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INSIDE — Farmers to get aid on Chinese tariff impact — Page 3 SPECIAL SECTION 2018

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REAL ESTATE {Section begins P25}

»Historic restorations bringing sustained economic dividends » Clarksdale historic restorations providing room to create » Proﬁle: Payne happy to be serving his hometown

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END OF AN ERA?

PO’ MONKEY’S ITEMS TO BE AUCTIONED By JACK WEATHERLY jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com

CONSTRUCTION {Section begins P28}

Po’ Monkey was not a rolling stone. He stayed put for decades in a shack on

ﬂat Delta farmland near Merigold. Willie Seagraves (aka Po’ Monkey) left the house for the last time in July 2016. But his spirit is still in much demand. In fact, the decorations in his juke house

will be sold in auction on Oct. 1. It will be treated like Po’ Monkey – take him for who he was, or not at all. See PO’ MONKEYS, Page 4

» Good times on the Gulf Coast

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2 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q August 31, 2018 GOVERNMENT/POLITICS

PowerScoring Trump’s judicial appointments in the ﬁrst 18 months

Ben Williams

n his ﬁrst 18 months in office, President Trump placed 44 lifetime Article III federal judges on the bench. Conservative pundits praise the record. But how do the 44 conﬁrmations really stack up? The U.S. currently has 860 congressionally established Article III judicial positions, breaking down as follows: 9 Supreme Court justices, 179 appellate judges, 663 district judges, and 9 international trade judges. Additionally, there are ten temporary district court judgeships and over 600 “senior status” federal judges not included in the 860. Except for temporary posts, Congress last increased the size of the Article III judiciary in 2002.

Comparing Trump to other presidents From inauguration through July 20, 2018, Trump’s appointments included one Supreme Court justice, 23 appellate judges, and 20 district court judges. Among those, the confirmation of Justice Neil Gorsuch stands as a ballyhooed divisive coup. A dispassionate assessment of Trump’s confirmations vis-a-vis those of other Presidents is warranted. As a first and simple evaluation, we’ll compare the first 18-month volume of Trump’s confirmations to the confirmations of the four U.S. Presidents who hold the record for the number of judicial appointments during their full terms - George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan. Using that simple gauge, the rankings are:

FORD WILLIAMS

Ranking 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

President

Conﬁrmations (ﬁrst 18 months) Clinton 73 Reagan 67 59 Bush (Geo. W) Trump 44 Obama 37

While Trump fares well in this elite group, his record is hardly astounding.

PowerScoring the Judicial Confirmations Admittedly, the static confirmation numbers do not provide a meaningful comparison. Not all federal judgeships are created equally. Everyone should agree that Supreme Court and appellate court positions deserve a greater weighting than the district court posts. Let’s assume that a Supreme Court and appellate confirmation are “worth,” respectively, 50 and 10 times that of a district judge. This subjective weighting dramatically re-orders the ranking. Ranking President PowerScore Calculation 1. Trump 300 (50 x 1) + (10 x 23) + (1 x 20) 2. Reagan 242 (50 x 1) + (10 x 14) + (1 x 52)

3. Clinton 230 (50 x 1) + (10 x 12) + (1 x 60) 4. Obama 167 (50 x 1) + (10 x 9) + (1 x 27) 5. Bush (43) 158 (50 x 0) + (10 x 11) + (1 x 48)

Using this weighted analysis, Trump leaps

from 4th to 1st place in the “significance” of judicial appointments in the first 18 months in office. Clinton, with an eye-popping number of district court confirmations, falls from 1st to 3rd. Bush (43), not having a Su-

preme Court confirmation during this period, drops from 3rd to 5th. Before you argue that the 50x factor for a Supreme Court Justice is too little or too much, take note that Trump’s #1 Power Score ranking remains the same no matter the multiple. If you accept the 50x factor for a Supreme Court Justice, to unseat Trump for the first place ranking, you would need to unrealistically lower the appellate multiple from 10x to 3x (or less). The PowerScoring could be fine-tuned by considering other relevant factors, such as the average age of new judges, confirmations to the prominent D.C. Circuit, a weighting of the circuits, and an ideology-shifting majority in the Supreme Court or on a circuit. Trump’s stupendous PowerScore ranking benefited greatly from his and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s tactical emphasis on confirmation of appellate judges over district judges, the Republicans’ razor-thin Senate majority, and the 54-45 See JUDICIAL, Page 3

August 31, 2018

Mississippi Business Journal

ENERGY

AGRICULTURE

Senate approves bill dividing $700M in oil spill damages

Farmers to get aid on Chinese tariff impact

Mississippi senators late Tuesday approved a bill to divide up $700 million in oil spill damages, setting aside more than $100 million overall for special projects. The Senate voted 42-8 in favor of the bill after only brief debate that included one senator reading the entire list of 128 earmarked projects. The measure moves to the House for more debate, likely on Wednesday. “I think it’s safe to say the majority of beneﬁts are to the coast,” said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Joey Fillingane, a Sumrall Republican. The subject became part of the special session when Gov. Phil Bryant widened the agenda to include it after lawmakers passed bills to send transportation aid to cities and counties and create a state lottery to add funding to the state Transportation Department for the next 10 years. BP PLC is paying a total of $750 million to Mississippi through 2033 to make up for lost tax revenue from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Lawmakers have already spent $52.4 million of the money, but nearly $100 million is sitting in the bank and 15 yearly payments of $40 million a year will begin in 2019. Overall, Mississippi is likely to get more than $2.4 billion from all sources to pay for environmental and economic damages from the spill. The Legislature has been stymied in previous attempts to divide the damage money, with one proposal collapsing at the end of the regular session earlier this year when House and Senate negotiators couldn’t agree. Senate Bill 2002 would give at least 72 percent of money to Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, and parts of George, Stone and Pearl River counties and the rest to the remaining 76 counties. The plan would take $53 million of the $100 million in BP money in the bank, and combine it with $50 million borrowed earlier and set aside to spend on special projects that some deride as pork. It would also set aside $9 million in BP money for railroad and railroad crossing improvements statewide. Some of those special projects are on the Gulf Coast but most are spread elsewhere across the state. Senators representing Jackson complained the bill includes only two projects worth a little more than $1 million total. The largest projects include new roads in Rankin and Madison counties, at $8 million each. Many projects are in the districts of inﬂuential committee chairmen. Some of the special project money may have been promised to lawmakers in exchange for support on special session issues. “These projects are being decided based on backroom deals, and all so this bill will pass,” said Sen. David Blount, a Jackson Democrat who opposed the bill. Of the remainder of the $100 million, about $27 million would go to coast projects, while $9 million would remain in a state savings account for lawmakers to spend later. However, some House lawmakers oppose the division, arguing the coast has no special claim to the money, since it was supposed to replace lost tax

By JACK WEATHERLY jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com

Willard Jacks, Mississippi representative on the American Soybean Association board, said in June regarding the looming Chinese tariff that “we’ve got a couple of months to get this resolved.” While the two countries have not resolved the issue, the United States has come up with a stopgap measure. That was announced Monday, about two months later. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said the Commodity Credit Corp. will make available $3.6 billion for soybeans plus $1.1 billion for other row crops and for dairies and pigs. The total of $4.7 billion is for 50 percent of the value of the commodities. If the 25 percent Chinese tariff is not lifted between Sept. 4 and December, there is the possibility of the second round of payments for the other half, said Jacks, who is chairman of the board of Silent Shade Planting in Belzoni. There is a limit of $900,000 in adjusted gross income for a maximum of $125,000 in crops payments Jacks said. Likewise there will be a cap of $125,000 in payments for pigs and dairy operations. Pork producers can expect $8 a head, Maples said. “We send a lot of pork to China, and so it’s an industry that’s felt the pressure.” Jacks said. “I really hope they don’t have to make the second payment [in December]. They’re hoping to get the tariff war done.” The tariff placed on U.S. commodities starting July 6 was in reaction to a 25 percent tariff imposed by the United States on March 1 on Chinese steel imports and a 10 percent add-on to aluminum products. President Donald Trump said the U.S. tariff was because of an uneven playing ﬁeld between the two super economies. The U.S. trade imbalance with China reached a record $375.2 billion in 2017, according to the Commerce Department.

JUDICIAL Continued from, Page 2

Gorsuch confirmation. Trump would likely not have achieved this record but for the Senate Democrats’ November 2013 decision, at a time they controlled the majority, to first trigger the nuclear option and allow a simple majority vote to confirm Obama’s federal judicial nominations. The PowerScoring ranking, while sound, focuses on an early point in the game. Comparing it to the Super Bowl, eighteen months is just half-way into the second quarter. For Trump, the final tally and legacy will

Some farmers sold part of the crop on the futures market early in the year to protect themselves from the dropping price of soybeans because of the Chinese threat. Also, some farmers bought options. “That plus this payment will make us whole and that’s fine till Christmas. But what are we going to do next year? When we go to the bank to borrow money, which most producers do, you have to have a [positive] cash flow,” Jacks said. Dr. Josh Maples, assistant professor of agricultural economics at Mississippi State University, said the row crop cap will come into play with producers who farm about 3,000 acres. Had it not been for the payments, “farmers would definitely be hurting. Farmers are already hurting,” Maples said. “What we’ve seen in the soybean market is a 20 percent erosion in price” because of the Chinese threat. From Sept. 4 till Jan. 15, applications for the payments will be online at www.farmers.gov/MFP, or from the local Farm Service Agency office. Soybeans are the biggest row crop in Mississippi. In 2017, it was valued at $1.7 billion. Mississippi exports about a third of that to China. “We’re expecting a really big soybean crop, so that plays a hand in this, too,” by driving down the market price, Maples said.

be heavily inﬂuenced by the outcome of the Senate conﬁrmation vote on Judge Kavanaugh, the Republicans’ ability to hold the Senate majority through Trump’s presidency, an unlikely second Trump term in office, and whether Trump lands an improbable third appointment to the Supreme Court. As for Trump’s lasting impact on the federal judiciary, it would be premature to say the jury is still out. The jury hasn’t even been picked.

Ben Williams the author, is a Mississippi attorney. Email Ben at MBWJ@aol.com. Ford Williams the artist, is a junior at the Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD)..

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4 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q August 31, 2018 GAMBLING

Mississippi lawmakers approve bill to create a state lottery By ASSOCIATED PRESS The Mississippi House reversed itself Tuesday and passed a bill to create a state lottery in the Bible Belt state where churches have long opposed it. The vote came during a special session, less than 24 hours after the House originally voted to kill the bill that the state’s Republican governor promises to sign into law. There was no debate Tuesday as a few representatives changed their votes from no to yes. Mississippi is one of six states without a lottery, and Gov. Phil Bryant had been pushing lawmakers for more than a year to create one. Supporters estimate a lottery could generate tens of millions of dollars annually, and Bryant says he wants the money to help pay for repair to crumbling highways and bridges. “This is a historic day in Mississippi,” Bryant said on Twitter. “Mississippi lawmakers rose to the occasion.” Supporters said it would take about a year to get a lottery up and running. The bill was opposed by politically pow-

erful Baptist and Pentecostal groups and some people who called it a regressive tax on poor people in one of the poorest states in the U.S. The state’s inﬂuential casino lobby did not oppose a lottery but fought some lawmakers’ ultimately unsuccessful efforts to allow video lottery terminals in places like truck stops. Bryant pointed out that three of the four states bordering Mississippi have a lottery, and Mississippi residents drive to Louisiana, Arkansas and Tennessee to buy millions of dollars of tickets each year. The lottery bill passed the Senate Monday night but it failed initially in the House with 60 opposed and 54 in favor. The House subsequently passed the bill Tuesday with 58 in favor and 54 opposed. Tuesday was the fourth day of a special session that Bryant called, asking lawmakers to put millions more dollars into highways and bridges. More than 400 of Mississippi’s city and county bridges are closed because they are in bad repair. The state Department of Transportation says it needs at least $400 million more per year just to keep state highways from deterio-

rating. Supporters of a lottery estimate it could generate about $40 million for the state in the ﬁrst year and $80 million in subsequent years. The Senate and House last week passed different versions of a lottery bill, and top lawmakers spent much of Monday working out the differences. The two chambers must agree on a single version before it can go to the governor. Republican Rep. Bill Denny said Tuesday that he has opposed attempts to establish a lottery for more than two decades, but he voted in favor this time because his constituents in Jackson want it. “Every time I go to the grocery store, ‘Bill, we need the lottery,’” Denny said.

death, July 14, for two years. Head Auctions and Realty of Flora, will handle the sale. he has deﬁnitely been in a juke joint or two, he has never auctioned one, or at least the contents and accoutrements such as exterior signs, which is where all the fun starts. Interest in the collection has been widespread, said Morris. Potential bidders from Japan, Ireland, the East Coast, San Francisco and Austin have inquired about the sale, Morris said. “One group wanted to buy it and donate it to the African-American Museum in Washington, D.C.,” Morris said.

PO’ MONKEY’S Continued from, Page 1

In other words, the auction will be for the whole shebang except for the shack where he lived for decades and had a house party on Thursday nights. His day job was driving a tractor on the Hiter plantation. Seaberry’s heirs decided after much negotiation to settle the estate by selling it altogether. That’s everything but his professional name and image. The family will retain rights to them. And you will have to pay for the privilege of using them, according to Daniel Morris of Cleveland, attorney for the family. Right now, Park Hiter, who owns the shack, says he is undecided about what to

Democratic Rep. Greg Holloway of Hazlehurst voted against the bill initially and then for it Tuesday. “My people have contacted me,” Holloway said. “They want the lottery and I want them to have what they want.” Democratic Rep. Jeramey Anderson of Escatawpa voted for the bill Monday and against it Tuesday. He said he wanted a guarantee that a signiﬁcant share of lottery money would go to education. “Killing the bill would have given us a better opportunity to negotiate,” said Anderson, who is running for a U.S. House seat. “Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. I do support the lottery, but I support public education, as well.”

do with the stop on the Mississippi Blues Trail. Merigold (population 400) is inter-

ested in moving it to town as the centerpiece of the Monkey Days Festival, which has been held on the anniversary of his

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Newsmakers

6 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q August 31, 2018

Wealthview’s Garrott, Waide gain designations

Wealthview Capital, LLC recently announced that two of its team members have successfully completed new professional designations. Anderson Garrott was named a Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist. Garrott is a Certiﬁed Financial Planner and former trust investment officer with over Garrott 10 years experience. Originally from Batesville, he obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and his MBA from Mississippi College. Jonathan Waide was named a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor. Currently a level II CFA candidate, Waide is a professional asset manager with deep ex- Waide perience in trading, research and ﬁnancial analysis. A native of West Point, he graduated Magna Cum Laude from Mississippi State University with Bachelor’s degrees in both Banking and Finance, and Marketing and earned an MBA concentrated in Finance from Mississippi College in 2014.

Romero joins Haddox Reid Eubank Betts PLLC Kathryn Romero recently joined the tax division of the CPA ﬁrm of Haddox Reid Eubank Betts PLLC as a tax staff member. She graduated from Millsaps College, where she received her Bachelor of Accountancy and Masters of Professional Accountancy. Kathryn is originally from Lafayette, La.

Romero

Amason promoted at Peoples Bank Peoples Bank promoted veteran banker and long-time employee Connie Amason to Vice President. Amason, who joined Peoples Bank in 2006, began her service as a Poultry Loan Assistant, preparing loan packages and conducting cash ﬂow analyAmason sis on prospective customer operations. Two years later, she assumed responsibilities for the bank’s Small Business Administration (SBA) loan services. She remains the bank’s principal contact for SBA loans, which has been a point of recognition from a national scale. Amason is a 1978 graduate of Pearl High School and attended Delta State University, where she pursued a degree in Voice. She received her ﬁrst promotion in 2013 when she was named Assistant Vice President at Peoples Bank. She is married to Dale Amason, owner of Dale & Company in Magee, and a real estate agent affiliated with Re/Max Connection in Flowood. The Amasons

have one son, Jacob, who is married to the former Katlyn Underwood. They are members of Christway Church of God in Flowood, where she is actively involved with the choir and serving as a member of the Worship Team.

collecting Mississippi-made pottery, going to concerts, and spending time with her family and friends.

JEA adds Atkinson to Clinton office

Butler Snow recently announced that Kurt G. Rademacher has been listed in Legal Week’s Private Client Global Elite 2018, a list of the world’s elite lawyers advising ultra-high net worth clients. Launched in 2017, the Private Client Global Elite is a highly Rademacher respected global directory of the world’s top private client and trust disputes talent. Rademacher is a professional in international wealth transfer planning. He represents ultra-high net worth families and family-controlled businesses throughout the world on U.S. federal income, gift and estate tax issues. Rademacher has been selected as a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and has been listed in Chambers High Net Worth, Chambers USA, Chambers Asia and Best Lawyers in America. He serves as a ﬁrm representative in the Lex Mundi Legal Network and is a member of the Mississippi Bar Association, the American Bar Association and the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. Rademacher received his Bachelor of Accountancy and Master of Taxation from the University of Mississippi, his Juris Doctor from the University of Notre Dame and his Master of Laws in Taxation from New York University. The Elite list honorees will be celebrated at a blacktie gala dinner on Oct. 4 in London.

Jackson Eye Associates welcomes Dr. George Michael Atkinson to its team of board-certiﬁed physicians. As an ophthalmologist, Atkinson specializes in eye and vision care, which includes but is not limited to diagnosing and treating all eye diseases and prescribing glasses Atkinson and/or contact lenses to correct vision problems. Atkinson will serve adults and families for routine eye and contact lens exams at JEA’s Clinton location beginning Aug. 31. Atkinson is a native of Jackson. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Mississippi and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1995. In 2000, Atkinson received his medical degree from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine in Jackson. He completed his internship in transitional medicine and his residency in ophthalmology at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga.

Architectural ﬁrm announces licensure Dale Partners Architects P.A. recently announced that second-generation architect, Will Commarato, AIA, recently passed his architectural registration exams and became a Mississippi-licensed architect. Commarato began his career at Dale as a summer intern Commarato before completing his ﬁfth year of Architecture School at Mississippi State University. Following graduation in 2015, Commarato accepted a full-time position at Dale Partners. While at Dale, Commarato has been heavily involved in the design, modeling, and managing a wide variety of projects, including the Swamp Bar in Hollywood, Fla., Grammy Museum Mississippi in Cleveland, as well as several school district projects through Dale Partners’ sister company, Dale|Bailey, an Association. With the licensure of Commarato, AIA, Dale Partners now has 13 registered architects.

People Lease welcomes Candace Agin Candice Agin recently joined People Lease as a Payroll Specialist after spending seven years as a Bankruptcy Paralegal for several large ﬁnancial institutions in the Jackson area. Agin lives in Brandon with her husband and daughter and is involved in the Junior Auxiliary of Rankin County. She enjoys

Agin

Rademacher listed in Legal Week’s Global Elite list

McGriff Insurance Services hires Abernethy McGriff Insurance Services recently hired Tommy Abernethy as business insurance agent in its Property and Casualty department at 1020 Highland Colony Pkwy. The Jackson native earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University Abernethy of Mississippi. Upon graduation, Tommy spent 25 years in the trade show, convention and hospitality industry throughout the Gulf South Region. He held many roles in the this industry which included Marketing manager, Sales manager, and Vice President of Operations for Convention Display Service, Inc. in Jackson. McGriff Insurance Services is a subsidiary of BB&T Insurance Holdings, Inc., the ﬁfth largest insurance broker in the United States and the world.

Continental selects Webb for Global Program Continental, the leading technology company and premier tire manufacturer, is proud to welcome Mississippi native Marnise Webb to its global Human Relations (HR) Graduate Program. With this opportunity, Webb will gain HR experience locally and abroad over the next two years.

“Marnise will train within Continental all over the world. Her ﬁnal job placement will be in Clinton where she will take over a key role in our HR organization to achieve her career goals closer to home,” said Continental Tire Clinton HR Manager Marco Will. The Continental HR Graduate Program starts with a Welcome Webb Week in Hanover, Germany followed by four six-month assignments in various locations within the company. In this program, graduates and post-graduates receive training in key areas of HR: » Recruiting » Compensation and Beneﬁts » Talent Management » Operative Employee Management » HR Communications or a related department “The program will provide me with ample opportunities to not only network locally but to also live abroad and meet new people, all while working on projects that will add to the company’s success,” said Webb. Webb is a Madison Central High School graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Tougaloo College and a Juris Doctorate from the Mississippi College School of Law. She is a member of the Magnolia Bar Association and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Hairston graduates Delta Leadership Institute

Butler Snow has announced that Tray Hairston is one of six Mississippi graduates of Delta Regional Authority’s (DRA) Delta Leadership Institute (DLI) Executive Academy. The year-long training program brings together public, private and nonproﬁt-sector leaders from each of the eight states served by DRA and equips participants with the tools, experiences and networks that will help them create new economic opportunities in Delta communities and support the growth of the region’s economy. The graduates participated in six training sessions over the past year to educate them on the regional and local economic and community development tools that are working for Delta communities to spark ideas that can be implemented in their own communities. The Mississippi graduates are: • Eric Atchison, Jackson | Director of System Analysis, Research, & Enrollment Management, Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning • La Shon Brooks, Greenwood | Chief of Staff & Legislative Liaison, Mississippi Valley State University • Jo Ann Clark, Ridgeland | Constituent Services Representative, U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith • Emanuel Edmond, Greenville | Chief Monitoring & Compliance Officer, Delta Regional Authority • Jean Gross, Vicksburg | Vice President/Community Development Coordinator, Trustmark National Bank • Tray Hairston, Madison | Partner, Butler Snow LLP DLI fellows learn from local, regional and national experts in infrastructure and transportation, small business and entrepreneurship, workforce training, public health and other ﬁelds necessary for economic growth in the Delta region.

Newsmakers Dale Partners names new managing partner Dale Partners Architects has named Leigh Jaunsen, AIA, Managing Partner. “Leigh has been a valuable member of our team and going forward she will oversee our firm operations,” announced Doug Dale, AIA, President, Dale Partners, “as well as continue working with clients Jaunsen and providing design services. Jaunsen joined Dale Partners in 2004 and was promoted to manager of the Dale Partners Biloxi office in 2006. She opened the Biloxi office and her focus was helping rebuild the Mississippi Gulf Coast. From the Pascagoula Riverfront to the Biloxi Shuckers Stadium and Biloxi Visitors Center to the Bay St. Louis Harbor, Jaunsen worked with local stakeholders to bring the Coast back better than ever and enhance tourism through many high profile projects. In 2013, Leigh was asked to become one of the partners at Dale Partners. Jaunsen is a member of the American Institute of Architects and is a LEED-accredited professional. She is a member of the United States Green Building Council and is a partner in our firm. Jaunsen is past president of the Ocean Springs Rotary Club. In 2015, Leigh was recognized as one of the Top 50 Leading Business Women in Mississippi by the Mississippi Business Journal.

MCPP names new director of Mississippi Justice Institute

Mississippi Center for Public Policy (MCPP) has announced that Aaron Rice has been named the new Director of the Mississippi Justice Institute (MJI). Founded in 2016, MJI serves as the legal arm of MCPP, representing Mississippians whose Rice state or federal Constitutional rights have been threatened by government actions. Rice replaces Shadrack White, who was recently appointed State Auditor of Mississippi by Gov. Phil Bryant. MJI’s activities include direct litigation on behalf of individuals, intervening in cases important to public policy, participating in regulatory and rule making proceedings, and filing amicus, or “friend of the Court,” briefs to offer unique perspectives on significant legal matters in Mississippi and Federal courts. In a short period of time, MJI has built a reputation as an organization who will fight for Mississippians, whether it is entrepreneurs hoping to start a business, parents looking for a better educational option for their children, or taxpayers wanting to hold government accountable. Aaron is native of Hattiesburg. After the September 11 terrorist attacks, Aaron felt called to serve his country. He joined the Marine Corps and was deployed to Iraq with the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines; the battalion would go on to suffer the highest number of casualties of any in the Iraq war. Aaron received the Purple Heart for sustaining combat injuries that resulted in the loss of his left leg below the knee. Upon returning home, Aaron earned a degree in political science from Mississippi State University and was awarded the national Truman Scholarship to

August 31, 2018

Memorial names second quarter 2018 STAR recipients

Mississippi Business Journal

Graves currently lives in Laurel and is married to Kristen. They attend Westminster Presbyterian Church.

Stewart joins Hattiesburg Clinic Hypertension Center Jawauna T. Stewart, MD, recently joined Hattiesburg Clinic Hypertension Center, where she provides care to patients with high blood pressure with the goal to reduce serious complications from a life-threatening condition. Stewart Stewart, who has several years of experience as a hospitalist with Hattiesburg Clinic, obtained her medical degree from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine in Jackson, Miss. She completed a residency in internal medicine from the University of Tennessee in Memphis, Tenn. She is board certiﬁed in internal medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine and has professional affiliations with the American College of Physicians.

Courtesy of Gulfport Memorial Hospital

Memorial Hospital at Gulfport recently named recipients of the Second Quarter 2018 Star awards, recognizing outstanding customer service.The recipients are, front row, from left, Wilson Hunt, Supply Chain Management and Distribution; Kathleen Donnett, Medical Telemetry; and Dawn Boggess, Employment Services. Middle row, Samantha Wilkinson, Progressive Care Unit; Kathryn Guillot, Cardiology; Megan Marceaux, Information Systems-Technology; and Regina Moore, Environmental Services. Back Row, Kathleen DeGeorge, Obstetrics; Kristen Berry, Intensive Care Unit; and Bridget Roberts, Internal Medicine Physicians.

pursue his graduate studies. He earned his law degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law, where he focused his studies on constitutional law. Prior to joining the Mississippi Justice Institute, Aaron built his career as a litigation attorney at Butler Snow, a nationally recognized law ﬁrm in Mississippi. Aaron is a Fellow of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) National Trial College at Harvard Law School, and a Graduate of the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) Trial Academy at Stanford Law School. Aaron is a Deacon at Madison Heights Church, PCA. He and his wife, Kelly, live in Madison with their four children, Clark, Griffin, Ramsey, and Miles.

Topp McWhorter Harvey rebranding to TMH Topp McWhorter Harvey, PLLC, a Hattiesburg-founded company and one of the largest accounting firms in the state of Mississippi, revealed its new brand reflecting an emphasis on a strong heritage and commitment to relationships with clients. A new logo and name rework are the most visible changes to be noticed, but the implementation of the brand is the focus of the partners and integral to their direction moving forward. This next step marks the transition into the next era for TMH, the name the firm will now operate under. Streamlining for growth, the abridged name gets down to the basic and showcases the unity of their teams. Though there are many visual changes, TMH will continue their commitment to assisting their current client base while investing in the core values of the next generation of young

professionals and entrepreneurs. With offices located in Hattiesburg, Columbia, and Gulfport, TMH is thankful and proud to be able to continue to serve communities throughout the state.

Cheryl Johnson joins People Lease Cheryl Johnson joined the People Lease Team as a Payroll Specialist in April 2018. She has over ten years of accounting and administrative experience. Cheryl is married with two sons and has recently purchased a new home.

Johnson

Graves named assistant VP at Community Bank Jordan Graves has been named Assistant Vice President. A native of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Graves recently served as Loan Officer and has been with Community Bank for three years. In his new role, Graves will continue to grow and manage a loan portfolio and deposit Graves relationships. Graves, is a graduate of University of Southern Mississippi class of 2014. Active in his community, Graves serves as a member of the Rotary Club of Ellisville.

MHCA announces board members Mississippi Health Care Association announces board members The Mississippi Health Care Association (MHCA) recently announced its Board Members for 20182020. President of the Board, Tony Hamrick, Laurel First Vice President, Harold Beebe, Jackson Secretary, Bobby Beebe, Ridgeland Treasurer, Debbie White, Ridgeland Area I Vice President, Rob Skelton, Corinth Area II Vice President, Mark Odom, Pascagoula Area III Vice President, Jay Massey, Natchez Area IV Vice President, Tonya Eubanks, Oxford Area V Vice President, Dannie Barlow, Madison Area VI Vice President, Michael McElroy, Jr., Hattiesburg Past President, Stan Maynard, Starkville Past President, Bobby Rotolo, Ridgeland Past President, Mark Clay, Aberdeen MHCA is the state’s largest association of nursing home, personal care homes and other long-term care facilities with more than 200 members.

10th annual ANCHOR Awards presented on Coast The 10th Anniversary ANCHOR Awards program was held recently in Moss Point. The ANCHOR Awards was created to honor, reward and celebrate the achievements of outstanding small businesses and non-proﬁt organizations in the community. This year’s recipients were: Small Business of the Year Award Category 1: Charter Bank Small Business of the Year Award Category 2: Hilton Garden Inn Pascagoula Rookie Business of the Year Award: Brady’s Steaks and Seafood Non-Proﬁt Organization of the Year Award: Coastal Family Health Center

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MBJPERSPECTIVE August 31 2018 • www.msbusiness.com • Page 8

OTHER VIEWS

#THE OUTSIDE WORLD

Road funds good, pre-K needs remain

Website: www.msbusiness.com August 31, 2018 Volume 40, Number 35

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» EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK

Sen. McCain will be missed as a leader, statesman

“M

r. Reily, can you hold a moment for Sen. John McCain,” the voice on the other end of the phone said one day a few years ago. “Um, yes ma’am,” I replied knowing full well the senator from Arizona was about to give me an earful about a story we had run that was critical of him being supportive of a bill that would help the cause of Vietnamese catfish being sold in the United States. We generally wouldn’t have waded into the waters of national politics, but, in this instance, Sen. McCain’s bill was to be a blow to the Mississippi catfish industry. “Hello?” “Yes sir, this is Ross Reily,” I said. Sen. McCain proceeded to lay into me and our story on catfish. I’m not sure how long this went on. It seemed like forever. I tried to interject my opinion a couple of times, but to no avail. So, I just lis-

Ross Reily

tened. He was never rude, never called me fake news and never used words you wouldn’t use in front of your grandmother. Sen. McCain just laid out his position. “Ok, you had something to say,” he finally said. “Oh, yes sir.” I went into my position about the plight of the Mississippi catfish farmer and that as the Mississippi Business Journal, we couldn’t find our way to

... I can’t tell you I know John McCain or that we were friends at all. What I will say is that I respect him, his work, his amazing service to our country and his commitment to the greater good and service over self. agree with his position. “I understand, but I think we are See REILY, Page 9

ississippi is finally moving forward with a plan to fix its crumbling infrastructure. After years of discussing the need to repair deteriorating roads and bridges – but failing to provide the funding to do so – Mississippi lawmakers have acted on a package to begin to meet those needs. Since last week, the Legislature has been meeting in a special session called by Gov. Phil Bryant for the specific purpose of increasing transportation funding. On Monday, lawmakers agreed on a plan that will send cities and counties a portion of the sales tax money the state collects from online shopping. Emily Wagster Pettus of the Associated Press reports it is projected to eventually provide $120 million to $130 million a year for cities and counties to use on roads, bridges and sewer projects. More money for infrastructure will likely come from the enactment of a state lottery, which also seems imminent. As this was written, both the House and Senate had passed their own versions of a bill that would create a lottery. All that remained was for the two chambers to work out the differences between their two bills. Bryant has proposed the first 10 years of funds from a lottery be spent on the state’s roads and bridges. Lawmakers have estimated a lottery could generate about $40 million the first year and about $80 million in subsequent years. Mississippi has real needs to improve its aging infrastructure. One estimate has said fixing the state’s infrastructure problems will require an extra $400 million annually, not counting money needed for cityand county-owned roads and bridges. About 500 county bridges are closed throughout the state. We’ve written often – and with much frustration – about the fact that while everyone agreed on the pressing need, it took so long for lawmakers to craft a plan for addressing it. And so, we’re glad to finally see real solutions begin to emerge. The packages working their way through the legislature this week are a significant start. That said, we continue to believe the state missed a real opportunity by not earmarking funds from a state lottery to pre-K. Perhaps that will be corrected when the lottery bill is finalized, but we fear that won’t be the case. Robust early childhood education can have a transformational impact on Mississippi. Most states use their lotteries to support various educational initiatives, and Mississippi had a chance to create a new revenue stream that could have carved a path to a brighter future for its residents. Assuming that opportunity is missed, we continue to urge lawmakers to look for new, creative ways to fund pre-K. Infrastructure is a pressing need, and we’re glad to see efforts being made to fix it. But education remains the key to Mississippi’s future. — Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal

PERSPECTIVE

August 31, 2018 I Mississippi Business Journal

REILY

» RICKY NOBILE

Continued from Page 8

going to have to agree to disagree,” Sen. McCain said. I thanked him for calling and that was about it. He thanked me for listening and ended the call with, “If you’re ever in Washington, give us a call. We would be happy to see you.” Now, I can’t tell you I know John McCain or that we were friends at all. What I will say is that I respect him, his work, his amazing service to our country and his commitment to the greater good and service over self. He is an American hero and in my only dealings with him, we had a basic difference of opinion. Having said that, he couldn’t have been more of a gentleman and I left our discussion with a better opinion of him because of how he treated me. We should all hope that we do our jobs with as much dignity and honor as John McCain. And for the politicians of the world — from the local level to the highest office in the land — his model is one to follow. Godspeed, Sen. McCain. You will be missed. Contact Mississippi Business Journal editor Ross Reily at ross.reily@msbusiness.com or (601) 364-1018

»INSIDE MISSISSIPPI

Disparities plus uncaring GOP open the door for socialism

he growing support for socialistic programs within the Democratic Party has many traditionalists worried. They should be. Data show wealth accumulating ever more rapidly among the top one percent and growing ever more slowly among the bottom ninety percent. From 1946 to 1980 middle-income Americans saw greater income growth than rich ones. Since 1980, income growth for the bottom ninety percent slowed to less than one percent a year, while for the top one percent it skyrocketed. (Piketty/Saez/Zucman 2017) A story in Barron’s last year said that the three richest Americans (at the time) – Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Warren Buffett – together had more wealth than the 160 million poorest Americans, or half the U.S. population. The story went on to cite Torsten Slok, the chief international economist at Deutsche Bank, who said that unchecked, rising income and wealth inequality “could cause social and political unrest.” Indeed, history shows time and again that when the rich and powerful become too rich and powerful, the people revolt. In America, revolts usually occur at the ballot box. Policies enacted by the Trump administration are accelerating income and wealth disparities. As tax cuts make the rich richer, cuts in social programs make the poor poorer. Despite low unemployment and a booming stock market, wages for the middle class and working poor have not moved. They have actually declined when inflation is taken into account. The disruption, discord, and disdain emanating from the White House only cause more unrest. Perhaps as soon as this

November, the risks of political upheaval may be realized. The likely beneficiary of such upheaval is the Democratic Party. If it scores heavily in upcoming elections, the move toward socialistic practices that traditionalists fear will occur. Ironic isn’t it. The uncaring, bombastic antisocial agenda pushed by Trump and his Republican congressional allies may be the very thing that tips the balance and puts Democrats back in power. You can get a sense of the shifting tides even here in Mississippi. How is it in this oh so Republican state that Democratic senate candidate Mike Espy and potential Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jim Hood are given decent odds to win? It’s too bad that the common sense politics of conservative Republican governors is out of favor with the base. The spectrum of gubernatorial leadership from Mike Pence in Indiana to John Kasich in Ohio shows how conservative leadership can work for all the people, not just the rich and powerful. “It’s not just the people at the top who ought to benefit in

Bill Crawford

any society, it ought to be people throughout society,” outgoing Ohio Gov. John Kasich said last week. “And that doesn’t mean you play Robin Hood and take from the rich and give to the poor. But it means you give everybody an opportunity

How is it in this oh so Republican state that Democratic senate candidate Mike Espy and potential Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jim Hood are given decent odds to win? to be able to do well.” Both governors were pro-business and cut taxes. But both also paid attention to the needs of their constituents. They even expanded their Medicaid programs modifying the programs to address what they perceived to be their state’s unique needs. Republicans not providing ways for the poor, working poor, and middle class to do better while catering to the rich and powerful, opens the door to socialistic Democrats. » Bill Crawford is a syndicated columnist from Meridian.

10 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q August 31, 2018

Healthiest Workplaces

2018

Special event of the Mississippi Business Journal

Sponsored by

TABLE OF CONTENTS 2018 CLASS Anytime Fitness ........................................................................ 12 Baker Donelson........................................................................... 15 Blacklidge .................................................................................... 12 BorgWarner ................................................................................. 16 BrickďŹ re Project...........................................................................13 Caterpillar .................................................................................... 17 CF Industries ............................................................................... 16 City of Hernando ........................................................................ 18 Copiah-Lincoln Community College...................................... 20 Ingalls Shipbuilding ................................................................... 17 Levi Strauss & Co. ...................................................................... 16 Magnolia Health ......................................................................... 17 Magnolia Regional Health Center .......................................... 21 Mississippi Dept. of Finance & Administration................... 19 Mississippi Development Authority ...................................... 19 Mississippi Division of Medicaid........................................... 20

Mississippi Gaming Commission........................................... 20 Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning ......................... 19 Mississippi State Department of Health .............................. 19 Origin Bank .................................................................................. 14 Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society .............................................. 12 Ross & Yerger ............................................................................. 14 Sanderson Farms Inc. ................................................................ 18 Singing River Health System ................................................... 21 South Mississippi Regional Center ....................................... 20 Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company .....................15 Southern Pipe & Supply Co. Inc. ............................................. 18 St. Dominic Health Services, Inc. ............................................ 21 Trustmark National Bank .......................................................... 18 University of Mississippi Medical Center............................. 21 William Carey University.......................................................... 17 Event photos ...............................................................................10

12 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q August 31, 2018

Healthiest Workplaces

PRIVATE, SMALL CATEGORY 1ST PLACE

PRIVATE, SMALL CATEGORY 2ND PLACE

Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society

Blacklidge Emulsions

ounded in Missouri in 1938, Phi Theta Kappa moved its headquarters to Mississippi in 1935, where at that time, all of its files fit in a shoebox. Since then, it has expanded into 1,200 chapters, included in every U.S. state, in U.S. territories abroad, and in nine sovereign nations, and has more than 3.5 million members, with 13,000 new members added annually. In Mississippi alone, with a chapter at every community college there are nearly 10,000 current student members. Phi Theta Kappa allows employees Time off for Healthy You! Exam, $100.00 per year reimbursement for athletic equipment, apparel, or related items, $75.00 annual reimbursement for organized Walk/Run/Marathon event, time off to participate in wellness activities. During onsite health screenings, participating employees receive brief health coaching around their biometric numbers from Certified Well coaches, who are also Registered Dietitians and fitness professionals. Coaches provide support and counseling that focus on making lifestyle changes to maintain or improve biometric numbers.

lacklidge (Emulsions) was founded in 1990 by Ronnie Blacklidge, Sr. However, the Blacklidge family has been involved in road construction since the inception of Harrison County Sand & Gravel Company in the 1930’s, which supplied concrete materials for the original construction of Highway 90 in Mississippi. Blacklidge Emulsions’ ﬁrst product was an asphalt emulsion that was used to control dust on unpaved surfaces and also as a prime coat. Blacklidge patented this asphalt emulsion and named it EPR-1 Prime. This product became the DOT standard in Mississippi and other neighboring states in the South. The success of this innovative product allowed for investment into the production of other products including SS-1 (Tack Coat) and CRS-2/2P (Chip seal emulsion). Over the years, Blacklidge expanded its manufacturing capabilities with facilities throughout the Southeast, including a multi-million dollar asphalt testing laboratory called BETA. Today, the company continues to innovate and has been awarded multiple patents for its products.

Healthiest Workplaces

August 31, 2018

PRIVATE, SMALL CATEGORY 3RD PLACE

PRIVATE, SMALL CATEGORY FINALIST

Anytime Fitness

Brickﬁre Project

nytime Fitness strives to provide healthy lifestyle choices without the staff receiving the opportunity to exercise during work. Anytime Fitness originated in Minnesota in 2002 with the ﬁrst Mississippi franchise opening in 2006. Anytime Fitness now serves the needs of six Mississippi communities and counting with 30 franchise locations in the Magnolia State. There are 4,000 locations worldwide. Anytime Fitness offers weights, cardio, training and coaching as well as group training. In the area, there are three executive staff, 6 managers and 8 trainers.

Mississippi Business Journal

rickfire is a community-based program that grew out of the need for single parents to have affordable, accessible and quality early child care and after school care. so low-income parents could work and go to school to improve their lives. Brickfire tries not to fry food or serve pork meat. It serves fresh vegetables and fruits. Brickfire Project provides people whole grains and alternatives to meats such as grains and beans to children. Brickfire is always aware of its student’s diets and tries to make its meals fit dietary needs. It strives to help limit obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes by serving more green vegetables. It has parent education workshops on nutrition. It councils parents about healthy diets and limiting snacks and encourages people to eat whole fruit instead of drinks.

BRICKFIRE PROJECT

Ingalls Shipbuilding is proud to be named to Mississippi Business Journal’s 2018 class of Mississippi’s Healthiest Workplaces in mega large business category.

HEALTHIEST WORKPLACE IN MISSISSIPPI HuntingtonIngalls.com

14 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q August 31, 2018

Healthiest Workplaces

PRIVATE, SMALL CATEGORY FINALIST

PRIVATE, MEDIUM CATEGORY 1ST PLACE

Origin Bank

Ross & Yerger

rigin Bank is a 106 year old, Louisiana chartered bank, which provides a wide range of traditional banking services. Since our founding in 1912, the bank has been committed to serving and helping its communities grow and prosper. With a philosophy and Brand Promise of making every customer feel like the only customer every time, the bank provides a unique brand of personalized, relationship banking to an ever-expanding list of customers and communities. The emphasis on the Origin Bank Culture is what continues to separate it from competitors in the markets it serves, helps it to attract the top bankers in its footprint, and enables it to provide an unmatched banking experience for our customers. In keeping with our culture, this year it created the Origin Experience Strategy Team, a non-executive team of employees representing all departments and markets to bring together ideas from across the organization to renew purpose, passion, productivity, performance and proﬁtability, with the focus on the customer’s experience being the product. Origin Bank has more than 40 banking centers in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. Origin Bancorp, Inc., the ﬁnancial holding company for Origin Bank, began trading its common stock on the NASDAQ Global Sector Market on May 9, 2018.

CONGRATULATIONS TO LEVI STRAUSS & CO. ON BEING SELECTED AS ONE OF THE HEALTHIEST PLACES TO WORK IN MISSISSIPPI FOR 2018.

oss & Yerger’s roots date back to 1860, and the company was bought by its employees in 2002. Today, it has grown to about 115 employees and surpassed $20 million revenue. The firm offers commercial insurance products, employee benefit plans, financial institutions products and services, personal insurance products, risk management/ employee benefits consulting, and executive benefits. Ross & Yerger allows employees to exercise on company time twice a week. Time is also provided outside of sick/personal/vacation for employees to get their Healthy You. Free onsite gym access is provided for employees in the Jackson and Tupelo offices, and the company is a tobacco-free workplace. The firm provides quarterly stress management seminars, annual Health Fair, quarterly wellness challenges, nutrition seminars, on-site flu shots, access to corporate-sponsored Employee Assistance Program, and access to discounted gym memberships. It also provides discounted on-site massage services, and year-round complimentary nutrition and training counseling.

Healthiest Workplaces

August 31, 2018

Mississippi Business Journal

PRIVATE, MEDIUM CATEGORY 2ND PLACE

PRIVATE, LARGE CATEGORY 1ST PLACE

Baker Donelson

Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company

aker Donelson law firm has a company-wide initiative called BakerFit, through which the firm strives to be a partner with its employees and help them in reaching and attaining their healthy lifestyle goals. Baker Donelson offers resources needed to make healthy choices. Through BakerFit, the Firm offers activities such as monthly Recess @ Work events and yoga at your desk. It holds a Health and Benefits fair each fall, where employees can get a Health Risk Assessment and Biometric Screening and flu shots. Employees can qualify for incentives on their health insurance premium. Its Jackson office has workout room, which includes a treadmill, an exercise bike, kettle bells, weights, medicine balls and yoga mats. It includes an interior open staircase which encourages walking, and every workspace has a sit-stand desk. It also has a Farmer’s Market at least once a month. Baker Donelson’s Jackson office is home to more than 120 employees, including more than 60 attorneys and public policy advisors. Across the Firm’s 24 offices, Baker Donelson has nearly 1,500 employees.

outhern Farm Bureau’s WellnessWorks! program was created to provide its home office staff of 650 with healthy places, healthy communications, and healthy programs that maintain healthier people. Company policies have been reworked to offer employees time to participate in the many healthy choices at the workplace. For example, employees can take time to visit their doctor off-site or at the company’s onsite clinic without using sick time. Other examples include the break-time policy where employees can take time to walk using the indoor paths or outdoor trail where they have the ﬂexibility of spending some extra time upon supervisor approval. Employees can visit with onsite health coaches, onsite massage therapists, attend onsite training classes, and other onsite events on company time. The SFBLI Café, which is managed by Sodexo, is subsidized 35 percent so that prices stay low while providing healthy choices in the cafeteria, vending, and on the catering menu. The company offers a variety of employee health and wellness beneﬁts which includes a value-based design and premium discount incentive.

16 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q August 31, 2018

Healthiest Workplaces

PRIVATE, LARGE CATEGORY 2ND PLACE

PRIVATE, LARGE CATEGORY 3RD PLACE

Levi Strauss & Co

BorgWarner

evi Strauss & Co. designs and markets jeans, casual wear and related accessories under the Levi’s, Dockers, Signature by Levi Strauss & Co., and Denizen brands. Its products are sold in more than 110 countries worldwide through about 2,700 retail sites. The company’s live well program was designed with a holistic approach that supports all facets of wellness. The core elements are health and ﬁtness, contribution and sustainability, growth and development, and money and prosperity. It allows individuals to choose from a variety of wellness activities and offers the opportunity to earn rewards, such as opportunities to lower their plan-year contributions. Health coaching is also included as an option to earn points. In addition to the formal program, Levi Strauss & Co. offers employees’ access to an Employee Assistance Program and various health management programs through the insurance coverage. Financial literacy classes are also offered as part of the holistic approach to wellness.

orgWarner is a global product leader in clean and efficient technology solutions for combustion, hybrid and electric vehicles. Its health goal is to educate, motivate and empower employees and their families by providing a balanced and proactive wellness program. Globally it employs 27,000, with 525 in Water Valley. The tobacco-free company offers free gym memberships to employees and their spouses. Within the facility’s clinic, a nurse practitioner is available four days a week, where services are free for employees, spouses and children 14 and over, who are enrolled in the company’s health care plan. Over the past two years, BorgWarner has provided free Fitbit activity trackers for over 200 employees and organized teambased Walking Challenges. It also offers free annual biometric screenings for employees and their spouses. BorgWarner also promotes local 5 and 10K runs and pays the entrance fees for employees, as well as provides dry-ﬁt shirts for participants. The company recently started an on-site cafeteria, which offers healthier meal and vending options and provides nutritional information. If yearly health goals are met, medical plan premiums can be free for employees and their families.

PRIVATE, LARGE CATEGORY FINALIST

CF Industries

riginally known as Central Farmers Fertilizer Company, CF Industries was founded by a group of farm cooperatives in Chicago with a need for a reliable source of fertilizer. Later, the company emerged as one of North America’s largest manufacturers and distributors of nitrogen fertilizer. Today, the Yazoo City nitrogen manufacturing facility is located on approximately 2,240 acres and includes one ammonia plant, four nitric acid plants, an ammonium nitrate (AN) plant, two urea plants, a UAN plant, and a tetroxide production and storage facility. Committed to providing a rewarding work environment, CF Industries boasts 285 team members consisting of engineers, chemists, technicians and other skilled professionals. Currently, the company’s Yazoo City Nitrogen Complex is undergoing a $65 million expansion of its ammonia nitrate production area, due for completion in 2016.

Healthiest Workplaces

August 31, 2018

Mississippi Business Journal

PRIVATE, LARGE CATEGORY FINALIST

Magnolia Health

William Carey University

agnolia Health is a Coordinated Care Organization that is contracted by the Mississippi Division of Medicaid to manage the healthcare of certain categories of Medicaid beneficiaries. Magnolia Health has 450 employees in Mississippi and a wellness program called Healthy Pathways, which provides resources to help employees reach their personal health goals and live a healthier life. Employees who participate can achieve discounts on the company health insurance as well as opportunities to earn wellness dollars. Magnolia Health encourage employees to be nicotine free by making it a requirement with the biometric screening through Healthy Pathways. Magnolia Health also has a focus group that meets monthly, creates newsletters and keeps employees informed of upcoming races and walks. Other benefits include free flu shots, lactation room and group participation in 5k or longer races and walks.

illiam Carey University is located on two campuses in Hattiesburg, Mississippi and Biloxi, Mississippi. The main campus is in Hattiesburg and is set on

170 acres. The Tradition Campus is located in Biloxi on Highway 67 in the Tradition community. The institution that is now William Carey University had its earliest origins in Poplarville, Mississippi, when the noted educator W. I. Thames opened Pearl River Boarding School in 1892. As did many institutions of its day, Pearl River Boarding School offered “elementary, preparatory and some college work. Operating for decades as Mississippi Woman’s College, the institution was renamed in honor of the founder of modern missions in 1954 when the school became coeducational.

2018

PRIVATE, MEGA-LARGE CATEGORY 1ST PLACE

PRIVATE, MEGA-LARGE CATEGORY 2ND PLACE

Ingalls Shipbuilding

Caterpillar

s an employer, Ingalls Shipbuilding continues to invest in their employees by implementing programs that focus on prevention and health maintenance. BeWell for Life is HII’s wellness program that offers programming, services and events to strengthen the health of HII employees and their families. BeWell for Life is operated by QuadMed, a third-party vendor that also operates the HII Family Health Center and FitCenter. BeWell for Life’s team includes wellness coordinators, registered dietitian nutritionists, chronic care managers and health promotion specialists dedicated to improving the health of HII’s workforce. The BeWell for Life goals has been strategically planned to drive engagement in BeWell services. Speciﬁc qualitative objectives have been established to measure program success. Program and services are implemented to drive behavior change within the lives of each employee and family member. Programs and services focus on assisting individuals to make measurable behavior changes and health improvement. Improvements seen within employees will help create and sustain culture of wellbeing within the organization, which will only strength overtime. Program goals are measured monthly and reported bi-annually, in order to track progress towards the desired outcomes.

aterpillar is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. The company’s facilities in Corinth and Booneville employ about 1,200 and re manufacture engines and large engine components. Caterpillar offers many beneﬁts in addition to health coverage, including an on-site Employee Assistance Program. Wellness exams are offered beginning at age 25, and a coaching program supports eligible employees addressing speciﬁc health issues. Employee safety is a foundational element of Caterpillar in Mississippi, and that focus includes employee health at work and at home. The Step Ahead Mississippi project offers incentives as positive reinforcement for healthy behaviors. A survey was conducted and statistics researched to identify employees’ most common health needs. A team was formed address changes and education in nutrition, cardiovascular/cholesterol care and physical activity. Also, a campaign has been launched to increase the number of employees taking advantage of the wellness exams.

18 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q August 31, 2018

Healthiest Workplaces

PRIVATE, MEGA-LARGE CATEGORY 3RD PLACE

PRIVATE, MEGA-LARGE CATEGORY FINALIST

Sanderson Farms Inc

Southern Pipe & Supply Co. Inc.

anderson Farms offers various programs and classes at no cost to the employee to help increase health and well-being of its staff including: yearly wellness screenings, health fairs, wellness classes, ﬂu shots, biggest loser competitions, healthy vending choices, a tobacco cessation program, weight loss management program, gym reimbursement program, walk-torun program, and yearly 5K. Sanderson Farms recognizes that its employees face signiﬁcant challenges in their efforts to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Busy work schedules, family obligations, and church commitments leave little time for the employee to spend on their personal health and wellness. Sanderson Farms is engaged in the production, processing, marketing, and distribution of fresh, frozen further processed and partially cooked chicken. Corporately, Sanderson Farms employs over 12,000 employees and contracts with over 850 independent poultry producers. The company’s Mississippi-based locations employ approximately 4,650 employees and nearly 500 independent contract growers.

t Southern Pipe & Supply, employees are called ‘family members’ and offered the opportunity to ‘live the pipe dream’. Since 1938, the Meridian company has been redeﬁning the plumbing supply industry’s idea of how to do business, placing their emphasis on customer service and creating opportunities for the Southern Pipe team. In fact, the company culture is rooted in relationships and doing what’s best for clients, vendors and ‘family members’. Today, Southern Pipe is one of the nation’s largest privately-held, independent wholesalers of plumbing, heating and air conditioning, water and sewer, and industrial materials. The company operates 102 branches in seven states, and its state-of-the-art Central Distribution Center processes nearly four million items annually. Southern Pipe employs more than 800 “family members”, with approximately 260 of those working in Mississippi.

2018

PRIVATE, MEGA-LARGE CATEGORY FINALIST

PUBLIC, CITY CATEGORY 1ST PLACE

Trustmark National Bank

City of Hernando

ackson-based Trustmark Bank has recognized the need for wellness promotion and education for associates as healthcare costs have continued to increase. It partnered with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi, Marathon Health and Health Lives to become a Healthy Workplace by offering services that would provide associates with health management and preventive services at lower costs. Trustmark’s “Nutrition, Fitness and Health,” offers wellness services at no additional cost to their associates such as: an onsite health clinic, an annual health fair that includes biometrics and flu vaccinations, ongoing wellness challenges, cooking demos, wellness education presentations, a smoking cessation program, discounted rates with local fitness facilities and more. Trustmark also offers a $600 wellness credit towards the annual insurance premium for participating associates who complete the necessary requirements of receiving their preventive wellness visit and completing a health questionnaire. Trustmark employs more than 2,900 associates in five states.

he City of Hernando is located in DeSoto County and has a population of approximately 16,000 and grew 106% from 2000-2010. Hernando is recognized as a “Healthy City” for its initiatives to improve the quality of life for its residents and providing opportunities to improve the health of people of all-ages. The city provides management to the Hernando Farmers Market, one of the largest farmers markets in state, looks for ways to increase the number of bike lanes and sidewalks and most recently started a free bike share program for seniors and adults to exercise, socialize and offer an alternative mode of transportation. Bike rides with the Hernando Police are offered to encourage more outdoor recreational opportunities. As a Certified Excel By 5 community there are many opportunities to engage young families in activities that prepare children for Kindergarten including. The Healthy Eating Active Living Program (HEAL) is an eightweek program offered through Parks and Recreation for those interested in getting fit and incentives for those with the largest percentage of weight loss. New 1.73 mile multi-use trail will be finished in spring of 2019.

Healthiest Workplaces

August 31, 2018

Mississippi Business Journal

PUBLIC, STATE EMPLOYEES CATEGORY 1ST PLACE

PUBLIC, STATE EMPLOYEES CATEGORY 2ND PLACE

Mississippi State Department of Health

Mississippi Development Authority

he Mississippi Development Authority works to recruit new business to the state and retain and expand existing Mississippi industry and business. MDA also provides technical assistance to the state’s entrepreneurs and small businessmen and women and oversees programs that support Mississippi’s minority and women-owned businesses. In addition, the agency provides Mississippi’s corporate citizens with export assistance, manages the state’s energy programs and oversees programs that help its communities become more competitive. The agency also promotes Mississippi as a tourism destination and supports the creative economy and ﬁlm industry. MDA’s current worksite wellness structure is designed to create a culture of wellness for all employees in our agency. It’s wellness initiative offers a comprehensive wellness program that encourages our employees to live healthy lifestyles by offering wellness activities that will educate, support, offer health screenings and provide employee engagement.

ublic health protection takes a wide variety of forms, from ensuring the safety of our food and water to setting standards for health and care facilities. Mississippi’s State Board of Health was established in 1877 to protect and advance health throughout Mississippi, and became the Mississippi State Department of Health in 1982. The Mississippi State Department of Health’s Central Office Get On Up worksite wellness committee is comprised of roughly 10 active members. They work together to “Encourage a healthy MSDH workforce by promoting a culture of wellness.” While Get On Up works with no operating budget, it takes advantage of services offered state agencies by the Department of Finance & Administration, as well as the State Employee Wellness Program. Such examples include maintenance of the Central Office’s Fitness Room and an association with ActiveHealth Management. During ﬁscal year 2018, Get On Up incorporated new regular features for employees. ActiveHealth Management offers monthly webinars and quarterly coaching series.

2018

PUBLIC, STATE EMPLOYEES CATEGORY 3RD PLACE

PUBLIC, STATE EMPLOYEES CATEGORY FINALIST

Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning

Mississippi Department of Finance & Administration

he Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning is the state agency that provides staff support to the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, which governs the eight public universities in Mississippi including Alcorn State University; Delta State University; Jackson State University; Mississippi State University including the Mississippi State University Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine; Mississippi University for Women; Mississippi Valley State University; the University of Mississippi including the University of Mississippi Medical Center; and the University of Southern Mississippi. In 2011, the Institutions of Higher Learning established a Worksite Wellness Committee, comprised of employee volunteers, that leads the wellness activities, guided by an annual strategic plan developed by the committee. Another strategic partnership was developed with the Mississippi Community College Foundation and the Mississippi Community College Board regarding their “Community Challenge for Change” (C3) initiative. This initiative, which was funded through a grant from Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation, was established to promote health education to participants and engage employees in a variety of physical activities.

he Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration is the primary agency responsible for State government financial and administrative operations including employee payroll, vendor payments, employee insurance, construction, maintenance, and protection of State buildings in the Capitol Complex, financial information management systems, management of the State’s vehicle fleet, and numerous other related activities. DFA is composed of twenty-two (22) offices with a total staff of approximately 425 employees. DFA’s worksite wellness committee, championed by Kesha Funches, consistently offers a variety of activities that benefit and promote healthy behavior for all DFA employees. The goal is to increase awareness in hopes that employees will improve their health and make positive lifestyle changes. I organized multiple events for DFA employees to address lifestyle and condition management through health education, physical activity, programs, and collaboration.

20 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q August 31, 2018

Healthiest Workplaces

PUBLIC, STATE EMPLOYEES CATEGORY FINALIST

Mississippi Division of Medicaid

Mississippi Gaming Commission

he Division of Medicaid is a state and federal program created by the Social Security Amendments of 1965, authorized by Title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide health coverage for eligible low income populations. In 1969, Medicaid was enacted by the Mississippi Legislature. The Division of Medicaid, in the Office of the Governor, is designated by state statute as the single state agency responsible for administering Medicaid in Mississippi. The Division of Medicaid’s Executive Director fully supports the agency’s wellness initiatives. This support causes a domino effect throughout the agency. The wellness committee is charged with maintaining a culture of wellness for 300+ employees in the central office and 600-plus employees in 30 regional offices located throughout the state. The Executive Director’s support allows the wellness committee to offer our employees various wellness programs and activities. Directors and supervisors promotion of and participation in the wellness programs and activities have proven to cause their employees to be more engaged. Executive and management support coupled with employee participation makes the Division of Medicaid one of the healthiest work places in the state of Mississippi!

he Mississippi Gaming Commission has been serving the citizens of Mississippi, gaming patrons, and the gaming industry since it became an independent agency in 1993. During these years, we have witnessed the growth and economic development of the gaming industry, and weathered the natural disasters of Hurricane Katrina and the Mississippi River Flood of 2011. Through both, the MGC has held true to its mission: To guard the integrity of gaming in the State, maintain public conﬁdence in the industry, and ensure that economic development is completed in the citizen’s best interest. The MGC has a CrossFit team that works out daily and walking and weightlifting teams that meet several times a week. The MGC works with MEA to provide an annual ﬂu shot and a yearly onsite wellness exam to screen for diabetes and bring attention to the importance of monitoring blood pressure and blood sugar. Weight loss competitions, step counting competitions, quarterly nutritious potluck lunches, and an annual softball tournament are incorporated as fun ways to maintain interest and encourage participation.

2018

PUBLIC, STATE EMPLOYEES CATEGORY FINALIST

COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES CATEGORY 1ST PLACE

South Mississippi Regional Center

Copiah-Lincoln Community College

outh Mississippi Regional Center (SMRC) provides employees with health awareness information on a variety of topics within our monthly newsletter, Centerlines. This is a simple way to provide employees with educational information and prevention methods on a variety of health matters. We host an annual Employee Health Fair with a variety of vendors who promote healthy lifestyle choices. The ﬂu vaccine is provided to all employees free of charge. A salad bar with healthy menu items is provided every day in the cafeteria. SMRC is a Tobacco Free workplace. Active Health Management Wellness Webinars and live instruction are offered regularly to employees. Health Awareness information is provided to employees via email from the Wellness Council. A partnership was established with Feeding the Gulf Coast which allows us to assist anyone who may be facing food insecurity or may need education on healthy menu choices. SMRC is located on an expansive campus with sidewalks and trees for shade which encourages walking among employees.

opiah-Lincoln Agricultural High school was established in the fall of 1915 in Wesson, Mississippi through the joint efforts of Copiah and Lincoln Counties. In 1928, the agricultural high school grew to become Copiah-Lincoln Junior College. In 1988, the board renamed the college Copiah-Lincoln Community College in recognition of the broad mission of the institution. Co-Lin has partnered with the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation through three grant opportunities over several years to change the culture of the school, while reaching out to the community, and Wesson Attendance Center. Co-Lin started the partnership in 2012 with its Wolfpack Wellness Initiative which helped resurface its walking track and add stretching equipment to the Oswalt Nature Trail and mile markers around campus. The University and College Health and Wellness Model Implementation Plan in 2014 with Wolfpack Wellness was phase 2. Finally, this year, Co-Lin is celebrating Wolfpack Wellness Phase 3. With phase 3, it is expanding the wellness program to include employees and students.

Healthiest Workplaces

August 31, 2018

Mississippi Business Journal

HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS CATEGORY 1ST PLACE

HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS CATEGORY 2ND PLACE

St. Dominic Health Services, Inc.

Magnolia Regional Health Center

RHC has taken a very innovative approach to our employees wellness. We are adding new initiatives, campaigns, programs and challenges all the time. We have an employee driven “Culture of Wellness” committee that has deﬁned wellness into 4 main aspects (Financial, Physical, Social, and Mental) that can be most impacted in the work setting. Every week a different group is in charge of presenting material to our employees. We have had lunch & learns, team building activities, volunteer opportunities, classes and more. MRHC also has a Disease Management program that helps our employees and their families that have chronic diseases such as Hypertension and Diabetes. We have a full time RN that oversees this program. The RN works with the individual and their healthcare provider, to help educate and facilitate care. Individuals participating in this program are required to do quarterly education as well as monthly coaching sessions with the RN. There is an on-going “Take the Stairs” campaign at MRHC. The employees and their spouses are offered access to gym/work out facilities free of charge. Water aerobics classes are offered weekly. Monthly Wellness challenges are offered. Sometimes they are “Step Challenges”, sometimes it is a month of “Daily Wellness Challenges”—offering a large variety of small changes that can have a large impact on their over-all and long-term wellness.

t. Dominic’s encourages its employees to lead healthy lifestyles through its Employee Wellness program, which focuses on engaging more than 4,000 St. Dominic Health Services employees in healthy living programs. Employees are regularly provided with educational materials, a monthly spotlight on health, physical fitness activities and healthy eating programs throughout the year. St. Dominic’s also began to utilize the Healthy Lives program in 2013, a comprehensive health and wellness program provided as an additional benefit at no cost to employees, spouses and dependents over the age of 18 enrolled in the St. Dominic’s health plan. Employees and dependents enrolled in the program participate in yearly health screenings and can earn cash rewards for healthy behavior and lifestyle changes. St. Dominic-Jackson Memorial Hospital, a 571-bed acute care facility in Jackson, traces its history to 1946, when the Dominican Sisters of Springfield, Ill., purchased the Jackson Infirmary in the center of the city.

2018

HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS CATEGORY 3RD PLACE

HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS CATEGORY FINALIST

University of Mississippi Medical Center

Singing River Health System

he University of Mississippi Medical Center has implemented a comprehensive employee wellness program with a medical director and manager from the Department of Preventive Medicine and a 21-member Employee Wellness Committee that meets monthly to identify opportunities for improving the health of UMMC employees. The program, “Everyday Wellness,” incorporates educational sessions, free group exercise classes, healthier food and beverage options in the cafeteria and in vending machines, recognition of walking day with an organized walk on campus, and a “Take the Stairs” campaign. It also increases awareness of resources available outside of UMMC, such as the employee assistance program and ActiveHealth Management. In June, UMMC implemented the ﬁrst on-site farmer’s market and a held a center-wide wellness challenge with 227 employees enrolled. Using the Centers for Disease Control’s online workplace health scorecard, UMMC has measured progress and showed an increase in the overall score from 170 in 2016 to 264 in 2017.

s the second largest employer in Jackson County and a health leader for the region, Singing River Health System works to deliver on its mission to improve health and save lives. Singing River offers a number of initiatives for its 2,400 employees. Healthy Rewards is a voluntary employee rewards program focusing obesity, cholesterol, hypertension and diabetes. With Healthy Selection, Singing River partners with local restaurants to create a guide for employees and patients for healthier eatiing while enjoying a meal out. The Healthy Partners program offers screenings to employees of local businesses, assistance in preventing workplace injuries, early detection of diseases, and risk assessments for a healthier lifestyle — all at reduced rates. Singing River also offers one mile walking paths for employees and guests, discounted membership to ﬁtness centers, free ﬂu shots for employees, free childbirth and breastfeeding classes, free CPR classes, blood drives and 5K events.

would like to congratulate all of the winners and ďŹ nalists for the

2018 Healthiest Workplace Awards Copiah-Lincoln Community College St. Dominic Health Services, Inc Magnolia Regional Health Center Singing River Health System University of Mississippi Medical Center Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company William Carey University CF Industries Levi Strauss & Co. Baker Donelson Ross & Yerger Ingalls Shipbuilding Caterpillar Southern Pipe & Supply Co. Inc.

Trustmark National Bank Sanderson Farms Inc Origin Bank Blacklidge Emulsions, Inc. Anytime Fitness Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society City of Hernando MS Gaming Commission Department of Finance and Administration IHL Mississippi Development Authority Mississippi Dept. of Health South Mississippi Regional Center Division of Medicaid Magnolia Health

P.O. BOX 2971 | Madison, MS 39130 | 601-540-8699 Please visit our website for membership information www.msbgh.org

The Mississippi State Department of Health would like to congratulate all of the winners and ďŹ nalists for the 2018 Healthiest Workplace Awards! Copiah-Lincoln Community College

Trustmark National Bank

St. Dominic Health Services, Inc

Sanderson Farms Inc

Magnolia Regional Health Center

Origin Bank

Singing River Health System

Blacklidge Emulsions, Inc.

University of Mississippi Medical Center

Anytime Fitness

Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company

City of Hernando 1IJ 5IFUB ,BQQB )POPS 4PDJFUZ

William Carey University

MS Gaming Commission

CF Industries

Department of Finance and Administration

Levi Strauss & Co.

IHL

Baker Donelson

Mississippi Development Authority

Ross & Yerger

Mississippi Dept. of Health

Ingalls Shipbuilding

South Mississippi Regional Center

Caterpillar

Division of Medicaid

Southern Pipe & Supply Co. Inc.

Magnolia Health

570 East Woodrow Wilson Avenue | Jackson, MS 39216 | (601) 576-7634 | msdh.ms.gov

Newsmakers

24 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q August 31, 2018

Evans, Eastland join Community Bank Scott Evans has joined Community Bank’s Lake Harbour office as Assistant Vice President. Evans, has been in banking for almost ﬁve years previously spending eleven years in Sales Management and Business Development. Thomas Eastland has joined Evans Community Bank’s Brandon office as Vice President. Eastland, has been in banking for eight years, previously serving as Loan Officer. In his new role, Eastland will be responsible for developing and growing business in the Metro Jackson footprint with an emphasis on Real Estate/ Commercial Lending. In his new role, Evans will be Eastland responsible for managing the overall performance of the branch as well as lending. Evans, a native of Brandon, is a graduate of Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Business Management with an emphasis in Human Resource Management. Active in his community, Evans volunteers with Habitat for Humanity and Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital. Eastland, a native of Brandon, is a graduate of Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Real Estate and Mortgage Finance, Barret Graduate School of Banking, and Southern Methodist University ABA National Commercial Lending School. Active in his community, Eastland serves as a member of Leadership Rankin and is a Deacon at Redeemer Church in Jackson.

Ladnier joins Hattiesburg Clinic Critical Care Medicine Karen C. Ladnier, CNP, recently joined Hattiesburg Clinic Critical Care Medicine, where she treats patients with life-threatening medical issues who are on life support or in need of other intensive medical care. Ladnier received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from The University of Southern Mississippi in Ladnier Hattiesburg, Miss., and a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Ala. She is board certiﬁed as an adult gerontological acute care nurse practitioner by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Ladnier, who’s had years of experience as a nurse in the Intensive Care Unit, said she realizes that she often meets her patients “on their worst day” but hopes to leave them better than she found them.

Hattiesburg Young Lawyers elect new officers The Hattiesburg Area Young Attorney has named its slate of officers. Cory Ferraez, partner of Holmes, McLelland and

The MAX inducts ﬁve more into Hall of Fame The ﬁve Mississippi artists chosen for the 2018 Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience (The MAX) Hall of Fame class were celebrated Aug. 25. The 2018 class members are:

nessman with his own Margaritaville record label, a line of beach clothing, a chain of clubs, and several resorts and casinos. Buffett accepted his award via video.

Country music artist Charley Pride Born on March 18, 1934, in Sledge, Mississippi, into a sharecropping family, and inspired by Grand Ole Opry broadcasts, Charley Pride picked cotton to purchase his ﬁrst guitar at age 14 – a $10 Sears & Roebuck model. In 1966, Pride was signed by Chet Atkins to RCA Records, where his gritty, Southern-accented baritone voice made him a superstar. Pride has won three Grammys, three Country Music Association awards, CMA Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry inductions and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. His 52 top-10 hits include “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone,” “Mississippi Cotton Picking Delta Town,” “Burgers and Fries,” “Roll On Mississippi” and others. Pride will travel to The MAX in Meridian to accept his award.

Photographer William Eggleston William Eggleston was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on July 27, 1939, and raised on his family’s cotton plantation near Sumner, in the Mississippi Delta. As a young man, he struggled to discern his life’s calling. He attended three universities but never earned a degree. While a student at Vanderbilt University, he bought a camera and took up photography at the encouragement of a friend. He began taking blackand-white shots, inspired by Walker Evans, Robert Frank and Henri Cartier-Bresson. But it was his later transition to color photography which brought Eggleston acclaim in the ﬁne-art world, including his now-famous 1976 “Color Photographs” exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Eggleston was represented by his cousin and Mississippi photographer, Maude Schuyler Clay.

Singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett Born on Christmas Day 1946 in Pascagoula, Mississippi, Jimmy Buffett moved to Nashville in the late 1960s to pursue a country-music career, which was short-lived. In the 1970s, he moved to Key West, Florida, and adopted his trademark beachcomber persona. Under the new guise, he signed a contract with ABC-Dunhill and in 1973 released A White Sportcoat and a Pink Crustacean, which yielded the novelty tune “Why Don’t We Get Drunk.”His other hits include “Come Monday,” “Cheeseburger in Paradise” and the iconic “Margaritaville.” Buffett has recorded over 50 albums, received two Grammy nominations and numerous CMA awards, and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He is also a best-selling author, and is a busiFerraez, will serve as president; Alex Shoemaker, Court Administrator for the Honorable Prentiss G. Harrell will serve as Vice President; Arman Miri, attorney with Bryan Nelson, will serve as secretary/treasurer; Valerie Moss Andrews, attorney with Lowery and Fortner, will serve as Director 1; John Madison Guice, attorney with Jackson, Tullos, and Rogers will serve as Director 2. HAYLA currently has over ﬁfty active members and is the Young Lawyers Division affiliate of the Mississippi Bar Association for Forrest, Lamar, and Perry Counties. HAYLA offers membership to all lawyers under the age of 37 and any lawyer over the age of 37 during their ﬁrst three years of practice following their bar admission. “HAYLA provides its members with many educational opportunities to learn from leaders in the legal profession at the local and state-wide levels. We provide pro bono services for our community and have offered disaster legal assistance during recent natural disasters in Hattiesburg. Our members also volunteer their time with local high school mock trial competitions,” said Ferraez. “Hattiesburg young lawyers have always been active and will continue to have a strong

Writer and editor Willie Morris Willie Morris was born on November 29, 1934, in Jackson, Mississippi. His experiences while later growing up in Yazoo City inspired his novels about Southerners haunted by racial segregation but loyal to the region Following a stellar university education, he eventually settled in New York, where he was associate editor and, later, editor-in-chief at Harper’s Magazine. In 1967, he published his best-selling autobiography, North Toward Home. In 1980, he returned home as writer-in-residence at the University of Mississippi. His other acclaimed books include The Courting of Marcus Dupree (1983), My Dog Skip (1995) and The Ghosts of Medgar Evers (1998). inﬂuence in our community. I look forward to serving with our officers as president.” HAYLA’s mission is to aid in the administration of justice; to improve the competence of its members; to instill in the public a respect for the system of justice and the rule of law; to promote service to the public by its members; to apply the knowledge and experience of the legal profession to the promotion of public good; to serve the members of the Mississippi Bar in ways which serve the public good; to uphold the honor, dignity, and integrity of the legal profession; and to promote fellowship among its members.

Josh Munn selected for MSSA Elite Program Josh Munn, vice president for engineering and design at Munn Enterprises, has been selected as a member of the Mid-South Sign Association’s 2018 Elite Program class. Munn was recognized as a new class member at SignConnexion, the MSSA annual conference. The Elite Program is a leadership development

Morris was represented by his son, David Rae Morris. Blues musician Howlin’ Wolf Born Chester A. Burnett on June 10, 1910, on a plantation between West Point and Aberdeen, Mississippi, Howlin’ Wolf was exposed to blues music at an early age. He derived his trademark howl from the “blue yodel” of Jimmie Rodgers, whom he admired. In 1948, producer Sam Phillips recorded him in Memphis. Wolf later signed with Chess Records and moved to Chicago, where his career took off. With hits including “I Ain’t Superstitious,” “Little Red Rooster,” “Back Door Man” and “Smokestack Lightning,” Wolf has influenced blues-based rock musicians such as the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton and Led Zeppelin. Howlin’ Wolf was represented by his daughter, Bettye Kelly of Chicago. The five artists chosen for this year’s class will join the inaugural class of eighteen inducted in 2017: Walter Inglis Anderson, William Faulkner, Morgan Freeman, John Grisham, Jim Henson, Robert Johnson, James Earl Jones, B.B. King, George Ohr, Elvis Presley, Leontyne Price, Jimmie Rodgers, Sela Ward, Muddy Waters, Eudora Welty, Tennessee Williams, Oprah Winfrey, and Richard Wright. Paul Ott Carruth will be honored during the ceremony with an unveiling of a bronze bust created in his honor by sculptor Ben Watts of Columbia. Carruth family members will be in attendance for the unveiling. The MAX is a first-of-its-kind multimedia tribute to the rich culture of creativity and the legacy of artists from all mediums who have called Mississippi home. The immersive exhibits at The MAX take you behind the scenes at the birthplace of the stars. Visitors learn how Mississippi and her people have influenced artists of all avenues and how these artists then influenced the world.

class devoted to helping young leaders maximize their potential by learning advanced leadership and communication skills as well as serving as a primer for future leadership opportunities within MSSA, the trade association for sign companies in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi Munn and Tennessee. Munn, a native of Sumrall, has been employed at his family’s business since 2006 and assumed his current position this year. He is a 2009 graduate of Sumrall High School, a 2013 graduate of the Jones County Junior College civil engineering technology program and a 2015 graduate of the construction engineering technology program at the University of Southern Mississippi. Munn Enterprises is a leading manufacturer and installer of signs and other visual communications in the southeastern United States.

August 31, 2018 • MISSISSIPPI BUSINESS JOURNAL • www.msbusiness.com

AN MBJ FOCUS: REAL ESTATE

Trust says historic restorations bringing sustained economic dividends » But more emphasis on small-town Mississippi needed, preservation group says By TED CARTER mbj@msbusiness.com Three years ago, a John C. Stennis Institute of Government study concluded historic preservation in Mississippi does more than save old buildings. Saving the state’s past, the Mississippi State University-based institute said, carries the time-honored American virtue of making money. Specifically, each dollar of tax credits the state issues puts $2.45 into the pockets of workers and $1.25 into a local economy, the 2015 study said. The Stennis Institute took on the economic impact analysis at the request of state legislative leaders who were struggling to decide whether to renew $60 million in historic preservation tax credits approved in 2006. Time since the study’s release has further cemented the economic value of saving the state’s past, says the Mississippi Heritage Trust, a non-profit preservation organization that led the charge in 2016 for a 5-year renewal of $60 million in tax credits. With more data expected to show the bang for the buck historic preservation brought through private partnerships, the Heritage Trust hopes the next renewal won’t go down to the wire as the 2016 one did. By 2015, the $60 million in credits authorized in 2006 dwindled to zero. With no prospect of gaining tax credits that cover 25 percent of a project’s qualified costs, developers began putting their restoration work on hold or backing off projects yet to start. The outlook on renewal turned so dim the Trust in October 2015 listed historic preservation tax credits among Mississippi’s 10 Most Endangered Places, along with such historic structures as the French Hotel in Senatobia, Margaret’s Grocery in Vicksburg and Phoenix Naval Stores Office in Gulfport. Getting legislative approval of a $60 million renewal over five years, as proposed by the state’s Department of Archives and History, helped prevetn further deterioration of historically valuable structures. But a lot of value also came from another outcome: Successful-

ly convincing lawmakers that preservation puts new dollars into the economy, said Lolly Rash, executive director of the Jackson-based Heritage Trust. “It was a big deal for legislators to recognize the economic development tool that” is historic preservation,” Rash said. “Absolutely, after the five years we will be able to show the economic development results.” The bulk of those results, according to Rush, will come from projects in Jackson and other metro areas such as Hattiesburg and Gulfport and Biloxi. The Trust, however, is equally hopeful of building on the success it has had encouraging preservation efforts in towns like Greenville, Clarksdale and Columbus. “We would like to see the credits put forth more on smaller redevelopment projects,” Rash said. “We are a state of small towns. We don’t have huge historic buildings all over.” But it does have ample historically significant smaller buildings that could be good candidates for restorations or redevelopments of around $1 million, Rash said. Redoing those small buildings could become attractive with the $250,000 in state tax credits a restoration would carry, she added. Financial help beyond tax credits would be a huge boost to small town preservation, said Chuck Rutledge, a New Orleans developer who has joined with Bubba O’Keefe and the non-profit Coahoma Collective in Clarksdale to rejuvenate the 95-year-old Travelers Hotel downtown. Rutledge said he thinks giving small hotels a sales tax rebate like the ones sometimes awarded large new hotel projects would help drive new hospitality and retail restoration around the state. Often, a small developer doesn’t have enough tax liability to benefit from a tax credit, Rutledge said. “With a lot of projects, the developer needs equity but not necessarily tax credits,” he said. “That program should be revised to help smaller towns and smaller hotels,” Rutledge added. “Small projects can have a huge impact on small towns.” In some instances, big and small See RESTORATIONs, Page 27

Courtesy of Coahoma Collective

The nearly completed restoration of Clarksdale’s Travelers Hotel leaves the exterior of the building largely unchanged.

CLARKSDALE HISTORIC RESTORATIONS PROVIDING ROOM TO CREATE » Strategy makes priorities of preserving the past and enhancing the present By TED CARTER mbj@msbusiness.com A $2.3 million transformation of a circa 1923 hotel in Clarksdale that once served as lodging for railroad conductors and engineers is a key cog in a plan to draw artists and other creative people downtown. Restoration of the historic Travelers Hotel on Third Street and transformation of the old Woolworth’s on Yazoo Avenue into residential lofts reflect several priorities for both Mississippi and the Delta town known as a worldwide draw for people seeking a blues heritage experience. The redevelopments of the historically significant buildings mark a success for the Mississippi Department of Archives and History’s allocation of historic tax credits. They give a boost to believers in the idea that making new uses of things old can be an economic driver for a downtown. And lastly, the redevelopments give Clarksdale an opportunity to liven up the Central Business District by attracting artists, entrepreneurs and other creative types, says Bubba O’Keefe, a restoration developer who has worked with the non-profit Coahoma Collective in converting the two-story Travelers into a hotel.

“Creative people are flooding into Clarksdale,” O’Keefe said. “They are the ones more likely to plug into the social things. These things help change a community.” In addition to the Travelers and the transformation of the Woolworth’s into the Lofts at the Five and Dime, the Coahoma Collective is behind creation of the Sunflower Lofts on Sunflower Avenue and Yazoo Pass Restaurant on Yazoo Avenue. Collective executive director Ann Williams described the effort in a written comment: “Coahoma Collective’s mission is to catalyze arts-driven, community-inclusive revitalization in downtown Clarksdale. Travelers Hotel will create jobs and expand existing tourism while providing a new venue for arts and culture programs in a comfortable, authentic space where all are welcome.” Chuck Rutledge, a New Orleans restoration developer, has teamed with O’Keefe and the Collective on the historic preservation projects. “In terms of tourism, we’ll obviously add an alternative place to stay in downtown Clarksdale,” he said of the 95-year-old Travelers which became home to a now-departed printing shop decades after its life as a hotel ended. “It is also in our interest to market to people interested in the blues but also to people who come to Clarksdale for other reasons.” Programs for the arts will be a draw and partnerships with musicians and blues venues are in the mix as well, Rutledge said. State tax credits covered $480,000 of the $2.3 milSee CLARKSDALE, Page 26

Real Estate

26 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q August 31, 2018 PROFILE

Payne happy to be serving his hometown By CALLIE DANIELS BRYANT mbj@msbusiness.com

Residing in Jackson is a third-generation Realtor, Tommy Payne, who is the broker associate and the promising successor to the 58-year old Payne Realty, which serves the Madison, Hinds, and Rankin counties. “I ‘grew up’ in the business you could say,” Payne said. “Having the chance to work with my dad and to be the third generation of my family to join the company was a very exciting opportunity for me after graduating (from Mississippi State University), and I would consider that my inspiration. I always knew in the back of my mind this is what I wanted to do.” His grandmother opened the business in 1960 as a full-time residential sales agency with the help of his grandfather who was an attorney. In 1972, after serving in the United States Navy, his father, Bruce Payne, worked for the family business which then had a “natural transition into commercial brokerage as well as keeping our residential side active.” Payne said that as part of the business he will be active in all areas including commercial leasing and sales, residential

leasing and sales, and management. “But if I had to choose a specialization it would be the business development and investment side,” he said. As a third-generation realtor Payne has balanced Payne family wisdom with continuing education. “Every day is different and I am able to learn something new every day,” he said, “especially from my dad and his experience. I’ve had a chance to be active in our local and statewide Realtor associations, as well as national associations such as CCIM (certiﬁed commercial investment member). Networking and learning from these associations have helped me grow into this business as well.” Payne also holds a business administration degree with majors in management of construction and land development and also in risk management, insurance and ﬁnancial planning. He said, “MCL, as we called it, covered a wide range of industry from light construction to landscape contracting and real

RESTORATIONS Continued from, Page 25

projects create a strong synergy. That’s happened on Capitol Street in Jackson with the King Edward Hotel and the nore recent transformation of building across the street into the Capitol Art Lofts, Rash said. “They are going to anchor that main thoroughfare,” she noted. “They are absolutely feeding off each other.” The 2016 tax credit renewal caps annual outlays at $12 million over the 5-year life of the renewal. Any of the $12 million left at the end of the year disappears instead of getting rolled over to the following year. But few, if any, of the credits are going to waste, said Todd Sanders, tax incentives coordinator for the Department of Archives and History. “I think a lot if it is getting used up. The big ones take most of it. It takes a whole lot to get to completion.” Most Mississippi restoration projects rely on a 20 percent federal tax credit along with the state’s 25 percent credit. The difference is that the federal credits aren’t under an annual cap, but in Mississippi, when the $12 million is gone, there is no more for that year. The state does not issue the credits until the developer reaches part three of the qualiﬁcation process. That is the phase in which the developer must show completion of the speciﬁc historically based restorations detailed in the application.

estate. I chose it because it had the real estate aspect that I already had an interest in and other parts that I would more than likely be indirectly involved with from a business standpoint.” Payne recalls a senior level financing class that he chose as an elective. “It was a very challenging class but not necessarily something with material that I used on a daily basis,” he said. “But as I started to become more involved with the investment side of real estate business I’ve found myself relying on a lot of information I’ve covered there.” Since graduating in 2012, received his GRI designation in 2013 and became a CCIM candidate that year. This year he earned the prestigious CCIM designation which signifies expertise in commercial real estate profession. This same year he also served as the president of the Mississippi Commercial Association of Realtors. Like his achievements so far, Payne has set the bar high for the family business. “[I want ] to be the most successful full service real estate firm that we are capable of being. There’s not an area of the business we don’t want to be involved with. We also have goals for expansion that we are taking steps towards,” he said. He is proud of Payne Realty for involvement in the brokerage of residential and commercial development in the tri-county area in the past several years, and is excited to see new development. “I think there are definitely more real estate opportunities offered here in Mississippi than people may assume,” Payne

“You have to make the investments before you get the approval,” Rash said. Rash and developers of historic properties say they want the cap removed in the 2021 renewal. Otherwise, an inability to count on getting the credits will cause developers to shy away from restoration projects, she said. “If all of a sudden somebody gets in line before them and the tax credit coffers run dry, it creates a great deal of uncertainty in the development world,” she said. “We’d like to see a way for developers to understand that tax credit is going to be available to them.” Instead of Mississippi’s ﬁrst-come-ﬁrst-served arrangement, other states have review processes to let developers show why their project is more deserving than others, according to Rash. Mississippi has largely avoided odd-man-out situations so far, mainly because restoration developers in the state keep up with each other’s progress, said Sanders, who brought a background as an architectural historian to his Department of Archives and History post. If they issue does arise, said Sanders, “We feel we can work through it.” A lot of good projects have been completed and more are in the works, Sanders said. “They are going to be transformative in some places,” he said. “They are going to make huge differences.”

said. “There are still areas of the metro that are not developed, but I think that you will see some of that start to change especially with some recently publicized tax incentives in certain areas that could be offered as soon as this year. I have an optimistic outlook with the way things seem to be trending locally and nationally.” He adds that being in the business for six years as well as growing up in Jackson has made new development within the city as well as nearby towns in the tri-county areas exciting for him, and he has been proud to be a part of brokerage for those projects. “People on the outside looking in may not realize all the moving part it takes to get a real estate deal finalized,” he said. “From construction, law, insurance, and banking, etc. there are several industries involved that all play a significant role in getting a deal to a closing table.” In the meantime, he is happy to have returned to Jackson, his beloved hometown. “I’m excited to be back in Jackson and also excited to see some people my age start to move back into the metro area as well,” Payne said. “My fiancée and I plan on being here for a long time, and I am looking forward to seeing continued growth not only in the real estate industry but in other industries as well.” Payne Realty is located at 113 Village Boulevard in Madison, and you can visit it online at paynerealtyms.com. Tommy Payne can be reached at (601) 940-9503.

2018 HERITAGE AWARDS FOR RESTORATION » Columbus City Hall » Clarksdale Fire Station » Starkville Police Department » Bolivar County Courthouse, Cleveland » Madison County Courthouse, Canton » Pike County Courthouse, Holmesville » Hinds Community College Administration Building, Raymond » Mississippi State University YMCA, Starkville » Millsaps Hotel Exterior Restoration, Hazlehurst » Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle Rectory, Jackson » Dr. Gilbert R. Mason, Sr. Medical Office, Biloxi » Rich Grain Distilling Co., Canton » Wier Boerner Allin Architecture, Jackson » Crosby Building, Canton » DANE Building, Canton » Merrill-Beasley House, Jackson » The Wierhouse, Brandon » Molly’s Place, Grenada » White Pillars, Biloxi » Wynne House Inn, Holly Springs » Fyke House, Jackson * Go to msbusiness.com for list of all category winners for 2018 Heritage Awards

Real Estate Commercial Developers

August 31, 2018

CLARKSDALE Continued from, Page 25

lion Travelers restoration. Federal tax credits accounted for another $380,000 of the costs, according to Rutledge. But even those cost coverages would come up short had the Coahoma Collective not landed a sizable Walton Family Foundation grant, he said. Indeed, getting the Travelers Hotel to this point took

some creativity and resourcefulness, said Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Keefe. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We had to think out of the box as far as cooperatives, grants and anything else to make these tax credits work,â&#x20AC;? he said. Insufficient rents put buying a building like the Traveler Hotel out of reach for a non-proďŹ t, according to Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Keefe. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to grow this town,â&#x20AC;? added Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Keefe, a Clarksdale native. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Doing something like this is unique,â&#x20AC;? he said, ex-

plaining that the restoration projects will give everyone from painters to entrepreneurs to software developers a place to live, work and have an ownership stake without any out-of-pocket expense. Ownership comes at the end of their up-to-one-year tenure as part of the Collectiveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s creative membership. These seven or so creative people will stay in Coahoma Collective-provided apartments at the Five and Dime Lofts and work in studio space set aside for them there. To earn their keep, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll work one day a week

Mississippi Business Journal

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at the Travelers and three days a week at a former farm feed and seed store on Delta Avenue the Collective has converted to a gift shop and other retail use. Rutledge calls this â&#x20AC;&#x153;creative place-making to help create jobs downtown and expand tourism.â&#x20AC;? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be great, he said, for Clarksdale to get a big manufacturing center. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But while weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re waiting on that, we will use creative thinking to enhance what is there.â&#x20AC;?

August 31, 2018 • MISSISSIPPI BUSINESS JOURNAL • www.msbusiness.com

AN MBJ FOCUS: CONSTRUCTION

Good times on the Gulf Coast

Courtesy of Margaritaville

» Margaritaville Resort amusement park ‘will reshape the traditional landscape of Biloxi’ By BECKY GILLETTE mbj@msbusiness.com

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What could be more fun than hanging out at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Resort and Hotel in Biloxi? It might be enjoying the beachside amusement park that is currently planned next to the Margaritaville located on Point Cadet. Milton Segarra, CEO, Visit Mississippi Gulf Coast, said by deﬁnition amusement parks are ex- Segarra citing. That is even more true when they are also on the beach next to casinos, hotels, restaurants, and opportunities for ﬁshing, sailing and sightseeing. “It will reshape the traditional landscape of Biloxi,” Segarra said. “It is a $140 million investment by the Barrington Group. It is a game changer--the same thing as See MARGARITAVILLE, Page 29

Construction

MARGARITAVILLE Continued from, Page 28

the aquarium being built in downtown Gulfport. Having not only the casino component, but this amusement park, as well, is really diversifying the experience of downtown Biloxi. This will give an entirely new perspective to the coast. It gives you another dimension to the very diverse experience that we have. It is undeniably one of the most important projects in the future of the coast.” Segarra said the expansion of the Margaritaville facilities on the Gulf Coast sends a strong message of how the coast is growing and attracting new and different types of development. “You have casinos, night life, nature, adventure, gastronomic and culinary offerings, ﬁshing and history,” Segarra said. “Those are the key drivers to attract more and new visitors to the coast. And I can’t say enough about the investors and the owners from the Margaritaville project for trusting the future of this coast. The fact they will add another hotel with more rooms is also a big driver of new business that will attract new visitors coming to the coast and also expand the number of visitors that we have.” Amusement parks are a popular family

destination no matter where they are located. But Segarra said being located next to the Gulf will add to the excitement. “If you think of all the recent development the Coast has been experiencing like the go-kart facilities and existing museums that the family can enjoy, you have a phenomenal lineup of events and facilities to enjoy,” Segarra said. “What can we expect with this? No. 1, more visitors and No. 2, we have a very powerful brand expanding their facilities and services on the coast. The third thing is that we will have more economic impact to our coast and all of our stakeholders. And four, when you add this to the entertainment arena of the coast, it becomes very diverse. It is a phenomenal opportunity to keep marketing our total package as a unique and very diverse experience for families, adults, sports betting groups and conventions by having all the amenities and attractions of a world-class destination.” Employment will also get a boost. Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann said the development will create hundreds of new jobs. Hosemann said the leasing of State-owned tidelands properties for Margaritaville – Phase II is excellent news for Biloxi, the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and the state. “This development should produce

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August 31, 2018

millions of dollars for the Tidelands Fund — all of which is spent on the coast,” Hosemann said. “The project will be another great reason for visitors to spend one more day on our Mississippi Gulf Coast.” Vincent Creel, Public Affairs Manager, city of Biloxi, said there are so many promising aspects of the Margaritaville project that it’s difficult to know where to start. “And that’s a good thing,” Creel said. “First, Biloxi is dealing with a proven brand, Margaritaville, at a proven location, the Point Cadet waterfront. Margaritaville has been gangbusters since it opened, and that’s a credit to the brand created by the people who envisioned this property. It diversifies our market, and now it’s going to grow our market even more. It’s family entertainment, as in non-gaming, which we all have said we need for years.” He said it is also noteworthy that the project is being done by the Barrington Group, a firm that just a few years ago built Bay Cove, a multi-million-dollar retirement and assisted living home on Back Bay. “The firm also recently restored the upscale White House Hotel to its former glory and then shortly after that the firm unveiled the family-oriented Margarita-

Mississippi Business Journal

ville Resort to huge crowds in the summer of 2016,” Creel said. “The group also is currently turning the former Santa Maria retirement home north of the Biloxi Small Craft Harbor into the Watermark, a 154-room, all-suites hotel, a $12 million investment that would also feature a restaurant specializing in fresh-caught seafood, and a lounge. This project will create 70 permanent jobs.” Creel said this company, which has a proven track record in Biloxi, knows a good thing when it sees it, and they know Biloxi and what Biloxi’s visitors want. “We’re excited as we can be that they have ﬁnally received the green light to move forward with their latest venture,” he said. The new 300-room hotel tower will be built on the property to the west of the current Margaritaville site, with the amusement park in between. No construction timetable has been announced for the project known as Margaritaville Phase II.

July 2018

30 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q August 31, 2018

DeSoto 4.0

Mississippi 5.3 U.S. 4.1

Tunica 5.5

MISSISSIPPI’S JULY UNEMPLOYMENT FIGURES

UNITED STATES Labor Force Data Civilian Labor Force Unemployed Unemployment Rate Employed

Tate 5.3

July ‘18 163,734,000 6,730,000 4.1 157,004,000

STATE OF MISSISSIPPI Unemployment Insurance Data •• Initial UI Claims Continued Claims Beneﬁts Paid $ Weeks Paid First Payments Final Payments Average Weekly Beneﬁt

June ‘18 1,303,200 74,800 5.7 1,228,400

June ‘18 163,277,000 6,812,000 4.2 156,465,000

July 2018 5,566 57,445 8,625,271 42,979 3,333 521 $200.69

July ‘17 1,293,200 75,200 5.8 1,218,000

July ‘17 161,911,000 7,441,000 4.6 154,470,000

‘17 Avg. 1,280,000 64,900 5.1 1,215,100

‘17 Avg. 160,320,000 6,982,000 4.4 153,337,000

June 2018 6,350 44,537 $6,420,489 32,260 3,334 438 $199.02

July 2017 6,284 69,346 $9,518,753 48,171 3,817 765 $197.60

Alcorn 4.6

Tippah 4.7

Prentiss 5.0

Yalobusha 6.1

Calhoun 5.0

Leflore 7.6

Carroll 5.7

Montgomery 5.5

Humphreys 9.4 Sharkey 7.4

Moving Avg.** 161,322,000 6,569,000 4.1 154,752,000

Holmes 10.3

Yazoo 6.6

Issaquena 7.5

Lowndes 5.8

Oktibbeha 5.7

Choctaw 5.1

Winston 6.3

Attala 6.1

Monroe 6.0

Clay 7.8

Webster 5.8

Washington 7.5

Tishomingo 5.4

Itawamba 4.7

Chickasaw 5.9

Grenada 4.9

Sunflower 8.1

Lee 4.4

Pontotoc 4.2

Bolivar 7.3

Moving Avg.** 1,279,200 60,200 4.7 1,219,000

Lafayette 4.9

Quitman 9.0

Coahoma 7.6

Tallahatchie 5.7

July ‘18 1,304,100 69,500 5.3 1,234,600

Benton 6.3

Union 3.7 Panola 6.8

Labor force and employment security data STATE OF MISSISSIPPI Labor Force Data Civilian Labor Force Unemployed Unemployment Rate Employed

Marshall 5.6

Leake 5.8

Neshoba 5.0

Scott 4.4

Newton 5.6

Noxubee 8.0

Kemper 8.7

Madison 4.1 Warren 5.9 Rankin 3.6

Hinds 5.2

Claiborne 10.8

Copiah 6.3

Jefferson 15.2 Adams 7.2

Wilkinson 10.1

Franklin 6.7

Lincoln 5.1

Amite 7.1

Pike 6.5

Covington Jones 5.0 5.3

Walthall 7.9

Marion 5.8

— Mississippi Department of Employment Security5.9 - 9.0 9.1 - 15.2

5.9 - 9.0 9.1 - 15.2

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Lamar 4.1

Pearl River 5.1

Hancock 5.3

Clarke 6.1

Wayne 6.2

Lawrence Jeff Davis 6.7 8.7

Unemployment Rates

** Average for most recent twelve months, including current month Rates •• Unemployment Insurance amounts presented in this section only represent regular UI benefits, federal program amounts areUnemployment not included. 3.3 - 4.2 3.6 - 4.2 Labor force amounts are produced in cooperation with the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 4.3 - 5.8 4.3 - 5.8 Note: Unless indicated state and county data presented are not seasonally adjusted.

Jasper 6.7

Smith 4.8

Simpson 4.8

Lauderdale 5.7

Forrest 5.0

Perry 6.6

Stone 6.2

Harrison 4.9

Greene 7.2

George 7.5

Jackson 6.0

Source: Labor Market Data Publication Design: Labor Market Information Department, MDES

OIL SPILL Continued from, Page 3

Sub-dome maker celebrates $4.6M expansion, creation of 46 jobs By JACK WEATHERLY jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com Seemann Composites celebrated on Wednesday the company’s new submarine bow dome production facility in Gulfport. The project, a $4.6 million corporate investment, accommodates a contract with General Dynamics Electric Boat for the U.S. Navy and creates 46 jobs. “Thousands of workers on the Mississippi Gulf Coast are engaged in the production of some of the most sophisticated, high-tech products employed within the maritime and defense industries,” Gov. Phil Bryant said in a news release. “Dozens more individuals on the Coast are now producing bow domes for U.S. Navy submarines, strengthening our nation’s defense and Mississippi’s position as a frontrunner in the industry.” Located in the Bayou Bernard Indus-

trial Park, Seemann Composites constructed a 25,600-square-foot building to produce bow domes for the Navy’s Columbia Class Ballistic Missile Submarine, which will replace the Ohio Class Ballistic Missile Subs. The expansion was announced in July 2016. “We would like to thank Gov. Bryant, the Mississippi Development Authority and the Harrison County Development Commission for their support in helping us meet this critical need for the U.S, Navy Submarine Program,” said Seemann Composites CEO Bill Seemann.

The Mississippi Development Authority provided $700,000 for site preparation and infrastructure needs. Completion of Seemann Composites’ expansion increases the company’s employment in Gulfport to approximately 160 workers. Seemann was founded in 1987 and developed the technology of vacuum infusion, which is used worldwide and has been attributed to starting an industry-wide revolution in vacuum assisted resin transfer molding of composites.

revenue that would have been spent in state budgets. Republican Rep. Tracy Arnold of Booneville is circulating a proposal to divide the money among counties and cities based on their share of Mississippi’s population. He said his proposal is getting “overwhelming support” and predicted senators would feel pressure from city and county officials to approve it. “I’m not going to settle for crumbs,” Arnold said, when asked about whether legislative leaders were using special projects to get non-coastal lawmakers to vote for the bill. “My people sent me down here to sit at the table.” Coast leaders have repeatedly called for some way to make sure the money is used for high-impact projects. Gulf Coast Business Council CEO Ashley Edwards, for example, is critical of the decision to ﬁnance the state’s bicentennial celebration out of BP money. The Mississippi Development Authority would run an application process for the Gulf Coast money, prioritizing projects that would create jobs. Lawmakers would approve grants recommended by MDA each year. MDA could approve loans. Wiggins said lawmakers had refused to put some other body outside of state government in charge of the coast’s portion of the money. “I think that ship has sailed,” Wiggins said. Lawmakers would control the non-coast money directly each year. — MBJ Staff & Wire Reports

August 31, 2018

Mississippi Business Journal

THE SPIN CYCLE

Cohen Plea + Manafort Conviction = Terrible Month for Trump

Local media coverage continues to dwindle It’s no surprise that local journalism is suffering. Cities across the nation have dwindled from multiple dailies, to one, to none in some cases. Research has tended to focus on individual communities, or on certain types of journalism covering certain topics locally. But there’s more compelling news when you dig deeper. Researchers from the News Measures Research Project at Duke analyzed more than 16,000 news stories across 100 U.S. communities with populations ranging from 20,000 to 300,000. What they found isn’t promising:

» Only about 17 percent of the news stories provided to a community are truly local — actually about or within — the municipality. » Less than half (43 percent) of the news stories provided to a community by local media outlets are original (i.e., created by local media outlets. » A little more than half (56 percent) of the news stories provided to a community by local media outlets address a critical information need [categories such as “emergencies and risks,” “education,” “civic information,” etc.] Legendary Mic | Sen. John McCain, A consensus builder, principled patriot, maverick leader John McCain was a true American hero – a lifelong consensus builder, principled patriot and maverick leader who always stood up for his ideals! The determined naval aviator who stared hell in the eyes as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, and survived the torture to reach the pinnacle of power on Capitol Hill as a revered U.S. representative, senator and presidential contender, died last weekend at 81. He fought brain cancer that was discovered in 2017 like he lived his life: with bravery, honesty and a fierce determination. Despite the tumor, McCain mustered the energy to make a dramatic appearance in the Senate to cast a “no” vote against his party’s drive to repeal the Affordable Care Act, underscoring his maverick heart. McCain was a descendent of naval greatness – his father and grandfather were four-star admirals and his heroes – and they instilled the ideals of character and sacrifice that would inform his principles. Principles that served him well on the battlefields of life, forged by conservative instincts, a rebellious bent and sometimes vitriolic temper. His plane was shot down near Hanoi, where he suffered broken arms and a crushed leg. He was captured and thrown into solitary confinement for two years, beaten frequently and suspended by ropes for long periods. Although he attempted suicide and withered to nearly 100 pounds, he remained valiant, rejecting early release to keep his honor and avoid enemy untruths. Upon his retirement from the Navy, he moved to Arizona, where he won two terms as a representative and six as a senator. He was a general in the Reagan Revolution in his early years, but became much more independent, and prone to maverick ways, often defying his party’s leaders and building consensus with Democrats. Although he lost the 2000 Republican presidential nomination to George W. Bush, who won the White House, McCain continued to lead. Eight years later, with a growing financial crisis engulfing the nation, McCain made another bold move – seeking the presidency against Barack Obama. True to his character, he boarded a bus called the Straight Talk Express — and rode it to the Republican nomination. Although he lost to first-time Sen. Barack Obama, he advanced a reputation as a leading internationalist against threats caused by Russia and other countries. McCain was one of the senate’s fiercest military hawks, who would stand up to President Trump, and his harsh statements, wayward Twitter posts and myriad pivots. In excerpts from his memoir released while he was undergoing cancer treatment, McCain wrote: “I don’t have

a complaint. Not one. It’s been quite a ride. I’ve known great passions, seen amazing wonders, fought in a war, and helped make a peace. I made a small place for myself in the story of America and the history of my times.” He left us with a glorious statement of a life well lived upon his death: “My fellow Americans, whom I have gratefully served for 60 years … Thank you for the privilege of serving you and for the rewarding life that service in uniform and in public office has allowed me to lead. I have tried to serve our country honorably. I have made mistakes, but I hope my love for America will be weighed favorably against them. Do not despair of our present difficulties but believe always in the promise and greatness of America, because nothing is inevitable here. Americans never quit. We never surrender. We never hide from history. We make history. Farewell, fellow Americans. God bless you, and God bless America.” Godspeed, our fearless leader, valiant voice of reason, principled patriot, and yes, true American hero! Each week, The Spin Cycle will bestow a Golden Mic Award to the person, group or company in the court of public opinion that best exempliﬁes the tenets of solid PR, marketing and advertising – and those who don’t. Stay tuned – and step-up to the mic! And remember … Amplify Your Brand!

Todd Smith is president and chief communications officer of Deane, Smith & Partners, a full-service branding, PR, marketing and advertising ﬁrm with offices in Jackson. The ﬁrm — based in Nashville, Tenn. — is also affiliated with Mad Genius. Contact him at todd@deanesmithpartners.com, and follow him @spinsurgeon.

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t’s been a bad PR month for the president. First, Michael Cohen – President Trump’s former lawyer -- pleaded guilty to eight criminal counts including campaign-finance violations. Cohen told a federal judge that Donald Trump had directed him during the 2016 campaign to buy the silence of two women who said they had affairs with Trump. Cohen said he paid $130,000 to the adult-film actress known as Stormy Daniels, and coordinated a $150,000 payment by the publisher of the National Enquirer to former Playboy model Karen McDougal. This marked the first time in the numerous criminal cases facing former Trump officials where the president is directly implicated in a potential felony, according to the Wall Street Journal. Through all the hired hands, longtime associates and core loyalists, Trump’s lawyer originally appeared the least likely to dent the USS Trump. Fast forward to this month – and maybe the darkest day yet of the Trump White House – it was Cohen who dealt the biggest blow. The dedicated personal lawyer who flew below the radar directly implicated the president in a federal crime, making undisclosed hush payments to two women in the closing stages of the presidential race in violation of federal campaign-finance law. Then, former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was convicted of eight charges related to tax and bank fraud. In the first trial to stem from special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, a Virginia jury reached the guilty verdict on eight counts, but didn’t agree on an additional 10 counts of bank fraud and related violations. Which were thrown out. Manafort was convicted of not paying taxes on more than $16 million in income and lying to two banks when he sought millions of dollars in loans, according to the Wall Street Journal. Trump dismissed the conviction as a “witch hunt.” Then he went on the attack, putting Attorney General Jeff Sessions in the crosshairs with sneering criticism, a Trump trademark. But this time, Sessions punched back hard as their long-running rift exploded into a public tilt. Trump, concerned by the legal storm, accused Sessions of failing to take control of the Justice Department, leading Sessions to declare that he and his department “will not be improperly influenced by political considerations.” So we have Cohen and Manafort delivering a one-two punch, Trump punching back and Sessions counterpunching, in a continuing PR nightmare, the latest Beltway boxing match that could have some serious knockouts before the dust settles!

Todd Smith

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