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INSIDE — Brunson to become director of medical association — Page 4

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February 15, 2019 • Vo. 41 No. 7 • 20 pages

Richard Sun named AITP Mississippian of Year

TECHNOLOGY

C Spire gets favorable ruling in fight with AT&T

— Page 17

MBJ DOUBLE FOCUS

By JACK WEATHERLY jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com

CONSTRUCTION {Section begins P7} » Home mortgage demand impacted by higher interest rates and other factors

{The List P9-11} » General Contractors

REAL ESTATE {Section begins P12} » ESTES: Preferred investment property types of high networth investors

{The Lists P13-15} » Shopping Centers » Property Management Firms

2019

t e e w S “VALENTINE ”

DERYLL STEGALL /Special to the MBJ

C Spire’s contract to provide services to the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services has been upheld by Hinds County Chancery Court Judge Denise Owens.

The ruling is the second victory for C Spire in seeking for the contract to provide voice, data and other services to all Mississippi state agencies.

The ruling will save Mississippi taxpayers $32.8 million, according to Owens.

Additionally, the ruling will save the state millions of dollars because “C Spire’s Centrex system uses the customer’s existing analog phones and lines,” the ruling states.

The state Supreme Court in March 2017 overturned Hinds County Chancery Court Judge William Singletary’s 2006 decision to seal the AT&T contract. It sent the case back to the lower court.

At issue was whether the Legislature in 2015 made the contract subject to the state Public Records Act. The Supreme Court ruled 8-1 in favor of C Spire.

The ruling by Owens notes that “C Spire’s total proposal for both voice and data is $32.8 million less than AT&T’s” for the eight-year contract.

Hu Meena, chief executive officer of C Spire. said last year regarding the court case that “for years, Mississippi’s citizens have paid more than they should for services that are just plain inadequate.”

Efforts to reach Mayo Flynt, president of AT&T in Mississippi, as to whether the case would be appealed back to the Supreme Court were unsuccessful.

If AT&T does, C Spire “is confident the Mississippi Supreme Court will again affirm [Mississippi Department of Information Technology]’s decision,” consultant Liz Whelan said in an email.

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http://msbusiness.com/mississippis-top-tech-awards/

2 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q February 15, 2019 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Coast seeks next generation of professionals

By LISA MONTI mbj@msbusiness.com The low cost of living on the Mississippi Gulf Coast along with upgrades in some downtown districts give the coastal counties a big advantage in attracting a new generation of professionals.

That’s one of the key takeaways from a

new analysis commissioned by the Gulf Coast Business Council to find out how the Mississippi coast stacks up against other Southeastern metro areas in attracting new residents drawn to green spaces, access to restaurants and shopping, cultural opportunities and other favored lifestyle amenities.

“We’re seeking the next generation com-

ing into the workforce who don’t like long commutes and who want to be engaged in their community,” said Ashley Edwards, president of the Gulf Coast Business Council. “We wanted to gauge where we are in terms of our current quality of place and how we can continue to improve in key areas where we have opportunities.”

The University of Southern Mississip-

pi’s Trent Lott National Center for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship pulled together the comparison to gauge how the coast’s metro area competed in place making and talent attraction.

“We found that the overwhelming competitive advantage we have on Edwards Mississippi Gulf Coast is in the relatively low cost of living compared to a lot of the other re-

“We found that the overwhelming competitive advantage we have on Mississippi Gulf Coast is in the relatively low cost of living. ”

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gions that are growing,” Edwards said. “We have the lowest median home sales price of all the regions we studied and a lower cost of living index than any of the other regions.”

Other advantages for the Mississippi Coast that were revealed in the study were its growing popularity as a tourist destination and the fast growth of coastal communities worldwide.

Edwards said his agency is looking at the national shift from a decade ago when metropolitan areas like Austin, Nashville and Atlanta “saw high in-migration of these talented creative professionals but the cost of living in these markets got so out of hand that many folks are now beginning to look at regions where there is a high quality of life but with lower home prices. We feel like that’s a tremendous opportunity for the Mississippi Gulf Coast.”

Recently announced projects and ongoing improvements in coastal cities are important to attracting new residents and See COAST, Page 3

February 15, 2019

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Mississippi Business Journal

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RETAIL

All the world needs is love

» And Valentine’s chocolate helps, says Nandy’s

By JACK WEATHERLY jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com

Valentine’s is just what America needs, as Nancy King sees it.

Her shop, Nandy’s Candy, has been around for nearly 40 years and seen social and political change.

“Our country seems to be divided about everything,” she says ensconced in her tiny office. “Valentine’s gives you a break. Who can argue politics or anything else with love.”

The formulas she uses for chocolates and other sweets haven’t changed since she was teen-ager in Houston and was exposed to what would make a life’s work for her.

Now the business has entered its second generation of making confections.

About three years ago, she turned over control of the business in Jackson’s Maywood Mart to one of her daughters, Emmie King, who was riding herd on a small mountain of shipping boxes on Monday, the biggest shipping day of the year for the shop.

Nandy, by the way, is a variation of Nancy.

On the way to the bank to finance the business, Nancy finally settled on a name.

She’d been wrestling with that for six months and rolling the names around in her head. At the last minute, she came up with Nandy because, well, candy is dandy, and Nandy does sound like Nancy.

“I wanted one word, because when you think of candy, you think of Mars, Hershey, Nestle,” she said.

Corporately, it was longer: Nandy’s Candy and Ice Cream Factory. Then ice cream was dropped after four years.

JACK WEATHERLY/MBJ

Above: Nancy King welcomes customers in store’s 39th year.

Left: Emmie King checks boxes on Nandy’s biggest shipping day of the year.

In its place came snowballs, still a warm-weather favorite.

Nandy’s products are as personal for customers as people are to her, she said.

“When [Hurricane] Katrina came, we had all these people from New Orleans.,” she said. “They would be so excited to see an actual New Orleans shaved-ice snowball.”

Push come to shove, King says the American Truffle is probably her biggest seller.

COAST Continued from, Page 2

visitors, he said.

“We are already seeing important forward momentum on the coast as it relates to community development. The high-quality developments in downtown Gulfport, Biloxi and Bay St. Louis are exactly the types of things we want to see as we prepare for this evolving economy and look to attract the talent for the next generation of economic prosperity,” he said. “We hope we will see continued new construction starts and new housing units and mixed-use developments that are going to be both desirable and af-

fordable.”

The Coast does have deficiencies that need improvement, such as affordable access to high-speed Internet, to bring up the region’s quality of place standards.

Edwards said that in the past, existing jobs were needed to draw new residents but in booming cities like Nashville, where more than 100 people a day moved in, most didn’t come with a job in hand.

“It’s an interesting dynamic because you have a lot more entrepreneurship in this next generation of work force.

They are involved in more mobile business operations so they can choose to live anywhere and work remotely, “ he said.

The name is a bit misleading. It’s a combination of light and dark chocolates with hazlenut meats.

Caramels covered with chocolate give it a run, she said.

Things really get cranked up in the little shop starting in August.

Christmas is already looming by then.

Corporate sales are a big part of the business and one especially large customer’s order couldn’t get filled if production didn’t start in late summer.

Halloween is the first big event in the candy season, followed by Thanksgiving,, Mistletoe Marketplace and then Christmas.

Before long, it’s time to think about Valentine’s, the single biggest day of the confections calendar.

Nancy takes a break from her interview to fill an order.

“Yes, ma’am. They’re $36 a pound. In a pound right now, they’re running about medium-sized so I’m getting about 16 to 18 [straw]berries. You don’t have to buy a full pound. You can buy one berry, two berries, whatever.”

It seems no worker ever really leaves Nandy’s. Former employees come back for Valentine’s, taking a vacation day at their regular job just to help out on the big day.

“They’re devoted.”

The store swells from two regulars to upwards of ten workers in the tight little shop. Among the candy elves is Bill King, Nancy’s husband with whom she will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in August.

On the shop’s red-letter day, it is invaded by procrastinators, and maybe those who just fell in love, when the line into the store overflows out onto the sidewalk and customers haven’t even thought about Easter, much less the world’s troubles.

Still, Edwards said, it’s important not only to create new jobs but to retain existing jobs with a diversity of occupations to maintain a healthy job base. “The recommendation we have is to take the comprehensive approach, not one or the other. Retaining and growing what’s already here is incredibly important.”

The study points out that changing the coast’s economy will not be fast or easy. “Our goal here is to create a public narrative about opportunities and to provide the necessary leadership to advance the ball,” Edwards said. “We can’t do it alone. It’s going to take wide range of stakeholders who understand the opportunities and who are willing to make this happen.”

4 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q February 15, 2019 MEDICINE

Brunson to become director of medical association

By JACK WEATHERLY jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com

Soon Dr. Claude Brunson will switch from being president of the Mississippi Board of Medical Licensure, which, as much as anything rides herd on physicians, to full-time director of the Mississippi Medical Association, which serves an advocacy role for doctors.

Association Board Chairwoman Dr. Jennifer Bryan said in an association release that “all of the state’s physicians know, today, they have one of their own at the helm. He knows medicine and he Brunson knows Mississippi.”

He has been a member of the licensure board.and his term ends in 2022.

Starting April 1, he will be executive director of the association that claims 5,000 physicians as members and will step down from licensure board at that time.

Previously, he was the first African-American to be president of the physicians’ association.

Brunson, an anesthesiologist, is “one of the most active voices in Mississippi in medical and health policy,” the release from the association states.

Efforts to reach Brunson for this article were unsuccessful. Since 2010, Brunson has been senior adviser to the vice chancellor of the University of Mississippi Medical Center and leads the external affairs division.

He served UMMC as director of the office of government affairs from 2015 till 2018.

The licensure board and physicians association have been in conflict in recent year over their roles.

Dr. John Hall, former executive director of the licensure board, which declined to renew Hall’s contract in 2017 after less than a year, took an aggressive approach to the behavior of physicians – specifically over whether there were any sexual relations between doctor and patient.

He pushed for a state law to make such a relationship punishable as a felony.

The board did not endorse the effort, which died in committee.

Hall said in an email to The Clarion-Ledger after he left that post that “the board has a deep, irremediable conflict of interest that arise[s] directly from its structure. By statute, the board members are nominated by the [Mississippi Medical As-

sociation] and appointed by the governor.”

“This leads to the disciplinary body being controlled by the same ‘trade guild’ it’s supposed to regulate. . . . This is fundamentally a legislative problem.”

Dr. Kenneth E. Cleveland was named by the board as executive director about a year ago.

He took the position despite being sued 12 times in Hinds County Circuit Court in a 10-year period. Settlements were reached in some and others were dismissed outright.

Dr. Charles Miles, then-president of the board said that Cleveland was never the subject of a complaint filed with the board,

and thus board never looked into the matter in that context.

Some of the other 12 candidates also were targets of lawsuits as well, Miles said.

“That’s part of the price you pay for practicing medicine in this litigious society,” he said.

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Mississippi should reward innovations

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» INSIDE MISSISSIPPI

Constructive conservatism needed to thwart Socialism

W

hat would Adam Smith, the father of modern capitalism, think of capitalism in America today?

You see, it was Smith’s notion that despite natural greed, individuals in a free, capitalistic society would be led by “reason, principle, conscience” to act morally and compassionately. Capitalism would be the economic mechanism by which wage earners and the middle class would accumulate wealth.

While certainly true historically in the United States, and much of the free world, that no longer seems to be the case here, especially since the Great Recession.

“Only upper income families have median wealth greater than prior to the Great Recession” – Pew Research Center, Nov. 1, 2017.

“The income share of the poorest half of Americans is declining while the richest have grabbed more. In Europe, it’s not happening.” – Vox.com, July 29, 2018.

“The US Congressional Research Service says the income share of the richest 1% of Americans reached 19.6% last year. It never rose above 10% in the first four decades after the Second World War.” – The Telegraph, Feb. 5, 2019.

And so what, you say?

“According to a new poll from Gallup, young Americans are souring on capitalism. Less than half, 45 percent, view capitalism positively,” CNBC reported

last August.

“Meanwhile, 51 Bill Crawford percent of young people are positive about socialism.”

Perhaps you noticed the leftward swing in the mid-term elections last year. According to Axios.com, “The Democratic Party’s base is rallying around calls for massive social welfare programs like Medicare for All, a federal jobs guarantee and a Green New Deal — all of which would cost trillions of dollars and potentially bust the budget,” which Axios.com says “is not that big of a deal.”

This trend is not new. In 2011 BBC News Magazine published an article that declared, “As a side-effect of the financial crisis, more and more people are starting to think Karl Marx was right.”

To counter this trend, what have conservatives done? So far, they continue to promote rapacious capitalism, facilitate corporate greed, and provide fuel to energize the left.

In 1923, Sir John Skelton, penned a series of anti-socialism articles challenging fellow conservatives to step up and face the social and economic challenges facing his nation. He called this approach “constructive conservatism” and said that growing the wealth of wage-earners through fair wages and property ownership should be conserSeeũ CRAWFORD,ũPageũď

ississippi badly needs more innovative approaches in its schools and classrooms.

Such is certainly true in schools across the country as educators try to adapt teaching models to make them more meaningful to today’s students. But it is particularly pressing in a state that has consistently ranked at the bottom of educational rankings and one that must find a pathway for its kids to escape entrenched generational poverty.

Simply put, the state’s education system can’t expect different results without implementing new methods.

It means Mississippi must be doing all it can to incentivize innovation among schools and districts – rewarding fresh ideas that are successful and looking for ways to spread them across the state. That’s what makes the state’s current handling of the Corinth School District particularly troublesome.

For a number of years, Corinth Schools have been leading the way in cutting-edge advancements. Its students learn from a special curriculum and take international exams developed by Cambridge University in England. Its modified year-round calendar differs from the model used by the rest of the state.

Those strategies have yielded results, too. Corinth’s 95 percent graduation rate ranks fourth best in Mississippi, and its composite ACT score is well above the state average.

Yet, instead of being lauded for its innovations, Corinth has been punished by the state accountability system.

When Corinth first switched to the Cambridge curriculum, which does not align with Mississippi’s state tests, the Mississippi Department of Education agreed to develop an alternative assessment model to assign A-to-F ratings to the district and its schools. That changed last year when state officials concluded that state and federal law required Corinth to be graded based on the existing state tests.

Corinth has been focusing its attention on preparing students for the rigorous Cambridge tests, not the state tests. When students at Corinth High School took those state tests last year without any review, they scored poorly. As a result, the high school received an F grade, and the district got a C. The district has appealed those grades, saying they are unfair and that the state broke its promise. The Board of Education denied that appeal on Jan. 15, and the district has since filed notice in Hinds County Court that it will pursue legal action. Meanwhile, State Rep. Nick Bain of Corinth has introduced a bill to require the state to develop an alternative grading system. That bill passed the House Education Committee and awaits action before the full House.

We also call on the state to develop an alternative model that more accurately reflects Corinth’s unique situation.

The district is taking the bold approach that Mississippi needs. Punishing them for that is both inappropriate and unfair to Corinth. And doing so threatens to discourage others from taking risks and trying new approaches that can push the state forward.

— Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal

PERSPECTIVE

February 15, 2019 I Mississippi BusinessǴJournalǴ I

» RICKY NOBILE

CRAWFORD

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Continued from Page Ď

vative’s top priority to thwart the appeal of socialism.

In today’s parlance that means big business should be hiring more people and increasing wages rather than funding stock buy-backs, expensive mergers, and escalating corporate salaries (now 270 times average wage earner salaries; up from 20 times in 1970.) Crumbs to the middle class from massive tax cuts for huge corporations and the wealthy and low-wage jobs with no benefits and no future won’t dent the rise of socialism.

So, who are the champions of constructive conservatism in America today?

Well, John Kasich may come closest. Quoting conservative Catholic philosopher Michael Novak, he said capitalism without compassion is “bankrupt,” but looks more to government intervention than moral business behavior.

An ironic call for “moral capitalism” to combat socialism comes from Rep. Joe Kennedy (yes, one of those Kennedys). “We have to do a better job addressing the economic needs of working class and middle class voters,” he told the Associated Press.

Some form of constructive conservatism will be needed to thwart the rise of socialism.

Bill Crawford is a syndicated columnist from Meridian.

»INSIDE MISSISSIPPI

Tort reform back at the Capitol

T

ort reform is back at the Mississippi Capitol.

That term is the shorthand for a yearslong, multistate campaign by business groups to reduce lawsuit verdicts. In Mississippi, it climaxed in a 2004 special legislative session in which lawmakers limited pain-and-suffering damage awards to $1 million in most lawsuits and limited such damages to $500,000 in medical malpractice cases.

In recent years, the titanic political battle had grown quiet. Republican dominance guaranteed no rollback of Mississippi’s previous changes, but there seemed to be little left on the agenda.

But business groups have something they still want — to make harder for people to collect damages for injuries caused by a third party on business property.

In the legal world, this is called premises liability.

“It’s an easy way to get some easy money,” Ron Aldridge, executive director of the Mississippi chapter of the National Federation of Independent Businesses, said of such lawsuits.

Aldridge said businesses had originally sought changes in the 2004 package, but dropped the demand in exchange for other things they wanted.

Mississippi appeals courts have already been skeptical of people suing businesses, finding at least three times since 2002 that a business wasn’t responsible for someone else’s criminal conduct. But Aldridge and others claim some judges aren’t following those decisions, and that insurers are paying up rather than risk big verdicts, driving up insurance rates.

Supporters of the bill have repeatedly said businesses have left Mississippi because of the problem, but have yet to respond to requests by The Associated Press to identify them.

Those who want a change say current law is unfair because it’s written to prohibit judges or jurors from assigning part of the fault for an action to the criminal or other

third party who performed the action. The two identical versions of what’s called the Landowners Protection Act (House Bill 337 and Senate Bill 2901 ) would change that by saying jurors or judges could divide up shares of fault.

That alone is likely to be a boon to businesses, because when someone sues a business, they can argue that most of the fault belongs to the third party who assaulted someone in a parking lot.

While the business has money and insurance coverage, in many cases the individual does not. A jury decides someone suffered $100,000 in harm, but the business is at fault for only 10 percent.

But the bills go further than that one change.

Most importantly, the bills say a property owner is exempt from a lawsuit unless someone can prove they “affirmatively, with a degree of conscious decision-making, impelled the conduct of said third party.” A woman who sues after being attacked in a dark parking lot without security would have to prove that the business knew about the potential harm and let it happen.

They also exempt property owners from liability even if they knew about the violent nature of the third party, and doesn’t allow a plaintiff to establish that there was an atmosphere of violence at a location unless there was

similar violent conduct that resulted in three felony convictions on the Jeff Amy property within the three prior years.

So a nightclub where the police are called to break up fights but people aren’t charged and convicted of felonies could be exempt, for example, if someone was hurt there

Supporters of the bill have repeatedly said businesses have left Mississippi because of the problem ... later.

Ole Miss law school Professor Farish Percy, who teaches tort law, said the bill could make it nearly impossible to prove a property owner bears any responsibility for any injury caused by a third party. That’s unlike current law, which would say a property owner is responsible if they didn’t take reasonable precautions.

“I think this is much greater protection,” Percy said Thursday.

JEFF AMY has covered politics and government for The Associated Press in Mississippi since 2011. Follow him at http://twitter.com/jeffamy .

February 15, 2019 • MISSISSIPPI BUSINESS JOURNAL • www.msbusiness.com

AN MBJ FOCUS: Construction

Home mortgage demand impacted by higher interest rates and other factors

By BECKY GILLETTE mbj@msbusiness.com Home building is one of the pillars of the American economy, so there has been concern that increases in mortgage interest rates could have an impact not just on homebuilders, but the greater economy. Yet there may also be reasons for optimism about 2019.

Joe W. McNeese III, a longtime mortgage industry expert who is managing partner with Global Recruiters of Jackson, said an uptick in mortgage rates started being seen in about the third quarter of 2018.

“That certainly did have an impact on the consumers’ mindset,” McNeese said. “I think pretty much all the lenders I spoke to saw their lending activity start to take a dip in the third quarter of this past year and that remained so going into the fourth quarter. However, rates are historically very low. So, I think there were some other things at play during that time including mid-term elections in November and the partial government shutdown.

“It created a lot of uncertainty,” McNeese said.

“For people looking to make a large investment, the last thing they want is uncertainty. A lot of factors create lower demand for home financing.

We saw home purchasing numbers fall off to a certain degree. The good news going into the new year is that rates seem to have settled down. They have dropped back into that 4.5 percent range for a 30-year fixed rate.”

Going into the spring, there seems to be a consensus that the Federal Reserve is backing off on any more interest rate increases.

“That doesn’t directly impact mortgage rates, but it does have an effect on the home market,” McNeese said. “And the fact is that month after month, we continue to see strong employment See MORTGAGE, Page 8

8 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q February 15, 2019

MORTGAGE Continued from Page 7

numbers and the economy is on a good footing. All of those things together speak for a pretty good 2019 as far as home sales and mortgage financing.”

The Fed has been steadily raising interest rates, but mortgage rates are linked to the ten-year Treasury bond, said Don Potts, broker-associate, Nix-Tann Associates, Inc., Jackson.

“The ten-year bond got up to more than 3 percent at one time, but more recently it has been around 2.7 percent,” Potts said. “Everybody thinks since the Fed has been increasing interest rates that mortgage rates have gone up considerably.

But they have not gone up that much.

They went up from 3 and ¾ to 4, and now they are 4 and 3/8 to 4.5. That is not bad.

The interest rates have gone up, but not as much as people think.”

Potts has seen little impact in the areas where he works, northeast Jackson, Rankin and Madison County. He said it is a typical market. Some houses are selling and some are not.

Affordability can be another issue. Potts said while Jackson housing is more expensive than most of Mississippi, but is still affordable compared to most of the rest of the country.

“I think there is affordable housing in Jackson,” Potts said. “New construction

starter homes out in the suburbs are high, $130 to $140 square foot. That is pretty expensive for a first-time home buyer.

The first-time home buyer might have to buy something older where the price per square foot is less. And first-time home buyers are important because the person selling a home to them buys another home and it reverberates up.”

Chevis Swetman, president and CEO of The People’s Bank, Biloxi, is no fan of the Federal Reserve and is critical of their rate hikes.

“Remember the big row about the President taking on Federal Reserve and saying it was wrong to raise interest rates?”

Swetman asks. “Since Pres. Trump has been in office, the Federal Reserve has raised the rate eight times. The president knew more what was happening to the economy than the Federal Reserve.

Jerome Powell (chair of the Federal Reserve) said 12 months ago they were going to have four rates hikes to stamp out inflation. But there were no inflation indicators.

“Every time there is a recession in this country, it is caused by the Federal Reserve getting the markets wrong. That is what happened in the third quarter of this past year. Since then the Federal Reserve has corrected and said they might have been a little too hasty. And they are backing off on their automatic rate hikes, which is good. Trump was right. The Federal Re-

Construction serve was wrong. We haven’t had inflation for eight to ten years going back to the recession which began in 2009 and 2009.”

Swetman said there was a slowdown in mortgage demand going back to September. And he said that has the result of causing a decrease in home building.

“The higher the interest rates, the lower the number of home sales and that translates to the economy,” Swetman said.

“Home building is a major portion of our economy.”

Swetman said he feels jealous when he travels to Jackson, Madison and the surrounding areas, and sees all the home building going on.

“They are building out subdivisions,” Swetman said. “Down here, we are lucky if we get three to four houses in a subdivision. Oxford is booming, Mississippi State is building, and Jackson is building. We’re the ones suffering. We are building, but nothing like those other areas.”

Dawn Robbins, mortgage retail division manager for Renasant Mortgage Lending based in Tupelo, said based on data from their Mississippi market, rates are about a full point higher than in January 2016.

Yet they experienced no decline in the number of units or dollar production for 2018.

“January 2019 has been a little slower than normal, but it is typical for January and February to be slower months due to the time of the year,” Robbins said.

“We are already beginning to see inquires, pre-quals and applications pick up in our market.

“Rising interest rates can certainly have impact on what a borrower can qualify for. Lenders are looking at credit scores and total DTI (debt to income).

Rising interest rates might not affect the borrower’s ability to purchase a home, but it does affect the maximum purchase price/loan amount. If a potential borrower is budgeting for a monthly housing payment based on a 4.5 percent interest rate and rates rise to 5.25 percent, the budgeted monthly payment could go up $50 to $125 per month based on the loan amount.

Higher interest rates can also affect minimum monthly payments on Home Improvement Line of Credit’s, minimum monthly credit card payments, etc. This could cause the necessity for the borrower to have to increase their down payment or pay off debt to qualify for the same loan amount due to interest rates just being .5 to 1 percent higher.”

Robbins said one of the most important things lenders can do for first-time homebuyers is help prepare them for home ownership. First-time homebuyers should be encouraged to contact a local mortgage specialist and ask for their educational assistance in helping them walk thru the process.

Brasfield & Gorrie is one of the largest privately held construction firms in the nation, and we’re right at home in Mississippi.

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Current construction of the St. Dominic ED Expansion and Renovation Project

Commercial Construction Design Build Historic Renovations 2006 Aspen Cove Brandon, MS 39042

601-824-4646

329B E Oxford Street Pontotoc, MS 38863

662-200-2564 www.ï¬&#x201A;agstarconstruction.com | #ProudtobetheGC

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February 15, 2019

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February 15, 2019 • MISSISSIPPI BUSINESS JOURNAL • www.msbusiness.com

AN MBJ FOCUS: Real Estate COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

Preferred investment property types of high net-worth investors

I

n my last article, published in January, I addressed why high net-worth investors (HNWIs) should allocate to commercial real estate (CRE) as opposed to other alternative asset classes. Those reasons included were: preservation of wealth; cash flow; appreciation; tax purposes and estate planning. Although I went into detail in each of these reasons I didn’t touch on the types of properties that are preferred

by HNWIs. After writing the previous article I received many calls and emails from investors who were curious which property type was best. Every situation is different and every investor’s circumstances may dictate how much risk tolerance they can take; however, experience is a big factor in this decision. According to National Real Estate Investor Magazine (November/December 2018 issue), there are a few property types that stand out as the preferred property choice for HNWIs. They are in this order; Multifamily; Industrial and Medical Office. Most investors who have knowledge and experience in commercial real estate know there are a hosts of other property types such as: office buildings, hotels, self-storage, large shopping centers, student housing, senior living, land and a myriad of other sub-property types. Several articles, such as the one listed above, lists multifamily and industrial as numbers 1 and 2, respectively, but there is disagreement on the third ranking. Again, the National Real Estate Investor listed medical office as number 3; however, based on my twenty (20) years of experience helping HNWIs purchase investment properties, small retail centers (strip retail) should be number 3. Below I have summarized why each of these property types might attract HNWIs who purchase investment properties in the $1 million to $5 million range and why they are consistently ranked as a favorite.

Ranked Number 1 is Multifamily. There

are many reasons Multifamily ranks number 1. First, is it is an easier property type to transition from investing in single-family homes and/or small residential investment properties. It’s no secret that most commercial real estate investors started their investing career with small residential properties and it’s only natural to continue to invest in larger properties. In my experience most large apartment syndicators were once renting single family homes. Another reason multifamily ranks number 1 is easier access to long-term, non-recourse debt.

Many HNWIs like to invest equity in larger projects; however, personally guaranteeing a mountain of debt is not an option to some investors. In addition, the amortization periods that exist on these types of agency loans can be 25 to 30 years. Additionally, predictability of cash flow is another reason this is the preferred asset type. These properties tend to be very predictable if underwritten correctly, including reserves for replacements. Multifamily cap rates in 2017 and 2018 compressed slightly even though there were interest rate hikes. The demand for quality multifamily properties is overwhelming and the prices and cap rates reflect this in the overall investment market.

Ranked Number 2 is Industrial. Industrial is a broad label for many property types.

Industrial could refer to large industrial warehouses, manufacturing facilities, distribution facilities, research & development facilities, etc. Most industrial properties that are favored by HNWIs are multitenant flex warehouses. These properties range from 25,000 to 50,000 square feet and house small to medium size companies.

The properties usually feature anywhere from 25% to 50% of improved office space with the remaining being in warehouse and/or showroom. These types of buildings may be located in urban or sub-urban areas and rarely in traditional heavy industrial

Brian Estes

parks. Similar to multifamily, cap rates for this property type, as well as, other industrial properties have seen some compression even though interest rates have risen and future increases are imminent. Obviously, the effect of Amazon and other online retail companies have drastically changed the way retail tenants are doing business. Many of the traditional community and power center tenants have either reduced their footprint, leaving landlords with vacant space or have filed for bankruptcy protection. The industrial sector has certainly been a benefactor as the surge in online sales have created strong demand for well-located storage and distribution centers are quickly being leased.

Coming in 3rd is Small Retail Centers. Again, this property type can be further described as “strip retail”. These properties are located in proximity to large neighborhoods and residential housing on busy corridors and intersections. Small retail centers house necessity and service based retailers and businesses that serve the neighboring residents.

Most investors feel these type properties and tenants are somewhat “internet proof” as most of these tenants are less affected by the sharp increase in online sales. In my experience, in most tertiary markets, I would have to believe this could be number 2 for HNWIs as this is the most requested property type from buyers. Unfortunately these properties are difficult to find if you are only looking in A and B+ sub-markets and they don’t trade as often as most other types of retail investments. It wasn’t terribly long ago these properties were not favored by national lenders as they tend not to be “anchored” by a regional or national tenant.

However, as the great recession played out, many of the anchors either went of business or consolidated with other businesses leavSee ESTES, Page 15

Real Estate

February 15, 2019

Q

Mississippi Business Journal

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Real Estate

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February 15, 2019

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ESTES Continued from Page 12

ing landlords with a difficult and challenging space to ďŹ ll. Additionally, these type properties are appealing to a wide range of tenants and are not limited to just â&#x20AC;&#x153;retailâ&#x20AC;?.

There are a hosts of other users such as insurance, real estate, investment advisors and other users that might be considered â&#x20AC;&#x153;officeâ&#x20AC;? that prefer to be in these locations.

The recent uptrend in ďŹ tness facilities have backďŹ lled a lot of retail spaces in these type properties. Regardless, the strip retail location seems to always have demand due to their location, access and proximity to customers.

In conclusion, there is not necessarily one â&#x20AC;&#x153;rightâ&#x20AC;? property type for all investors, especially HNWIs. As mentioned previously, experience plays a great deal and that is why multifamily tends to always be the number 1 choice. However, other investors who have been successful in small retail probably feel safer sticking to what they know and understand. Most HNWIs investors should attempt to stay away from properties that have a high tenant improvement requirements such as office and larger retail centers. As noted in the above property types; multifamily, industrial and small retail centers have very low ongoing capital requirements. Yes, every so often the multifamily or retail center will require exterior capital improvements, but you are not consistently reinvesting in tenant improvements to improve occupancy. Larger private equity ďŹ rms and REITS are more suited to purchasing multi-story office buildings and larger community centers where spending $15 to $30 per square foot is common when re-leasing space. Overall, it is imperative that all investors, especially HNWIs should assess their risk proďŹ le and create an investment strategy that aligns with their long-term investment goals.

Brian E. Estes is president and investment advisor with the Estes Group and can be reached at brian@ estesgroup.net.

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John R. Praytor, MAI

Senior Managing Director for Integra Realty Resources

James O. Turner II, MAI

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2 HOURS CE APPLIED for Attorneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, CPAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Appraiserâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and Real Estate Licenseeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s To register, complete the following and return to ggilmer@msrealtors.org Name _______________________________________ Company____________________________ Email:______________________________________________ Phone:________________________ Address:___________________________________ City______________ State/Zip_____________

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15

16 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q February 15, 2019 GOVERNMENT

MISSISSIPPI PROFILES

Hood: GOP control hurts ‘working people’ in state

ASCENTIUM HEALTHCARE RESOURCES

Mississippi Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood said Monday that if he’s elected governor, he wants the state to expand Medicaid, put more money into early childhood education and reduce taxes on groceries.

“The working people have been kicked to the curb. They’re not in the back rooms when the deals are made at the Legislature,” Hood said Monday at a public affairs forum in Jackson.

“The Legislature needs to be opened up. It needs to be more transparent. It needs to be subject to the Open Records Act so the people will know who’s lobbying our legislators,” Hood said. “Working people just haven’t been at the table, and I want to be the governor for the working people.”

Republicans have held the Mississippi governorship for four of the past five terms and have controlled both chambers of the Legislature since the 2011 election. Second-term Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and first-term state Rep. Robert Foster are in the Republican primary for governor.

Hood is in his fourth term as attorney general and is the only Democrat holding statewide office in Mississippi. He will face at least one opponent, retired Jackson State University employee Velesha P. Williams, in the Democratic primary for governor.

Candidates have a March 1 deadline to qualify for statewide, regional, legislative and county races. Primaries will be held in August, and the general election in November.

Reeves and Hood are the heavyweights in the governor’s race, having raised much more money than their opponents. Candidates’ most recent finance reports showed Reeves had $6.7 million in his campaign fund at the end of 2018, and Hood had just over $1 million. Foster had $12,300 and Williams had $1,379.

Hood spoke Monday at a forum sponsored by Mississippi State University’s Stennis Institute of Government and the Capitol press corps.

“The key difference you’ll see in the fall is who fights for working people — people that work every day, pay their taxes, follow the rules, go to church. Those people,” Hood said. “Or, do we fight for large out-of-state corporations that give huge campaign contributions. … You see where this program has gotten us, doing what we’ve been doing for 16 years now.”

Reeves said at a Stennis forum in January that “the largest tax cut in Mississippi history,” enacted under Republicans in recent years, is helping the state. Reeves also has said his priorities are improving results in education and having fiscally responsible government and tax policies that encourage economic growth.

The state Republican Party said Monday on Twitter that Hood “has been the AG for wealthy trial lawyers.” Hood has faced criticism for years for using private attorneys to represent the state in lawsuits against corporations. He has said the private lawyers are taking risks and helping the state recover money.

Hood said Monday that costs of food, health care and college tuition have increased See HOOD, Page 19

» Committed to supporting rural healthcare providers in Mississippi

I

recently had a conversation with Brian Enis, COO of Ascentium Healthcare Resources, based in Magee. Officially founded in early 2018, Ascentium’s primary focus is in supporting the challenging billing and collections effort for rural hospitals, medical groups, and clinics.

Given the challenges in American health care today, and most especially for rural health care, the work that Ascentium does is vital to the survival and well-being of those providers.

Brian joined Ascen- Enis tium as COO at the onset. Many of Ascentium’s employees are former employees of Pioneer Health Services, whose assets were acquired

by Ascentium after Pioneer folded. A resident of Brandon, Brian holds degrees from Belhaven, Mississippi College, and MSU. He’s married, and has 3 kids.

Brian told me that Ascentium’s primary focus in in providing billing and collections support for its clients, but additionally, offers strategic planning, 340B pharmacy programs, and some support for behavioral health programs.

I asked Brian what the focus for the company might be in the coming 3 to 5 years.

“We hope to grow our business and serve more clients in the rural healthcare sector, and to branch out more in Mississippi and Louisiana, ” he said.

“Our goal is also to provide good jobs in Magee, and to support the community in every way we can. We have some great and dedicated folks on our team, and we want to help them grow and progress.”

What are his greatest challenges?

“It’s dealing with the insurance companies,” he said quickly. “I’ve worked on both sides of the business, and I recognize that there are great challenges throughout the health care system, but we always need to remember that in the final analysis, it’s all about people and their needs.”

He also said that it’s never much fun dealing with CMS and HIPAA changes and keeping up with that.

“There are so many regulations to

ASCENTIUM HEALTHCARE RESOURCES » Founded 2018 » # Employees: approximately 50 » Key personnel: Sydney Sawyer, CEO; Brian Enis, COO; Sandra Cain, CIO; Buddy Yates, CFO » Locations: 1, Magee » Contact Information: Corporate Office 100 Pioneer Way, Magee, MS, 39111 (601) 849-6440 www. Ascentiumhcr.com Kimberly@ascentiumhcr.com

understand, and that’s not an easy task,” he said.

Ascentium sees itself essentially as a partner to its clients, with the goal of improving cash flow so that the providers can keep doing what they do —namely, taking care of the health care needs of the folks in their communities.

“We work hard to try and help our

clients identify opportunities for constructive change….change that does not compromise the quality of care for those they serve,” he said.

I asked him about Alan Turner telemedicine in Mississippi, and whether he thinks it truly has the potential to bring improved care to so many needy folks in rural Mississippi.

“I certainly feel that it has great potential,” he said. “There are many people who simply cannot travel long distances to visit a doctor or health care provider, and yet, they desperately need health care. Telemedicine is an important option to deliver that care in a cost-effective manner.”

From my conversation with Brian, it seems clear that Ascentium is fully committed to helping its clients succeed in a challenging and constantly changing environment.

Contact Mississippi Business Journal publisher Alan Turner at alan.turner@msbusiness.com or (601) 364-1021.

Newsmakers Aldersgate Retirement Community recognized Aldersgate Retirement Community has been recognized nationally for its exemplary efforts in creating a culture of engagement and satisfaction.

Holleran, the nation’s leading research firm specializing in senior living and community engagement, has announced the 2018 recipients of their new “Choice Community Award.” The Choice Community Award recognizes organizations with strong cultures of engagement. Awards are granted by exceeding Holleran’s “Engagement Index” benchmark with a mean score of 85 or higher, on a 100-point scale. This places all recipients within the top 15% of the more than 700 surveyed communities nationwide.

Only two retirement communities in the nation achieved this level of excellence. Aldersgate Retirement Community (Methodist Senior Services), along with Glenwood Retirement Community (United Church Homes), was recognized with the “Choice Community Award” for both their excellent resident and employee engagement efforts, placing it firmly within the top one percent of senior living organizations in the country.

Holleran has the largest benchmark of its kind, measuring both resident and employee engagement in the senior living space. Currently, the benchmark comprises more than 160,000 resident and employee surveys, all completed within the last two years. This enables organizations to compare their performance to their peers, whether they are across the road or across the country. Utilizing this extensive body of research, Holleran’s “Choice Community Awards” recognizes the most engaging senior living organizations in the nation.

Adams and Reese adds two attorneys in Jackson

Adams and Reese announced that Darryl A. Wilson and Alexander Bondurant have joined the firm’s Jackson office as Associates.

Wilson is a member of the firm’s Litigation team and assists clients in all phases of complex litigation in federal and state courts. His experience includes Wilson litigating matters in the areas of premises liability, negligence, negligent supervision, negligent hiring and training, products liability, breach of contract, labor and employment, workers’ compensation and mass tort/ class action claims.

Additionally, Wilson defends clients in complex, catastrophic Bondurant injury claims in federal and state courts throughout Mississippi.

Wilson received his J.D. from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 2014 and his B.A., magna cum laude, from Tougaloo College in 2011.

A member of the firm’s Real Estate team, Bondurant is a former petroleum landman who has broad experience in oil and gas law. He analyzes and prepares oil, gas and other land title instruments such as complex oil, gas, mineral and surface leases, mineral right and royalty transfers, overriding royalty

February 15, 2019

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Sun named AITP Mississippian of Year

Pictured left to right: Javier Peraza, Instructor; Richard Sun; Bart Uharriet, AITP President; Jarrick Finkley, Coder

The Mississippi Coding Academies and Innovate Mississippi proudly announce that Richard A. Sun, CFA, was named Mississippian of the Year for 2018 by the Jackson Chapter of CompTIA’s Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP) on January 31 at Anjou Restaurant in Ridgeland.

This award is given annually by AITP to a Mississippian who has had a significant impact on the state through the business, innovation, or application of information technology during the year.

Mississippi Coding Academies is a nonprofit that trains under-served recent high school graduates to become entry level full stack software developers over 11-months in a simulated workplace. Mississippi employers need over 1,200 such developers. The Academies trained 20 coders in its first class and has 40 in training to graduate in June 2019. Sun co-founded the Mississippi Coding Academies and directed its Jackson location, leading to being selected as AITP-Jackson’s Mississippian of the Year Award for 2018.

transfers and assignments of various interests. He obtains various permits for interstate pipelines and handles Mississippi Oil and Gas Board matters.

Bondurant also represents clients in complex oil and gas litigation, adverse possession and boundary line disputes, subdivision covenants and other title-related litigation matters.

Bondurant received his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 2013, and his B.A., cum laude, from the Croft Institute for International Studies, University of Mississippi, in 2008. After law school, Bondurant served as a law clerk to Honorable Chief Justice William L. Waller, Jr., Mississippi Supreme Court, from 2013–2014.

Southern AgCredit announces 6 promotions Southern AgCredit promoted six employees from across the two states that it serves.

Kevin Brown was promoted to relationship manager in Southern AgCredit’s Ridgeland branch. Brown holds BBA and MBA degrees from the University of Mississippi. Prior to joining the cooperative as a credit analyst in 2017, he was a loan officer for Community Bank.

This prestigious and high-profile award is given to a Mississippian who has had a significant and important positive impact on the state. Notable winners of this award include: Former Mississippi Governor William Winter; current Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant; Gerard Gibert, CEO of Venture Technologies; Hu Meena, president and CEO of C-Spire; Dr. David L. Powe, CEO of TelehealthOne; Sheena Allen, CEO of CapWay and media tech entrepreneur; H. Lynn Byrd, instructor of Computer Information Systems at Delta State University and AITP Student Chapter Faculty Advisor; and, Richard A. Sun, CFA, co-founder of the Mississippi Coding Academies and director of the Jackson cohort.

The Jackson Chapter of CompTIA AITP is one of the oldest Chapters in the country, having been established in 1951 as part of the National Machine Accountants Association (NMAA), and later as part of the Data Processing Management Association (DPMA)—both forerunners of the current CompTIA AITP organization.

Lauren Smith was promoted to loan administrator in the Brookhaven branch, where most recently she was a loan administrator associate. Prior to joining Southern AgCredit in 2010 as a customer service representative, Smith had nine years of commercial banking experience.

Walt Power was promoted to appraiser in the Ridgeland administrative office. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Mississippi State University. Prior to joining Southern AgCredit in 2015 as a collateral evaluator, he worked as a loan officer, farm manager and sales representative. Power is a Mississippi Licensed Real Estate Appraiser, working toward his Mississippi General Appraiser License.

In Louisiana, Devin Davis was promoted to branch manager in Ruston, April Lunsford was promoted to loan administrator in Ruston, and Lalanie Taylor was promoted to loan administrator in Shreveport.

Origin Bank hires Miller Origin Bank announced that Andy Miller has joined the company as a Vice President, Business Development Banker for its Mississippi market.

Miller has more than 17 years in the banking industry. In his position at Origin he will focus on acquiring and maintaining quality banking relationships,

specifically with small business clients.

Miller has a Bachelor of Science from Belhaven University and is a graduate of the Mississippi School of Banking at the University of Mississippi. He is a deacon at Lakeland Presbyterian Church and is a graduate of the Rankin County Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Rankin program. Miller has been married to Marissa Miller for 16 years, and together they have two children.

Castle & Cooke Mortgage opens Batesville Location Castle & Cooke Mortgage, LLC®, one of the nation’s leading independent mortgage lenders with locations across the United States, has opened a new office in Batesville. This is its third branch to open in Mississippi and will be led by Katy White, branch manager.

White has been a loan officer in the business for over three years. In her free time, she loves working in the yard, reading a good book and playing with her three dogs. She resides with her significant other, George, and 16-year-old son and is an avid Lakers fan.

Newsmakers

18 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q February 15, 2019

Golden named employee of the quarter Nicholas Golden was named South Mississippi State Hospital’s fourth quarter 2018 Employee of the Quarter. Golden joined SMSH in Purvis in August 2011 as an Active Treatment Technician.

In June 2018, he was promoted to Active Treatment Technician Supervisor.

Golden Golden is a Forrest County native and graduated from Hattiesburg High School. He attended Pearl River Community College and the University of Southern Mississippi. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Sports Management with a minor in Business Administration.

Before joining to SMSH, Golden worked at Kohler Engines in Hattiesburg.

Golden enjoys traveling, working in the yard, movies, sporting events and his family. He is married to Courtney Golden and has four children - Charity, Jayden, Aaliyah and Mya. He is a member of Friends of South Mississippi State Hospital and is the Pathfinder Director at Ephesus SDA Church.

Great Southern Bank announces promotions Great Southern Bank announces the promotions of Chris H. Odom to President of the Waynesboro Office, Joann Walker to senior vice-president and personnel officer, Rebecca C. Campbell to senior vice-president, Lisa Dearman to vice-president and Mildred C. Smith to Odom vice-president according to Jeff McCoy, president and CEO. Odom, a native of Waynesboro, is a graduate of Wayne Academy and earned a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree from the University of Mississippi. He also graduated from The Mississippi School of Banking and the Graduate School of Banking at LSU. Odom began Walker his financial career in 2000 before joining Great Southern Bank in 2006. He serves as the Director of the Wayne County School Foundation, Director of the South Mississippi Planning and Development District and is a member of the Waynesboro Rotary Club, as well as assist with the Wayne County Dixie Youth Campbell Baseball and Wayne County Soccer League. Odom and his wife, Nikki, have two children, Kambree and Landree.

Walker, a native of Collinsville, is a graduate of West Lauderdale High School. She began her financial career with First City National Bank in Arlington, TX. In 1983, Walker joined Great Southern Bank as the President’s Executive Secretary before transferring to the Human Resources Department. In addition to her personnel duties, Walker serves on the Information Technology Steering and Personnel Committee and

Secretary of the Great Southern Bank and Great Southern Capital Corp. Board of Directors. She is also a member of the East Central Mississippi Human Resource Association. Walker and her husband, Randy, have two children, Emily Crenshaw and Randel Waite, and three grandchildren, Dearman Mady, Hunter and Wyatt.

As a native of Waynesboro, Campbell began her career with Great Southern Bank in 1984 as a secretary. In addition to her lending responsibilities, Campbell serves as the Compliance Coordinator and Personnel Coordinator in Waynesboro. She is a member of the Wayne County Career Smith & Technical Center Advisory Committee. Campbell and her husband, Kenneth, have two daughters, Jessica Snowe and Erin Campbell and two grandchildren, Parker and Tatum Grace.

Dearman, a native of Quitman, graduated from Quitman High School and earned an Associate Degree in Arts at Jones County Junior College. She began her financial career in April of 1982 as a teller with Great Southern Bank in Quitman. During her career, Dearman has served in various roles including Customer Service and Loan Processing. With over 36 years of experience, she currently oversees the deposit operations, assists with personnel and serves as Branch Security Officer in Quitman. Dearman is a member of the Clarke County Chamber of Commerce. Dearman is married to Kenneth and they have one daughter, Kristen.

As a native of Buckatunna, Smith is a graduate of Wayne Academy. She also earned an Associate in Arts Degree from Jones County Junior and a Bachelor of Science in Business from William Carey. Smith began her financial career in 1978 and in 1999 joined Great Southern Bank as a Loan Secretary before being promoted to Branch Manager in 2011. Although Smith works primarily in the lending area as a Loan Officer, she also assists with the deposit operations of the Waynesboro location. Smith has two sons, Justin and Jared, and four grandchildren, Grant, Remington, Dallas, and Montana.

IP Recognizes employees for December, 4th quarter IP Casino Resort Spa recognized several team members for their service, dedication and work ethic.

December’s honorees were Maureen O’Gorman (Security, Dispatch), Andre Nguyen (Senses Spa & Salon, Manicurist), Ricky Sherrill (Infusions Coffee Shop, Barista), Chance Fricke (Food & Beverage, Lead Line Cook), Neisha Gabbidon (Hotel Housekeeping, Guest Room Attendant) and Ellyn Mack (Purchasing, Buyer).

Fourth quarter honorees included part-time team members Brittany Hunter (tien, Bar Back Specialty) and Barbara Neely (Hotel, Bus Program Coordinator) as well as Team Leaders Sharmane Barrant (Hotel Housekeeping, Assistant Supervisor), Theresa Decicco (Hotel, Assistant Front Office Manager) and Jason Pitman (Food & Beverage, Banquet’s Sous Chef).

In addition, Kyra Monk (Legal, Assistant) was recognized for commitment to working safely with the Safety Spotlight Award for December.

Hub International acquires Fortenberry McNamara assets Hub International Limited a leading global insurance brokerage, announced today it has acquired the assets of Fortenberry McNamara LLC. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Fortenberry McNamara, a division of Executive Planning Group P.A., located in Jackson MS, is an employee benefits consulting company that provides insurance underwriting, employee benefits and human resource consulting. William McNamara, one of the owners of Fortenberry McNamara, will join Hub Gulf South, headquartered in Metairie LA. H Larry Fortenberry will continue to operate Executive Planning Group’s wealth management and individual insurance operations.

Hankins named president of Mississippi Commercial Association of Realtors William (Bill) Hankins, a Real Estate Broker in Jackson, has been named president of the Mississippi Commercial Association of Realtors.

Hankins has been recognized by the industry’s top exchange CoStar, with a Top Broker award for past 6 years. He is also an Hankins Honorary Life Member of the Mississippi Economic Development Association where he was also a Past President.

Entergy earns 30th EEI Emergency Response Award The Edison Electric Institute has awarded Entergy Corporation its 30th Emergency Response Award for the company’s assistance in restoring power to citizens following Hurricane Florence in September 2018.

EEI has awarded Entergy with a national storm-response award for 21 consecutive years in recognition of the company’s recovery and mutual-assistance work.

Hurricane Florence was a powerful and long-lived storm that affected the Carolinas. Entergy earned the EEI Emergency Assistance Award for sending 176 company line workers, plus 143 contractors, to help restore electricity for customers of Duke Energy Carolinas and South Carolina Electric & Gas. Of those, 50 company line workers, 12 scouts and 40 contract workers were from Entergy Mississippi.

Spratlin to moderate panel at ABA’s Transportation Megaconference Butler Snow has announced Arthur D. Spratlin, Jr. will moderate a panel at the American Bar Association’s Transportation Megaconference XIV in March.

The conference – held March 20-22 at The Sheraton Hotel in New Orleans – is one of the leading continuing education programs for those involved in

Spratlin

all aspects of trucking company-related litigation.

It provides attendees with practical approaches to transportation litigation, a national forum to learn from experts, and an opportunity to meet, network and exchange ideas with industry leaders, lawyers, executives and those involved in the decision-making process.

Spratlin will moderate a panel titled “The Race for Autonomous Vehicles – Are We There Yet?” on Thursday, March 21. The panelists, including representatives from Volvo, Peloton and Tesla, will report on the status of autonomous vehicle development, the impact of self-driving vehicles on litigation, the truck driving profession, public transportation and public safety.

Spratlin serves as practice group leader of the firm’s tort, transportation and specialized litigation practice group and as coordinator for the firm’s autonomous vehicle technology group, trucking group and 24-hour accident investigation team. He has extensive experience in product liability law, transportation law/trucking defense and automotive/recreational vehicle law.

Spratlin has published numerous articles and spoken at conferences throughout the U.S. and abroad regarding the future of mobility and the autonomous vehicle industry. His presentations explain the technology behind the vehicles (cars and heavy trucks), expected changes in the insurance industry and the potential risks that could arise. Spratlin has emerged as a leading voice in Mississippi on the economic impact that autonomous vehicles can have on the state.

He has consulted extensively with representatives from the Mississippi Department of Transportation, the Secretary of State’s office, the Governor’s office and the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems at Mississippi State University to advance a vision for the state in the autonomous vehicle race, including the development of a plan and infrastructure for taking applications and allowing testing of autonomous vehicles in Mississippi.

Munna joins Hattiesburg Clinic Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation HolliAnna M. Munna, CNP, joined Hattiesburg Clinic Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.

Munna, who has a background as a surgical nurse, helps patients manage conditions related to physical medicine and rehabilitation. Physical medicine & rehabilitation providers, like Munna, treat injuries or illnesses Munna that have an effect on movement and function, with a goal to decrease pain, enhance performance and improve patients’ quality of life.

Munna received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from William Carey University in Hattiesburg, Miss., and a Master of Science in Nursing from Maryville University in St. Louis. She is board certified as a family nurse practitioner by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

King named Haddox Reid’s new managing partner Haddox Reid CPA & Advisors recently announced that M. Gregory King, CPA, has been selected by the firm’s management committee and fellow partners to the position of managing partner.

King succeeds Paul Calhoun, CPA, who held the position since 2007.

As managing partner, King will oversee the firm’s operations. King Calhoun will continue to provide audit/accounting, consulting and tax services.

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Rogers tapped for MANA presidency

Haddox Reid adds 2 new partners to the firm Haddox Reid CPA & Advisors announced that Katie Hoggatt, CPA, and Charles R. Byram, CPA are now partners with the firm.

Hoggatt’s clients include partnerships, LLCs, non-profits, corporations, and individual clients. She specializes in income tax planning and compliance services for high net worth individuals, rental real estate entities, and closely-owned businesses.

In 2016, Hoggatt was recog- Hoggatt nized as a Top Ten Finalist in Mississippi Business Journal’s Top 50 under 40 award for business leaders in Mississippi. Hoggatt is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. She is a member of the Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants where she has previously served on the non-profit committee. She is also Byram a member of the Central Chapter of the MSCPA where she has previously was Secretary.

Hoggatt is a member of the Accounting & Financial Women’s Alliance, Jackson chapter, and has previously was President, Vice-President, and Education officer of the organization.

Hoggatt is a graduate of Mississippi College with a Master of Business Administration and a BSBA in Accounting. Hoggatt is a member of Broadmoor Baptist Church in Madison. In her spare time, she is a fastpitch softball instructor to girls from all over Mississippi. Hoggatt also volunteers for the Red Kettle

HOOD Continued from, Page 16

while wages have been stagnant. He also said Mississippi has experienced slower economic growth than other states, including some in the Southeast.

He sharply criticized Republican leaders for not expanding Medicaid, which is an option under the federal health care law that then-President Barack Obama signed in 2010.

Medicaid is paid by state and federal money.

Republican leaders have said Mississippi cannot afford to expand the program, which already covers about 22 percent of the state’s nearly 3 million residents. Hood said the state is losing $1.2 billion

At the close of the Mississippi Association of Nurse Anesthetists recent business meeting, outgoing president Sandy Weathers (left) passed the gavel to incoming president Rob Rogers.

Rob Rogers, chief certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) at North Mississippi Medical Center, has been elected president of the Mississippi Association of Nurse Anesthetists. He will serve a two-year term.

A Tupelo native, Rogers earned an associate degree in nursing from Northeast Mississippi Community College in Booneville in 1995. He earned his bachelor’s degree in nursing in 2000 from the University of North Alabama in Florence. In 2003 he earned a master’s degree from Middle Tennessee School

Campaign with the Salvation Army, Stewpot Community Services and We Will Go Ministries. Hoggatt and her husband Philip have two sons, Jackson and Tyler, and reside in Madison.

Byram joined Haddox Reid in 2008 as a Senior Manager in the tax department after 15 years with an international accounting firm and five years in industry. His areas of focus include providing tax compliance and consulting services to corporate, passthrough, not-for-profit and individual clients, as well as representing clients before the Internal Revenue Service and various state tax authorities.

Byram is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Central

a year, and rural hospitals are struggling.

“The only reason we have not accepted that federal money is just raw, pure, partisan, petty politics,” Hood said.

He did not give details of how much money he wants to put into Fully Furnished Studio & 1 Bedroom Apartments. early childhood education or how FREE utilities and FREE he would propose cable. Bad Credit OK. reducing taxes on Weekly and monthly groceries.

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of Anesthesia in Madison, Tenn. He received a master’s degree in healthcare administration from the University of Alabama in Birmingham in 2013.

Rogers originally joined the NMMC staff as a nursing attendant in 1991 and worked also as a unit coordinator/monitor technician before serving as a registered nurse. He rejoined the NMMC staff in September 2004 as a CRNA. He has been a member of the Mississippi Association of Nurse Anesthetists for 16 years.

Sherry Overby to lead human resources at Belhaven Sherry Overby ’04 was named the new Belhaven University Director of Human Resources and will bring over 15 years of insight and experience to the department. As an alumna and adjunct professor in the business program, she has a long history with the University.

Overby In 2004, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Management at Belhaven. She continued her studies with the University and later obtained a Master of Science in Leadership in 2012.

For 15 years, she worked at Community Bank as the vice president of human resources. Overby is a member of the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), and the Mississippi Chapter’s Association for Talent Development (ATD), where she served as the 2018 president, and continues on the board as the 2019 past president. Overby is also an instructor for Belhaven BEST, a partnership between Belhaven University and Families First for Mississippi.

She is active in her local community and serves as a leader with the Central Mississippi Chapter of The Well-Armed Woman. She and her husband Duane reside in White Oak, Miss. They have one son, Shane.

In their free time, they enjoy traveling to the Caribbean Islands and around the country to watch their son compete in rodeo events. They attend Cross Roads Baptist Church in Pelahatchie.

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