MBJ_July25_2014 by Journal Inc

INSIDE — Moving schools into the technology fast lane MBJ FOCUS Education & Workforce Training

35 YEARS

1979

www.msbusiness.com

2014

July 25, 2014 • Vol. 36, No. 30 • $1 • 20 pages

AN MBJ INTERVIEW {Section begins P 10}

» FELONS NEED NOT APPLY: Two schools in state offer training for casino dealers » USM entities unite in dyslexia therapy The List {P 15} » Colleges & Universities Around town {P 8} » WASTED AWAY — Margaritaville in Biloxi to close Strictly Biz {P 9} » Bank mergers delayed

GAMING

Airport chief ready to deplane after quarter century at the control

GULF COAST CASINO REVENUES ARE UP FOR JUNE AND FIRST HALF OF 2014 By FRANK BROWN frank.brown@msbusiness.com

» Dirk Vanderleest will retire Sept. 30 STORY Page 4

Payday lender in state probe has ‘F’ rating from the BBB

Mississippi Gulf Coast casinos flexed their muscles in June, beginning the summer with a 13 percent increase over last year’s June and posting their most-profitable June since 2008 in Gross Gaming Revenue numbers released today by the Mississippi Gaming Commission. The coast also showed a modest increase over 2013 for the first six months of 2014. The $95.7 million won by coast casinos was an increase of almost $11 million over the $84.7 won last June. It is the third time in six months this year that the Gulf Coast has shown an increase over 2013 numbers. “I think this is a positive statement for the Gulf Coast.,” said Allen Godfrey, executive director of the Mississippi Gaming Commission. “I think what you’re seeing is the reinvestments and amenities in place are making a difference. “I think the market is rebounding and bringing more patrons onto the property.” The numbers were different, however, along the river counties, which continue to spiral downward, especially in the Tunica Resorts area. The $78.7 million in revenue was the worst June since the 1994 when Mississippi gaming was still in See REVENUES, Page 8

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July 25, 2014

Mississippi Business Journal

TECHNOLOGY

Moving Mississippi schools into the technology fast lane requires getting high-speed Internet into our classrooms

echnology is rapidly changing how we educate our children. From iPads and tablets to laptop computers, today’s classrooms look nothing like those from even a few years ago. To power this quantum change, teachers need access to the latest digital learning platforms and schools need high-speed Internet connections for all students. Recent media reports have shed new light on the scope of this challenge and the need for immediate action. Currently the state trails the rest of the country in education technology use, which negatively influences high school graduation rates and student employment opportunities. Too few schools have access to high-speed broadband and Internet-capable devices and many areas struggle to effectively use technology even when it is available in the classroom, according to a recent study by Digital Learning Now, a group that advocates for more online learning. The technology gap is looming large as we transition to online assessments that will be used to make student promotion and graduation decisions, evaluate teachers and rate schools. Today, most schools in Mississippi lack robust WiFi connections for students. But, it doesn’t have to stay this way. Simply put, Mississippi needs an education revolution to move us into the technology fast lane. To get to the front of the digital learning curve, we need visionary education leaders, commitment from elected officials, support of parents and private sector participation. The good news is that C Spire is already to doing its part to help change the narrative and position our schools for success. As a Mississippi-based telecommunications and technology services provider, we have been a leader in deploying fiber optic infrastructure to power high-speed Internet connections. C Spire has developed a cost-effective solution to expand Wi-Fi networks in schools to support digital learning, expand computer use and boost slow Internet speeds. Our hosted Wi-Fi solution has been successfully piloted in two districts with state funding and deployed in three additional public school districts and two independent schools. Our solution got a big boost earlier this month when the Federal Communications Commission voted to reform the nation’s E-rate program, which provides funding for discounted telecommunications services, Internet access and equipment to eligible schools and libraries. Under the new federal rules designed to expand Wi-Fi networks, additional schools in Mississippi have an opportunity to benefit from the $2 billion nationwide funding increase for Wi-Fi education networks over the next two years. Of course, increased state funding would further accelerate these Wi-Fi deployments in schools to provide students and teachers with the connectivity they urgently need. The time to act is now. We owe it to today’s students and future generations in Mississippi to equip them with the digital literacy skills they need to effectively compete in the 21st century global information economy.

That can only happen if we work together to revolutionize classroom instruction in the same way we ensure that high speed Internet access continues to transform virtually every part of our economy and our society.

While the challenges are significant, the benefits from technology-driven improvements in our state’s schools are greater. For once, Mississippi can be a leader in education. Let’s show the world that our state means business about transforming education

and brightening our children’s future. Hu Meena is president and CEO of C Spire, a privately owned and operated diversified telecommunications and technology services company based in Ridgeland.

A Fresh PERSPECTIVE ACROSS the BOARD.

LLeft ft tto right: i ht Philli Phillip B Bowman, R Robert b t Gibb Gibbs, Wil Wilson Hood, H d Matt M tt James, J Dr. C D Carter t P Payne Mil Milner, Melvin Priester, Jr., Bridgforth Rutledge, Micajah Sturdivant.

Introducing First Commercial Bank’s New Advisory Board At FCB, we’re always looking to refine and improve the way we serve the banking needs of businesses and professionals. To that end, our new Advisory Board was formed as an industry panel with the role of sharing their emerging business insights with our management team and Board of Directors. Ongoing guidance from present and future business leaders, it’s just another reason why at First, you do succeed. Jackson: 1300 Meadowbrook Rd. • Jackson, MS 39211 • 601-709-7777 Ridgeland: 600 Concourse, Suite 150, 1076 Highland Colony Parkway • Ridgeland, MS 39157 • 601-790-2770 www.firstcommercialbk.com • Member FDIC © 2014 First Commercial Bank. All rights reserved.

Hu Meena

4 I Mississippi Business Journal I July 25 2014

AN MBJ INTERVIEW

Airport chief ready to deplane after quarter century at the control » Dirk Vanderleest will retire Sept. 30 with aviation still in his blood but unsure he'll stay in field By TED CARTER ted.carter@msbusiness.com

Dirk Vanderleest and Jackson Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport have shared nearly half their lifetimes together. The airport situated in Rankin County had just turned 25 when Vanderleest arrived from Huntsville, Ala., where he managed that city's airport under an executive director. Vanderleest's arrival in Jackson at 29 gave him the distinction of being one of the youngest directors of a full-service commercial airport in the country. Now the Netherlands-born Vanderleest, whose parents brought him to America as an infant, has two milestones awaiting him in September: His 55th birthday and re-

tirement as CEO of the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority. Vanderleest said last week will step down Sept. 30 with aviation still in his blood, but is unsure whether he will remain in the field. “I’ve been doing this job for 25 years and am under the state retirement system,” he said in an interview last week. “After 30 years on the airport side of the industry it was time for a change — time to do something entirely different.” But just how different is not yet clear, Vanderleest added. He and wife Ann will remain in Jackson, he said, and are still mulling the next chapter of their lives. They met at Auburn University, where

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“After 30 years on the airport side of the industry, it was time for a change ...” Dirk Vanderleest Director, Jackson Medgar Wiley Evars International Airport

Vanderleest had come from his New York hometown of Liverpool to study aviation management. “The grace of God you might call it,” he said of guidance he received to go “south and meet a redhead named Ann Dawkins.” He made his first stop after Auburn a job with aircraft manufacturer McDonnel Douglass in St. Louis. At the end of three years there, he went into airport management Huntsville Municipal Airport, now Huntsville International. Five years later he arrived in Jackson to run what was then the city’s 25-year-old commercial airport, a facility that the U.S. Customs Service a year earlier designated an “International Port of Entry,” thus entitling it to a name change from Jackson Municipal Airport to Jackson International Airport. The airport had the further distinction as one of the first of its size in the nation to be constructed with parallel runways instead of cross-wind intersecting ones used by the smaller aircraft operations. One of those runways — the one designated as the “East Runway” — became a challenge for Vanderleest after some starts and stops in getting it repaved and problematic Yazoo clay removed from beneath it. The approximately $13-million project, authorized by the Municipal Airport Authority in 2010, overcame a contract dispute with a North Carolina contractor and

a shutdown period before completion late last year. The closures caused air traffic controllers to launch departures between arrivals instead of using one runway for planes coming in and the other for departing aircraft, the Associated Press reported at the time. Vanderleest’s successor will oversee similar work set to be done on the west runway. At the moment, work is underway on fixing up the air carrier and general aviation apron, according to the retiring CEO. Other work includes stormwater improvements at Jackson-Evers and an overlay on the primary runway at the Municipal Airport Authority’s Hawkins Field, he said. This summer was to mark the start of a $39 million renovation of Jackson International's terminal and reconstruction of security checkpoints. The dominoes that fell after January’s announced departure of Southwest Airlines have forced a delay in that work until at least next summer. With the June loss of Southwest and the revenues it generated for the airport, Fitch Ratings Service dropped its rating on the terminal project’s bonds to BBB+ from A. Better to wait until Fitch reassesses the bond rating next summer, the Airport Authority decided. Vanderleest said he thinks the Authority must show some budget tightening to regain the higher Fitch rating. The Authority must adopt a new budget by Oct. 1. For now, “We're reducing our expenses,” Vanderleest said. While he conceded the loss of Southwest has had a “significant impact” on the airport, he insisted the airline’s departure had “nothing whatsoever” to do with his decision to retire so soon afterward. Further budget reductions could include a downsizing of the terminal and security checkpoint work, which is part of the airport’s $88 million 5-year improvement plan, he added. To offset the revenue loss from the end of Southwest service, the Airport Authority increased landing fees by 18 percent and parking fees 8 percent at the beginning of fiscal 2014 and implemented an additional 15 percent landing fees increase in May. Whether carrier, parking fees and car rental fees will go up in the new fiscal Vanderleest can’t say. “I can’t address that because after Sept. 30 I won’t be at the helm,” he noted. The prudent thing to do, he said, is to look at overall enplanements and how to downsize the terminal and security projects. Enplanement losses have implications beyond the bottom lines of carriers. Passenger declines can severely damage airport revenues by causing the loss of dollars from non-airline sources such as parking and rental car activities. These account for twothirds of the airport’s operating revenues of $17.6 million, Fitch said last spring in deSee

VANDERLEEST, Page 8

July 25 2014

Mississippi Business Journal

BANKING AND FINANCE

Payday lender in state probe has ‘F’ rating from Better Business Bureau » Regulators charge All American Check Cashing let borrowers pay fees on one unpaid loan if they took out a new loan with new fees By TED CARTER ted.carter@msbusiness.com

All American Check Cashing’s refusal to answer complaints has led the Better Business Bureaus in Mississippi and Alabama to give grades of “F” to the Madison payday lender that the Mississippi Department of Banking & Finance says did loan rollovers that violated state law. The Department of Banking & Finance put All American Check Cashing and its 41 stores in Mississippi under a cease and desist order in late June after the company initially refused to let examiners see transaction records when they showed up at 15 of the company’s Mississippi stores.

the program especially for borrowers who get monthly paychecks or government benefit checks. The Better Business Bureau chapters in Mississippi and Alabama say they handed All American Check Cashing the failing grade based on its refusal to respond to BBB’s investigators. The high-interest lending done by payday lenders has led the BBB to a policy of not accrediting or granting membership to them, according to John O’Hara, CEO of the BBB of Mississippi. But the BBB does investigate complaints it receives about them, he said. The organization has received seven complaints against All American in last three years. It closed three of the complaints in the last year, the BBB of Mississippi says. In three of the seven cases, the BBB of Mississippi received no response from All American, the organization says. “They kind of pick and choose” the complaints to which they will respond, O’Hara said. This is contrary to the way most businesses handle BBB queries, he noted. “We usually see all or nothing.” Businesses want to respond “so they can

Near the end of the incident, another All American staffer had to stop the co-worker from ‘jumping over the counter as if she was coming for me.’ A borrower in a claim to the Better Business Bureau

Under the cease and desist order, All American must stop all lending under what the company calls its “Monthly Lending Program,” a practice by which examiners say the company illegally directed employees to accept only the fee on a delayed deposit check. Mississippi law forbids rollovers by which fees on the old loan are paid and a new loan is issued with new fees. The “delayed deposit” check is a post-dated check the borrower must leave with the payday lender. The so-called Monthly Lending Program also outlined how to illegally roll over a check during the middle of each month, the cease and desist order states. The order notes All American designed

tell their side of the story,” O’Hara added. In Alabama, the Bessemer-based BBB of Central and South Alabama received a collections complaint in May to which All American did not respond. O’Hara said in many of the BBB investigations in which a payday lender responds the conclusion is that the borrower did not thoroughly read the loan papers and fully understand what he was signing. In many instances, the borrower is “just happy to get the money,” he added. A former several-year employee of All American said the company ordered store managers to “do whatever it takes to make the numbers.”

One woman who complained to the BBB of Mississippi charged that a staffer hounded her out the door after she visited the Ridgeland store to pay off her loan. “She stomped her feet and pointed her finger and told me to leave, pointing at the door. I asked her did she not want me to pay my bill and she said ‘leave.’” The staffer said she didn’t want me to pay; she wanted me to leave, the BBB complaint stated. Near the end of the incident, another All American staffer had to stop the co-worker from “jumping over the counter as if she was coming for me,” the borrower claimed in the BBB complaint. Meanwhile, the head of the Mississippi Department of Banking and Finance says it likely will be another 30 to 45 days until the state completes its investigation of All American, but the cease and desist order will remain in place. At the close of the investigation, examiners recommend whether to assess any penalties, which could include fines of up to $500 per infraction and possible revocation of the lender’s license. If the target of an investigation asks for a hearing on the investigation’s findings, the banking commissioner holds a hearing at which the commissioner either upholds or rejects the conclusions of examiners. In either instance, the outcome is posted on the banking department’s website, according to Commissioner Jerry Wilson. However, the details of the investigation remain confidential, just as they do when the department investigates a state-chartered bank. Payday lending companies undergo state examinations every two years, the banking department says. Lenders are not given a specific date for the exams but instead receive a timeframe in which they will occur. Commissioner Wilson said if the investigation finds All American assessed fees beyond those allowed under state law, borrowers could receive refunds from the lender. “Restitution is definitely a possibility,” Wilson said. At the federal level, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau last month ordered Texas-based Ace Cash Express to refund $5 million to borrowers over wrongful loan practices. In addition, the Bureau ordered Ace to pay a $5 million fine. Ace has only one Mississippi store, a franchise operation in Hattiesburg. All American Check Cashing has been a fixture in Mississippi payday lending for more than a decade. Madison business-

man Michael Gray founded the company with the opening of a single store in Canton in 1998. Today, it has a few dozen stores in Mississippi and a handful in neighboring states. It’s headquartered in Madison at 505 Cobblestone Court, Suite B. Workers at company stores are forbidden from providing the number to the headquarters, though they do give a toll-free number for customers to leave messages about their treatment at the stores. After failing to find a phone number through online searches, the Mississippi Business Journal found the number on All American’s annual report filed with the Secretary of State. Calls to All American’s headquarters have not been returned; nor have calls to the mobile phone of Kelvin Hall, chief supervisor. The Department of Banking and Finance said it began investigating All American after receiving complaints, though it did not specify the source of the complaints. The Mississippi Center for Justice said the complaints that prompted the action came from former employees. One former employee told the MBJ that All American limits its loans to $100 and $200 but will make any combination of them up the $500 maximum allowed by state law. Why not a lump sum loan of $500? That is not preferred, the Center for JusSee

“F” RATING, Page 8

A member of the Mississippi Press Association www.mspress.org

200 North Congress, Suite 400 Jackson, MS 39201-1902 Main: (601) 364-1000 Faxes: Advertising (601) 364-1007; Circulation (601) 364-1035 E-mails: mbj@msbusiness.com, ads@msbusiness.com, photos@msbusiness.com, research@msbusiness.com, events@msbusiness.com

Website: www.msbusiness.com July 25, 2014 Volume 36, Number 30

ALAN TURNER Publisher alan.turner@msbusiness.com • 364-1021 ROSS REILY Editor ross.reily@msbusiness.com • 364-1018 WALLY NORTHWAY Senior Writer wally.northway@msbusiness.com • 364-1016 FRANK BROWN Staff Writer/Special Projects frank.brown@msbusiness.com • 364-1022 TED CARTER Staff Writer ted.carter@msbusiness.com • 364-1017 LISA MONTI Contributing Writer mbj@msbusiness.com • 364-1018

MBJPERSPECTIVE July 25, 2014 • www.msbusiness.com • Page 6

OTHER VIEWS

Many could lose health coverage

ore than 63,000 Mississippi health insurance clients of the federal Affordable Care Act could be hit with premiums as much as 95 percent higher if the Tuesday ruling of a three-member panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia is upheld in full on an apparently certain appeal. The District of Columbia court’s ruling that would cut off federal subsidy of health insurance coverage for about 4.5 million people, however, was countered with a conflicting judgment released only hours later by the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia.

The appeals courts’ judges disagree on whether the government could subsidize health insurance premiums for people in three dozen states using the federal insurance exchange rather than state exchanges. The Fourth Circuit upheld the subsidies, saying that a rule issued by the Internal Revenue Service was “a permissible exercise of the agency’s discretion” under the ACA, better known as Obamacare. The lawsuit was filed by several people, supported by conservative and libertarian organizations, in Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia, all state users of the federal exchange. They objected to being re-

quired to buy insurance, even with subsidies to help defray the cost. Some politicians in Mississippi immediately effusively praised the District of Columbia court’s decision because those politicians despise Obamacare. No concern was expressed in statements for those 63,000 Mississippi residents whose health insurance — which helps them and also hospitals, physicians and other providers — likely would become unaffordable. The ruling also threatens, in the same 36 states, to gut the Obamacare rule starting next year that all employers with 50 or more full-time workers offer affordable insurance to them or face fines. — Northeast Miss. Daily Journal

BOBBY HARRISON Contributing Writer mbj@msbusiness.com • 364-1018 TAMI JONES Advertising Director tami.jones@msbusiness.com • 364-1011

» THE OUTSIDE WORLD

» FROM THE NEWSROOM

An pitch for kindness could become a big hit

MELISSA KILLINGSWORTH Sr. Account Executive

melissa.harrison@msbusiness.com • 364-1030 VIRGINIA HODGES Account Executive virginia.hodges@msbusiness.com • 364-1012

TACY RAYBURN Production Manager tacy.rayburn@msbusiness.com • 364-1019 CHARINA RHODES Circulation Manager charina.rhodes@msbusiness.com • 364-1045 MARCIA THOMPSON-KELLY Business Assistant marcia.kelly@msbusiness.com • 364-1044 SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES (601) 364-1000 subscriptions@msbusiness.com Mississippi Business Journal (USPS 000-222) is published weekly with one annual issue by MSBJ 200 N. Congress St., Suite 400, Jackson, MS 39201. Periodicals postage paid at Jackson, MS. Subscription rates: 1 year $109; 2 years $168; and 3 years $214. To place orders, temporarily stop service, change your address or inquire about billing: Phone: (601) 3641000, Fax: (601) 364-1035, Email: charina.rhodes@msbusiness.com, Mail: MS Business Journal Subscription Services, 200 N.Congress Street, Suite 400, Jackson, MS 39201 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Mississippi Business Journal, Circulation Manager, 200 North Congress Street, Suite 400, Jackson, MS 39201 To submit subscription payments: Mail: MS Business Journal Subscriptions Services, 200 North Congress Street, Suite 400, Jackson, MS 39201. No material in this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written consent. Editorial and advertising material contained in this publication is derived from sources considered to be reliable, but the publication cannot guarantee their accuracy. Nothing contained herein should be construed as a solicitation for the sale or purchase of any securities. It is the policy of this newspaper to employ people on the basis of their qualifications and with assurance of equal opportunity and treatment regardless of race, color, creed, sex, age, sexual orientation, religion, national origin or handicap. The Mississippi Business Journal, is an affiliate of Journal Publishing Company (JPC), Inc.: Clay Foster, president and chief executive officer. Entire contents copyrighted © 2014 by Journal Inc. All rights reserved.

» HOW TO WRITE Letters to the editor are one of the most widely read features of the Mississippi Business Journal, and they give everyone a chance to voice their opinions about current affairs. We’re interested in what you think and we welcome Letters to the Editor for publication. Here are the guidelines: >> Letters should not exceed 300 words in length as a general rule. >> All letters must bear the writer’s address and telephone number. Street addresses and telephone numbers will not be published, but may be used for verification purposes. Letters may not appear without the author’s name. >> Form letters, thank you letters and letters to third parties generally are not acceptable. >> Letters must be typed or e-mailed. >> Letters must conform to good taste, not be libelous and not involve personal attacks on other persons.

>> All letters are subject to editing, and become the property of the Mississippi Business Journal. >> Letters can be sent to The Editor, The Mississippi Business Journal, 200 North Congress, Suite 400, Jackson, MS 39201, delivered to the newspaper during regular business hours or e-mailed to editor@msbusiness.com. They may also be faxed to Ross Reily at (601)-364-1007.

» CORRECTIONS The Mississippi Business Journal takes seriously its responsibility to provide accurate information, and will correct or clarify articles produced by the editorial department if we have made an error or published misleading information. The correction will be placed in the perspective section. If you see inaccuracies in Mississippi Business Journal news stories, please report the mistake via email at editor@msbusiness.com.

y brother had alerted me that a package was heading my way, but I was a still slightly surprised and even more curious when I pulled the rectangular, hand-addressed cardboard box from my mailbox. His work is about to uproot him from his Florida home and send him overseas, so I suspected he had found some childhood memory during packing and was shipping it my way. We were very much opposites growing up. I loved to play baseball in our oversized backyard, while he spent most of his time tinkering with small engines and bicycles in the garage. We fought, argued and wrestled like brothers will tend to do. But, like true family, we stood up for each other when necessary. He was so familiar with my bicycle during our grade school and junFrank Brown ior high years that it was easy for him to find it in a parking lot after it was stolen. He waited for the culprit after school and reclaimed ownership. “An early Merry Christmas,” said the note as I opened the box. Inside was a velvet covered box, much like one that would hold an expensive necklace. Instead, it held a coin — a commemorative 2014 silver dollar from the U.S. Mint honoring the Baseball Hall of Fame. The engraving on one side showed the stitchings of a baseball, while the other showed a baseball glove. The surface was curved in an unusual convex-concave manner, with the front side resembling the rounded part of a baseball. While my old coin collection was long-ago liquidated, I will find a nice place to display this gift. “You didn’t think I would let you go without one of those did you?” he responded when I thanked him. Brother or not, what he did was an act of kindness See BROWN, Page 7

PERSPECTIVE » RICKY NOBILE

July 25, 2014 I Mississippi Business Journal

BROWN

Continued from Page 6

— something we all should do more often. Acts of kindness don’t have to be full-blown projects. They can be simple acts that may even go unnoticed, but can help make someone’s day a bit less stressful. I noticed in a recent email that the Leland Chamber of Commerce has kindness in mind. It is launching a formal program, asking Leland businesses to focus on kindness. The program asks business owners to sign a pledge, train employees and display information about the program. The program is based on the The Kindness Revolution, a national effort to encourage residents to think about how we treat one another and to recognize when someone goes out of their way to be nice. “When I heard about The Kindness Revolution, I knew I wanted to find a way to get it going here,” Bill Hite of the Washington County Farm Bureau said in a news release. “The folks in Leland have really embraced the idea and run with it – it’s been fun to watch it grow into something new.” Several businesses in Leland have already signed on to the program including: Planters Bank, Stop-n-Shop, Mitchell Distributing, Cicero’s Restaurant and Wild Magnolias Beauty Salon. The program also provides a way for customers to send feedback in the form of anonymous text messages about their experience with a business. “We’ve worked closely with the leaders of the national Kindness Revolution™ to design this program,” says Melia Christensen, Executive Director of the Leland Chamber of Commerce. “They have provided some great guidance and support, and we are all very excited that Leland gets to be the Guinea pig for something we think might gain traction in communities everywhere.” It’s worth a try. You never know when kindness will knock the ball out of the park. Contact Mississippi Business Journal’s Frank Brown at frank.brown@msbusiness.com

»MISSISSIPPI POLITICS

Mr. McDaniel goes to Washington, maybe

he McDaniel campaign may yet have their day in court to plead foul play in Mississippi's Republican Primary, but that seems an unlikely route for Chris McDaniel to have the chance to represent the people of Mississippi in the United States Senate. No court will rule in his favor before November. The Federal Elections Commission may still investigate alleged reporting discrepancies from Thad Cochran's PACs and preacher friends, but such an investigation will take even longer. McDaniel can not qualify at this late date as an Independent candidate, but in the spirit of independence, McDaniel supporters should write-in their candidate this November. If everyone who voted for McDaniel in the June 24th run-off, wrote him on the ballot to be the next senator from Mississippi, it would likely mean another run-off as none of the candidates would receive the necessary 50 percent to win the election out-right. The more curious component would be the final vote tallies for Cochran and the Democratic candidate. We would find out once and for all just how many voters actually switched parties to help Cochran defeat McDaniel in the runoff; that is, if those voters decided to break Mississippi law and vote for their own party in the fall. Either way, McDaniel would be a shoe-in for yet another statewide runoff. If he runs against the Democrat, the Establishment Republicans would hold their blue noses, vote for McDaniel and hope to reign him and the Tea Party in once the Senate has been secured by the Republicans. The write-in candidacy would make history, but if it fails...

There is still another way for McDaniel to be Mississippi’s next senator. Now this gets a bit scary. If Cochran wins, but the Republicans don't gain control of the Senate this fall, Cochran's value is greatly diminished. Sure he works well with the Democratic majority when it comes to matters of importance to Mississippi, such as farm subsidies and whatnot. But without a chairmanship, it's doubtful Cochran stays in a Reid-run Senate for more than two years. Then, if all hell breaks lose in 2016 and Hillary and Bubba move back into the White House, Cochran definitely retires. Phil Bryant will appoint someone to Thad’s vacated Senate seat. Now the money is on Greg Harper to be appointed, but that might create too much ill will with the Tea Party wing of Mississippi's GOP who are not as enamored with Harper as national media outlets would suggest. Many are bitter at his betrayal of the McDaniel campaign and consider him little more than an Establishment flunky. Bryant has choices. If Haley Barbour wants the Senate seat, Bryant will select him. Haley would finally have the seat he ran for in 1982 when he made so much more of the age of Mississippi's most beloved senator, and even tried to film a distraught John Stennis after he had just put Miss Coy, his wife of 50 plus years, into a nursing home. Haley is a masterful operator. He would do better with a GOP majority. It is also doubtful he would give up his lucrative lobbying with all the money being thrown around these days. Bryant may consider one of our university presidents. Former Cochran staffer Mark Keenum has proven wildly successful at Mississippi State University. He and his wife

are highly respected among national GOP circles. Approachable and humble, State fans would be sick to lose this tireless worker and favorite son, even to David Dallas the U.S. Senate. A lesser celebrated former staffer Bill LaForge has been at Delta State for more than a year now. This “dark horse” seems senatorial enough and with the battle of low enrollment and the monetary mess he inherited at DSU, he might welcome a return to Northern Virginia. Our governor, however, has never cottoned much to academics and is likely to pull a fast one. He has offered more than lip service to right-wingers with his diligent work on the Mississippi Religious Freedom Restoration Act and other socially conservative policies with Tea Party appeal. Look for Bryant to consider Chris McDaniel for Cochran's vacated Senate seat. Seriously. If the Democrats control the U.S. Senate and Hillary's in the White House, Mississippi and the national GOP will not need a legislator as much as they will want a Bomb Lobber, a la Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. Bryant can appoint someone who by his own admission will refuse to compromise, will fight to halt the federally-funded gravy train, even shut the government down if he can, a Tea Party Patriot who just might save our Republic. So, yes, Mississippi, Mr. McDaniel could still go to Washington. » David Dallas is a political writer. He worked for former U.S. Sen. John Stennis and authored Barking Dawgs and A Gentleman from Mississippi.

8 I Mississippi Business Journal I July 25 2014

GAMING

Wasted away — Margaritaville in Biloxi to close By FRANK BROWN frank.brown@msbusiness.com

Just a little more than two years after it opened, Margaritaville Casino in Biloxi will close its doors on or before, Sept. 19, the casino said this week in a memo to its employees. “MVB Holding, LLC has been actively working to resolve a dispute with its landlords to secure financing to build a hotel and other amenities that it believes would have enabled MVB to keep Margaritaville-Biloxi open. Unfortunately, those efforts were not successful,” the notice of closing memo said. “As a result, the Board of Directors regrets to inform you that MVB will be closing on or before September 19, 2014. Once closed, we expect the closing of the entire MVBBiloxi site to be permanent.” “It’s unfortunate, but it is a sign of the times,” said Alan Godfrey, executive director of the Mississippi Gaming Commission. “I believe it does solidify the idea of amenities and hotels. While those are not guarantees to success, they often do lead to success. I understand Margaritaville was wanting to get there.” The Margaritaville memo said workers who stay on the job will continue to receive wages through Sept. 19, even if the casino closes sooner. According to the gaming commission website, Margaritaville employs 359 total workers, the smallest staff of the 12 casinos on the Coast. “Our hearts certainly go out to Margaritaville employees and their families,” said Biloxi Chief Administrative Officer David Nichols, “and we’re hopeful that the state’s rapid response dislocated worker unit will be able to help these workers find new employment. “Developments like this are not uncommon in the Mississippi gaming industry. We operate in a free-market system, and a number of factors come into play, including location, amenities, marketing, management and so forth. In the 20-plus years since gaming opened in Biloxi, we’ve

VANDERLEEST

Continued from Page 1

tailing its rating decision. Vanderleest said commercial carriers have not resisted the series of carrier-fee increases and insisted operating costs for carriers at Jackson-Evers are still at or about the industry standard of 3 percent. “Why would they be increasing aircraft and aircraft frequency” to fill the void left by Southwest if fees s were becoming overly burdensome? he said of remaining carriers Delta, US Airways, American Airlines and United Airlines. In the meantime, he expects Jackson-Evers to do its part to minimize fee increases through its own belt tightening. He is retiring, he said, with the airport financially sound, citing 300 days of positive cash flow despite recent revenue losses. Fiscal adversity is not new to Jackson-Evers, Vanderleest noted, and pointed to the challenges brought by 911 and later Hurricane Katrina. “We've been through that before in a number of cycles.” And one circumstance is not going to change: Jackson Medgar Wiley Evers International is Mississippi's busiest passenger airport. “Statewide,” Vanderleest said, “we still have the best markets and seats available.”

FILE / The Mississippi Business Journal

Just a little more than two years after it opened, Margaritaville Casino in Biloxi will close its doors on or before, Sept. 19, the casino said this week in a memo to its employees.

seen a number of casinos come and go — Lady Luck, Gold Coast, Casino Magic, the President and the Biloxi Belle, to name a few — but the Biloxi casino market remains strong.” Margaritaville has been plagued with problems since it tried to open several years ago. In March 2013, the casino was fined $10,000 by the Mississippi Gaming Commission because it did not have the minimum amount of money required to be kept on site.

REVENUES

Continued from Page 4

its infancy. The $10.3 million drop from 2013 represented a fall of 11.6 percent. The drop reﬂects the closure of Harrah’s Tunica, one of Tunica Resorts’ largest casinos, which shut its doors in early June. The revenue total statewide in June was $174.4 million, an increase of four-tenths of a percent from the $173.7 million last year. For the six-month period ending in June, statewide revenues were $1.060 billion, down $43.9 million (3.9 percent) — but all of the drop

“F” RATING

Continued from Page 5

tice says, because state law limits fees on that amount to $44 and gives the borrower 28 days to repay. But with five loans of $100 they can charge $22 on each and set a 14day repayment, said Paheadra Robinson, an attorney and the Center for Justice’s director of consumer protection, in an interview last week. Robinson said the kind of illegal rollovers All American is alleged to have done are common among most all of Mississippi’s 1,000-plus payday lending stores.

Margaritaville is the second Mississippi casino to close this summer. In June, Harrah’s Tunica closed, a victim of the competitive casino market that has hurt north Mississippi. Margaritaville suffered from a lack of amenities, while Harrah’s was the largest operation in Tunica when it closed. “Those two casinos closed for completely different reasons,” said Godfrey. “The market in Tunica and the market in Biloxi are two different markets.”

was in the river counties, which lost 45.3 million (an 8 percent drop). The Gulf Coast showed a small gain of 1.4 million, (0.3 percent), its ﬁrst January-June increase since 2011. Many of the Gulf Coast casinos have improved their properties, adding amenities and hotel space over the last few years. However, Margaritaville Casino announced Monday it is closing in September. Tunica Resorts, once one of the largest destination sites, continues to suffer from increased competition in other states and a lack of amenities in northwest Mississippi.

The idea, she said, is simply to keep the borrower paying the $22 in fees on each $100 of loan value for as many weeks as possible without paying down on the principal. In All American’s case, the company outlined the practice on its intranet, the banking department said in its cease and desist order. Going into the stores and looking at transactions revealed employees dutifully carried out the practice detailed on All American’s intranet, the order says, specifically noting: “Multiple examined locations have also confirmed participation/use of the program.”

July 25, 2014

Mississippi Business Journal

BANKING AND FINANCE

BancorpSouth mergers delayed by federal inquiries

MARKETING

Google chooses Mad Genius as example of Internet use RIDGELAND — Google recently selected the full-service advertising firm Mad Genius to serve as Mississippi’s example of a business successfully utilizing the Internet to find and connect with customers. “We’re gaining new clients and entering new arenas. Doors are opening up for us. That’s always a great thing,” said Ryan Farmer, interactive creative director at Mad Genius. “We’ve all had the experience of searching on Google and finding exactly what we want, whether it’s the business hours of a local coffee shop or a website with recipes for the perfect summer picnic,” said Jim Lecinski, Google’s vice president of customer solutions. “Our search and advertising programs don’t just connect people to useful information — they help businesses find customers, help publishers earn money from their online content and help nonprofits get donations and volunteers. In fact, millions of businesses benefit from our online tools and solutions every year across the country — making Google an engine for economic growth.”

POLITICS

Judge to hear from True the Vote on McDaniel JACKSON — A federal judge is scheduled to hear arguments this week in a lawsuit filed by a group seeking Mississippi voter records. U.S. District Judge Nancy F. Atlas of Texas will be in Jackson to hear arguments by True the Vote organization. The lawsuit seeks access to nine counties’ voter rolls as Chris McDaniel gathers information to challenge his Republican primary runoff loss to Sen. Thad Cochran. Plaintiffs say federal law requires authorities to release of voting rolls and poll books without erasing voters’ personal information. The Mississippi Supreme Court ruled last week that it’s proper to redact birth dates from poll books. McDaniel is asking justices to reconsider. — from staff and MBJ wire services

TUPELO — BancorpSouth Inc. has extended its merger agreements with Ouachita Bancshares Corp. and Central Community Corporation. BancorpSouth, Ouachita Bancshares Corp. and Central Community Corporation have determined additional time will be required to obtain regulatory approvals and to satisfy closing conditions necessary to complete their respective mergers. They have extended their respective merger agreements to June 30, 2015. “We continue to believe our proposed mergers with Ouachita Bancshares Corp. and Central Community Corporation are in the best interest of our shareholders, customers and communities,” said Dan Rollins, BancorpSouth chairman and CEO.

As previously announced, the mergers have been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of all three companies, and by the shareholders of Ouachita Bancshares Corp. and Central Community Corporation. The transactions remain subject to required regulatory approvals and the satisfaction of other closing conditions. BancorpSouth has learned that federal bank regulators have identified concerns during the course of routine supervisory activities regarding BancorpSouth’s procedures, systems and processes related to certain of its compliance programs, including its Bank Secrecy Act and anti-moneylaundering programs. In addition, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau currently is conducting

GULF COAST

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Biloxi council approves $29M for stadium

Severstal selling plants, including Severstal Columbus

BILOXI — The city of Biloxi has entered into a $29-million contract to build a no-frills minor league baseball stadium. Tuesday, the city council voted to give the contract to W.G. Yates & Sons. Stadium architect Leigh Jaunsen said Yates should be ready to start in a week. Bids for construction initially came in some $5 million over the city’s contract-mandated $36million budget. The city negotiated the price down, however, by cutting out some of the features of the project — including a walkway from the new Beau Rivage parking garage to the south side of U.S. Highway 90 and the stadium scoreboard. City attorney Ron Peresich said the state Department of Transportation will contribute some or all of the cost for the walkway. The city also is looking for sponsors who may cover some of the $300,000 or more for the electronic scoreboard, he said. The stadium is being financed with $21 million from city-issued bonds and $15 million from a BP grant pledged by Gov. Phil Bryant. The city council vote was 5-2 for the contract. City Council President Kenny Glavan said before the vote the issue was a “sensitive” one for many Biloxi residents and an issue that carries a certain amount of “fear” with it. “Fear of cost, fear about parking, fear about traffic, fear about will anybody come,” he said. “But I think it’s time for Biloxi to be bold, for Biloxi to be better.” The Huntsville (Alabama) Stars have been sold and a move to Biloxi for the 2015 season has been approved by the Southern League. The team’s first home game is scheduled for April 20, 2015.

AQUACULTURE

Moon River Foods to create about 100 jobs Moon River Foods announced this week the

a review of BancorpSouth’s fair lending practices. Rollins said, “While disappointed in the delay in being able to close these transactions, we are working diligently to resolve the compliance concerns that have been identified and to make the necessary improvements Dan Rollins in our compliance programs. We are pleased with the confidence that our merger partners have demonstrated through the extension of the merger agreements.” — from staff and MBJ wire services

COLUMBUS — Russian steel company Severstal is exiting the U.S. market, selling a pair of steel plants to AK Steel and Steel Dynamics for about $2.33 billion. Word of a possible sale began to circulate earlier this year as the West threatened sanctions against Russia for its activity in the Ukraine, but Severstal has not among those companies targeted by those actions. Steel Dynamics Inc. said that it will pay about $1.63 billion for Severstal Columbus. The acquisition will increase Steel Dynamics’ annual steel shipping capacity by approximately 40 percent to 11 million tons. Steel Dynamics, based in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, anticipates the deal will immediately add to its earnings per share. The boards of both companies have approved the sale, which is expected to be completed before year’s end. Separately, AK Steel Holding Corp. said that it is buying Severstal’s steel plant in Dearborn, Michigan, for $700 million. The deal also includes a coke making plant and interests in three joint ventures that process flat-rolled steel products. The West Chester, Ohio, steelmaker said that the Dearborn plant is located close to many of its customers and that the assets it is getting in the sale complement its existing carbon steel operations. The company expects the transaction to immediately add to its earnings and generate about $50 million in annual cost savings. AK Steel said it has no plans to stop operations at any of its current steelmaking or steeling finishing plants. It anticipates the deal closing in the fourth quarter.

— from staff and MBJ wire services

company is locating a new fish processing operation in Baird in Sunflower County. The project represents a corporate investment of $3 million and will create 100 new jobs. Working with contract fishermen licensed by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, Moon River Foods will commercially harvest an invasive species of Asian carp from the Mississippi River and its tributaries. The carp will be processed at the Baird facility. “We want to thank all of the people who helped and assisted in making this Moon River Foods project possible. We have a very good beginning and in the next three months, Moon River Foods is going to develop a production line. Moon River plans to be in production by the fourth quarter of 2014,” said Moon River Foods Chairman Xiaohan Zhu. “We will try our best to make the project a success and provide job opportunities and economic development in the Mississippi Delta.”

The Mississippi Development Authority provided assistance in support of the project for workforce training and ad valorem tax exemptions. Sunflower County provided assistance for the project, as well. Partnering with MDA on this project were the Sunflower County Economic Development District, Delta Council, Delta Wildlife, the Catfish Institute, USDA Warmwater Aquaculture Research Unit, Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, and the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce. “Successful economic development requires the collaborative efforts of entities at all levels of government, and this project is a testament to that fact,” said MDA Executive Director Brent Christensen. “We thank all of our partners that worked to bring Moon River Foods and these new jobs to Mississippi.”

— from staff and MBJ wire services

AN MBJ FOCUS: EDUCATION & WORKFOR

“You h tain lev doesn’t s be very

Felons need not apply

Two s By LISA MONTI mbj@msbusiness.com

in Gulfport and T Biloxi, students ha the Mississippi G “It’s identical to a complete backg sure they have no of the Gaming C felony conviction from getting a per

July 25, 2014 • MISSISSIPPI BUSINESS JOURNAL • www.msbusiness.com

KFORCE TRAINING

“You have to be professional and courteous. You have to display a cerain level of tolerance for people drinking and having a good time. It doesn’t suit everybody but for those who can handle those aspects it can be very lucrative.” Darrel Washington, director of admissions and enrollment, Crescent School of Gaming and Bartending in Gulfport

Two schools in state offer training for casino dealers

y LISA MONTI mbj@msbusiness.com

RE YOU THINKING about becoming a dealer in one of Mississippi’s casinos? There are two licensed gaming schools in the state, with three locations, ready to teach you the games. Just one thing you need to know first: Felons need not apply. Before starting classes at Crescent City School of Gaming and Bartending n Gulfport and Tunica and at Coast Dealing Academy in iloxi, students have to get a gaming student permit from he Mississippi Gaming Commission. “It’s identical to what all gaming employees go through: complete background check and fingerprints to make ure they have no criminal record,” said Ed Wong, director f the Gaming Commission’s work permit division. A elony conviction automatically disqualifies an applicant rom getting a permit. “Some misdemeanors could possi-

bly disqualify you from holding a permit but it’s not automatic,” Wong said. And not every casino employee has to have a work permit, just those involved in gaming itself. “There are a large number of casino staff considered non-gaming: the hotel staff, servers and others off the gaming floor,” he said. Wong said there are more than 15,000 permitted gaming employees at any given time. The state requires the background investigation “on the front end,” Wong said, to prevent instances of students paying tuition and then finding themselves unable to get a gaming work permit because of a criminal record. A complete course at a gaming school can cost up to $9,000, he said. “Not being able to get a job would be pretty tough for that student to go through,” he said. Those students who complete course work and get hired by a casino pay a $10 transaction fee to transfer their student permit to an employee permit. Wong said the number of student permits issued lately has been rising on a weekly basis. “We get at least 15 or 20 applications from the gaming schools almost every week,”

he said. Crescent School of Gaming and Bartending is based in New Orleans and opened 35 years ago. There are other locations in Tunica and Las Vegas. Darrel Washington, director of admissions, said enrollment at the Gulfport school is holding steady at two to six applicants a week. He’s already getting calls about the new casino that recently broke ground in D’Iberville. “A lot of people are coming from Alabama and Hattiesburg and a few are out of Florida,” he said. “Some are transitioning out of the military and it’s excellent for them. Some may be going to college and want to work part time. There’s something for everybody,” he said. An all-games course over eight months costs $11,000. “You choose a package option,” he said. The school offers financial aid. Students learn how to deal blackjack, craps, roulette, poker and carnival games including mini baccarat in a “real world environment,” he said. See

DEALING, Page 13

12 I Mississippi Business Journal I July 25, 2014

EDUCATION & WORKFORCE TRAINING

USM entities unite in dyslexia therapy Âť Collaboration allows university to offer degree in health field that has far-reaching effects By LYNN LOFTIN mbj@msbusiness.com

Several factors came together as the impetus for the inaugural class of the dyslexia

therapy masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s program at the University of Southern Mississippi, the first of its kind at a public institution in the state. Dyslexia, or specific language-based learning disabilities, affects 15 to 20 percent

of the population to some degree. That means in every class of 25 students, three to five may be expected to struggle in reading. Of the students with specific learning disabilities receiving special education services,

70 to 80 percent have deficits in reading. Dyslexia is the most common cause of reading, writing and spelling difficulties. It affects males and females nearly equally and people from different ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. The experience and expertise of two entities at Southern Miss have collaborated to offer this new degree. The Dubard School for Language Disorders and the Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Special Education came together to make it possible. This program will prepare graduates to become dyslexia therapists licensed by the Mississippi Department of Education. Maureen Martin â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dr. Matt Joshi, an internationally known author, lecturer and researcher at Texas A&M, has stated that dyslexia is the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s number one public health problem because of its farreaching and systemic impact on our citizens â&#x20AC;&#x201D; individually and as a country,â&#x20AC;? said Dr. Maureen Martin, director of the DuBard School. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Without fluent reading skills, students face obstacles to learning in every subject area. This can affect not only their academic achievement but also their long term success, employability and earning potential in adulthood. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a crisis across the country as well as in Mississippi.â&#x20AC;? Thirteen students are in the first class. They are from six school districts â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Pascagoula, Jackson County, Lauderdale County, Forrest County, Hattiesburg and Petal. Alexandria Moore, a special education inclusion teacher in the Petal School District, chose this program because she sees many students fall through the cracks, reading wise. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have taught for only a couple of years, but the necessity for helping students with dyslexia has been very present,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I knew this program would benefit not only students with dyslexia but students across the board. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I also know that in the coming years, this training and knowledge will be helpful with the Third Grade Reading Gate. In essence and true â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;teacher fashion,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about the needs of the students.â&#x20AC;? Ann P. Blackwell, Ph.D., professor and dean of the College of Education and Psychology, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The development of the dyslexia therapy program at USM was mo-

See

DYSLEXIA, Page 14

EDUCATION & WORKFORCE TRAINING

July 25, 2014

DEALING

Special to the Mississippi Business Journal

“Table game directors know we are not sending anybody to them unless we know they’re ready, and it works,” said John Montella, who helped open Coast Dealing Academy in 2011.

s s i m n r e h t u so

e g e l l o c of

s s e n i s s s e u n i b bussuccess g n i n i f rede

Earn your MBA, MPA, MSED or Business Foundations Graduate Certiﬁcate

usm.edu/business

Mississippi Business Journal

Continued from Page 11

“It comes down to the individual because it’s a performance-based position. You have to be professional and courteous. You have to display a certain level of tolerance for people drinking and having a good time. It doesn’t suit everybody but for those who can handle those aspects it can be very lucrative.” He said dealers generally are paid $5 an hour plus tips. “It’s like working part time and getting full-time benefits,” he said. John Montella, former table games director of the Crescent School, and business partner Rick Levine, who works in the pit at Hard Rock, opened Coast Dealing Academy in 2011. “What sets us apart is our placement rate of 90 percent,” Montella said. “Table game directors know we are not sending anybody to them unless we know they’re ready, and it works.” The school, which has day classes only, enrolls an average of two students a week. An all games course costs about $3,000 and the school offers in house financing. He said students should get training in at least two games to be hired by a casino. “You can’t just learn blackjack and get a job,” Montella said. “We make it a minimum two-game package that’s very reasonable.” Montella said his school teaches Las Vegas and Californiastyle dealing. “You can go anywhere and deal,” he said of his graduates who also learn procedures to protect their casino employers “against mistakes and cheats.” Montella said the school helps to provide better job opportunities for those who complete the courses. “There is nothing like taking somebody flipping burgers for 8 bucks an hour and putting them to work at a casino even part time making $30,000 to $40,000 a year,” he said. “It’s a great feeling for us and the instructors take pride in it.”

EDUCATION & WORKFORCE TRAINING

14 I Mississippi Business Journal I July 25, 2014

DYSLEXIA

Continued from Page 12

tivated by our mission as a public institution to serve the citizens of Mississippi through quality, research-based academic programs. “The unique collaboration between two academic units imbedded in the program provides our students with an excellent breadth and depth of knowledge to effectively support dyslexic children and their families.” The program is offered in a hybrid format, offering a mixture of on-campus instruction, online courses, weekend classes and supervised practicum experiences built around a working professional’s schedule. “I’m excited to see this program come to fruition,” Martin said. “We’ve been working on this degree for approximately four years, ensuring we are able to provide the highest quality education in a format fitted for working professionals. These students are the future educators of children with learning differences. I look forward to seeing the impact they’ll have on our area and state as a whole.” Martin explains that dyslexia therapists may serve individuals or groups of students with dyslexia specific learning disabilities in reading in public and private K-12 schools, in clinics or in private practice.

“I have taught for only a couple of years, but the necessity for helping students with dyslexia has been very present. I knew this program would benefit not only students with dyslexia but students across the board.” Alexandria Moore Special education inclusion teacher, Petal School District

“A number of service delivery models may be used including general education classrooms, special education, resource therapy services and inclusion,” she said. “Ideally, the frequency and intensity of services will be tailored to individual students’ needs so they may make the maximum progress possible through use of the specialized multi-sensory techniques. “While great focus is placed on chil-

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dren with these challenges, and early intervention is crucial, it should be remembered that many adults have the same issues and it’s never too late to provide effective therapy and make a difference in their lives.” The Southern Miss DuBard School for Language Disorders has more than 50 years of serving children with dyslexia-specific learning disabilities in reading, as well as

Special to the MBJ

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P.O. Box 1639 © Jackson, MS 39215-1639

Ann Blackwell Dean of the College of Education and Psychology, USM

those with oral communication disorders and hearing loss. “We felt mandated to try to do more to reach those affected with this challenge in written language,” Martin said. “We hope to reach more students by preparing more professionals. It is a natural evolution to expand our long-accredited professional development program into a full master’s degree.”

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A collaborative effort between University of Mississippi Medical Center cancer researchers, Tougaloo College and Jackson State University this summer is giving six undergraduate college students a chance to search for a prostate cancer cure. The Mississippi Prostate Cancer Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Training Program is a first for UMMC’s Cancer Institute. Supported by a $185,000 U.S. Department of Defense Prostate Cancer Research Program grant, it helps fund research opportunities for students from historically black colleges and universities. “We are very glad to offer this kind of program to students in this area,” said Dr. Kounosuke Watabe, Cancer Institute deputy director for basic research and principal investigator with the grant. “We hope that in the future, many of these students will become cancer researchers. It is very important that young people get into this research field.” Three interns from each college are working on a specific project during the 10week program, attend sessions with their faculty mentor and the Cancer Institute’s weekly seminar series and take part in the Discovery U program, offered to undergraduates by the UMMC School of Graduate Studies in the Health Sciences. Each

receives a $6,000 stipend. The six, all working on prostate cancer projects, will present results of their work at a Prostate Cancer Research Day July 31, as well as prepare a written report. “We want them to see how things operate in the real world and make an effort to give them that exposure so they can really apply what they’re learning,” said internship coordinator Dr. Christian Gomez, associate professor of pathology and radiation oncology and a member of the Cancer Institute’s tumor cell biology program. Tougaloo participants are junior biology major Joshua Agee of Laurel, senior biology major Ansley Scott of Clarksdale and Diva Whalen of Clinton, a junior studying biology. Jackson State participants are sophomore chemistry and mathematics major Anthony Keyes of Jackson, junior biology major Brittany Martin of Madison, and Tatyana Givens, a sophomore studying biology, “This HBCU summer prostate research training will expose JSU students to ongoing prostate cancer research at the UMMC Cancer Institute to the extent that they will have the opportunity to actually engage in hands-on research in a research lab,” said Dr. Stephen I.N.Ekunwe, JSU faculty advisor. Long-term, he said he hopes to create a pipeline for JSU students who want to pursue doctorates in cancer research.

COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES College or University Alcorn State University Belhaven University Blue Mountain College Coahoma Community College Copiah-Lincoln Community College Delta State University East Central Community College East Mississippi Community College Hinds Community College Holmes Community College Itawamba Community College Jackson State University Jones County Junior College Meridian Community College Millsaps College Mississippi College Mississippi Delta Community College Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Mississippi State University Mississippi University for Women Mississippi Valley State University Northeast Mississippi Community College Northwest Mississippi Community College Pearl River Community College Rust College Southwest Mississippi Community College The University of Southern Mississippi Tougaloo College University of Mississippi William Carey University

Address 9 Campus Dr., Natchez, MS 39096 1500 Peachtree St., Jackson, MS 39202 201 W. Main St., Blue Mountain, MS 38610 3240 Friars Point Rd., Clarksdale, MS 38614 P.O. Box 649, Wesson, MS 39191 1003 W. Sunﬂower Rd., Cleveland, MS 38733 275 W. Broad St., Decatur, MS 39327 1512 Kemper St., Scooba, MS 39358 505 E. Main St., Raymond, MS 39154 P.O. Box 369, Goodman, MS 39079 620 W. Hill St., Fulton, MS 38843 1400 Lynch St., Jackson, MS 39217 900 S. Court St., Ellisville, MS 39437 910 Hwy. 19 N., Meridian, MS 39307 1701 N. State St., Jackson, MS 39210 200 S. College St., Clinton, MS 39058 Hwy. 3 & Cherry St., Moorhead, MS 38761 10298 Express Dr., Gulfport, MS 39503 Mississippi State, MS 39762 Columbus, MS 39701 14000 Hwy. 82 W., Itta Bena, MS 38941 101 Cunningham Blvd., Booneville, MS 38829 4975 Hwy. 51 N., Senatobia, MS 38668 101 Hwy. 11 N., Poplarville, MS 150 Rust Ave., Holly Springs, MS 38635 1156 College Dr., Summit, MS 39666 118 College Dr., #5166, Hattiesburg, MS 39406 500 W. County Line Rd., Tougaloo, MS 39174 P.O. Box 1848, University, MS 38677-1848 498 Tuscan Ave., Hattiesburg, MS 39401

July 25, 2014

Phone (601) 877-6188 (601) 968-5940 (662) 685-4771 (662) 627-2571 (601) 643-5101 (662) 846-3000 (601_) 635-2111 (662) 476-8442 (601) 857-3767 (662) 472-2312 (662) 862-8035 (601) 979-2121 (601) 477-4000 (601) 483-8241 (601) 974-1000 (601) 925-3000 (662) 246-6322 (228) 897-4360 (662) 325-2323 (662) 329-7106 (662) 254-9041 (800) 555-2154 (662) 562-3200 (601) 403-1312 (662) 252-8000 (601) 276-2000 (601) 266-5000 601) 977-7700 (662) 915-7211 (601) 318-6051

Website www.alcorn.edu www.belhaven.edu www.bmc.edu www.coahomacc.edu www.colin.edu www.deltastate.edu www.eccc.edu www.eastms.edu www.hindscc.edu www.holmescc.edu www.iccms.edu www.jsums.edu www.jcjc.edu www.meridiancc.edu mba.millsaps.edu www.mc.edu www.msdelta.edu www.mgccc.edu www.msstate.edu www.muw.edu www.mvsu.edu www.nemcc.edu www.northwestms.edu www.prcc.edu www.rustcollege.edu www.smcc.edu www.usm.edu www.tougaloo.edu www.olemiss.edu www.wmcarey.edu

Mississippi Business Journal

Year Founded 1871 1883 1873 1949 1928 1924 1929 1927 1917 1925 1948 1877 1911 1937 1890 1826 1926 1911 1878 1884 1950 1948 1927 1908 1866 1929 1910 1869 1848 1892

MPI oﬀers in-depth training opportunities in high-tech operations ﬁelds. These courses include the following:

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President Alfred Rankins Jr. Roger Parrott Barbara C. McMillin Valmadge Towner Ronnie Nettles William “Bill” Forge Billy W. Stewart Rick Young Clyde Muse David Cole David C. Cole Carolyn Meyers Jesse R. Smith Scott D. Elliott Robert W. Pearigen Lee G. Royce Larry Nabors Mary Graham Mark Keenum Jim Borsig William B. Bynum Jr. Johnny L. Allen Gary Lee Spears William Lewis David L. Beckley J. Steven Bishop Rodney D. Bennett Beverly Wade Hogan Dan Jones Tommy King

Note: Information for this list was provided by the individual institutions of higher learning and other reliable sources. Please direct questions or comments to Wally Northway at research@msbusiness.com.

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16 I Mississippi Business Journal I July 25, 2014 Griffin graduates from program Demetria Griffin, administrative support and public relations administrative assistant at South Mississippi State Hospital, recently graduated from the State Personnel Board’s Administrative Services Certification Program (ASCP). Griffin has worked at SMSH since November 2010 and in her current position since July 2012. She is a native of Bolivar County, holds an associate’s degree in business administration Griffin from Western International University and is working toward her bachelor’s degree at Grantham University. Before coming to SMSH, Griffin served as personnel actions specialist with the U.S. Army in Mannheim and Schwetzingen, Germany.

Renfroe elected chairman Alan Renfroe, executive vice president and CFO of First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Pascagoula-Moss Point, has been elected chairman of the board of the Financial Managers Society (FMS). Renfroe has been involved with FMS for over 30 years and has had an active role with the Society’s leadership for nearly a decade having served as a director-at-large on the board from 2004-2010, again in 2012, and as FMS vice chairman since June 2013. He served on the National Conference Council and on the 2007 FMS Strategic Planning Task Force. Renfroe has been with First Federal for over 37 years and served as CFO for more than 10 years. In

Roy Anderson promotes, hires Roy Anderson Corp has promoted Chris Gray to the position of director of operations, Jackson Office. Gray is a graduate of Mississippi State University and joined RAC in 2007. He will be responsible for all projects based out of the Jackson office. Roy Anderson Corp has also hired new team members. Steve Brooks has been brought in as vice president. Brooks is a graduate of the University of Alabama with a bachelor of science in civil engineering. Brooks will function in a supporting role for operations, work acquisition and estimating. Rohan Alexis has been hired as senior project manager. After attending Alcorn State University, Alexis has achieved 28 years of construction experience while assigned to educational, hospitality, commercial and healthcare projects. He will be responsible for field operations management, scheduling and estimating. Roy Anderson has also chosen Michael Moore as BIM/VDC director. Moore has more than 15 years of building information modeling experience and will be responsible for preconstruction clash detection, 4D simulation, 3D renderings and videos.

addition to his professional experience, Renfroe has served on the board of the Boys and Girls Club of Jackson County, as a past president of the Rotary Club of Moss Point and on the board of the Jackson County United Way. He lives in Moss Point with his wife René, and they have three children — John, Mary and Sara.

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Alexis

Brooks

Gray

Moore

Cole leading plants Jair Cole has accepted the position of director of manufacturing at Uncle Ben’s Brand. Cole will be responsible for directing the overall operations of both Uncle Ben’s Greenville and Bolton sites. Cole’s previous experience includes working at PepsiCo since 2002, most recently serving as the supply chain plant director where he has been directly responsible for an Illinoisbased manufacturing facility that produces Rice-ARoni, Pasta Roni and Near East products. Prior to that, Cole was directly responsible for manufacturing some of PepsiCo’s breakfast products as well as various rice components used in other products.

Jones chosen for council The American Red Cross Mississippi Region welcomes Wiley Franklin Jones of Lorman to the Regional Leadership Council. Jones, the executive director of the Layman’s Association for the Jefferson County Baptist Association, will serve a three-year term on the Red Cross regional council. Jones is well-known across the state for his more than 40 years of service to Alcorn State University, where he Jones retired as the school’s vice president for business and finance in 2005. He holds a bachelor of science degree in business administration from Alcorn State University and a master’s degree in business administration from Mississippi College. He received additional training at Harvard University where he received a diploma in college and university administration, Institute for Executive Management. He also received a certificate in college and university administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the Moton Development Institute at Cappahosic. Jones is an active civic leader and past-member of the board of directors for the Claiborne County Economic Development District. He serves as vice chairman of deacon ministry at Waterloo Missionary

Baptist Church in Lorman and is a former chapter president of the Kiwanis International (1984). He is a life member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. and the Alcorn State University National Alumni Association, Alcorn Chapter. Additionally, Jones was a member of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) for more than a decade and served 16 years on the board of directors for the Capital City Classic, which was responsible for the annual football classic between Alcorn State University and Jackson State University. During his tenure as an administrator, he served as a member of both the Personnel and Student-Related Service committees for the National Association of Colleges and Universities Business Officers. He also served on the board of directors for the Southern Association College and University Business Officers as well as its Program and Professional Development committees. Jones has received numerous leadership awards and recognition including Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity’s State Director of the Year for 1982 and 1991 and the Alpha Man of the Year award in 1975, 1977, 1979 and 1981. He also received the Scouting District Award of Merit and the Scouting Silver Beaver award from the Boy Scouts of America. Other awards include: the John A. Peoples-Walter Washington Humanitarian award from the Capital City Classic; Community Service award from the Mount Olive Community/Church in Laurel, Miss.; Project Participation award from the Delta Kappa Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity; and Delta Man of the Year by the Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

Wrigley serving as president Attorney Jaklyn Wrigley, an associate of Fisher & Phillips, LLP in Gulfport, is now serving as president of the Harrison County Young Lawyers Association for the 2014 – 2015 year. An active member of the Harrison County Young Lawyers Association since July 2011, Wrigley previously served as secretary in 2012-2013 and vice president in 2013-2014. In addition to her Association role, Wrigley is active with the Mississippi Bar Young Lawyers Division at the state level, currently serving a two-year term as one of the coast regional chairs for the board of directors. Wrigley practices labor and employment law. She is a graduate of the University of Mississippi School of Law, summa cum laude, and received her bachelor of arts degree, cum laude, in Spanish from the University of Mississippi. She is admitted in Mississippi and Florida.

Kilgore elected director Jennifer Kilgore, RN, BSN, CPAN, with the Singing River Health System was recently elected as the director of Region 2 for the American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses. Region 2 is a nine-state area, and she will represent the state of Mississippi in this position for the next two years. Kilgore has been with Post Anesthesia Care Unit at Singing River for 15 years and has participated in the Mississippi Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses, the state component of ASPAN, for many years. Early on, she became involved in the leadership council at the state level and has performed a number of roles in the organization. She began volunteering at the national level on various committees and has moved her way up.

For announcements in Newsmakers; Contact: Wally Northway (601) 364-1016 • wally.northway@msbusiness.com

July 25 2014

Mississippi Business Journal

» MISSISSIPPI LEADERS by Martin Willoughby

Choosing a path Raborn ﬁnds success and fulﬁllment with Raborn Media

f we are not careful, we can ﬁnd ourselves living someone else’s version of our life rather than our own. Whether from a parent, spouse, friend or simply societal expectations, the pressure to follow a path in life that is not our own choosing can be enormous. In his 2005 commencement address at Stanford University, Steve Jobs emphasized this point to the graduates. “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, the courage to follow your heart and intuition.” Jobs struck a chord with this speech which went viral on YouTube. I was reminded of this quote as I visited with my interviewee this week, Tyler Raborn, cofounder of Raborn Media. Tyler and his wife, Amanda, are young entrepreneurs on the fast track to success. Tyler moved around a lot growing up (over 19 times), but he ﬁnished high school in Metro Jackson before going off to Mississippi State where he majored in accounting. After interning with Pricewaterhouse

Up Close With ... Tyler Raborn Title: Co-founder, Raborn Media Favorite Books: The Journey of Desire by John Eldridge; The Power of Starting Something Stupid by Richie Norton First Job: “I worked as a lifeguard at Castlewood Country Club.” Hobbies/Interests: Sports (“I am a huge Saints fan.”)

Coopers in Atlanta, he decided to pursue a law degree at Tulane University. He excelled in school and worked as a law clerk as he plotted his career path as an attorney. However, sometimes life takes you in a different direction as Tyler soon found out. While he was in law school, Amanda worked at a marketing ﬁrm in New Orleans where she specialized in social media. At heart, they are both entrepreneurs and so they felt the tug to pursue a different path. In early 2013, they began to discuss and

pray about starting their own marketing company. They shared a passion for technology, marketing, and helping people. They conducted signiﬁcant research and planning and in early fall 2013 launched Raborn Media. By the end of 2013, their business had exploded with clients as their ROI oriented approach to digital marketing connected with many business owners searching for answers on how to grow their business. Tyler faced a difﬁcult decision as he needed to focus full time on his grow-

“There is only one success — to be able to spend your life in your own way.” Tyler Raborn Co-founder, Raborn Media

ing company, but he still lacked one semester to finish law school. He made a difficult decision and chose to focus on his business and relocate to Jackson. Tyler candidly Martin Willoughby noted, “In addition to the financial risk of starting a business, I realized that I was breaking a societal norm by pursuing this path.” He was on the track to be a tax lawyer, but that was not his passion. He shared, “While I was interested in helping people protect their assets, what I truly enjoy is helping people grow their assets through effective use of digital marketing.” I respect that fact that an early age Tyler has taken the “road less traveled” and pursued his dreams. Journalist Christopher Morley once noted, “There is only one success — to be able to spend your life in your own way.” It takes wisdom and courage to understand what you really wanted to do with your life and to vigorously pursue it. I think that is why Steve Jobs emphasized it to the class at Stanford. Faced with significant health issues, Jobs knew that life was short and that you have to sometimes block out the noise of the voices of others to make sure you understand your own inner voice. Amanda and Tyler have clearly followed this advice and are charting their own course. I always kept my eye out for up and coming entrepreneurs, and I believe Tyler and Amanda are ones to watch. Martin Willoughby is a business consultant and regular contributing columnist for the Mississippi Business Journal. He serves as Chief Operating Officer of Butler Snow Advisory Services, LLC and can be reached at martin.willoughby@ butlersnow.com.

Looking at the bright side of failure

S » The Up Side of Down: Why Failing Well Is the Key to Success By Megan McArdle Published by Viking $27.95 hardback

pending 320 pages reading about failure may not seem like the most compelling idea, but hear me out. Economics and business journalist Megan McArdle’s ﬁrst book makes a strong and thought-provoking case for the importance of failure. McArdle walks us through failures of all kinds: her own personal failures, numerous stories of business and entrepreneurial failures and even society’s failures. She convincingly demonstrates how vital it is to try things you might fail at — and if you do fail, what lessons to take away from those experiences. Indeed, her argument as it pertains to business is that this characteristic is at the very heart of what drives American innovation. Failure obviously makes us uncomfortable. Even the thought of failing at something can give the most conﬁdent person pause. However, being willing to take risks and fail — and recognize those failures — is critical to your own life and the success of your business. McArdle spends one chapter, for instance, on the long and

protracted downfall of General Motors, and the ways that GM’s management was unwilling to react to many cues inside the business that all was not well, until it was too late. They fell prey to normalcy bias, or “acting as if things are ﬁne when they quite obviously are not.” Not being able to deal with the failures as they happened meant that later, things for GM were much, much worse. One of the things I liked best about this book, and McArdle’s work in general, is her ability to boil controversial topics down to their economic effects. She’s got a knack for making

you question your own assumptions. For instance, she argues, quite convincingly, that the relative permissiveness of U.S. bankruptcy laws help support small business development in a way that, net-net, is a positive thing for society. It allows entrepreneurs the ability to take risks, start businesses, fail, and then not be bound to those failures for the rest of their lives. They can then try again, starting new businesses. This cycle contributes to what makes America’s economy so vibrant, supporting the growth of small businesses. Sure, some folks may abuse our lax bankruptcy laws, but overall the effect is a win. Were we to tighten up, she argues, we’d de-incentivize small business growth. Many European countries, for instance, have much tighter bankruptcy standards, which results in far fewer small businesses there as “innovators decide it’s not worth the risk.” It’s that kind of contrarian thinking that makes this book a great read.

— LouAnn Lofton, mbj@msbusiness.com

18 I Mississippi Business Journal I July 25 2014 THE SPIN CYCLE

The difference between PR and advertising orbes just published a piece discussing, in some detail, “the real difference between PR and advertising.” This realness in difference begins with an old saying: “Advertising is what you pay for, publicity is what you pray for.” Or, boiled down, advertising is paid media, public relations is earned media. It’s a simple maxim from a simpler time. But does it hold up today? Author Robert Wynne believes that it does. Not only is PR still different from advertising — it’s still better. “With advertising, you tell people how great you are. With publicity, others sing your praises. Which do you think is more effective?” Todd Smith said Wynne. The unspoken answer is supported by a 2014 Nielsen study on the role of content in the consumer decision-making process, which concluded that PR is almost 90 percent more effective than advertising: “on average, expert content lifted familiarity 88 percent more than branded content.” Expert sources also agree. “The idea is the believability of an article versus an advertisement,” said Michael Levine, a well-known publicist and author of the book, Guerilla P.R. “Implied third-party endorsement by an editor can carry more credibility among potential customers,” writes Crosby Noricks at Independent Fashion Bloggers. These trends give PR practitioners multiple feathers for their caps: PR trumps advertising in credibility, price, quality, effectiveness and usefulness — both to the consumer and the journalist, who is struggling now more than ever to churn out good stories in record time for shrinking audiences and budgets. But that’s the easy read. Advertising in the new digital domain is much different than it used to be, and branded content has come a long way from the advertorial. One only has to look to Netflix’s incredible paid post in the New York Times for enough oohs and ahhs to give us all pause.

base consists of real people (and showing that your company is made up of the same) is the key to better relationship building.

Five branding lessons from the World Cup social media frenzy The social frenzy surrounding the 2014 World Cup reflects the genuine excitement felt by fans and players alike. And this is something entrepreneurs, companies and brand builders should pay attention to. This kind of chatter around a brand is valuable and can pay dividends in terms of increasing your reach, building social proof, and establishing brand advocacy.

Summer TV surge The era of the broadcast TV networks putting up a “gone fishing” sign for the summer is over, reports the New York Times. Between broadcast and cable channels, 88 shows are being introduced from late May, when the 2013-14 season ended, through late September. And if you paid attention to the broadcast upfronts this spring, you heard again and again the message from the big network bosses: We program all year nowadays. But if you really pay attention, that sure feels like lip service. It is still pretty hard to take seriously these declarations that broadcasters are year-round programmers.

Golden Mic | McAllen Texas community puts politics aside in immigration crisis

Here are lessons you can learn from the in the World Cup this year were on Twitter. World Cup to build frenzy around your brand That’s a lot of engagement! And many of these teams pulled out all the stops to keep their accounts fresh and interesting. This 1. Brand consistency is everything Whether on Twitter or Instagram, the means creating new content, very freWorld Cup was presented in a seamless way. quently. From Instagram photos to clever FIFA World Cup has its own Instagram ac- tweets to compelling videos, they kicked it count, which helped set the tone of the all in to advance the World Cup brand. event. Then there are the 33 official Twitter accounts for the participating teams that 4. Don’t spread yourself too thin Twitter Sports has compiled into a single The World Cup was the most sociallylist. Then, there’s ESPN FC World Cup Es- engaged sporting event in all of history, acsentials, an aggregate site which pulls con- cording to Adobe Digital Index projections. tent from all the social networks and a And yet, FIFA isn’t on every single social variety of news sources, acting as a World network there is. They have a presence of Cup social hub. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube — and that’s it. This means FIFA is able to focus its messaging around these main plat2. Each member of your team matters Many of the FIFA players have their own forms and really make full use of social accounts and actively share their them.Company owners could suffer major thoughts and photos from the latest events. missteps if they spread themselves too thin. Once again, Twitter Sports put together a While it might seem like a good idea to be list consisting of 332 soccer players partici- active on every social network, it’s a much pating in the World Cup so fans could keep better strategy to be active on a few and really score a winning goal! tabs on everyone. In business, you can leverage each member of your team in much the same way. 5. Engage your customers Having just one social media account for The World Cup brand was reinforced on your company won’t necessarily cut it if you Twitter thanks to hashflags. Basically, if you want to convey authenticity. What better type in “#” plus a country’s three-letter abway to accomplish that than by having your breviation, a flag showed up in your tweet. team members speak for themselves in their As a company, the more you can engage own, authentic voices? your followers and really connect with them as people, the greater likelihood you have of building brand advocates and repeat cus3. The more content you create, the better The majority of the teams participating tomers. Recognizing that your customer

The communities on the front lines of the border crisis have certainly put politics aside in the simmering immigration crisis along the U.S.-Mexico border. With the flood of mothers and their young children across the border, cities like McAllen, Texas, knew the situation was growing into a massive humanitarian emergency long before the Feds arrived. Before politicians began issuing news releases, residents were already gathering baby formula, diapers and toys. What started out of the trunk of a car, in a church basement and over parking lot chatter has become the collective outpouring of an entire community. Pop-up shelters in McAllen, run by community groups and faith-based organizations, now fill a crucial void in services for migrant mothers and children as the government struggles to keep up with the demand. While the Obama administration scrambles to deal with the humanitarian crisis at hand, faith-based and community organizations are filling a crucial gap in care for the thousands of migrant families who braved a treacherous journey north. These organizations are not just providing care for those in need, but are helping save lives. For that, McAllen gets this week’s Golden Mic. Each week, The Spin Cycle will bestow a Golden Mic Award to the person, group or company in the court of public opinion that best exemplifies the tenets of solid PR, marketing and advertising – and those who don’t. Stay tuned – and step-up to the mic! And remember … Amplify Your Brand! Todd Smith is president and chief communications officer of Deane, Smith & Partners, a full-service branding, PR, marketing and advertising firm with offices in Jackson. The firm — based in Nashville, Tenn. — is also affiliated with Mad Genius. Contact him at todd@deanesmithpartners.com, and follow him @spinsurgeon.

SALES MOVES

July 25, 2014

Mississippi Business Journal

» JEFFREY GITOMER

The ultimate response to ‘I want to think about it.’

hen a customer says “I want to think about it” or “I need some time to think it over” it's one of the most frustrating expressions a salesperson can hear. You feel helpless, or if you've been poorly trained, you lapse into some manipulative dialogue that proves you’re both a crappy salesperson and you’re only there for the money. There's a better way. I'm about to give you the ultimate response to “I want to think about it” – one of the oldest sales stalls known to mankind. The paradox of “I want to think about it” has always been that the salesperson wants to make the sale right away, and the customer has not yet seen the value or the reduced risk in doing business with the salesperson. And often, the customer has already made up their mind, but does not want to share that with (you) the salesperson. The salesperson gets frustrated and blames the customer for their inability to decide, rather than taking responsibility for his own lack of sales ability and lack of preparation. REALITY: Stop blaming. Start taking responsibility. Be prepared (Boy Scout motto) for the objection way before you get to the sales call.

Here is what to say, here's what to offer, and here's how to offer it… You say: “I'm an expert at what I do. You're an expert at what you do. Let me share with you the questions you need to ask yourself, and ask of others, as you think about it.” These are questions way beyond “How much is it?” and “When do I really want to start?” Hand over a list of questions about the intricacies and the value of your stuff. For example, if you're selling IT services and data protection, here's a list of questions that you might want to ask: Mr. Prospect, here are six things you need to think about as you’re deciding: 1. How much is your data worth? 2. Who is protecting your data daily? 3. How much spam do you get? How much time do you spend dealing with it? What is your time worth? 4. What happened the last time you lost data? 5. What is a business heart attack to you? 6. What’s the difference between 99% guaranteed up time and 100% guaranteed up time? 3.65 days of downtime. What is the extra 1% worth? You hand the questions to the customer and read the questions out loud, and then ask him or her, “Would you like to think about these questions by yourself, or would you like to think about

them with me?” Keep in mind, you are the expert. The customer is depending on you for answers that he or she cannot create for themselves. Whether you're selling life insurance, reJeffrey Gitomer frigerators, accounting services, new cars, or a million dollar home, most likely the customer is making a purchase one time, but for you it may be your one-thousandth time to make the presentation. It's critical that you transfer confidence, not just information. “I want to think about it” is your GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY to give value, prove value, make the prospect think about themselves and their options, and still have an opportunity to make the sale. THE SECRET: You must prepare for the “I want to think it over” stall BEFORE you make the sales call. You have to positively accept the stall when it occurs. The more positive you are, the more surprised the prospect will be. And you must present my solution in EXACTLY the manner I have described above. When presenting this answer to the prospect, your tone must be both friendly and calm. The

prospect will see that you’re prepared and at the very least be impressed – and at the very most, be both engaged and willing. You are in complete control when you’re prepared. You have totally lost control when you are not prepared. REALITY: This solution will NOT work all the time, BUT it will work. How often it works will be determined by how often you try it. The more you prepare for it, the better you will become at overcoming. Wanna try it? Or do you wanna think about it? Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of “The Sales Bible”, “Customer Satisfaction is Worthless” “Customer Loyalty is Priceless”, “The Little Red Book of Selling”, “The Little Red Book of Sales Answers”, “The Little Black Book of Connections”, “The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude”, “The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way”, “The Little Platinum Book of ChaChing”, “The Little Teal Book of Trust”, “The Little Book of Leadership”, and “Social BOOM!” His website, www.gitomer.com, will lead you to more information about training and seminars, or email him personally at salesman@gitomer.com.

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