2016 CEO AWARDS of Mississippi
Special Publication of the
The Mississippi Business Journal will recognize leaders around the state of Mississippi who demonstrate excellence among the top executives in their field. The CEOs whom have helped their companies achieve strong growth and success, and have made a profound impact on their company and community. Honorees will be selected in categories of Nonprofit CEOs, Rising Stars, Large Companies, Medium Companies and Small Companies
NOMINATION FORM Your name: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Nominee Name: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Title: ____________________________________________________________________________ Age: _______________________________ Company Name: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Company Category: _________ A. Nonprofit _________ B. Rising Stars _________ C. Large Company (200 or more employees) _________ D. Medium Company (50-199 employees) _________ E. Small Company (15 minimum to 49 employees) Phone Number: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Email Address: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Address: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Individual awards and achievements: ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Company awards and achievements: ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
events@msbusiness.com / (601) 364-1000 / Fax (601) 364-1007 Download form at: www.msbusiness.com Click on Events and scroll down to CEO Awards of Mississippi
Congratulations to
LAUREN MCGRAW
Portable Toilets | Dumpsters | Special Events Bathroom Trailers | Recycling | Storage Trailers Portable Water Trucks | Disaster Services Septic & Pumping Services | Shower Trailers Construction | Inflatables
McGraw “Gotta Go”
601.879.3969 (office) • 601.879.3966 (fax) gottago@tecinfo.com • www.gottagotoilets.com
The contributions made by these CEO’s who lead their companies throughout Mississippi have brought about positive change in our state’s economic competitiveness and made a profound impact on their companies and communities. Carolyn Boteler Thomas E. Brown Gary D. Butler Michael D. Callahan Sunny Desai Steve Dobbs Mayo Flynt Curtis J. Gabardi Gerard Gibert Don Glidewell Lisa F. Graham W. Taylor Guild III Claude W. Harbarger Charles D. Holder, Jr. R. Tommy King Douglas E. Levanway Janis K. Lewis Liza Cirlot Looser
Steve Marsh Ronald “Buddy” McClain Lauren McGraw Andy Mercier W. Hibbett Neel, Jr. John B. Neville Carl L. Nicholson, Jr. Charles W. Nicholson, Jr. David Palmer Chris Ray Bernard T. Reed Philip A. Shirley Cheli Strumila Ronnie Tubertini Gary Watts Blake Wilson Dudley D. Wooley William G. Yates III
Mississippi of 2016 CEO AWARDS
The Mississippi Economic Council congratulates the recipients of the 2016 “CEO Awards.”
2016
Special Publication of
the
2016 CLASS CAROLYN BOTELER TempStaff Inc. ............................................................6 THOMAS E. BROWN Magnolia State Bank ...................................................8 GARY D. BUTLER Camgian Microsystems ............................................. 10 MICHAEL D. CALLAHAN Electric Power Associations of Mississippi...................12 SUNNY DESAI Desai Hotel Group .................................................... 14 STEVE DOBBS Merit Health of Central Mississippi ............................ 16 MAYO FLYNT AT&T ........................................................................17 CURTIS J. GABARDI The Metropolitan Bank ..............................................17 GERARD GIBERT Venture Technologies ................................................ 18 DON GLIDEWELL Think Anew .............................................................. 19 LISA F. GRAHAM Gulf Coast Community Federal Credit Union .............. 19 W. TAYLOR GUILD III Eley Guild Hardy Architects PA. .................................20 CLAUDE W. HARBARGER St. Dominic’s.............................................................21 CHARLES B. HOLDER, JR. Hol-Mac Corporation.................................................21
MBJ Staff
P.O. Box 23276 Jackson, MS 39225-3276 (601) 969-0022 1-800-748-7626 Fax: (601) 353-0247 or 1-888-717-2809 mec.ms
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2016 R. TOMMY KING William Carey University .......................................... 22 DOUGLAS E. LEVANWAY Wise Carter Child & Caraway ..................................... 23 JANIS K. LEWIS Account Services ...................................................... 23 LIZA CIRLOT LOOSER The Cirlot Agency ..................................................... 24 STEVE MARSH Nissan North America ............................................... 25 RONALD “BUDDY” MCCLAIN McClain Sonics ......................................................... 25 LAUREN MCGRAW McGraw Gotta Go, LLC ..............................................26 ANDY MERCIER Merchants Foodservice.............................................. 27 W. HIBBETT NEEL, JR. Neel-Schaffer........................................................... 27 JOHN B. NEVILLE State Bank & Trust Co. ..............................................28 CARL L. NICHOLSON, JR. Nicholson and Company ...........................................29 CHARLES W. NICHOLSON, JR. Community Bancshares.............................................29 DAVID PALMER Synergetics...............................................................30 CHRIS RAY The Ramey Agency ....................................................31 BERNARD T. REED Reed’s Metals, Inc. ....................................................31 PHILIP A. SHIRLEY GodwinGroup ........................................................... 32 CHELI STRUMILA Coast Observer ......................................................... 33 RONNIE TUBERTINI SouthGroup Insurance .............................................. 33 GARY WATTS Broadband Voice.......................................................34 BLAKE WILSON Mississippi Economic Council ....................................34 DUDLEY D. WOOLEY Ross & Yerger ........................................................... 35 WILLIAM G. YATES III Yates Construction ................................................... 35 EVENT PHOTOS ................................................ 36-38
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2016 CEO AWARDS | ARTICLE REPRINTS
CHERRY T. DEDDENS REAL ESTATE, LLC
Call 601-364-1044 or submit request online at http://msbusiness.com/mbj-article-request/
220 Persimmon Lane • Madison, MS (601) 506-5230 cell • (601) 856-4111 office 5
Carolyn Boteler TempStaff Inc.
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arolyn Boteler’s motto is ‘For every job there is a person, and for every person there is a job.” With that focus, she has grown the Jackson office of TempStaff from a three-employee, $3-million office in 1984 to a 33-employee, $20-million company that is one of the top independent staffing companies in the state. Boteler oversees day-to-day operations that include a corporate office, two branch offices, and the financial, insurance and support services. She has contributed her time and leadership to the Girl Scouts of Greater Mississippi, the American Heart Association, the Rankin First Economic Development Board, TempNet, Rankin County Sheriff ’s Juvenile Advisory Board, Rankin Youth and Adult Leadership Advisory Board and the Christian Women’s Job Corp. She has been a three-time recipient of the Mississippi Business Journal’s 50 Leading Business Women award. She was named an Enterprising Women of the Year by Enterprising Women Magazine in 2007. She was a TempNet Member of the Year and won the 2014 Champion Award for Women’s Business Enterprise Council South Region.
www.msbusiness.com
| Nominees | CEO AWARDS of Mississippi
2016
Venture Technologies congratulates Gerard Gibert- one of the Top CEO’s in in Mississippi! Mississippi!
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The Board of Directors, Management and Staff of Gulf Coast Community Federal Credit Union congratulate our CEO, Lisa F. Graham, for being named one of the 2016 Top CEO’s in Mississippi
RAMEY WAS BUILT FOR THE WORLD’S MOST EXCLUSIVE HIGH-END BRANDS AND HIGH-PERFORMANCE ORGANIZATIONS. THE WORLD’S LARGEST COOKWARE COMPANY. THE WORLD’S LARGEST GEOTHERMAL MANUFACTURER. THE WORLD’S LEADING WINDOW COVERINGS BRAND. AMERICA’S LEADING FAST-CASUAL RESTAURANT BRAND. AMERICA’S FASTEST GROWING UTILITY. AMERICA’S LARGEST PRIVATELY-HELD WIRELESS CARRIER.
THE RAMEY AGENCY helps high-performance brands reach higher. And in the process, we
push ourselves higher. Congratulations to Chris Ray on being named to MBJ’s Top CEOs.
RAMEYAGENCY.COM #3 on AdAge’s Best Places to Work in the U.S.
Thomas E. Brown Magnolia State Bank
T
homas E. Brown is presently Chairman of the Board of Magnolia State Bank. Brown has served as president, chief executive officer and chairman of the board for the past 32 years. Brown earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern Mississippi. Brown was elected President and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank in 1979. In 1999 he was also elected Chairman of the Board. In 1982, Brown and Chairman Robert L. Abney, Jr. formed The Magnolia State Corporation, a holding company which acquired majority ownership of the bank. The bank remains locally owned and is headquartered in Bay Springs. Brown also is serving his second term on the State Board of Banking Review after having been appointed by then Gov. Haley Barbour in 2011. In 2009, the Mississippi Business Journal selected Magnolia State Bank as one of The Best Places to Work. He is married to the former Barbara Vowell of Taylorsville; together, they have three children: Betsy, Tom and Drew.
www.msbusiness.com
| Nominees | CEO AWARDS of Mississippi
2016
www.wgyates.com
Mississippians With a World of Experience Yates Construction combines local know how with global expertise from its projects around the world.
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Congrats We work to empower Mississippians the cooperative way. www.epaofms.com
Michael Callahan
CEO Electric Power Associations of Mississippi
On behalf of more than 2,900 electric cooperative employees and directors in Mississippi, we congratulate Michael for his outstanding accomplishments and contributions to an electric service organization providing affordable, reliable electric service to more than 1.8 million Mississippians. Michael works tirelessly in his efforts to ensure Mississippi continues to be a great place to live and work. He serves with a commitment to integrity and professionalism as he leads our statewide association comprising 26 electric power associations.
Gary D. Butler Camgian Mircrosystems
F
rom his early work in building advanced sensor technologies and solutions for organizations, Gary Butler has lead Camgian’s evolution into a national leader in the Internet of Things market. The Starkville ďŹ rm has been named one of the nation’s fastest growing private companies by Inc. Magazine, one of the Top 50 Most Promising I-o-T Companies by CIO Review, and the 2015 M-2-M Emerging Company of the Year by Compass Intelligence. ABI Research called Camgian a 2015 Hot Tech Innovator. Butler has been a speaker and panelist at events such as Liveworx, the I-o-T Global Summit, CLSA Americas I-o-T Innovation Summit, M-2-M Evolution and TED-x. He has been recognized as a 2015 I-o-T CEO of the Year by Postscapes, a member of the 2015 Mississippi Tech 21 by the Mississippi Business Journal, and one of 10 Mississippi Vision Leaders for 2015 by the Mississippi Innovation Economy. Butler founded Camgian in December 2006 and it has grown into a leader in combining low-power microelectronics, sensors, wireless communications and signal processing to ďŹ ll intelligence gaps for both the defense and commercial markets.
www.msbusiness.com
| Nominees | CEO AWARDS of Mississippi
2016
Congratulations to our very own Top CEO, Charles W. Nicholson, Jr. Ä‘ĆŤ $1 'ĆŤ$ /ĆŤ !!*ĆŤ ĆŤ)!) !.ĆŤ+"ĆŤ0$!ĆŤ +))1*%05ĆŤ *'ĆŤ" )%(5ĆŤ/%* !ĆŤÄ ÄŠÄŠÄ‰Ä‹ Ä‘ĆŤ /ĆŤ+1.ĆŤ .!/% !*0ĆŤ * ĆŤ ÄŒĆŤ$%/ĆŤ(! !./$%,ĆŤ%*/,%.!/ĆŤ!4 !((!* !Ä‹ Ä‘ĆŤ !ĆŤ!4!),(%ßƍ!/ĆŤ$+3ĆŤ3!ĆŤ .!ĆŤ ĆŤ .%*#ÄŒĆŤ .! 0%2!ĆŤ * ĆŤ +*/ %!*0%+1/ĆŤ *'Ä‹
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Congratulations
ANDY MERCIER We proudly congratulate Andy Mercier on being selected as one of Mississippi Business Journal’s 2016 Top CEO’s of Mississippi
Michael D. Callahan Electric Power Associations of Mississippi
A
fter growing up in Birmingham, Michael Callahan says that he figured out that football was one avenue to career success. At Southern Miss, he played guard on the team that was quarterbacked by Brett Favre, “and I was the guy who had the towel hanging off my rear,” he jokes. Unfortunately, his knees didn’t survive his entire college career, and after graduating from college, he decided to go to law school at Mississippi College. After law school, he worked for several years as an investigator with the D.A.’s office in Hattiesburg, then practiced law for a time after that. It was the connections he made in that context that ultimately helped him run for, and win, election to the Public Service Commission. After eight years, he got a call from the Electric Power Associations of Mississippi and was appointed as CEO of the group in early 2006. He lives in Madison with his wife Melissa and their son and 2 daughters.
www.msbusiness.com
| Nominees | CEO AWARDS of Mississippi
2016
Congratulations Buddy McClain MVP
Group
“Mr. Buddy McClain has always been an inspiration to work for. He inspires me to want more out of life. He is loyal - through all of his success, he never forgets how he got there, or those who helped him along the way. He is a great example of the fact that hard work pays off, and that it is possible to be successful and have balance in life. Mr. Buddy is a man of vision; a dreamer and a doer. He sets goals that to others would seem impossible, but by developing his people, he always reaches those goals. Mr. Buddy doesn’t just dish out wisdom, direction, and advice, he lives it every day. As with most successful people, Mr. Buddy is a giver, but he didn’t wait until he was successful to do so. I am proud to call him a mentor, business partner, boss, but most importantly a friend. In my mind there is no one more deserving of this recognition.” Michael Jordan, General Manager, 19 years of service with MVP “Buddy has the ability to see beyond the horizon and plan for that future. He only has one speed, full throttle. He has the ability to connect and communicate company goals and objectives with every member of the company. Buddy is not only a great ambassador for our franchise group, but also for the Sonic brand.” Andy Alsobrook, COO, 14 years of service with MVP
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“Buddy McClain has been an outstanding leader of both our company and the national Sonic Drive-In brand through his role as a member on the Sonic Executive Franchise Advisory Council. In running his own businesses, he has been very effective in seeing opportunities others didn’t and pursuing them passionately with a sense of urgency. Also impressive has been his ability to build winning strategies and teams in different kinds of businesses. I am proud of his accomplishments and happy for him.” Clark Spencer, CFO, 19 years of service with MVP
MBJ CEO AWARD
“It’s a pleasure to see the direction of training for the company. I started working for Buddy and found a great mentor. Buddy is a strong business minded leader, and a very humble leader who found success and yet has always given back to his community and employees. Buddy is truly the best example of a leader I and anyone would follow.” Jackie Wells, Director of Training, 20 years of service with MVP
St. Dominic Health Services COMMUNITY HEALTH CLINIC • Serving Jackson’s homeless and underserved population CARE-A-VAN • Providing mobile healthcare screenings for the underserved, school children and senior adults in central Mississippi NEW DIRECTIONS FOR OVER 55 • Offering group activities, screenings, educational opportunities and discounts for members SCHOOL NURSE PROGRAM • Providing nurses for all of Madison County’s elementary and middle schools.
ST. CATHERINE’S VILLAGE • Independent Living in Apartments and Garden Homes • Assisted Living • Alzheimer’s Care Facility • Nursing Care ST. DOMINIC HOSPITAL • A full-service medical/surgical facility including Mississippi Heart and Vascular Institute, Cancer Center, Behavioral Health Services and Women’s Services
ST. DOMINIC’S MEDICAL GROUP • Physicians and specialists in Neurosurgery, Cardiovascular Surgery and Behavioral Health as well as Family Practice physicians and MEA Clinics THE CLUB AT ST. DOMINIC’S • A full-service wellness facility with state-of-the-art fitness equipment, indoor therapy and lap pool for members D1 SPORTS TRAINING OF MISSISSIPPI • Provides athletic-based scholastic and adult training programs, coaching and the latest in sports therapy
969 LAKELAND DRIVE • JACKSON , MS 39216 • 601.200.2000 • STDOM .COM
St. Dominic’s Congratulates
Claude W. Harbarger, FACHE President of St. Dominic Health Services on being recognized as a Mississippi Top CEO Class of 2016
Sunny Desai Desai Hotel Group
S
unny Desai has certainly made his parents proud. His parents, Sunil and Rashmika Desai, immigrated to Mississippi 30 years ago and worked their way into the hospitality business, which they still thrive in today. Meanwhile, Sunny is now President & CEO of Desai Hotel Group, after having graduated Summa Cum Laude from Mississippi State University’s undergraduate double major program in 2008 with an emphasis in Real Estate and Banking & Finance. After finishing Mississippi State University’s MBA program in 2010, he founded Desai Hotel Group at the age of 24. Sunny owns and operates hotels in Winona, Jackson, Natchez and Hernando while working on projects in Jackson, Ridgeland, Houston Texas, Opelousas La., Memphis and Vidalia La. Sunny is a member of the Mississippi Economic Council and the IHG Owners Association’s Emerging Leaders Council. He is also a Mississippi Licensed Real Estate Broker and a Mississippi Licensed Contractor. He was married in April 2015 to Navketan Desai, who has her own law practice that specializes in immigration law.
www.msbusiness.com
| Nominees | CEO AWARDS of Mississippi
2016
Bay Springs, MS Plant 1
We congratulate
Charles B. Holder, Jr. for being among the
TOP 40 CEO’S As we celebrate the past, it is certainly exciting to take on new challenges for the future. 50 years and counting. Anel Corp., Winona, MS & Keith Huber Corp., Gulfport, MS 14
Plant 2
Plant 3
Connected AT&T Mississippi thanks the Mississippi Business Journal for helping keep Mississippi connected by keeping readers informed. AT&T is proud to recognize Mayo Flynt as a member of the 2016 Inaugural Class of Mississippi’s Top CEOs.
Š 2016 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved.
Steve Dobbs
| Nominees | CEO AWARDS of Mississippi
Merit Health of Central Mississippi
www.msbusiness.com
2016
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B
orn in Prague, Okla., Steve Dobbs, CEO for Merit Health in Central Mississippi, grew up in a “medical family,” with his father serving as a hospital administrator. He earned his undergraduated degree at Texas Tech and a master’s in Health Services Administration from the University of St. Francis. He worked with Blue Cross/Blue Shield in Texas, and with hospitals and health care organizations in Texas, Kansas, Florida, and Oklahoma. Dobbs is responsible for six Merit Health hospitals and 35 clinics in the central Mississippi region. The hospitals include Merit Health Madison, Woman’s Hospital and Merit River Oaks in Flowood, Merit Central in Jackson, Merit Rankin in Brandon, and Merit River Region in Vicksburg. With 3,300 employees, Merit is one of Mississippi’s largest employers. “I must love working in health care, because I’m entering my 39th year in the profession” he said. “My passion is helping people to live healthier and better lives, and I’m really focused on making our facilities more effective and efficient in delivering quality care.”
Mayo Flynt
M
ayo Flynt is President of AT&T Mississippi, a position he has held since January 2007. As president, Mayo is responsible for AT&T’s operations in Mississippi including external affairs, regulatory affairs and public policy. Prior to this appointment, Mayo held a series of positions within BellSouth of increasing responsibility for regulatory and legislative affairs on the state and federal levels as well as internationally. He is a past-chairman of the Mississippi Economic Council, the Mississippi Partnership for Economic Development, and the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership where he currently chairs the Lake Development Task Force. Mayo is the 2013-15 chairman of Innovate Mississippi and serves on the boards of directors for the Mississippi Museum of Art, Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, the University of Mississippi Foundation as well as Governor Bryant’s Mississippi Works and Mississippi Broadband Connect Coalition. Mayo is a member of the Jackson Rotary Club. Mayo holds a degree in finance from the University of Mississippi. He and his wife, Renee, have two daughters, Sarah and Olivia.
CEO AWARDS of Mississippi | Nominees |
AT&T
2016
www.msbusiness.com
Curtis J. Gabardi The Metropolitan Bank
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urt Gabardi has more than 28 years in the banking business, many as president or senior executive of large, multistate financial institutions. He founded of Metropolitan Bank in 2007. It has offices in Flowood, Ridgeland and Memphis. A University of Mississippi graduate, he was first in his class in the banking and finance program. He was the 1986 Taylor medalist in Economics and Finance and the 1986 Mississippi Young Bankers Scholar. Gabardi attended Tennessee School of Commercial Lending, ranking No. 1 among 100 students. In 1999, Gabardi was named a Top 40 Under 40 by the Mississippi Business Journal. He received the Metro Jackson’s Finest award from the Epilepsy Foundation and earned the Distinguished Leadership Award form the National Association of Community Leadership. Before forming Metropolitan BancGroup, Inc., Gabardi worked with Regions Bank, Sovran Bank and Sunburst Bank, and he led the credit integration process for Jackson’s Magnolia Federal Bank for Savings into the Union Planters system.
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Gerard Gibert Venture Technologies
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erard Gibert is the CEO of Ridgeland-based Venture Technologies, an IT Solutions Provider and Cloud Services Provider headquartered in Ridgeland. Venture Technologies was founded in 1986, and has locations in six states. It delivers a variety of IT infrastructure solutions to thousands of private and public sector customers across the region. Gibert earned a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting with a minor in Economics from the University of Mississippi. He worked as a senior consultant in the Management Information Consulting Division of Arthur Andersen & Co., the division that eventually became Accenture. He has also served on numerous IT industry councils. He was named to one of the first classes of the Mississippi Business Journal’s “Top 40 under 40,” and has been honored by the Association for Information Technology Professionals as the Mississippian of the Year. Venture Technologies has been named among the state’s “Fastest Growing Companies,” and “Best Places to Work” by the Mississippi Business Journal.
www.msbusiness.com
| Nominees | CEO AWARDS of Mississippi
2016
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Don Glidewell
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lidewell grew up Corinth and faced some early challenges. His parents both struggled with health issues and his father passed away when Glidewell was a teenager. His career began with Caterpillar Inc., and during his 10 year tenure with them, he was nominated by his colleagues to serve as team leader of seven different teams. He moved to the Jackson area in 1999 to work for Magnolia Management – a long-term care company. During his time with Caterpillar and Magnolia Management, he honed his technology skills and went on to work for several other companies in the health care field. But he has made his mark with Think Anew and it was his great start in business that allowed Glidewell to lead Think Anew to become a full service IT managed services provider with a 60 percent growth rate from referrals alone. Glidewell attributes his company’s success to the principles of laser focus, a passion for customer service, and hiring the best home-grown state talent possible.
CEO AWARDS of Mississippi | Nominees |
Think Anew
2016
www.msbusiness.com
Lisa F. Graham Gulf Coast Community Federal Credit Union
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hen Lisa Graham became President and CEO of Gulf Coast Community Federal Credit Union in Gulfport in 2001, she sought to build a progressive community credit union that set a standard of excellence with members, services and employees. Her creative thinking helped the credit union survive challenges, including Hurricane Katrina, the economic recession and the BP Oil Spill. The credit union leveraged each threat by finding new and better ways to do business In 2012, the Credit Union National Association selected it as a “Community Credit Union of the Year.” In 2013, the Mississippi Credit Union Managers’ Association selected Graham as CEO of the Year. In 2013, Graham’s leadership was recognized by the U.S. Treasury Department as a Community Development Financial Institution and the Credit Union has since been awarded over $3-million in grants to use in improving the financial lives of South Mississippians. Gulf Coast Community Credit Union was also named a “Best Places to Work in Mississippi” in 2009 by the Mississippi Business Journal.
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W. Taylor Guild III Eley Guild Hardy Architects PA.
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aylor Guild has served as president of Eley Guild Hardy Architects for over 25 years and has been involved with architecture along the Mississippi Gulf Coast for over 30 years. Guild has served as the Principal in Charge on hundreds of commercial projects with focuses on educational, institutional, ďŹ nancial, office and hospitality projects. He earned his Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1986 at Mississippi State University. He has presented numerous seminars on Life Safety, Building Codes, RooďŹ ng, Masonry and other topics for Continuing Education Credits. He is registered in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama. His professional affiliations have included the American Institute of Architects, Construction SpeciďŹ cations Institute, CertiďŹ ed Construction SpeciďŹ er, National Council of Architectural Boards, Mississippi State Board of Architecture and the St. John School High School Board.
www.msbusiness.com
| Nominees | CEO AWARDS of Mississippi
2016
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Claude W. Harbarger
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www.msbusiness.com
laude Harbarger oversees more than 3,000 employees, 500 physicians, and a sprawling network of special divisions at St. Dominic’s Hospital. Harbarger is the first administrator of this healthcare system who is not a Dominican Sister. Harbarger has spent his career in healthcare administration. He grew up in Huntsville, Alabama and graduated from Auburn University in 1976 with a degree in psychology. He then earned a master of Science degree in Hospital and Health Administration from the University of Alabama-Birmingham. Harbarger began his administrative career at Humana Hospital Augusta where he worked his way up to be Associate Executive Director. He then joined National Medical Enterprises and served as Administrator of Seven Rivers Community Hospital in Crystal River, Florida, and later as Administrator of University Medical Center in Lebanon, Tennessee. Harbarger joined St. Dominic’s in 1987 as Senior Vice President. In February 1991, he was appointed acting President of St. Dominic Hospital and named President in December 1991, a role in which served until 2012 when he was promoted to president of St. Dominic Health Services, the hospital’s parent company.
CEO AWARDS of Mississippi | Nominees |
St. Dominic’s
2016
Charles B. Holder, Jr. Hol-Mac Corporation
A
native of Louin, Mississippi, Charles Holder married his childhood sweetheart in 1957 and then went to Jones County Junior College. Holder went on to Mississippi State, where his wife “Jo” worked in the laundry for 65 cents an hour to finance his education as he received a degree in mechanical engineering. After working in his hometown for many years, he purchased his partner’s interest, and by 1969 Charles formed a corporation and changed the name to Hol-Mac Corporation; with two additional stockholders as investors to help finance his endeavors. In 1972, Charles purchased the two stockholders’ interest and started a joint venture with another manufacturer. This venture proved unsuccessful and he went broke, losing the newly built plant and equipment. He returned to the “old barn” and started from scratch. After losing everything, he explains, “ I got an MBA that you can’t get at Harvard or Wharton’s; I got it a lot quicker, but it cost a lot more than Harvard or Wharton’s.” Today, Charles remains active in the day to day operations of Hol-Mac Corporation; spending the majority of his time educating and training machinists at Hol-Mac’s Research and Development facility.
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R. Tommy King William Carey University
D
r. Raymond Thomas (Tommy) King was named the ninth president of William Carey University in 2007, becoming the first WCU graduate to hold the position. His tenure has brought a new campus in Biloxi, a medical school in Hattiesburg, new academic programs, new buildings, increased enrollment, a physical therapy doctoral program, and expanded nursing, education and business degrees. King has more than 47 years of experience in public and private schools and universities, including 17 years at William Carey as a professor, dean, executive vice president, president. He has held local, state and national leadership roles in education, professional and civic organizations, including the Lions Club and the Southern Baptist denomination. King is a earned his Bachelor of Arts in Religion and Philosophy at William Carey, his Bachelor of Divinity and Masters of Religious Education at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and his Doctor of Education at The University of Southern Mississippi.
www.msbusiness.com
| Nominees | CEO AWARDS of Mississippi
2016
www.southgroup.net
Congratulations! Ronnie Tubertini Personal • Business • Employer Services Bay Springs ◆ Bay St. Louis ◆ Biloxi ◆ Carthage ◆ Clarksdale ◆ Cleveland ◆ Collins ◆ Columbia ◆ Diamondhead ◆ Greenville ◆ Greenwood ◆ Hattiesburg ◆ Laurel ◆ Magee ◆ Port Gibson ◆ Ridgeland ◆ Southaven ◆ Sumner ◆ Yazoo City
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Douglas E. Levanway
D
ouglas Levanway is a shareholder for Wise Carter Child and Caraway, where he practice areas include the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, healthcare, certificates of need and licensure; Labor and Employment; the Nuclear Regulatory Commission; public and private finance; the Public Service Commission and public utilities and energy. Levanway is a 1977 graduate of Millsaps College and received his law degree for the University of Mississippi in 1979. He has admissions to the United State Supreme Court United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and Mississippi state and federal courts. He is listed in The Best Lawyers of America for 2016 and is a past member of the board for the Capital Area Bar Association, among many other special designations, including being chairman and editor of the Mississippi Law institute. Levanway is also a member of St. James Episcopal Church and is active in the local Habitat for Humanity.
CEO AWARDS of Mississippi | Nominees |
Wise Carter Child & Caraway
2016
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Janis K. Lewis Account Services
J
anis Lewis is the CEO of Account Services Group Insurance. Originally from Tennessee, Janis started running the Ridgeland based company in 2002 where she focused her small but highly motivated staff to personally serve every client and their insurance needs. ASG started as a Life & Health agency but as business grew so did Account Services Group’s mission, which expanded to include Property and Casualty and now does business throughout 6 different states. Under Lewis’s leadership the agency has been recognized multiple times in the Top Women Owned Businesses and The Mississippi Top 100 Private Businesses. Starting out Janis was avidly involved with the YMCA where she went from setting up a statewide aerobics certification program, to being named the Marketing Director for the Jackson Metro area, to ultimately becoming recognized as the national trainer for Customer Service Focus for the YMCA of USA.
23
Liza Cirlot Looser The Cirlot Agency
L
iza Looser founded The Cirlot Agency — a global brand strategy, integrated communications and business development ďŹ rm with offices in Jackson and Washington, DC — 32 years ago. Cirlot represents public and private corporations on a national and international basis. Looser is a graduate of Mississippi University for Women and Harvard Business School. In 2009, Liza was inducted into the Mississippi Business Hall of Fame. In 1998, she became the ďŹ rst woman chairman of the board of the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership. In 2010 she was the ďŹ rst woman to be named president of the Mississippi World Trade Center. and was awarded the organization’s highest honor, the Tozzoli International Business Leadership Award. In 1998, Looser was asked by NATO to help devise a communications plan regarding the Bosnian land mine crisis, and worked with Her Majesty’s Engineer in England to facilitate the plan. Liza is married to Rick Looser, who joined the ďŹ rm as President and COO, and has two children.
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| Nominees | CEO AWARDS of Mississippi
2016
Dr. Tommy King President & CEO
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Steve Marsh
S
teve Marsh is vice president, Manufacturing, Canton Vehicle Assembly Plant, Nissan North America, Inc., a position to which he was appointed in April 2015. In this role, Marsh reports to John Martin, senior vice president, Manufacturing, Supply Chain Management and Purchasing. Marsh is responsible for the operation of Nissan’s Canton Vehicle Assembly Plant including safety, quality, operations, productivity and environmental compliance. Marsh joined Nissan North America from Nissan Europe, where his most recent assignment was Deputy Managing Director for the Douai Vehicle Assembly Plant located in France. Douai is a plant of Nissan’s Alliance partner, Renault. Marsh’s past experience includes 23 years in various manufacturing roles with Nissan Motors UK, as well as two years as production director at Nissan South Africa in Pretoria. Marsh holds a higher national diploma in electrical and electronic engineering from the Nissan Engineering College Program. He is based at Nissan’s Canton Vehicle Assembly Plant in Canton, Mississippi.
CEO AWARDS of Mississippi | Nominees |
Nissan North America
2016
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Ronald “Buddy” McClain McClain Sonics
T
he day Buddy McClain got to Sonic, he knew what he was going to do with the rest of his life. He was a cook in his first job, and knew it was going to become more. McClain worked his way up through the management ranks until he was the owner-operator of the Selma, Ala., SONIC in 1978. What followed was the beginnings of the MVP SONIC GROUP. Store-by-store and market-by-market, under McClain’s leadership, MVP has grown to own and operate 63 SONICs in three states. Buddy McClain has won numerous SONIC national awards starting with the Turnaround Operator of the Year Award in 2000. In 2014 Buddy was awarded the Troy Smith Award. Named after SONIC’s founder, the Troy Smith Award is SONIC’s most prestigious award. It is given to an individual that has made a significant contribution in terms of leadership, growth, positive influence and brand image. As an active member of the business community, he was on the Board of Directors for the Central Mississippi American Red Cross from 2007-2011. McClain is now the chairman of the Board of Directors of the Red Cross in Jackson and on the Mississippi Regional Board for the Red Cross. McClain is an active member of the First Baptist Church of Fannin. He is married to Joni McClain and has two children and two grandchildren. He is an avid hunter and enjoys riding his Harley Davidson.
25
Lauren McGraw McGraw Gotta Go, LLC
L
auren Mcgraw grew up in a small town in Noxubee County and dreamed of a better place to live and a better life. “I knew it would be up to me to make that happen, and I worked hard and diligently to live the life I wanted as an adult,” she said. Her hard work paid off. Gotta Go is the largest female-owned portable toilet and waste company in Southeast and services 13 counties and the state of Mississippi. It has 16 full time employees. It offers septic service, portable toilet service, disaster service, restroom trailers and special event service. “We are No.1 in the No. 2 Business,” she says. Mcgraw actually owns four business in Flora. After starting Gotta Go in 1997, she added Cotton Exchange Liquor Store in 2000, Gotta Jump Inflatables in 2001 and Got Waste in 2014. Mcgraw is married to Ken Magee and has two children, Hannah, 25, and Rivers, 19, and two step-children, Bailey, 16, and Brooks, 12. She lives in Flora and atttends Fondren Church. Lauen was a member of the Mississippi Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40 class and top 50 Leading Business Women in 2000. She has been on the Top 50 Business women board for 13 years. She is active in many chamber of commerces and home builders groups.
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| Nominees | CEO AWARDS of Mississippi
2016
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26
Andy Mercier
A
ndy Mercier is the President & CEO of Hattiesburg-based Merchants Foodservice. Mercier has spent 22 years in broad-line foodservice in various roles. He received his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Accounting and Data Processing from the University of Southern Mississippi. Upon graduation in 1984, he worked for KPMG Peat Marwick in New Orleans, an international CPA firm headquartered in Montvale, New Jersey. He joined Merchants Foodservice in 1993 as Controller and, after serving in several other positions, he was promoted to president in January 2005. Mercier serves on the Independent Marketing Alliance and IFDA Board of Directors. He is treasurer of the IFDA board. He also serves as vice chairman on the Area Development Partnership Board of Directors and is one of the founders of the Greater Hattiesburg Community Foundation. He was inducted into the University of Southern Mississippi Hall of Fame last fall.
CEO AWARDS of Mississippi | Nominees |
Merchants Foodservice
2016
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W. Hibbett Neel, Jr. Neel-Schaffer, Inc.
H
ibbett Neel, PE, co-founded Neel-Schaffer in 1983 in Jackson and today serves as the firm’s President and CEO. Throughout his 50 years as a Professional Engineer, Neel has put the client first while growing the company into a regional firm with more than 400 professional and technical employees working out of 37 offices across nine states. Neel-Schaffer is one of our state’s top 50 privately owned Mississippi-based firms, and one of the top 200 engineering design firms in the United States. The multi-disciplined firm works on private and public infrastructure projects across the South, and offers a wide range of engineering services, including traffic and transportation planning, roadway design, bridge design, airfield design, storm water design, wastewater treatment and collection, water treatment and distribution, solid waste, environmental science, environmental permitting, survey, geotechnical engineering, and emergency management and disaster recovery. A native of Smyrna, Tennessee, Neel received a Bachelor of Engineering from Vanderbilt University and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Georgia Tech. His commitment to the community is one of the pillars on which he built the firm. Each Neel-Schaffer office follows the same mantra: Give back to the community, financially and through volunteer work. In 1990, Neel started a program that has awarded more than $300,000 in scholarships to minority engineering students. A longtime advocate for the Institute of Transportation Engineers, Neel served as International President of the 17,000-member organization in 2014.
27
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| Nominees | CEO AWARDS of Mississippi
2016
John B. Neville State Bank & Trust Co.
J
ohn Neville is the President of State Capital Corporation and CEO of State Bank and Trust Company in Jackson , Mississippi. He is a Board member of the Jackson Institute. Mr. Neville was born in New Orleans and resided in McComb until he entered the University of Mississippi. He graduated from Ole Miss with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and then went on to obtain a Graduate Banking degree from Stonier Graduate School of Banking. His business background includes employment in both the banking realm and investments, having held various positions with commercial banks such as First Union National Bank, Deposit Guaranty National Bank, and community banks located in Mississippi. He was also associated with Paine Webber and Kidder Peabody with emphasis on debt securities. Mr. Neville previously owned and operated Strasmore Financial, Ltd and BKED, two business entities involved in financial services and bank management consulting. Mr. Neville is an ordained elder and has served on various committees relating to church finance and expansion. He was one of the original participants in the Jackson area for Young Business Leaders (a discipleship ministry for young men) and has served as its Chairman of the Board. John and his wife Sue have two grown daughters and five grandchildren, and reside in Jackson.
Congratulations CHELI STRUMILA! Your commitment to the Coast Observer readers & advertisers extends above and beyond the call of duty! Your dedication to the MS Gulf Coast shines brighter than the sun! Sincerely, Your The Shed BBQ Family!
28
Congratulations ulations to our CEO
HIBBETT T NEEL
The employees of Neel-Schaffer thank you and Gorman Schaffer for having the courage and foresight to found the firm in 1983, and we thank you today for being a great leader for our company!
Carl L. Nicholson, Jr.
C
arl L. Nicholson, Jr., CPA, is a partner of the firm and has more than 43 years of experience, including 4 years with a “Big 8” firm. He is a certified public accountant in both Mississippi and Louisiana. Carl is one of the founding members of the firm, but prior to that, he was a resident partner of Williams Nader & Company. Nicholson serves as President and Chief Executive Officer and manages the construction service division and litigation support division of Nicholson & Company. He has a Bachelor in Accounting from Mississippi State University. He has extensive experience in representing some 20 different contractors in the construction of buildings, asphalt roads and bridges. Nicholson serves as consultant to various contractors on bonding, succession planning, estate planning, acquisition of other companies and litigation support. He served as the first and only CPA in Mississippi appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Institution of Higher Learning. He has testified in State and Federal Courts as an expert witness on construction matters, business interruption cases and various other business matters.
CEO AWARDS of Mississippi | Nominees |
Nicholson and Company
2016
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Charles W. “Chuck” Nicholson, Jr. Community Bancshares of Mississippi, Inc.
A
s President and Chief Executive Officer of Community Bancshares of Mississippi, Inc., Charles W. “Chuck” Nicholson, Jr. is responsible for the parent company and its four subsidiary banks located in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and Florida, which employ more than 725 staff-owners. A Pascagoula native, Nicholson earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from The University of Mississippi in 1981. Not only does he hold designations from the American Institution of Banking, he also graduated from The Graduate School of Banking of the South at Louisiana State University in 1988. Nicholson serves on several committees through The Mississippi Bankers Association, is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Community Foundation of Greater Jackson, serves on the Board of Governors for the Mississippi Economic Council, and is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Mississippi School of Banking at The University of Mississippi. He has served on the board for the Meridian Community College Foundation, and is a past Vice President of the Wesley House Community Center. Nicholson and his family are members of Saint Mark’s United Methodist Church, where he also serves on several committees. Nicholson was awarded the Small Business Leadership Award by the East Mississippi Business Journal in 2003, the Silver Beaver Award from the Choctaw Council of the Boy Scouts of America in 2004, and the Community Bank Award of Excellence in 2004. Nicholson has been married to Lisa Ikerd Nicholson for 33 years. They have two married daughters, Sara Michelle and Kristin, and they are proud grandparents to their new granddaughter, Bailey.
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David Palmer Synergetics
D
avid Palmer received his bachelors of science in mathematics, with a minor in education, from Mississippi College in 1991. He received his master of science in industrial engineering from Mississippi State University in 1996. For the past 18 years, Palmer has served as CEO of Synergetics Diversified Computer Services Inc. Synergetics is a Starkville-based Systems Integration Consulting firm. Prior to joining Synergetics, he served as a project engineer for Sovitec, S.A., in Fleurus, Belgium. Prior to joining Sovitec, Palmer spent 10 years in various capacities, including process manager-glass bead production, at a company in Flowood. Palmer is a member of the Mississippi State University Alumni Association and a contributor to the Mississippi State University Foundation, Larry Brown Scholarship Fund. He is a past president of the Starkville Optimist Club. Palmer and Synergetics actively support local community organizations including the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, Oktibbeha County Humane Society, Boys and Girls Club of the Golden Triangle, and the Starkville Arts Council. Palmer was born and reared in Vicksburg. He currently resides in Starkville.
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| Nominees | CEO AWARDS of Mississippi
2016
First Commercial Bank congratulates these Top CEOs of Mississippi
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Michael D. Callahan, Electric Power Associations of Mississippi Sunny Desai, Desai Hotel Group Gerard Gibert, Venture Technologies Claude W. Harbarger, St. Dominic's Lauren McGraw, McGraw Gotta Go, LLC W. Hibbett Neel, Jr., Neel-Schaffer
®
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1300 Meadowbrook Road, Suite 100 Jackson, Mississippi 39211 • 601-709-7777
Chris Ray
C
lhris Ray has served at the Ramey Agency — a brand strategies and marketing communications firm in Jackson — in a variety of roles during the last 25 years. He began his career as a college intern from Rhodes and rose rapidly through the ranks of the account management staff. In 1995, Chris was selected to open and run Ramey’s Memphis office, handling the Union Planters Corp. account, which at the time was one of the top 30 banks in the country. In 1997, he left Ramey to run Archer/Malmo Advertising in Memphis. Chris returned to Ramey in 1999 as CEO and has raised the agency’s national reputation as a branding firm, concentrating on high-end and high-performance brands.
CEO AWARDS of Mississippi | Nominees |
The Ramey Agency
2016
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Bernard T. Reed Reed’s Metals, Inc.
B
ernie Reed has owned and operated Reed’s Metals for 17 years, during which the Monticello metal roofing and metal building manufacturer has grown into a multi-million dollar business with eight locations and about 200 employees in five states. Reed considers himself a risk taker, which may explain why he has been taking steps to earn his pilot’s license, which he considers a significant personal accomplishment. Previously, Reed was a forester, managing about 400 employees and planing about 60,000 acres per year for paper companies. Reed’s Metals was named the Industry of the Year in 1998 by the Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce, and was a Mississippi Business Journal Best Places to Work finalist last year. He also volunteers for the Carl Perkins Center for Domestic Violence and Darlene Staler’s Rehabilitation Center. Reed has also turned his personal property into a Brookhaven’s newest event venue — the Hideaway at Reed’s Estates.
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2016
| Nominees | CEO AWARDS of Mississippi
Philip A. Shirley GodwinGroup
P
hilip Shirley is writer, business owner and advertising executive. He is chairman and CEO of GodwinGroup, a Jackson-based advertising and public relations firm. He joined GodwinGroup in 1989 as vice president and was named president in 1994. In 2014, Shirley was named to the Southern Public Relations Hall of Fame, and, in 2015, received the Silver Medal, the highest award from the American Advertising Federation for his personal achievements and con-
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tributions to the industry. The Alabama native studied religion and philosophy at Samford University, then majored in American Studies and minored in English at the University of Alabama. He earned his degree in 1975 and a master’s degree in 1977. Before joining GodwinGroup, he worked for Alabama Humanities Foundation, Baltic Avenue Press, Baltic Avenue Journal, Birmingham-Southern College, and Luckie & Forney, Alabama’s largest advertising agency He currently is on the boards of the Mississippi Economic Council, the Alabama’s Writers’ Forum and the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership, and is an active supporter of the arts in Mississippi. He is a published author of fiction, including being co-author of Sweet Spot: 125 Years of Baseball and the Louisville Slugger.
INSIDE — Navy’s new combat ship will carry
Jackson’s name PAGE 4
October 23, 2015 • Vol. 37, No. 43 • $1 • 28 pages
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AN MBJ FOCUS:
HISTORIC TAX CREDITS
THE 2015
» State’s historic preservation office to ask for $60M in new tax credits » Saving Mississippi’s past can brighten its economic future, Stennis report says » Heritage Trust places state’s historic tax credits on 10 Most Endangered List
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BOOK of LISTS 2016
Shoutrage: Yelling instead of fixing
P 12
came first? The
Health Care
Brand or the
Promotion – Page
25
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{Section begins
December 4, 2015 • Vol.
P 14}
» UMMC opens Wellness clinic Teen » Coast pharmaat Lanier built on custom cy expansion those little extraser care and
37, No. 49 • $1
• 28 pages
ENERGY
PSC SET TO VOTE NET-METERING ON RULE
The List {P 20-21} » Hospices
BY JACK WEATHE jack.weatherly@m RLY sbusiness.com The Mississ Commission ippi Public Service was poised Thursday to vote and minate four culof study and years from major input utilities, consum ers and others on a proposed net-metering rule. David Rich stands at the Two of Grain Distilling bar in the 1,500-squ the three-man Co. in Canton are-foot tasting panel Presley room that will indicated be used for Marcus those taking week that this tours through McClamrock l the Rich would vote they allow residen to tial electricity users and comme -customers, rcial to produc too -e through solarpower els installe pand on BY JACK WEATHE rooftops and sell Renfroe jack.weatherly@m RLY any excess back sbusiness.com Two of the to utilities. But before commission current three-m David Rich University that, while he was an chose is taking not level as he a student Nov. 3 election to run in the with bourboof Mississippi, he “becam at the prepares to handcrafted to and will ery in Canton n.” open his boutiqu a new Jan. 1 and e obsessed That's when would have leave office e distillA mechan . sion to their left he began search into his self-ass successors. the decithe defense ical engineer, he put igned reNorthern ing what he the making of the whiskey signer on industry in Huntsv in five years in process calls the “magic sioner Brando District Comm radar systems ille, Ala., as isand alchem , includ. projects. n Presley, a deand unman re-elected, y” of the “I've read ned aircraft said Monda who was just about pects a vote y that exeverything I could get thinks is “a Thursday on what my he smart policy . .. with all See DISTILL ERY, Page 3 See NET-ME TERING, Page
Around town {P » Jackson downto 5} promoters cheer wn Watkins’ move Forman to Regions Plaza South Miss. {P 9} » Legal whiske y to flow in the Kiln commu nity
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Distilling from the boa craft ttom up
7
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A product of the
tourism, meetings & conventions in Mississippi Spring 2015
Meet Our Really Cool7 People,
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SEAL WITH AatKISS Institute It’s a treat you might find for Marine Mammal Studies
INSIDE
» Insight and information for high school students on life before and during college » Information on the public, private and junior colleges across the state
Old homes turned into restaurants provide more than a taste of history,
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Begins page 3 AUTOMOTIVE {P 5} » Mississippi in multi-state probe of VW’s bogus emissions tests AURORA COLUMN: {P 8} » Celebrating November as “Innovation Month”
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Our selections for best golf courses in state, 20-32
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Coast Observer
F
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ormer casino cocktail waitress Cheli Strumila got the idea for starting a free Gulf Coast entertainment publication when many of her guests and her friends were always asking, “What else can we do?” It was at that time that she decided to create the Observer so that the gulf coast would have something for every visitor and local to know firsthand what is happening and how to enjoy the coast in its entirety. Now approaching 17 years, the Coast Observer is the Leading Entertainment Publication of the Mississippi Gulf Coast She is also the co-owner of, Magnolia Leisure and Entertainment Hotel/Condo Guide. The first of its kind on the coast, Magnolia is a guide that caters to tourists and visitors staying in local hotel rooms and condos across the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Highlighting local businesses they can enjoy and be aware of during their stay. Strumila is also the founder of the Covey Awards which honors local coast casinos, restaurants, bar/nightclubs, and spa/salon/golf industries as well as local performers. Going into its 11th year, the Covey Awards have grown to be one of the biggest events of the year as well as an honor for local businesses for all their hard work. “I took on a project/business I knew nothing about,” she said. “I learned everything I could to produce a top product. Built my Coast Observer to be the leading entertainment publication of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and now 17 years later, our digital edition has been read in 48 states and 47 countries, helping to promote our beautiful Mississippi Gulf Coast. At the end of the day, I am so proud of where my business has come from, how we have grown, and our look to the future.”
CEO AWARDS of Mississippi | Nominees |
Cheli Strumila
2016
Ronnie Tubertini SouthGroup Insurance
R
onnie Tubertini is President and Chief Executive Officer of SouthGroup Insurance and Financial Services, headquartered in Ridgeland, Mississippi. SouthGroup was founded by Ronnie and 7 partners on January 1, 2002. It is now Mississippi’s largest privately owned independent insurance agency with 150 employees across the state. SouthGroup has been listed in Insurance Journal as one of the Top 100 Privately-Held Property & Casualty Insurance Agencies in America and one of the Mississippi Business Journal Top 100 Private Companies in Mississippi with more than $100 Million annual premium sales. They have been consistently awarded the Best Practices designation by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America. Ronnie attended the University of Mississippi and Delta State University and began his working life upon graduation from Delta State as a Realtor and Appraiser in Greenville, Mississippi prior to opening his own independent insurance agency in 1974. Active in many aspects of the insurance industry, Ronnie served as President of the Independent Insurance Agents of Mississippi (IIAM) in 1988-89 and represented Mississippi on the Board of Directors of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA) for 7 years. Ronnie is married to the former Kathy Collier of Starkville and they are the parents of 4 children and 7 grandchildren. He is an aviation enthusiast and is a multi-engine instrument rated pilot. He also enjoys boating, duck hunting and Ole Miss football but his favorite and most time consuming avocation today is being a grandfather.
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Gary Watts Broadband Voice
G
ary Watts is the founder and CEO of Broadband Voice, a Jackson-based firm that provides business communication solutions. Over the last three decades, he had led several businesses during periods of growth. He founded Broadband Voice in 2006 and made it one of the fastest growing Voice over IP technology companies in the Southeast. Early in his career, Watts honed his business skills by owning and operating a popular restaurant franchise. In 1995, he started a concert promotion business, which grew to national recognition and within its first year as he promoted over 100 performances nationally while still running the restaurant. In 1997, Watts began in the sales division for startup technology company Unity Communications in Jackson. Realizing that the next generation of telephony would be in hosted Voice over IP solutions, he started Broadband Voice in 2006. Watts is a graduate of McCluer Academy (now Hillcrest Christian), and he obtained his Bachelor of Science degree from Mississippi College. He lives in the Jackson area with wife of 26 years. Their daughter, Olivia, is a junior at Mississippi State.
www.msbusiness.com
| Nominees | CEO AWARDS of Mississippi
2016
Blake Wilson Mississippi Economic Council
B
lake Wilson is President & CEO of the Mississippi Economic Council, serving as only the third executive of the State Chamber of Commerce. He came to MEC in 1998 from the Florida Chamber of Commerce where he served as Executive Vice President directing membership, marketing, government affairs and grassroots legislative activities. Previously, Blake was Executive Director of Associated Builders & Contractors’ in his native Delaware and prior to that, spent nearly 10 years with the Delaware Chamber of Commerce. Before entering the association business, he spent nine years as a newspaper editor and reporter. The key focus of MEC under Blake’s leadership has been to shrink the miles that separate Mississippi and to make progress in education, economic development and business climate and image. Blake lives in Brandon with his wife, Ann, a retired public school teacher. They have three grown children.
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Ross & Yerger
A
sk Dudley Wooley his most memorable moment of his 20 years with Ross & Yerger, a Jackson-based insurance company, and he’ll tell you: “Deciding to purchase and purchasing the agency in 2001/2002. I was scared to death!” Wooley has continued the legacy that Wirt Yerger, Jr. started many years ago, of “helping others achieve their goals while having fun and developing meaningful relationships,” he said. Wooley attended high school at Jackson Prep, earned his degree at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. He earned his MBA at Millsaps College. He specializes in healthcare and nonprofits. Before joining Ross & Yerger in 1995, he spent 2 years with Andersen Consulting (now Accenture), and five years with the Marketing Research Institute. Wooley is activ e in the Jackson Prep Board; Baptist Health Systems Board; Greater Jackson Community Foundation Board; Northminster Baptist Church He has been married to Julie James Wooley for 25 years, and they have three children — Gates 22, Clay 21 and John 17.
CEO AWARDS of Mississippi | Nominees |
Dudley D. Wooley
2016
www.msbusiness.com
William G. Yates III Yates Construction
W
illiam G. Yates III is the CEO/President of W.G. Yates & Sons Construction Company, a nationally recognized contractor which has been consistently listed in the Engineering News Record’s top 50 contractors in the US. Yates received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Mississippi – summa cum laude and a Master of Science degree in construction management from Arizona State University. He is also a Certified Public Accountant. William serves on the Board of Directors for Trustmark Corporation and Trustmark National Bank, the Board of Directors for the University of Mississippi Foundation, and the Millsaps College Board of Trustees. He is a member of the Mississippi Economic Council (MEC) Board of Directors, the United Way of South Mississippi, and Mississippi Economic Council’s Tech Masters Council. He has been a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization since 2004. William is married to Tara Duett Yates, a former teacher. They reside in Biloxi with their 14-yearold daughter, Abby and their 12-year-old son, Gully. They are members of the First United Methodist Church of Biloxi.
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www.msbusiness.com
| Photos | CEO AWARDS of Mississippi
Photos by Stegall Imagery
2016
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Photos by Stegall Imagery
2016 CEO AWARDS of Mississippi | Photos | www.msbusiness.com
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www.msbusiness.com
| Photos | CEO AWARDS of Mississippi
Photos by Stegall Imagery
2016
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Congratulations,
Liza!
From a mere $78 start to leading the branding and communications efforts of some of the greatest clients in the world … our pride knows no bounds. – Your Cirlot Clients, Team and Family
Washington, D.C.
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