MBJ_LIF—Dec29-2017 by Journal Inc

www.msbusiness.com • December 29, 2017

SPECIAL MAGAZINE EDITION

2017

Inside look at the 28 individuals that make up this year’s class

GARY WATTS » 2017 MBJ Business Person of the Year

The Mississippi Business Journal is looking for professionals whose fiscal work has set the pace for their company and the region. Honorees are selected based on industry and community involvement and achievement through their energy and innovative ideas. Their work should provide a model of professionalism to their peers and go above and beyond the call of duty. Nominations can be emailed to events@msbusiness.com or mailed to Leaders in Finance, Mississippi Business Journal, 200 North Congress Street, Suite 400, Jackson, MS 39201. Online submissions can be made at msbusiness.com/events/leaders-finance-nomination-form Submitting multiple nominations for one nominee is not necessary, as the selection committee will not decide based on show of support but rather on quality and thoroughness of supporting information. Honorees will be recognized in the following categories: Banking: Honors individuals such as mortgage lenders, bank executives, credit officers and loan officers. Investment: Honors individuals such as stockbrokers, financial advisers, financial planners and investment executives. Professional: Honors individuals such as public accountants, auditors, financial educators and financial analysts. For more information, contact Tami Jones at 601-364-1011.

Category:

R Banking

R Investment

R Professional

Nominee: Title: Company: Address: Street Address: City: Phone Number:

State:

Zip Code:

Email Address:

Business Accomplishments (Please be as speciﬁc and thorough as possible to help us make our selection):

Community Involvement (Please be as speciﬁc and thorough as possible to help us make our selection):

Reasons (Please be as speciﬁc and thorough as possible to help us make our selection):

Nominator: Nominator’s Phone Number:

Nominator’s Email Address:

FROM THE EDITOR

Honoring Mississippi’s top ﬁnancial professionals www.msbusiness.co

m • December 29,

2017

SPECIAL MAGAZINE EDITION

2017

his issue of the Mississippi Business Journal is dedicated to our Leaders in Finance awards program. This year, we recognize and honor a great group of Mississippi’s top finance professionals from banking, accounting, and investing. We first conceived Leaders in Finance in 2012, and launched our first program in 2013. Over the course of the past year, we were pleased to receive a large number of Ross Reily nominations for highly qualified professionals from large and small companies and firms around the state. The nominations come from numerous sources, including peers, professional acquaintances, and leaders in the finance community. The judging process was a joint undertaking between the Mississippi Business Journal and a number of respected professionals from the Mississippi finance community. When the scoring and comments from all judges were assembled and tabulated, we were able to select the top nominees for recognition. Also, in this issue, we celebrate the MBJ’s 2017 Businessperson of the Year. In a career that began at WorldCom, Gary Watts has become one of Mississippi’s most powerful business leaders as he has led

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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 December 29, 2017 Volume 39, Number 52

ALAN TURNER Publisher alan.turner@msbusiness.com • 364-1021 TAMI JONES Associate Publisher tami.jones@msbusiness.com • 364-1011

Inside look at the 28 individuals that ma ke up this year’s clas s

ROSS REILY Editor ross.reily@msbusiness.com • 364-1018 FRANK BROWN Staff Writer/Special Projects frank.brown@msbusiness.com • 364-1022 JACK WEATHERLY Staff Writer jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com • 364-1016

GARY WATTS »

2017 MBJ Business Person of the Year

VIRGINIA HODGES Account Executive virginia.hodges@msbusiness.com • 364-1012 TACY RAYBURN Production Manager tacy.rayburn@msbusiness.com • 364-1019

the growth of what is now Fuse. Cloud. So much so, that Fuse. Cloud’s growth caught the eye of Fortune magazine as one of the fastest-growing firms located in an “inner city.” Those on the Inner City 100 were chosen on revenue growth, which for Fuse.Cloud totaled 78 percent over a five-year period. That placed the firm at No. 85. You can read more an Watts and Fuse.Cloud in this issue. There is also lots going on in the typical business world and we aren’t letting that slip through the cracks. You are still getting the best business news from the only fulltime, state-wide business publication in Mississippi, This includes, stories, profiles, newsmakers, lists, ribbon cuttings, columns and more.

» Contact Mississippi Business Journal editor Ross Reily at ross. reily@msbusiness.com or (601) 364-1018.

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) 364-1000, 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 © 2017 by Journal Inc. All rights reserved.

Mississippi Business Journal – 3

Mississippi Business Journal December 29, 2017 Volume 39, Number 52

TABLE OF CONTENTS 2017 LEADERS IN FINANCE Rick Adams Renasant Bank ............................................................................... 5 James R. Armstrong May & Company ............................................................................. 5 John David Barr Citizens National Bank ....................................................................6 Wesley Bost Amory Federal Savings and Loan Association ................................... 7 Natella G. Boulton Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc........................................ 7 Alan Branson Hope Enterprise Corp/Hope Credit Union ........................................8 David E. Broadaway Members Exchange Credit Union .....................................................9 Timothy T. Burns BKD ...............................................................................................9 M. Ray “Hoppy” Cole Jr. The First Bank .............................................................................. 10 Charlotte Nicholson Corley Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance .............. 11 Brian L. Craven Magnolia Regional Health Center.................................................... 11 David Dill Holt & Associates, PLLC ................................................................12 Keith Evans Rea, Shaw, Giffin, & Stuart.............................................................13 D. Patrick Franklin Pinnacle Trust ...............................................................................13 Sandy Halliwell Clinton Public School District ........................................................ 14 Olivia Host BKD ..............................................................................................15

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BANKS

David M. Hughes Community Bancshares, Inc ...........................................................15 William T. Kemp, III Guaranty Bank & Trust .................................................................. 16 D. Shane Loper Hancock Holding Co.......................................................................17 Frank H. McWhorter, Jr. CPA Topp McWhorter Harvey, PLLC .......................................................17 Grant S. Montgomery BancorpSouth Bank ...................................................................... 18 Jimmy Stokes Alexander, Van Loon, Sloan, Levens & Favre, PLLC ......................... 19 Pamela P. Ware Renasant Bank ............................................................................. 19 Anthony Chester White PriorityOne Bank ..........................................................................20 Wallace Mark Wilder The University of Mississippi Patterson School of Accountancy ........21 M. Binford Williams, Jr. Watkins & Eager PLLC ...................................................................21 Thomas A. Williams BankPlus ...................................................................................... 22 Henry M. “Chip” Williamson Citizens Bank................................................................................ 22 Event Photos .......................................................................... 24-25 Past Winners ................................................................................ 23

THIS WEEK IN BUSINESS

Q Regions Bank.................................................................................................................. www.regions.com

HUMAN RESOURCES

Q People Lease.........................................................................................................www.peoplelease.com

INSURANCE AGENCIES

Q Account Services Group........................................................... www.accountservicesgroup.com

LAW FIRMS

» Person of the Year: Gary Watts............................... 26-27

Q Victor W. Carmody, Jr. P.A........................................................................... www.mississippidui.com

PAYROLL

Q People Lease.........................................................................................................www.peoplelease.com

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT

Q Mansell Media.................................................................................................... www.mansellmedia.net

» Newsmakers ..........................................................29-30

Have your business listed here! Contact your advertising representative at 601.364.1000

4 – Mississippi Business Journal

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NOMINEES

Rick Adams Renasant Bank

ick Adams has been president of the Commercial Business Lines at Renasant Bank since he moved from Metropolitan Bank upon their merger last summer. He previously was Chief Revenue Officer and Chief Administrative Officer with Metropolitan Bank, and was a commercial banking executive with Regions Bank. Adams studied at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and the University of Florida before earning his MBA in Economics at the University of Southern Mississippi. Adams has served on the Board of Directors of both the March of Dimes and the But God Ministries.

James R. Armstrong May & Company

.R. Armstrong manages the tax department at May & Company. With a focus on optometry practice management, Armstrong specialized in financial management and tax planning for OD practices and their owners. Additionally, his experience includes tax, audit, accounting and business consulting in a range of industries. Armstrong earned a Bachelor of Accountancy and Master of Taxation from Mississippi State University. He belongs to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants. He serves as board member for the Warren County MSU Alumni Association, member of the PAWS Rescue board of directors, a member of the Mississippi State Adkerson School of Accountancy advisory council, and chair of the Vicksburg Kiwanis Membership Growth & Education Committee. He is also the Donor Investments Education Chair for the United Way of West Central Mississippi.

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2017 Leaders in Finance – 5

NOMINEES

John David Barr Citizens National Bank

ohn David Barr, senior portfolio manager at Citizens National Bank in Meridian, is a believer in the phrase: “seek ﬁrst to understand.” “There is a temptation to focus on what you know and assume it ﬁts what you ‘think’ you know about your client’s priorities,” he says. “Often, it’s the second or third time I ask for clarity regarding an aspect of my client’s situation that I hear something new; something crucial to recommendations I will make. You only ‘make a difference,’ if you uncover the real priorities and solve the real problems.” He has been with CNB since 2006, and in his current job since 2015. He is responsible for building and managing investment allocations, client communication on investments and maintaining client relationships. He earned his BBA in Banking & Finance and Managerial Finance from the University of Mississippi, and his Masters in Economics at the University of Alabama. He was awarded the Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 2012. He is a member of the Central United Methodist Church Executive Council, and is Treasurer and Executive Committee Member with the Boy Scouts of America, Choctaw Area Council.

6 – 2017 Leaders in Finance

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NOMINEES

Wesley Bost Amory Federal Savings and Loan Association

s Compliance Officer at Amory Federal Savings & Loan Association, 27-year-old Wesley Bost oversees the day to day operations from a regulatory standpoint. He ensures the bank is in within regulations across the board -- from loans to deposits. He prepares quarterly reports and assists with bookkeeping monthly. He has completed the Mississippi School of Banking sponsored by the Mississippi Bankers Association as well as the ICBA Compliance Institute which recognizes him as a Certiﬁed Community Bank Compliance Officer. Bost is a graduate of Mississippi State University and the Mississippi School of Banking. He has worked his way through the ranks from a teller, to real estate manager, and now Compliance Officer. Bost represents the bank in Chili Festivals and other city-sponsored events. He is currently President-Elect of the Amory Rotary Club and is set to take office in July 2017. He is also a board member of the Amory Golf Club.

Natella G. Boulton Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc.

atella Boulton is a ﬁnancial advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in Ridgeland. She works with families and institutional clients to provide ongoing advice and portfolio manage-

ment. Natella holds a B.S. degree in Business Administration and Marketing from Mississippi University for Women. A native of Russia, Natella is active with the local international community, and has been instrumental in developing the ﬁrst Russian-speaking community in Mississippi. She is involved in a number of civic and philanthropic activities, and serves on the board of directors of the Mississippi Center for Nonproﬁts. She was named “Top 50 Leading Business Women” by the Mississippi Business Journal in 2016. Natella and her husband Charles have two daughters, and enjoy traveling, supporting the arts and spending time with the family.

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2017 Leaders in Finance – 7

NOMINEES

Alan Branson Hope Enterprise Corporation/Hope Credit Union

s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Hope Enterprise Corporation and Hope Federal Credit Union, Alan Branson directs the companies’ Business Lending, Mortgage Lending, Retail Branch Network, and Community and Economic Development activities. Branson, a former Harvard Business School researcher, previously worked as a commercial banker at Signet Bank, serving small and medium-sized businesses. He also was a consultant to the Microlending program at the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center and a developer of extended-stay hotel properties. Branson earned a B.A. from Oral Roberts University, an MBA. from the Kenan-Flagler School of Business at the University of North Carolina, and a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration from Jackson State University. He also spent two years in post-graduate studies at Harvard Business School. He has also completed the Southeastern School of Advanced Commercial Lending and the Venture Capital Institute. He and his wife, Susan, have ﬁve children.

Congratulations to our own David Hughes for being selected as one of Mississippi Business Journal’s Leaders in Finance.

• David has been a member of the Community Bank family since 2002. • As Chief Operating Ofﬁcer, he is committed to elevating the bank’s standards within all departments each and every day. • His hard work and integrity are a true reﬂection of his character.

8 – 2017 Leaders in Finance

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NOMINEES

David E. Broadaway Members Exchange Credit Union

avid Broadaway, AVP of Business and Specialized Lending at the Members Exchange Credit Union in Ridgeland, has more that 20 years experience in commercial and business lending. He has been in his current position since March of 2012. The Forest Hill High School graduate earned his BS in Business Administration and Management in 1982 at Mississippi College in Clinton. He graduated from Mississippi State in 1986 with a degree in accounting, and banking and ﬁnance He recently graduated from the Credit Union National Association business lending school. Broadaway is involved with the Rankin County Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership and the Madison County Chamber of Commerce. His nominator, Drew Allen, says: “David is truly one of the hardest workers I know. He has never met a stranger and that is why he has such a great rapport with others.”

Timothy T. Burns BKD

im Burns is the Jackson office Team Leader for BKD National Not-for-Profit Group and BKD National Governmental Group. He has more than 30 years of experience as an auditor and consultant in the government, not-for-profit and higher education industries. In addition, he serves commercial entities, including telephone companies, gas and electric utilities. His consulting experience in the utility field includes representation and testimony before public service commissions on a variety of rate-making and other matters, including cost of capital, rate design and development of rate base and revenue requirements. Burns leads a number of peer reviews and has served as a member of BKD’s internal inspection team. He is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants. He has served on the boards of St. Joseph Catholic School, St. Richard Catholic School and Junior Achievement of Mississippi. Tim is a 1979 graduate of Mississippi State University with a B.S. in Accounting.

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2017 Leaders in Finance – 9

NOMINEES

M. Ray “Hoppy” Cole Jr. The First Bancshares

Ray “Hoppy” Cole is President and CEO of The First, A National Banking Association, and The First Bancshares since 2009. Cole is a founding director of the First National Bank of the Pine Belt (the predecessor bank of the current Laurel branch) and a director of The First Bancshares Inc. Cole joined the bank as president of the Picayune location in 2002, was named president of the banking system in 2006 and relocated his office to Hattiesburg in 2007. Cole graduated from the University of Mississippi where he earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in business administration. He began his career with The First National Bank of Commerce in New Orleans, where he held the position of corporate banking officer. He joined Sunburst Bank in Laurel serving as senior lender, and later as president of the Laurel office. Cole, who attended the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at the University of Delaware, has also served as secretary/treasurer of a privately-held corporation.

Congratulations to a

leader among leaders.

Shane Loper, Chief Operating Officer

Congratulations to our own Shane Loper, named one of the 2017 Mississippi Business Journal’s Leaders in Finance. This honor reﬂects our core values and his leadership in fostering our corporate mission—to help people and businesses achieve their

Thank you, Shane, for your commitment to carrying on our century-old legacy rooted in strength, stability and integrity. 228-563-6940

hancockwhitney.com

ﬁnancial goals and dreams.

Whitney Bank uses these trade names: Hancock, Hancock Bank and Whitney. Whitney Bank, Member FDIC.

10 – 2017 Leaders in Finance

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NOMINEES

Charlotte Nicholson Corley Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance

harlotte Corley is the Commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance. After joining the Department in 1985 as a bank examiner, she became Banking Division Director in 2000, Deputy Commissioner in 2013, and was appointed Commissioner by Gov. Phil Bryant in 2014. A native of Gulfport, Corley earned a BBA in Banking and Finance from Mississippi State University. She is a graduate of the School of Banking of the South at Louisiana State University and the ABA National Graduate Trust School at Northwestern University. Corley is Chair-elect of the Conference of State Bank Supervisors, the nation’s leading advocate for the state banking system. She is former Chair of the CSBS Education Foundation and served many years on the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council’s Task Force on Examiner Education. Corley is married to Aubrey Corley, and they are parents to Christopher, Patrick, and Catherine, all MSU graduates.

Brian L. Craven Magnolia Regional Health Center

rian Craven says the leadership skill he sees in others is accountability. “I look for leaders who don’t confuse effort with results, while maintaining a high emotional intelligence. They praise their team when they need to be praised and they push their team when they need to be pushed. All the while they apprise their teams of their goals and progress towards reaching them.” Since 2013, Craven has been Senior Vice President/Chief Financial Officer at Magnolia Regional Health Center in Corinth. He is responsible for all ﬁnancial operations and results of the 200-bed hospital, including the revenue cycle, case management, coding, information technology, decision support, ﬁnance and treasury. Previous employment includes Iasis Healthcare, LifePoint Health, Community Health Systems and Health Management Associates. Craven has a BA in Accounting with a minor in Management from Union University in Jackson, Tenn.

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2017 Leaders in Finance – 11

NOMINEES

David Dill Holt & Associates, PLLC

avid Dill is Managing Partner of the Holt & Associates, PLLC, a CPA ďŹ rm with offices in Laurel and Hattiesburg. He is a CertiďŹ ed Public Accountant with more than 30 years of experience with individual and small business taxation including industries such as construction contractors, governmental and non-proďŹ t organizations. Dill is certiďŹ ed as a Governmental Financial Manager by the Association of Governmental Accountants. Dill graduated from Delta State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1979. He is a member of the American Institute of CPAs, the Mississippi Society of CPAs and the Southeast Chapter of MSCPA. He is an active member of the Laurel Kiwanis Club and serves on board of directors for various organizations. When not in the office, David can be found running a marathon across the country or serving at his church, Bethlehem Community Church in Laurel.

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NOMINEES

Keith Evans Rea, Shaw, Giffin, & Stuart

eith Evans is the Managing Partner at Rea, Shaw, Giffin and Stuart, LLP in Meridian, and has more than 25 years of experience in public accounting. He manages clients in all areas of taxation and provides assurance and attestation services for companies, governmental and non-profit organizations. Evans earned his Bachelor of Accountancy in 1988 from the University of Southern Mississippi, and is licensed CPA in Mississippi. Professional memberships include the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Mississippi Society of CPA’s, where he is on the board. Evans is former president of Meridian Little Theatre, former President of Meridian Lions Club, executive board member of Choctaw Council of Boy Scouts, treasurer of Lamar School Foundation and past chairman of the Finance Committee of Central United Methodist Church. The Waynesboro native is married to the former Stacy Frazier and they have two children. Matthew, 16, and Anna Catherine, 13. He enjoys golf, hunting, fishing and supporting the New Orleans Saints.

D. Patrick Franklin Pinnacle Trust

Patrick Franklin joined Pinnacle Trust in March of 2016 to serve as Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer. His primary role is managing the daily business operations of the firm which includes operations, technology, compliance and risk management. Prior to being associated with Pinnacle Trust, Franklin held various senior management and operations roles during his 30-year career in the financial services industry. Franklin received a B.A. in Economics from Southeastern Louisiana University and is a graduate of Cannon Financial Institute at the University of Notre Dame. He holds the Certified Securities Operations Professional designation from the Institute of Certified Bankers.

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2017 Leaders in Finance – 13

NOMINEES

Sandy Halliwell Clinton Public School District

andy Halliwell has been involved as a ﬁnance director for schools for the past 22 years, but beginning January 1, she will become the Executive Director of the Southeast Association of School Business Officials. In her most recent adventure, Halliwell has been the Director of Finance for the Clinton Public Schools since 2001, having served in the same capacity for the Brookhaven School District prior to that. She received hers bachelors and masters degrees from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1984 and 1985, respectively and then acquired her Certiﬁed Public Account license in 1987 and worked in two jobs before starting at Brookhaven in 1990. Halliwell has served as president of the Mississippi Association of School Business Officials and as board member of several other professional organizations, including the Mississippi School Board Association and the Mississippi Association of School Superintendents. She also has served as a United Way Chair, treasurer of select soccer sponsored by the Clinton Soccer Association and as a Tiger Cub Den Mother and Boy Scout Merit Madge counselor.

14 – 2017 Leaders in Finance

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NOMINEES

Olivia Host BKD

livia Host serves high-net-worth family groups, making use of her in-depth knowledge of the inner working of corporations, partnerships, trusts and estates and private foundations taxation issues. Olivia assists these family groups with the complexities of estate planning, succession planning for families’ closely held businesses and tax compliance. She has more than 30 years of public tax accounting experience with extensive experience in tax planning and compliance. During her career, Olivia has worked with many clients on a wide range of issues from personal financial planning to complex business issues. Olivia worked with a national accounting firm as a senior manager and in 2006 helped establish a private firm, where she served as a partner and owner before joining BKD in 2008. Olivia is treasurer and board member for the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra and past treasurer and board member for the Metro Jackson Habitat for Humanity. She is past treasurer of the Junior League of Jackson and past president of the board of trustees for Madison Ridgeland Academy. She is a 1980 summa cum laude graduate of the University of South Alabama with a B.S. degree in accounting.

David M. Hughes Community Bancshares, Inc.

ith 35 years’ experience in banking, David M. Hughes is the Chief Operating Officer for Community Bancshares, of Mississippi Inc., a $2.9 billion multi-bank holding company. David joined Community Bank, Coast, in 2002, rapidly rising from Sr. Vice President to Chief Executive Officer. Hughes also serves as Vice Chairman of Community Bancshares of MS, Inc., and Chairman of the Board of Community Bank, Coast. Hughes graduated from The University of Southern Mississippi with a Bachelor of Science degree from the College of Business Administration, majoring in Finance. Throughout his banking career, David has furthered his banking knowledge, graduating from The Mississippi School of Banking, followed by The American Bankers Association National Commercial Lending School and Graduate Commercial Lending School at The University of Oklahoma. In 2013, David was selected as one of the Top 10 Outstanding Community Leaders, and installed in Mississippi Gulf Coast Business Leaders Hall of Fame. Hughes also served as a member of the Mississippi Governors GO Coast 2020 Committee. In 2016, he was awarded Community Bank’s Award of Excellence, Community Bank’s highest honor. Hughes lives in Flowood, Mississippi with his wife, the former Patricia Wylie. They are the proud parents of three grown children and four grandchildren.

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2017 Leaders in Finance – 15

NOMINEES

William T. Kemp, III Guaranty Bank & Trust

illiam Kemp is president for Guaranty Bank & Trust Co.’s Vicksburg office. Kemp has more than 30 years ﬁnancial experience, and comes to Guaranty Bank from the Regions Financial Commercial and Industrial Group. He has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Delta State University and a bachelor’s in banking and ﬁnance from Mississippi State. He has a Master of Business administration from Millsaps College, and has completed studies at the Graduate School of Banking at LSU. He is married to the former Diane Derivaux of Vicksburg, and they have three children.

CONGRATULATIONS TO

TOMMY WILLIAMS ON BEING NAMED AS A

2017 LEADER IN FINANCE Congratulates

D. PATRICK FRANKLIN

As a First Vice President and Special Assets Lender at BankPlus, Tommy is one of our finest. So we’re proud, but not surprised, that he has been chosen for this honor. Tommy’s service to the community has been recognized by many. We take our hats off to Tommy.

2017 Mississippi Business Journal’s

LEADERS IN FINANCE (601) 957-0323

16 – 2017 Leaders in Finance

pinntrust.com

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NOMINEES

D. Shane Loper Hancock Holding Co.

hane Loper is Chief Operating Officer for Gulfport based Hancock Holding Company, one of America’s strongest, safest ﬁnancial institutions. He directs banking operations and revenue generation for a regional ﬁnancial services network under the Hancock Bank and Whitney Bank names. During his 27 years with the company, he has provided senior executive oversight for critical functions such as corporate services, human resources, compliance and risk management, information technology, business strategy and merger and acquisition integration. The Ocean Springs native holds a B.S. from USM and an M.B.A. from Troy State University and completed the Graduate School of Banking at LSU. He graduated from Leadership Gulf Coast and the Gulf Coast Business Council Masters Program and was among MBJ’s Top 40 under 40, The Sun Herald’s Outstanding Community Leaders and Bank Systems and Technology Magazine’s Elite 8. He served 16-plus years as a Mississippi Army National Guard Infantry Officer and Major.

Frank H. McWhorter, Jr. CPA Topp McWhorter Harvey, PLLC

ince 1977, Frank McWhorter has been a managing partner for Topp, McWhorter, Harvey PLLC, the seventh largest accounting firm in Mississippi. The Tupelo native is a graduate of Mississippi State University with a degree in accounting and is a member of the Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He is the Past Chairman for the Hattiesburg Area Development Partnership, the Past Chairman of the Forrest General Healthcare Foundation and Past Treasurer of the Area Development Partnership Foundation, among his many community development volunteerism. He is married to Peggy Lancaster McWhorter and they have three children — Lewis Lancaster Fowler, John Warner McWhorter and Margaret Alice McWhorter.

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2017 Leaders in Finance – 17

NOMINEES

Grant S. Montgomery BancorpSouth Bank

rant Montgomery serves as First Vice President and North Metro Market Sales Manager for BancorpSouth. Grant began working for BancorpSouth in 2006, and has served in many roles, including loan offer, branch manager, business development officer. Grant holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Mississippi State University, and is a graduate of both the Mississippi School of Banking, and the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University. Grant’s leadership roles include: current Vice President and incoming President of the Madison County Chamber of Commerce, Board Member of Our Daily Bread Ministries, Committee Member for the Young Professionals of Madison County league and Foundation, Advisory Board of Directors at Antonelli College, past president of the Masonic Circle lodge, and member of the Wahabi Shriners, the Jackson Scottish Rite, and Jackson York Rite. Honors given to Grant include: 2014 Madison County Chamber of Commerce Rising Star Award, 2016 leadership Madison County Graduate, and 2005 Wells Fargo Financial Rookie of the Year. Grant is married to Lindsey Montgomery, and together they have a 4-yearold daughter, Sloane. The Montgomery family lives in Canton. Grant enjoys hunting, ﬁshing, playing the drums, and tea parties with his daughter.

We are proud to congratulate

Chip Williamson,

President of Citizens Bank, on his selection as a 2017 Mississippi Business Journal Leader in Finance, and we thank him for his countless contributions to the success of our institution.

William Kemp Recognized as one of Mississippi Business Journal’s Leaders in Finance No One is More Proud Than We Are! Way to go!

Love, Diane, Caroline, Carter and Wailes

18 – 2017 Leaders in Finance

Columbia • Tylertown • Magnolia • Sumrall Seminary • Bellevue • Laurel

Welcome home...to family banking!

www.citizensbk.com

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NOMINEES

Jimmy Stokes Alexander, Van Loon, Sloan, Levens & Favre, PLLC

immy Stokes is partner and managing member of Alexander, Van Loon, Sloan, Levens and Favre firm in Gulfport. Alexander, Van Loon, Sloan, Levens & Favre, PLLC is a proactive firm of accountants and consultants providing services to individuals, businesses, governments and not-for-profit organizations. We provide services to our clients in a personal and professional manner based on a team approach. This approach maximizes the competencies within the firm to provide the best value to our clients. Stokes, a 1983 graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi with a degree in Science Business Administration, is head of an organization with more than 40 years of experience in the financial services industry, thousands of successful projects and satisfied clients, Alexander, Van Loon, Sloan, Levens & Favre, PLLC has earned a reputation for quality and integrity that is second to none. He is a native of Gulfport and a graduate of old Gulfport East High School.

Pamela P. Ware Renasant Bank

am Ware serves as Director of Operational Process and Efficiencies for Renasant Bank, which merged with Metropolitan Bank earlier in the year. She graduated from Mississippi State University with a Bachelors of Business Administration and began her banking career with a large regional ﬁnancial institution. For Ware, there is no ‘I’ in ‘team’. Her philosophy is that a team is always more powerful than any one individual. Ware feels particularly blessed to be a part of the bank’s corporate team. Before joining Metropolitan in 2007, she worked for Union Planters Bank following her graduation, magna cum laude from Mississippi State University. Current Renasant CEO Curt Gabardi gave Ware her ﬁrst branch while both were at Union Planters, and she’s forever indebted to him for the opportunity. Her areas of responsibility include deposit operations, loan operations, vendor management, security, and information technology. Pam enjoys spending time with her family, being outdoors, riding horses, and traveling. She and her family reside in Madison, Mississippi.

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2017 Leaders in Finance – 19

NOMINEES

Anthony Chester White PriorityOne Bank

hester White is a division president for Priority One Bank and for the past six years, has been Chief Lending Officer where he is responsible for loan production, loan operations, special assets, portfolio management and all aspects of the lending function. He is a 1972 graduate of Mississippi College; he received is masters in Bank Management from the University of Virginia and then went on to the National School of Bank Card Management at Cal Poly Pamona. White began his career in 1973 an as a ﬁeld representative for Ford Motor Credit Corporation and progressed through the ranks to Credit manager where he was responsible for the credit operations of the Jackson branch. He is a member of Rotary International, past member of the Hinds Community College Foundation Board, Past Board member of Mississippi Food network. He also has past involvement in Heart association, Red Cross, United Way and other charitable organizations. White and his family have lived in Brandon for 42 years where they have been members of Crossgates Baptist Church for all of that time.

Leading the way. Congratulations, William Kemp, on being named one of the 2017 Mississippi Business Journal’s Leaders in Finance.

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20 – 2017 Leaders in Finance

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NOMINEES

Wallace Mark Wilder The University of Mississippi Patterson School of Accountancy

r. Mark Wilder is Dean and KPMG Chair of Accountancy in the Patterson School of Accountancy at the University of Mississippi. His educational background includes an associates degree from Tyler (TX) JC, a bachelor=s degree from the U. of Alabama, an MBA from the U. of South Alabama, and a PhD from Florida State U. Dr. Wilder is a CPA and has been on the faculty at Ole Miss since 1993, serving as dean since 2006. His expertise is in ﬁnancial accounting and he teaches several ﬁnancial accounting courses and has published in a variety of journals. Dr. Wilder has been instrumental in the development and implementation of the School’s highly successful internship program. He has also been active in the Mississippi Society of CPAs. Wilder has received the Elsie M. Hood Outstanding Teacher Award, which is the top campus-wide teaching award at Ole Miss. Wilder was honored as the MSCPA Outstanding Educator and was also the UM HEADWAE Faculty Honoree.

M. Binford Williams, Jr. Watkins & Eager PLLC

Binford (Ben) Williams, Jr., has more than 30 years of experience in large, complex commercial transactions. Ben’s practice is fast-paced and, on a regular basis, includes nuanced structures, innovative financing alternatives with his lender and borrower clients alike, and acquisitions and mergers of businesses . His work includes significant representation of lenders in commercial loans, developers in the development, construction, and operations of complex real estate projects, and corporations in acquisition of subsidiaries and properties. He serves as outside general counsel for several corporations in various industries. He is listed in Best Lawyers In America® and in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. Ben has practiced at Watkins & Eager since graduating from law school in 1986. He currently serves as Vice-Chair of the firm’s Executive Committee and a co-practice leader of the Commercial Lending and Finance Practice Group. Along with Molly Jeffcoat Moody, Ben is a co-author of Commercial Finance 701, a continuing series on commercial loans written exclusively for the Mississippi Business Journal. The series is geared to lenders, developers, investors and transactional attorneys. Ben served as the firm’s Managing Member from 2003 - 2015.

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2017 Leaders in Finance – 21

NOMINEES

Thomas A. Williams BankPlus

homas Williams is Vice President of BankPlus in Ridgeland. In the community, Williams has actively been involved in Rotary Club, Lions and Kiwanis Club, Mississippi Jaycees, the Oktibbeha County American Heart Association and Habitat for Humanity. Williams has more than 27 years of experience in the banking industry and was most recently employed by Cadence Bank. A native of Newton, Williams is a graduate of Mississippi State University, the Southeastern School of Commercial Lending at Vanderbilt University and the Barrett School of Banking

Henry M. “Chip” Williamson Citizens Bank

hip Williamson is a native of Columbia, Mississippi who grew up in Biloxi and later returned to Columbia to pursue a career in banking after receiving a degree in accounting from the University of Southern Mississippi. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Citizens Bank, which is a $415 Million Dollar financial institution. In addition, Chip serves the Bank as Vice Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Lending Officer. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Citizens Corporation, serving as Vice Chairman of the Board and Vice President. With over 41 years in banking Chip works daily to serve his customers well and make a difference in the lives of those he meets through his encouraging spirit. Chip is a member of Woodlawn Church, the father of two children, and Paw Paw to five grand-boys who fill his life with much joy.

22 – 2017 Leaders in Finance

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PAST WINNERS

2016

2015

Eric C. Brown...............................................................Trustmark National Bank

Bradley H. Alexander .....................................................Renasant Bank

J. David Coker..........................................Coker & Palmer Investment Securities

Drew Allen......................................... Members Exchange Credit Union

Angela Cottrell..............................................................................New York Life

Alon W. Bee .................................................................... Regions Bank

Nathan J. Cummins ...........................................................May & Company LLP

Donna Bruce ..........................................................................BKD, LLP

Robert A. Cunningham..............................................................GranthamPoole

Julian A. Burnett ....................................................... Fidelity Mortgage

Marsha H. Dieckman .............................................................................HORNE

Phillip C. Burnett, Jr................ Coker and Palmer Investment Securities

Lynn Fitch ....................................................................Office of State Treasurer

Ed Crawford............................................................. Reed’s Metals, Inc.

Matthew R. Freeland ......................................Matthews, Cutrer, & Lindsay, P.A.

Catherine F. Feibelman ............................................ May and Company

Cynthia L. Garland .......................................................Guaranty Trust Company

Lee M. Fortenberry ..............................................Northwestern Mutual

Deborah J. Gilbert................................... Mississippi Community College Board

Chasidy Goodwin, FA.............................Edward Jones Investment Firm

John M. Hairston........................................ Hancock Bank/Hancock Holding Co

Mark R. Green ..............................................................Morgan Stanley

Stanley A. Herren ......................................................................... Regions Bank

Stephen C. Hirn...........................................Haddox Reid Eubank Betts

Peder R. Johnson ....................................................................................... BKD

Steffani Jenkins ............................................................Trustmark Bank

Wyman Jones..........................................Community Bancshares of Mississippi

Aaron Lacey ...........................................................................BankPlus

J. Randall Leister ......................................................................... BancorpSouth

Wilkins H. Montgomery II, CPA ................. Montgomery & Bivins CPAs

Jamie D. Osbirn .......................................................Community Bank of Tupelo

Travis B. Moore .........................................................The Citizens Bank

Jim Rasberry ............................................................Rasberry Financial Services

Leigh Pace .........................................................Community Trust Bank

Lillous Ann Shoemaker ..................................................... Magnolia State Bank

Taylor M. Sledge Jr. ..............................................Sledge and Company

Owen Edmonson Stratton....................................................................... KPMG

Cindy Sloan, CPA.... Alexander, Van Loon, Sloan, Levens & Favre, PLLC

Teresa F. Thornhill ...........................................................Citizens National Bank

Sharon Tew .......................................................Community Trust Bank

James Russell Turley........................................................................Origin Bank

Wes Thomas .................................BancorpSouth Wealth Management Chandler C. Tipton ..................................................................... KPMG Jon Crosby Turner...................................................................BKD, LLP Darryl Waltman .................................................The Metropolitan Bank James E. Wood, CPA/ABV, CVA ..................Haddox Reid Eubank Betts Edward Woodard.......................................................Priority One Bank

Winners for previous events can be found at http://msbusiness.com/events/past-event-winners/

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2017 Leaders in Finance – 23

PHOTOS

MORE EVENT PHOTOS | http://msbusiness.com/events/leaders-in-ﬁnance-event-slideshow/

24 – 2017 Leaders in Finance

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PHOTOS

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2017 Leaders in Finance â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 25

THE WEEK IN BUSINESS MBJ BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR

Growing a telecom business in the post-Ebbers era By JACK WEATHERLY

wenty years ago, Jackson was one of the world’s telecommunications centers. WorldCom had spun its magic and bedazzled Wall Street. How could a company in a Southern city not known for cutting-edge technology do that? The eventual and ultimate answer was – it cheated. Mississippi folk hero Bernie Ebbers wound up in prison, perhaps for the rest of his life. Then the magic city disappeared just as Emerald City did when the Great Oz was exposed. About that time, a young man whose beginnings were as humble as Ebbers’ was getting started. Gary Watts started with Dairy Queen, as far-removed from telecommunications as Ebbers and his motels. Begun as Broadband Voice in 2006, Watts’ firm has grown and diversified. A new name was needed to reflect those changes. Last year the company became Fuse. Cloud. Located in first-floor offices the Dickies Building at 736 S. President St. in Jackson, its employment has grown to 17 and will revenue hit $5 million this year, Watts said in an interview. Fuse.Cloud’s growth caught the eye of Fortune magazine as one of the fastest-growing firms located in an “inner city.” Those on the Inner City 100 were chosen on revenue growth, which for Fuse.Cloud totaled 78 percent over a five-year period. That placed the firm at No. 85. Inner City companies exemplify economic opportunity, optimism and transformation in their communities. Watts and company believe in giving back, he said. To do so, he reaches back to his earlier life when he became a promoter for Christian music concerts, an experience that gave him a good view of the rest of

26 – Mississippi Business Journal

Special to the MBJ

Gary Watts leads a growing Fuse.Cloud. the country. Expansion is on the horizon for the company, he said. Next year will be one of acquisitions, which will lead to a national expansion, Watts said. Fuse.Cloud has about 1,500 customers whose presence extends across a number of states already. WorldCom, by far-fetched contrast, grew to become the No. 2 long-distance phone provider in the nation through acquisitions, including the $42 billion merger with MCI in 1997. And it essentially died by failure to acquire. When regulators in the United States and Europe turned down the Jackson company’s bid to buy Sprint, WorldCom ran out of cash cows to milk. It covered its losses through phony entries amounting to $11 billion, and its ultimate demise, leading to a trial in which Ebbers was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison, and retirement plans for shareholders and employees were in shambles. Fuse.Cloud is looking for new quarters. It is eyeing industrial property near downtown. That plan is based on loyalty to the “inner city” as well as the bottom line.

Commercial property there is a third of what it costs in Ridgeland and Madison, Watts said. Watts bought a Dairy Queen franchise in Raymond when he was 23 and it provided him an experience that a Harvard MBA couldn’t match, he said. And it taught him a valuable business lesson: how to survive failure. He sold it after 10 years. Some years, the store showed no proﬁt, he said. To make his personal ends meet, he started a side career as a promoter of Christian music concerts. With the birth of his daughter in 1993, he knew it was time to get off the road. So he got a job selling for Unity Communications. “I got the idea that technology and communications were probably going to be the future.” Unity wanted to go public but fell victim to the bursting of the dot-com bubble and, like so many other new tech ﬁrms, went bankrupt. Yet in making his sales calls, he saw a picture of frustration on the part of the companies using large telecoms. “I realized that if you could give them the service, with a relationship, then you might have an opportunity to grow

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THE WEEK IN BUSINESS

Special to the MBJ

Fuse.Cloud may have a humble beginning but the sky is the limit.

a business,” he said. He looked at the quantity/quality equation. He decided his niche was quality. “Everybody is born with this sense of wanting community in their life, wanting relationship. I think that for too long these large companies have just walked away from that.” Key to what was initially Broadband Voice is what is known as Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP. It is “cloud,” or Internet, based, and provides communications security such as during major weather disruptions such as hurricanes and tornadoes, Watts said. VoIP’s quality had improved by the time Watts was ready to launch his company. Its largest proponent was Vonage, which was primarily for residential users. There was no commercial use of it

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in Mississippi, thus a leaving a door of opportunity open. That opportunity was in no small part a result of the work by a Mississippian, Chip Pickering, who was on Sen. Trent Lott’s staff and had a hands-on role in shaping the 1996 Telecommunications Act, which turned the government and university sector research system called the Internet into a commercial tool. He was elected to the ﬁrst of what would be six terms as U.S. representative for the Third Congressional District. “It really has been the foundation of the electronic marketplace that has developed over the last 20 years,” Pickering said. “The good news for individuals like Gary is that you can start a business in Mississippi and . . . do very well. The businesses that he serves are not captives to just one choice or two.” Yet big providers are pressuring the FCC and threatening equal access, “the First Amendment of the Internet,” Pickering said. Before the commercialization of the Internet, the big providers such as AT&T, Comcast and Verizon did not see it as a threat, Pickering says. The FCC is expected to remove the net neutrality provision in its rules on

Thursday, leaving Internet service providers to promise to not take advantage of the change. The FCC, in conjunction with the Federal Trade Commission, will have the authority to punish any abuse of freedom, but only after the fact. Pickering is chief executive of Incompas, a trade group for those who seek to protect net neutrality, or unrestricted access to the Internet. The major Internet service providers, AT&T, Comcast and Verizon have succeeded in pressuring the regulatory agency to make the change, according to Pickering. Internet pioneers and key figures in that world, such as Apple Computer co-founder Steve Wozniak, sent a letter to the FCC seeking to persuade it to drop its evident intentions. Not everyone wants to keep the net neutrality rules. Investor’s Business Daily argued in a recent editorial that in the decade before the Obama administration imposed the rules in 2015, Internet use and innovation flourished. Yet, Pickering and many others argue that if the FCC repeals open-use protections, big providers could gain dominance over the Internet and, ultimately, cost the consumer more for the service. Pickering expects litigation to sidetrack the change for several years. Meantime, Watts, joined Incompas and provides telecom services to Pickering’s Jackson office. “I’ve watched as he has grown his business and done a lot of innovative things in order to compete and do well,” Pickering said. “He is, I guess you could say, an offspring of the Act that allowed and promoted competitors to do what Gary is doing.” “He provides a service to a lot of small, large and mid-sized businesses at a better price and usually with very tailored service.” Ironically, Comcast, which is now the nation’s largest Internet service provider and cable provider, got its start in Tupelo. Its first three franchises are in Tupelo, Laurel and Meridian, Pickering noted. A humble beginning, like most businesses.

Mississippi Business Journal – 27

NEWSMAKERS

Biloxi ﬁrm adds 2 principals

Gunther joins Clinic

Eley Guild Hardy Architects in Biloxi recently added two new principals with the promotion of Kyle Kish and the return of Jennifer Seymour. Kish, a native of Indialantic, Fla., originally joined Eley Guild Hardy as a Co-op Student in 1999 and returned after graduating with his Bachelors of Architecture from Mississippi State University in 2002. Kish In the late 2000’s, he left the Mississippi Gulf Coast to focus on retail design in Birmingham, Ala., and later returned to Eley Guild Hardy Architects as a Project Manager. Kish has experience in federal, military, institutional and sustainable design work and is a LEED Seymour Accredited Professional with over a dozen LEED certiﬁed buildings to his credit. He is a recent graduate of the 2013-2014 class of Leadership Gulf and has been featured as a Master of Design by Portico Jackson. Kish lives in Gulfport with his wife, Shelley, and two children, Sarah and Neal. They are members of St. James Catholic Church. Seymour, a native of Biloxi, joined Eley Guild Hardy Architects in 1999 after graduating with a Bachelors of Architecture from Mississippi State University. In 2014, she left to become principal-in-charge over the architectural division of a small A/E ﬁrm. The majority of Seymour’s 18-year career has been in educational design and has recently returned to Eley Guild Hardy to focus on regional opportunities in the K-12 education market During her career, she has been actively involved in the Biloxi Chamber of Commerce where she is the Vice Chair of Education. Seymour was recognized as the 2012 Board Member of the Year. She is a graduate of the 2012 class of Leadership Gulf Coast and a member of the Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO) Chapter E of Mississippi. Seymour lives in Gulfport with her husband, Les, and two children, Greyson and Madison and the family are members of Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church.

Jennifer L. Gunther, CNP, recently joined Brian E. Humpherys, MD, at Hattiesburg Clinic Orthopedic Surgery. Gunther will work with Humpherys in providing care to patients. Gunther received her Gunther Bachelor of Science in Nursing from The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, and her Master of Science in Nursing from Walden University in Minneapolis, Minn. She is board certiﬁed as a family nurse practitioner by The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and is a member the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

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Wicker, Kemp recognized U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., was recently recognized by the Mississippi Rural Health Association as its National Legislator of the Year, and recently retired Mendal Kemp, longtime director of the Center for Rural Health at the Mississippi Hospital Wicker Association, was recognized for his dedication to Mississippi’s rural hospitals at the Mississippi Rural Health Association’s annual conference. Wicker has supported multiple pieces of healthcare legislation in the past year, including those that supported the stabilization of rural hospital and rural health clinic payment methodologies, the 340(b) prescription drug program, telehealth, opioid abuse, colorectal cancer screenings, rural broadband access and new strategies for delivering rural healthcare. As director of the Center for Rural Health, Kemp worked with the Mississippi State Office of Rural Health and Primary Care on the FLEX Grant Program. He was also credited with converting all of the state’s 34 Critical Access Hospitals, a designation which 31 maintain today. Also, Ten Mississippi rural hospitals were also recognized with quality awards. » HCAHPS Patient Satisfaction Award – Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Division: Laird

Hospital, Lawrence County Hospital, North Sunﬂower Medical Center » HCAHPS Patient Satisfaction Award – Prospective Payment System (PPS), Hospital Division: Beacham Memorial Hospital, Tishomingo Health Services, Winston Medical Center. » IMM2 Quality Award: Baptist Medical Center – Attala, Baptist Memorial Hospital – Calhoun. » QP-27 Quality Award: Field Memorial Hospital, Holmes County Hospitals and Clinics

Taylor takes UMCC post Dr. Mary Taylor, a University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Medicine alumna and professor of pediatrics, was recently named chair of the Department of Pediatrics. She is the ﬁrst woman and ﬁrst UMMC graduate to Taylor hold the post. She will be the fourth chair of Pediatrics in the 62-year history of the Medical Center, following founding chair Dr. Blair E. Batson, who served from 1955 to 1989, Dr. Owen “Bev” Evans, 1989-2011, and Dr. Rick Barr, who became chair in 2011. Taylor has served as interim chair of Pediatrics since the departure of Barr Sept. 30. Taylor received her undergraduate degree from Southern Methodist University prior to earning her M.D. from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine in 1991. Also holding a master of science in clinical investigation from Vanderbilt, Taylor completed residency training in pediatrics and fellowship training in cardiology and critical care at Vanderbilt and was a senior clinical fellow at the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit of Boston Children’s Hospital before helping create the pediatric cardiac critical care unit at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. She was on faculty at Vanderbilt for a decade before moving back to Mississippi, her home state, and UMMC in 2011.

Mississippi Business Journal – 29

NEWSMAKERS

Seanor joins Bradley Christina M. Seanor has joined Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP in Jackson as an associate and a member of Bradley’s Litigation Practice Group. Seanor represents clients regarding commercial propSeanor erty damage and business interruption insurance disputes. She advises on the application of policy language, including choice-of-law, mortgagee, sub-limit and exclusionary provisions. She also has experience with workers’ compensation defense, attorney malpractice, and insurance subrogation cases. Seanor is licensed to practice law in Louisiana and Mississippi. Seanor earned her J.D. (magna cum laude) from the University of Mississippi School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Mississippi.

Stanford joins Clinic Melissa “Missy” M. Stanford, DNP, CNP, recently joined Hattiesburg Clinic Critical Care Medicine. Stanford received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Staford where she also received her Doctor of Nursing Practice. She is board certiﬁed as a family nurse practitioner by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. She is also a member of the American Nurses Association.

Memorial hires Mathew Maya Mathew, MD, has joined Memorial Cancer Clinic in the practice of radiation oncology in Gulfport. Mathew completed her preliminary year in General Surgery at Penn State Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Penn. and radiation Mathew oncology residency at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago, Ill.

30 – Mississippi Business Journal

JSU wins LEAD Awards

Courtesy of JSU

Jackson State University director of social media Spencer McClenty (left) and executive director Maxine R. Greenleaf (right) accepts an award from Me’chelle Degree on behalf of Jackson State University. The school’s Department of University Communications were recently presented with three LEAD Awards for outstanding work in social media advertising, viral proﬁles of “People of JSU” and the university’s main website. JSU won a gold award for the campus website, www.jsums.edu. JSU also earned silver awards for “People of JSU” and marketing. The LEAD Award levels were platinum, gold, silver and bronze. HBCUgrow is dedicated to assisting HBCUs with enrollment and alumni giving and tackling challenges in the changing landscape of marketing.

Baker Donelson recognized The Baker Ober Health Law Group has been ranked in the American Bar Association’s Health Law Section’s “Fifth Annual Regional Law Firm Recognition” list. The ABA recognizes, by geographic region, the top 10 health law ﬁrms based on Health Law Section membership. Baker Donelson ranked second in both the Southern Region and the Northeastern Region.

Deutsch Kerrigan adds 2 Myles E. Sharp and Robert E. Briggs III have joined the ﬁrm in the Gulfport office of Deutsch Kerrigan LLP in Gulfport. Sharp represents multiple Fortune 500 clients facing insurance defense litigation. He also has achieved successful outcomes for his clients against claims involving commercial litigation, corporate law, construction law, workers’ compensation, premises liability, Mississippi Torts Claim Act, and contract law. Serving as

Board Attorney to one of the largest condominium complexes in South Mississippi, he handles claims involving condominium law under Mississippi’s Non-proﬁt Corporations Act. As a lifelong resident of Gulfport, Sharp is active in the community serving as Vice President on the Gulfport City Council. Briggs has over 17 years experience defending insurance and corporate clients against litigation and workers compensation defense claims. Brigg’s practice also involves defending cases involving automobile and trucking accidents, premises liability, products liability, construction litigation, school district and other governmental entities under the Mississippi Tort Claims Act, and employment discrimination. Briggs has tried or argued cases before juries, Administrative Law Judges, Mississippi Court of Appeals, the Mississippi Supreme Court, and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. In 2009, Briggs was appointed by the Mississippi Supreme Court to serve as a temporary chancellor for Jackson, George and Greene Counties.

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Our name says it all. INSIDE — Clar ksdale compan y shifts emphas is to

STATE GOVERNM

INSIDE —

ENT

meet manufac

assembly plant — Page 9 If Raytheon gets jet contract, Meridian gets

turing needs — Page 3

GOLF www.msbusiness.com

October 28, 2016 • Vol. 38, No. 44 • $1 • 32 pages

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

2016

Sanderson tourney is run like a business ‘with a heart’

MISSISSIPPI

100

— Page 8

MISSISSIPPI DELTA

» The Lofts at 517 giving people reasons to come to downtown Greenville {P 2} BANKING

» BancorpSouth net income for third quarter up {P 2} HEALTH CARE

» ER nurse gets patent for product {P 3}

Cuba opportunities, pitfalls dominate MDA trade summit

— Page 10

September 2, 2016 • Vol.

38, No. 36 • $1 •

INSIDE — Train to New

Lost Rabbit: Fi nding its way

Bernie Reed’s mettle

trade missions. And the pitch that was made is that there is potentially a lot of money to be made in the country of 11 million people COLUMN 90 miles from Key West, Fla. President Barack Obama reopened{P 21} and eased the U.S. Embassy in Havana » MABUS : But it was on sale travel restrictions in that nation. “We are calling on Cuba to unleash the potential of 11 million Cubans by ending unnecessary restrictions on their political, social, and economic activities,” Obama said in a speech on Dec. 17, 2014. “In that spirit, we should not allow U.S. sanctions to add to the burden of Cuban citizens that we seek to

better yield, 16 » FEATURE: Staplcotn benefits from more acreage, in life, casualty insurance, 18 » FEATURE: Southern Farm Bureau a powerhouse 18 » FEATURE: KLLM is growing while investing in Mississippi, » The complete Mississippi 100 list, 21-25

May 27, 2015 • Vol. 38, No.

— Page 4

The pool in the

town center of

the Madison County

development overlook s Ross

DINING

Char restauran t to

TACY RAYBURN

/ MBJ

expand by 50 pe rcent

Sometimes, a business solutio door. n is right out the back The owners of Char restaurant, tality Group, the 4-Top Hospiseized square feet behind the opportunity of leasing 3,000 The expansion, it in Highland Village. which brings the total space under

the Char roof to cial events space. 9,300 square feet, will provide spe“We look forwar d to hosting parties big and small, and meetings from ing area,” co-own 10 to 100, in this expand ed diner David Conn Char has the said in a release good problem of overflow crowds . , esSee

mean New overtime rulesrke rs, more money for wo employers for s ge en all ch more By TED CARTER ted.carter@msbusiness.com

MBJ FOCUS Barnett Reservoi r. Courtesy of LostRabbit.c om

BY JACK WEATH ERLY jack.weatherly@m sbusiness.com

Banking & Finance

{Section begins P 14} with » Banking on the future technology » FinTech revolution fueling changes in traditional banking

nt of Labor’s new rule The U.S. Departme pay threshold that doubled the over-timethe pockets of into puts more money workers but forces busi40,000 Mississippi work arrangements nesses to rethink their supervisors. with managers and the new threshold Managers paid below must be paid overof $47,476 ($913 a week) many hours in a work time regardless of how managerial, or whiteweek they devote to collar, duties. See

to see while N.O., Gulfport wait Chiquita mulls decision

remains under considera“At this time the matter and no external statement tion internally at Chiquita the email sent by conor information is available,” Barbara H. Hines said. Jonathan Daniels has email on sultant Director nal confirmed in an Gulfport Executive notice from Chiquita Internatio gotten any official in fact consideris not has he importer that this week were unsucTuesday that the banana at the Port of New Orleans. said Efforts to reach him ing whether it will remain rampant in recent weeks, Chiquita. Speculation has been on, about the matter, rais- cessful. Orleans port chief executive Gary LaGrange, New return to without previous confirmati the company might 4 one-half ing the possibility that See CHIQUITA, Page which it left two and the Port of Gulfport,

Y BY JACK WEATHERL ss.com jack.weatherly@msbusine

MABUS COLUMN {P 13} http://msbusines s.com/events/ceo -awards-of-miss issippi/

Siler

OVERTIME, Page 10

MANUFACTURING

CHAR, Page 2

See CUBA, Page 4

{P 4}

22 • $1 • 20 pages

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Cybersecurity experts hunting cyber threats from home in Mississippi

ECONOMIC DEVEL The Republic of Cuba was depicted OPMENT as a land of opportunity for Mississippi {Section begin s P 11} businesses, though with a heightened » Foreign Trade sense of risk. Zones allow the s to About 150 people attended busines compete in the on “Doing Business in Cuba Summit”global economy » in Oct. 20 at the South Warehouse lifts Jackson. Reed’s Metals to new heights Speakers at the Mississippi Development Authority event told of a countryThe struggling to emerge from more than a List {P 14-15} and » Trade half-century of the U.S. embargo Associations communist rule. Those who attended to get information on the Cuban economy, and society, too, will get an opportunity in February to visit the island nation, one in the MDA’s continuing program of

a bit of news, Page 3

TECHNOLOGY

Page 4

MBJ FOCUS

with Orleans: a travelogue

24 pages

BY JACK WEATHERLY jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com

THE STATE’S TOP PRIVATELY OWNED COMPANIES

State economists lower growth forecast for rest of year

Revenue report follows declining direction

» Never on time — the business decisions

perils of

years ago.

MITN SUBNATIO NOMI

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TODAY

rkplace-awards/ ississippis-healthiest-wo http://msbusiness.com/m

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