also developing her own personal character. Her experience with the School of Education at the University of Mississippi has served as the foundation for not only her career, but other engagement opportunities such as working as an advisor with UM’s Kappa Delta Sorority, serving as an Oxford Courthouse Historic Preservation Commission member, volunteering with Lafayette County Literacy Council, various local Parent Teacher Organizations, First Baptist Church of Oxford, But God Ministries in Jonestown, MS, and leading Oxford’s Junior Auxiliary Association. Since 2007, she has served on the Chapter Advisory Board for Kappa Delta Sorority. Under her leadership, Ole Miss KD earned the National Council Award for most outstanding KD chapter in the nation in 2021; along with other national awards throughout her 17 years of serving as an advisor while maintaining a “top tier” status at UM. Laurie Beth encourages open communication and collaboration, which not only achieves goals but also empowers team members and builds their confidence. She provides training, resources, and networking opportunities specifically designed to advance women’s professional and personal growth. She is a visionary thinker creating exciting lessons for her classroom, implanting new ideas for Kappa Delta, working with the Oxford Courthouse Historic Commission,and enjoying her hobbies of needlepointing and party planning. Her empathy and emotional intelligence allow her to be a good friend and role model to others.
suzanne helveston
A native of Meridian, MS, Suzanne Helveston was introduced to philanthropy by her mother at a very young age. Following in her mother’s footsteps, Suzanne attended Ole Miss and was a member of Kappa Delta sorority, serving as Vice President of Public Relations. She and her husband Campbell married in 2005 and settled in Meridian, where she served as the conference sales manager for the Mississippi State University Riley Center. She followed in her mother’s footsteps again and was president of the Meridian chapter of the Junior Auxiliary and Meridian Symphony League. Suzanne and her family, now including daughters Patton and Collins, returned to Oxford in 2014 and she began working for the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy in 2015. Her leadership, professionalism, and communication skills have connected scholars with career and life mentors, Ole Miss alumni, career professionals, and donors, guiding them to form lifelong relationships. In her time outside of work, Suzanne served on the board of More Than A Meal for 8 years, serving as President and other board positions; president of the Oxford Kappa Delta Alumnae Association for 10 years; various roles within the Oxford School District Parent Teacher Organization, including president of Oxford Intermediate PTO, and currently as secretary for Oxford High School PTO. She is also active in her church, St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, where she spearheaded the St. John Drawdown for two years, raising over $40,000 each year for the Clayton Steven’s fund, which supports local charities, including Doors of Hope, The Oxford Pregnancy Center, and Interfaith Compassion Ministries to name a few. She serves as a Sacristan and volunteers with the Catholic Youth Ministry. Suzanne’s work with the Distinguished Young Women scholarship program, has allowed her to mentor high school girls, teaching them life skills that increase self-esteem and confidence.
kylie scott
Kylie Scott graduated from Ole Miss in 2023 with degrees in Secondary Science Education and Public Policy Leadership as a member of the Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program, Trent Lott Leadership Institute, and the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College. She will graduate in May 2025 with her Masters in Curriculum and Instruction for Science Education. Kylie currently serves as a Graduate Assistant in the Ole Miss Student Union along with being the troop leader for Girl Scout Troop #13271 for the past four years. Kylie has led projects to donate money to the Oxford Animal Resource Center as well as to CASA and others. Kylie’s desire to help led her to also join CASA as a volunteer and advocate for families in need. Kylie shows up for her Girl Scouts, and community. She helped the girls organize a Love Pack drive at Kroger where the girls asked for donations. The girls then helped pack individual Love Packs to be delivered to schools throughout Oxford and Lafayette County. Through these events, the girls were able to feel involved in filling a need for others. Kylie has taught the girls that they can make a difference and have fun doing it. She is dedicated to building up young girls to become leaders in the community, in teaching them to look past themselves and to the needs around them. Kylie’s favorite part about leading her troop of Girl Scouts has been the relationships she has made with her girls and their families and watching her girls grow into active leaders in their schools and in their community
