MBJ_May30_2014

INSIDE — Completion of downtown Jackson building awaits state funding

35

BOOK BIZ

YEARS

1979

www.msbusiness.com

May 30, 2014 • Vol. 36, No. 22 • $1 • 24 pages

TRANSPORTATION

HIGHER EDUCATION

A REAL WORLD BUSINESS EDUCATION

Mississippian Ellen Gilchrist’s newest book delights – More on page 21 Down South {P 5} » Martin takes over Coast Restaurant Association Marketing {P 22} » Key shifts in social media strategy, new dictionary words emerge BANKING & FINANCE

UNCHARTED SKIES WALLY NORTHWAY/ The Mississippi Business Journal.

MBJ Focus {P 12}

» Banking & Finance Lists {P 16-18} » Estate Planning Consultants

2014

Southern Airways adds another Mississippi airport » Page 2

» Belhaven’s executive in residence program gets high marks

By TED CARTER I STAFF WRITER ted.carter@msbusiness.com When Belhaven University began planning its new Executive in Residence program, officials were hoping that not only would their students get a real-world lesson in what it takes to make it in business and help improve the university’s School of Business curriculum, but also give top-level executives a chance to see what exactly Belhaven has to offer in terms of business education.

For its first semester, the new program seems to have gotten an “A”.

“I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and was flattered I was asked to participate,” said Sam Lane, senior vice president of First Commercial Bank who grew up in the Belhaven area of Jackson. “I was left with a good feeling about this generation of students and the job See EDUCATION, Page 9

http://msbusiness.com/events/health-care-heroes-nomination-form/

2 I Mississippi Business Journal I May 30 2014

TRANSPORTATION WALLY NORTHWAY/ The Mississippi Business Journal

In its first year of operation, Southern Airways Express learned as it flew. Now, CEO Stan Little believes the company has a solid business model and that the new Madison-Destin service will be a winner.

Unchartered skies » Southern Airways adds another Mississippi airport

BY WALLY NORTHWAY I STAFF WRITER wally.northway@msbusiness.com

Just a week shy of its first anniversary, Olive Branchbased Southern Airways Express has added the third Mississippi airport to its list of destinations, and company officials have plans for more expansion in the near future.

They are also well aware of the challenges that lie ahead after a year of triumphs and some disappointments.

On May 21, Southern Airways held a news conference and ribbon-cutting ceremony at Madison Air Center/Bruce Campbell Field to officially announce nonstop service between Madison/Greater Jackson and the Destin Airport in Destin, Fla. Service commence May 29 with four flights per week utilizing the nine-seat turboprop Cessna Caravan.

"This is one of the markets we wanted to serve since we first started the company," said Stan Little, CEO of shorthaul carrier Southern Airways. He added that it took a year to bring service to Madison/Greater Jackson because Southern Airways was literally learning on the fly in 2013.

“We feel more confident in our business model now," he said with a grin.

COO Keith Sisson, a Biloxi native who met Little while both were studying at the University of Mississippi, said the first year in operation met his expectations, though not every flight was a winner.

"There was no data to look at; no research to refer to," Sisson said. "Nobody's ever done what we're doing. So, during our first year we had some successes, but also saw some disappointments. We wish all of our flights had been successful, but we anticipated that we could have flights that didn't meet our expectations because we were learn-

ing as we went."

Indeed, Southern Airways is flying in unchartered skies.

It's mission: To offer service from its two hubs — Olive Branch/Greater Memphis and Destin — to select destinations utilizing propeller-driven aircraft and small airports.

In essence Southern Airways is going small in an attempt to grab the short-haul (400-mile radius) service once offered by legacy carriers, filling the niche left by the Delta merger and the de-hubbing of Memphis International Airport.

"Just a few years ago, Memphis International offered 16 nonstop flights per day to destinations on the Gulf Coast," Little said. "Today, they don't offer one. Southern Airways is the only airline in the Greater Memphis area today offering nonstop service to the Gulf Coast."

A niche, perhaps, but Southern Airways' business model is audacious. Ironically, it was born from an offhand comment.

Little, an attorney in Hernando, has long owned a private plane and has retained a personal pilot, Scott Honnoll, and it was common for Little to have people ask if they could borrow his plane and Honnoll's services. At one point several years ago Little had requests from three separate parties, and jokingly suggested to Honnoll, who now serves as Southern Airways' chief pilot, that he bring Honnoll on full time and start a short-haul airline.

Little laughed, but not for long. Later that day he started seriously considering his proposition, mapping out potential routes on a napkin and brainstorming. He would subsequently convince local investors that his plan was viable, and a new airline was launched.

“Nobody’s ever done what we’re doing.”

Keith Sisson, COO

In June 2013, Southern Airways opened for business offering non-stop flights out of the Olive Branch-Destin dual hub to Oxford (University-Oxford Airport); Birmingham, Ala. (Shuttlesworth International Airport); New Orleans (Lakefront Airport); Panama City, Fla.; and Atlanta.

For all of these airports including Madison Air Center, Southern Airways’ arrival marked the first scheduled air service in their history except for Lakefront, which had not offered scheduled service since the 1940s.

The young company would quickly realize how turbulent and unpredictable the airways can be. For instance, the route from New Orleans to Panama City was a failure while the New Orleans to Destin route proved a moneymaker. Last summer, Honnoll said Southern Airways flew some 3,000 people into Destin, but the company found Atlanta tough to crack.

"I could have stood on a corner in Atlanta with a bullhorn, and still nobody would have heard me," Little said.

Indeed, marketing is key, Sisson said. While the company might be filling a void left by the larger airlines, Southern Airways officials know they are actually competing against the automobile. Sisson said Southern Airways' challenge is to convince the flying public that its single-engine Caravans are safe, and that the convenience of flying Southern Airways outweighs the savings from driving.

Here are the selling points: There are no baggage fees and no luggage carousels; parking is free; and there is no TSA security — ticket holders are required to show up only 15 minutes before their flight.

"We just have to get them on the plane," Sisson said. "In our first year, we didn't have one person refuse to get on the plane because it was too small."

Southern Airways has launched the Madison-Destin service at a discounted price of $148. At that rate, Little said Southern Airways would need six of the nine seats filled to break even. Once regular rates are offered, the flight will need at least five passengers to stay in the air.

One obstacle Southern Airways is looking to overcome is winter. While it might be warmer in Destin than Memphis in the winter, it is still too cold for most beach-goers.

So, Little said the company is looking at perhaps shifting its fleet farther south after Labor Day, offering flights to places such as the Florida Keys where the temperatures are beach-friendly.

During the May 21 news conference, Southern Airways also announced that it was moving its headquarters from Memphis to Olive Branch. Little said the company was still working out some of the paperwork with the Mississippi Development Authority, but the offices had already been relocated to Mississippi and the company is committed to remaining in the Magnolia State.

However, that's not to say the young company is not already looking toward expansion. The day following the Madison news conference, Little was scheduled to fly to New York to meet with investors who are interested in Southern Airways' service in the northeast U.S. Little became animated when he started talking about the attractive demographics of offering service between, say, New York and Martha's Vineyard.

Mentioning that Cessna offers an aircraft model that has both wheels and pontoons, Little asked, "How cool would it be to take off for Martha's Vineyard from the Hudson River in New York? I feel like we are just scraping the surface now."

For more on Southern Airways, visit www.iflysouthern.com.

May 30 2014

I

Mississippi Business Journal

I

3

MISSISSIPPI PROFILE

Coast publisher looks for ‘character’ in children’s books

BY LISA MONTI I CONTRIBUTOR Jerusha Bosarge could write a book about publishing if she wasn’t so busy publishing and marketing children’s books. The mother of four is the owner, founder and chief executive officer of Character Publishing, whose motto is, “Don’t just raise a child, create a character.”

The Pascagoula native earned a degree in pre-med biology at Millsaps College on the way to becoming a doctor. After she and her husband, Dr. Joseph Bosarge, had their first child, she said she was drawn to “the more colorful world of children’s books.”

She wrote a biography of Dr. Arthur Guyton of Oxford, a renowned researcher and medical textbook author, and from that experience decided to take the giant leap toward starting her own publishing company.

“I wrote the sort of things I wanted my children to read but I felt like I could do as good a job marketing as the publisher I was using,” Bosarge said. “I thought it would be a better quality product if there was one person behind all of it.”

It didn’t take long for reality to set in. “It turns out to be a lot more complicated than I thought,” she said.

One major obstacle was getting distributors, marketers, bookstores and libraries to take her seriously and not lumping her into the vanity publishing category.

When she put out a call for papers on professional discussion boards that this new publisher was looking for manuscripts, authors were suspicious. “It was difficult finding quality work,” she said. “I just wasn’t getting the best manuscripts.”

Gradually, though, Bosarge started getting more and better manuscripts as she continued learning the ropes in publishing. To sign authors to her publishing company, she was introduced to the complicated world of contracts. “It took forever to find a lawyer who understood intellectual property,” she said.

Despite all the obstacles, she said, book publishing has been a pleasant adventure. “I haven’t regretted it a second. I am learning something new every day.”

She worked out of her Pass Christian home for three years before opening an office and retail store last October in Pass Christian. “I started getting a few retail items in to supplement the publishing. Each time I release a book I get an influx of sales, followed by a lull in consumer activity. Retail is really doing well to keep me in the book business between new releases.”

Eighty percent of her book sales are from the website (www.characterpublishing.org) and the store also sells books along with educational toys that help nurture character. Each book cover has a golden seal that says what character traits the story nurtures, including respect, self confidence and patience, among others.

Character Publishing’s 18th book will be out in the next couple of months and after that Bosarge will convert all of her titles into digital content. She recently attended a Digital Book World conference in New York to learn more about this new phase in her business.

The children’s book market isn’t converting to ebooks as quickly as those for adults, she said. “Kids still like to hold and touch books, and parents love cuddling up and reading real books to their kids,” she

said. “The children’s book market is doing a lot better than adult book sales.”

Bosarge also is taking some art courses to learn how art translates best into print. She is also getting more into “the dreaded marketing side” of the business.

“I am a one-man band,” she said. Her workforce

consists almost exclusively of interns from Pass High.

One student helped with creating crafts related to the books and another made a video and book trailers for her website. “I’ve had some wonderful kids,” she said Bosarge said she now feels as though she has “the pick of the litter” when it comes to manuscripts. She refers to the growing collection from all over the world

as her slush pile. “I have close to 1,000 in a drawer right now.”

The stack of manuscripts keeps Bosarge enthusiastic about finding that diamond in the rough.

“It’s really exciting,” she said. “There’s more of a chance that the next great work is in there.”

Congratulations

2014 class of Best Places to Work honorees from the

This magazine will profile all AWARD RECIPIENTS and pay tribute to their excellence in business and community achievements.

Adams and Reese, LLP All American Check Cashing Atmos Energy Corporation Baker Donelson Business Communications Inc. Camellia Healthcare CF Industries Inc. Community Bank Fast Enterprises, LLC Gilmore Memorial Regional Medical Center

Haddox Reid Eubank Betts, PLLC Harrah’s Gulf Coast Hol-Mac Corporation Jackson Municipal Airport Authority KeyStaff Source May & Company, LLP Metropolitian Bank Navigator Credit Union NewSouth NeuroSpine Ross & Yerger Insurance Inc.

Rushing & Guice, PLLC Southern Pipe & Supply Company Inc. State Street Group, LLC Synergetics Diversified Computer Services Inc. Tempstaff Inc. Think Anew, LLC Tower Loan Venture Technologies Viking Range, LLC

2014 SPONSORS

For more information on Best Places to Work and other events please visit www.msbusiness.com/events or call Tami Jones at (601) 364-1011

4 I Mississippi Business Journal I May 30 2014

CONSTRUCTION

COMMERCIAL BROKERS

Getting paid…

Help getting paid...

» Subcontractors, materials suppliers will have lien option on July 1

» New law protects brokers’ commissions

By TED CARTER I STAFF WRITER ted.carter@msbusiness.com

Mississippi construction subcontractors next month will have a powerful new tool to ensure they get paid for the work and materials they provide on private-sector jobs.

They have always had the option to seek a court judgment against a property owner who stiffs a general contractor and leaves the general without a way to pay the subs. But on July 1 under Senate Bill 2622, subcontractors and others classified as tier 2 and 3 contractors can put liens on a project, effectively preventing the sale or transfer of the property until the lien is lifted.

General contractors and others such as engineers and surveyors with a direct contract with the property owner have had the option to obtain a lien. That option was extended to subcontractors only on public-sector jobs.

Until now, outside of a costly venture into court, subcontractors on non-public jobs have had no “rights whatsoever,” said Bob Covington, director of the Mississippi Development Authority’s Minority and Small Business Development Division.

Taking a developer or property owner to court is not just costly, he noted. It puts the subs’ reputation at risk, he said. “It kind of puts the sign on your back that says, ‘Don’t mess with this guy.’”

While the new lien option can be a powerful equalizer, it’s only available to tradesmen licensed by the Mississippi State Board of Contractors. A number of subcontractors in the state have worked many years unlicensed simply by having “latched onto a general contractor,” Covington said.

But when a property owner stiffed the general contractor, the subs often went unpaid for the their labor and materials, he noted.

“This is probably what drove the legislation,” he said. “It happens a lot more than you know.”

Covington is holding seminars at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Gulfport and 6 p.m. June 17 in Jackson to acquaint tradesmen with the new construction lien law. Getting licensed will be emphasized, he said.

“We’re going to have s State Board of Contractors representative there to detail the importance of having the license and how to go about getting it.”

Years in the Making Absent a 2-year-old court ruling, Mississippi’s construction lien law probably wouldn’t have passed the Legislature, say Buddy Edens, CEO of the trade group Mississippi Associated Builders & Contractors, and Marty Milstead, executive vice president of the Homebuilders Association of Mississippi.

“It was something we’d been pushing for a while, Edens said.

The turning point was came last October when the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the state’s “Stop Notice” law unconstitutional, he said.

The Stop Notice law allowed an unpaid sub to ask in writing for the property owner to withhold further payments to the general contractor until he paid up. “The judge said there is no due process. You can’t just hold somebody’s money up,” Milstead said, citing a 2012 Chancery Court ruling in Oxford in

SEMINARS TO DETAIL SPECIFICS OF NEW CONSTRUCTION LIEN LAW Construction tradesmen and others who want to learn the ins-andouts of Mississippi’s new construction lien law can attend seminars in June presented by the Mississippi Development Authority’s Minority and Small Business Development Division.

A seminar has already been held in Tupelo. The remaining two in Gulfport and Jackson are designed to educate Mississippi companies in the construction industry – particularly small and minority-owned companies – about the new law and its requirements.

The law grants lien rights to first and second-tier subcontractors and material suppliers, as well as consulting engineers and land surveyors.

Bob Covington, director of the MDA’s Minority and Small Business Development Division, said the new law has very specific timeframes and guidelines that must be followed to capitalize on its benefits.

“A lot of procedures are involved,” he said. “If you’re a small guy and you don’t know your rights under this law, you can lose those rights by not following the procedures.”

A key requirement is that a tradesman must be licensed by the state. “There’s a stipulation in the law that you can only file a lien if you are licensed.”

A representative of the State Board of Contractors will present details on how to get licensed, Covington said.

Here are seminar dates and locations: • Tuesday, June 3, 6 – 9 p.m. – Habitat for Humanity of the Mississippi Gulf Coast – 2214 34th St. – Gulfport.

• Tuesday, June 17, 6 – 9 p.m. – Strayer University, Fifth Floor Training Room, 460 Briarwood Drive – Jackson.

To register for one of these seminars, visit www.mscpc.com, click on “Events” and select the appropriate date on the calendar. For more information, contact Latonia Shirley with MDA’s Minority and Small Business Development Division at (601) 359-6678 or lshirley@mississippi.org.

– By Ted Carter

the case of Noatex vs. King Construction.

The Fifth District Court of Appeals called the state’s Stop Notice law “profound” in its lack of due process. “The Stop Notice statute deprives the contractor of a significant property interest, the right to receive payment and to be free from any interference with that right,” the court said.

While the ruling gave property owners a way to continue their projects and freed them from getting caught in the middle of a pay dispute between a general and subcontractors, it left subcontractors and materials providers nearly powerless. They had no expedient way to address non-payment from contractors.

Until this year, Edens said, “The history of getting a lien law passed was simply that you couldn’t get one passed.”

Much of the opposition over the years came from the Mississippi Bankers Association. Bankers “didn’t want to get into a position where they could be forced to pay twice,” Edens said.

But with protections in the new law to prevent double payments, bankers “became very viable partners in trying to get the new law passed,” Edens added.

See

CONSTRUCTION LEIN, Page 23

By TED CARTER I STAFF WRITER ted.carter@msbusiness.com

Mississippi’s commercial real estate professionals will gain some leverage on the commission front starting July 1.

With passage of Senate Bill 2559, commercial brokers can obtain and foreclose on a property if the buyer or seller or lessee or lessor fails to pay the broker the agreed upon commission or fee.

Mississippi is the 30th state to enact a commercial real estate broker lien law, according to Derek Easley, governmental affairs director of the Mississippi Association of Realtors and Mississippi Commercial Association of Realtors.

“If a broker had a commission and is not getting paid, until now his only option was to lawyer up.”

Going to court might make sense on an unpaid $100,000 commission but not on a $5,000 to $10,000 one, considering the time and expense involved, Easley noted.

The first effort to get a bill came in the early 2000s but eventually dropped off the legislative radar. It resurfaced in the 2013 session as a priority of the Mississippi Association of Realtors and Mississippi Commercial Association of Realtors. It lacked the traction to make it to the finish line but came back this year to win passage.

Easley said non-payment-of-commission disputes frequently arise with lease renewals whose listing agreements specify a percentage payment to the broker who secured the tenant and negotiated the lease. Enforcement is difficult without the leverage of a lien, however, he added “By and large it is an issue that keeps coming up with lease renewals,” Easley said, and added: Resolution “always goes back to those listing agreements.”

Commission disputes also develop in deals in which the broker of the lease or sale agrees to take the commission over an extended time. “A lot of our folks who have spent months – if not years – putting these commercial real estate deals together that had contractual agreements to get these payments were not getting payments,” Easley said.

If not outright stiffed by the other party, the broker is surprised at closing with a request to renegotiate the commission, said Nancy Lane, broker/owner Nancy Lane Commercial Realty in Jackson.

“SB 2559 will now give commercial brokers a level of protection for the work they provided See

BROKERS, Page 9

May 30 2014

I

Mississippi Business Journal

I

5

HOSPITALITY

Martin takes over Coast Restaurant Association

By LISA MONTI I CONTRIBUTOR mbj@msbusiness.com

Beverly Martin’s first assignment as the executive director of the Gulf Coast Chapter of the Mississippi Hospitality and Restaurant Association is the exact same one she got when she took the job the first time: relocate the office.

That’s also the same task she had when she took over the Casino Operators Association.

“I found that funny,” she said of the three office moves. “It sounds like, ‘Beverly and 2 Guys and a Truck.’”

It’s all familiar territory for Martin, who has worked in the hospitality arena her entire career before taking a break to accompany her husband on his work travels around the Pacific Northwest.

She began her career with the Mississippi Coast Restaurant & Beverage Association, and also previously worked as executive director of the Mississippi Casino Operators Association and served as a member of the Harrison County Tourism Commission and the Mississippi GoCoast 20/20 Commission.

“The timing was actually perfect,” she said of accepting the reins of the restaurant association a month ago. What she found on her return was a mix of some familiar faces from her previous stint and some new members.

“What I hope to do is bring more adhesiveness to the association,” she said. The Coast group was autonomous at one point but is now part of the state association.

“That seems to be working well,” Martin said. Coast restaurateurs “like having somebody here on the ground. It puts a face on the association, somebody they can see and call.”

She left the restaurant group in 1993 to start the casino association. That group moved back to Jackson, the year she and businessman Bernie Berkholder got married on the not-to-be forgotten date of Nov. 11, 2011.

Martin said one of her goals is to have meetings in which members will get reports from various entities such as the Coast Coliseum and the hotel association on upcoming events that will affect the staffing at restaurants. “If there’s a huge convention or sports tournaments, they need to know ahead of time. It helps them consider staffing levels as well as product supplies,” she said.

In turn, Martin will attend meetings of the Coliseum Commission, the hotel association and other related groups to stay

“Every day it seems there’s a new restaurant opening up so there’s plenty of opportunity to sign up new members” Beverly Martin

ahead of what may affect her restaurant members. “Issues with traffic or health inspections, whatever is facing them at the time, so we can facilitate some kind of solution,” she said.

On top of her to-do list is preparing for Chefs of The Coast, the association’s main event.

The annual fundraiser, held in the fall, is in its 32nd year and has spawned all sorts of copy cat tasting events.

“It’s a great event and the board members have done an outstanding job,” she said. “The board members are participating much more now, they’re more hands on. It’s unusual for any association to have a board like that. They’re very passionate about what they do,” she said.

After Chefs of the Coast, Martin will turn her attention to growing the association’s membership. “Every day it seems there’s a new restaurant opening up so there’s plenty of opportunity to sign up new members,” she said.

Membership stands around 240 statewide and includes restaurants, bars and vendors. “Anybody that supplies services or products to restaurants and bars,” she said. “That’s everything from ice to legal services.”

Twenty-five years ago, Martin said, the Coast restaurant association was the leader among the hospitality industry and it’s credited with bringing legalized gambling to Hancock and Harrison counties.

Social media, which didn’t exist back then, is now helping restaurateurs in a variety of ways including getting more customers by having their menus available to smartphone users. “It’s helping grow their customer base at no cost to the restaurants,” she said. “Blogging, Tweeting, these are the type of things that the new guard can bring.”

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 May 30, 2014 Volume 36, Number 22

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 May 30, 2014 • www.msbusiness.com • Page 6

OTHER VIEWS

Changes proposed would kill some federal road aid

A

U.S. Senate committee’s passage in mid-May of a six-year transportation bill was encouraging news for politicians and highway builders nationwide, but everyone knew that the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee’s vote with bipartisan support is a long way from final approval, and proposed changes are on the way.

One proposal that should interest Mississippi cities comes from a writer for the conservative think-tank, The Heritage Foundation. It would abolish the Transportation Alternatives Program, a $1.6 billion

The proposed six-year bill would spend about $53 billion a year. component of the existing highway law, MAP-21, which would be extended by the Senate committee’s vote.

The proposed six-year bill would spend about $53 billion a year.

The TAP provides funding for programs and projects defined as transportation alternatives, “including on- and off-road pedestrian and bicycle facilities, infrastructure

projects for improving non-driver access to public transportation and enhanced mobility, community improvement activities, and environmental mitigation; recreational trail program projects; safe routes to school projects; and projects for planning, designing, or See VIEW, Page 7

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

» THE OUTSIDE WORLD

» BILL CRAWFORD

Primary intensifies GOP/Tea Party division

MELISSA KILLINGSWORTH Sr. Account Executive

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

L

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.

et’s embalm Wednesday, June 4, as O Day. Because it will be Over, it being the Republican primary for U.S. Senate.

The back to back to back TV ads will be Over. The incessant emails, social media messages, and robo-calls will be Over. The persistent, pernicious blogs will be Over.

At least for most of us, it will be Over.

For the battle-scarred activists of the Mississippi Republican/Tea Party, it will continue. The scars are real. The division is intense. The consequences will be significant.

I am reminded of the contentious Republican gubernatorial primary between Gil Carmichael and Leon Bramlett in 1979, itself an outgrowth of the Ford/Reagan convention split in Bill Crawford 1976. Lasting bitterness among key activists is what I remember most.

In both contests what is known as Ronald Reagan’s 11th Commandment was trashed, “Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican.”

In his autobiography “An American Life,” Reagan clarified that he did not coin the commandment, but did adopt it: “The personal attacks against me during the (California gubernatorial) primary finally became so heavy that the state Republican chairman, Gaylord Parkinson, postulated what he called the Eleventh Commandment: Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican. It’s a rule I followed during that campaign and have ever since.”

Speaking ill of fellow party members in attack ads has become quite common in modern GOP primarSee CRAWFORD, Page 7

PERSPECTIVE

May 30, 2014 I Mississippi Business Journal

» RICKY NOBILE

VIEW

I

7

Continued from Page 6

constructing boulevards and other roadways …”

Those categories sound familiar because some have been planned or undertaken by Tupelo and other local governing entities in Mississippi, either from TAP funds or from former, similar programs.

It follows that if local governments plan to seek TAP funds the outcome of opposition to the program becomes important as an on-going issue.

The Heritage Foundation writer says “because the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) that pays for it is projected to run short of cash this summer … culling the program of its myriad local activities and those that have no relation to improving or maintaining the interstate system of highways and bridges should be Congress’s first priority.”

We disagree.

Limiting trust fund support to interstate highways would deal a body blow to most states like Mississippi whose highway programs rely heavily on cost-share support from the trust fund, supported with fuel taxes.

The people who would use alternative transportation infrastructure under TAP also pay taxes in the main because most people use some kind of transportation for which a fuel tax is levied.

The Heritage article by Emily J. Goff does not recognize that states and localities clamor for the federal funds she sees as not useful and beyond the scope of federal highway aid.

Local and state governments should join the debate about TAP and its role.

— Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal

»POLITICS

A bitter GOP battle floods airwaves

M

ississippi's Senate primary has morphed from a high-profile proxy for the national fight between the tea party and establishment Republicans into an ad war driven by clandestine images of Sen. Thad Cochran's ailing wife in an online video.

State Sen. Chris McDaniel, who aims to deliver a rare victory for the tea party this midterm election year primary season, unveiled a statewide ad Tuesday accusing Cochran of "outrageous" attacks.

McDaniel's campaign describes the spot as a "six-figure" ad buy. It comes after the Cochran campaign launched its own ad last week that shows a McDaniel supporter — conservative Mississippi blogger Clayton Kelly — who's charged in the criminal case over a photo of 72-year-old Rose Cochran. She has lived in a nursing home the past 13 years with dementia.

A police investigator has said the image of Rose Cochran appeared at the end of a video alleging Cochran was involved in an inappropriate relationship with another woman.

Cochran campaign spokesman Jordan Russell has said any suggestion the senator is in such a relationship is "outrageous and offensive and the dirtiest form of politics."

In the 30-second TV spot from the Cochran campaign, a narrator says: "It's the worst. Chris McDaniel supporter charged with a felony for posting video of Sen. Thad Cochran's wife in a nursing home." The Cochran ad urges Mississippians to "rise up and say no to dirty politics and yes to our strong conservative leader Thad Cochran."

Kelly and three other men, including an attorney who's a Central Mississippi Tea Party board member, face felony charges in what police describe as a conspiracy to illegally photograph a vulnerable adult in a place where there's an expectation of privacy. A police investigator said Rose Cochran was photographed on Easter Sunday.

District Attorney Michael Guest has said it's possible others could be charged in the case.

Cochran and McDaniel meet in a primary Tuesday that has garnered national attention as McDaniel, a tea party favorite who promises to serve in the mold of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, tries to unseat Cochran, a former Senate Appropriations Committee chairman who was elected to the House in 1972 and the Senate in 1978.

McDaniel, 41, had been running on the notion that Cochran is a "gentleman" and a "fine Mississippian," but one who simply hasn't been conservative enough over four decades of rising national debt and expanding government.

However, in an open letter to Cochran last week, McDaniel said he was reconsidering his respect for Cochran because he believed the incumbent's campaign had resorted to "shameful slander" against him.

McDaniel has endorsements from several Mississippi tea party groups as well as national groups, including FreedomWorks, Senate Conservatives Fund, Tea Party Express and Club for Growth.

Cochran, 76, hasn't had a serious challenge in three decades and has made few campaign stops in Mississippi in recent weeks — partly, his campaign says, because of his work in Washington. Cochran appeared at a Memorial Day event Monday in Vicksburg and has stops scheduled Wednesday and Thursday in southern Mississippi. He also spoke last Friday to a business group in the Jackson area, telling reporters outside that it was "unfortunate" and "sort of bizarre" that somebody photographed his ailing wife. The Cochrans' two grown children released a statement last week saying their father has been devoted to their mother as her health has deteriorated.

See GOP, Page 10

CRAWFORD

Continued from Page 6

ies, the Georgia Senate primary being another good, I mean, bad example.

Violating the commandment has spread much further though. Speaking ill of fellow Republican elected officials has become a tactic used to gain notoriety, a tactic particularly favored by Tea Party-flavored leader Ted Cruz.

There are other platitudes besides Reagan’s commandment that Republican/Tea Party activists violate at their peril: No house divided against itself will stand (Matt. 2:25).

Union is strength (Aesop Fable – “Bundle of Sticks”).

Do nothing without a regard to the consequences (Aeson Fable – “The Two Frogs”).

Do to others as you would have them do to you (Luke 6:31).

Of course, these moral guides apply to more than just political parties. They apply to families, organizations, religions and nations.

If we could get up on a mountain and look out over the world…. Oops, wrong century. If we just lie back in our recliners and watch CNN or tune in to Twitter, we can observe the many whose chosen mission is to divide, not unite…to deceive, not illuminate…to destroy, not save.

At the same time, we can observe numerous acts of heroism, generosity, and great sacrifice in the face of disaster. That can only come from resilient American good will.

Guess that means no O Day. The fight between good and evil — yes, evil — is never over.

Bill Crawford (crawfolk@gmail.com) is a syndicated columnist from Meridian.

8 I Mississippi Business Journal I May 30 2014

REAL ESTATE

Completion of downtown Jackson’s Clark building awaits state funding

TACY RAYBURN / The Mississippi Business Journal

» Opening of Clark building would ease crunch that has state down to 4,000 square feet of vacant space

By TED CARTER I STAFF WRITER ted.carter@msbusiness.com

A cash-infusion from the Legislature for buildout of the rehabbed Robert G. Clark Jr. Building downtown is state government's best hope for relief from an office space squeeze that has it down to 4,000 square feet of spare space.

The Clark building, 301 Lamar Street, would raise the state's available office space by 50,000 square feet, according to the Mississippi Department of Finance &

Administration. Workers have completed the structural and external renovations.

Once legislators allocate the money, the interior work can be completed within 12 months, DFA spokeswoman Sherri Hilton said. “We are hopeful that funding for the tenant buildout will be approved during the 2015 legislative session,” Hilton said in an email.

“The project is in the ‘substantial completion’ mode, which means heat, A/C, water and electricity are available now and all that remains is to put up interior walls,

ceilings, floors and lighting.”

The Mississippi State Personnel Board left the Clark building a couple years for leased space at Regions Plaza. In the interim, the DFA's Mississippi Management and Reporting System (MMRS) office is using space on four floors for MAGIC training classes. MAGIC is the new statewide accounting system that will go live July 1.

Some agencies now in the Robert E. Lee building want to relocate to the rehabbed Clark building, according to Hilton. Those moves could open up space at the Lee building, where only 4,000 square feet is vacant.

Around 6,000 square feet will soon open up at the Woolfolk building with the departure of the Department of Banking and Consumer Finance. The department

The new windows on the rehabbed Robert G. Clark Jr. Building are designed to save the about $24,000 a year on the building’s electricity bill. Olive Branch-based manufacturer View Glass replaced all of the single pane windows with energy efficient “View Dynamic Glass.” This blocked enough solar heat into the building to allow the overall HVAC system to be reduced from 109 tons to 72 tons, saving $300,000 in first-time equipment costs, the state says.

is looking to double its space to accommodate bank examiners who can now work remotely but previously had to go to banks they examined. An RFP specifies leased building in Metro Jackson of around 12,000 square feet with 85 parking spaces.

The department expects to be in its new quarters within the next four months.

Meanwhile, landlords in downtown Jackson are hoping the state will eventually follow the recommendations of a Millsaps College’s ELSE School of Management See

CLARK, Page 9

“We are hopeful that funding for the tenant buildout will be approved during the 2015 legislative session.”

Sherri Hilton, Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration

May 30 2014

BROKERS

Continued from Page 4

and the commission they earned,” she said in an email.

Janice Shows, 2014 Mississippi Association of Realtors president, said the new law gives commercial protections similar to those afforded contractors (and starting July 1 subcontractors) on construction projects. In each instance, they brought value to the asset, Shows said.

“The only difference is that the broker does not have materials they can recover

CLARK

Continued from Page 8

Photo courtesy of David Sprayberry of Belhaven

Students at Belhaven University got an upclose look at top-level managers such as Earl Blankenship (left) during the Executive in Residence program.

EDUCATION

Continued from Page 1

Belhaven is doing.”

“After talking with these highly successful business executives, the students were more excited about pursuing careers in business,” said Dr. Chip Mason, dean of the School of Business, in a statement.

As its name implies, the Executive in Residence program seeks to recruit senior-level managers to the campus, allowing students as well as faculty in Belhaven’s School of Business a chance to hear what the business community is looking for in young professionals and what it takes to manage from the top.

Jeff Rickels is assistant to the president at Belhaven, a private institution of higher learning in Jackson. He said university officials had been mulling the Executive in Residence program for years, but momentum grew when Mason went to university president Dr. Roger Parrott to “help give it more feet.” Plans were solidified in the fall, and the program kicked off this spring.

Executives in the first semester of the program included Lane; Earl Blankenship, chairman and CEO of Mercury Investment Management; Emmerson Daly, founder of Daly Equipment Corporation; Melanie Dowell, senior vice president of Morgan Stanley; and Lee Lampton, president of Ergon. Industries.

The role the executives played varied. For instance, Daly not only came to Belhaven for a roundtable discussion, but also had a group of students visit and tour Pearl-based Daly Equipment.

Lampton was featured at a March luncheon, and discussed various topics including trends in the oil and gas industry, what employers expect out of college graduates, the differences between a private and publicly traded companies and the importance of researching prospective employers before seeking employment.

Dowell addressed a group of top female Belhaven students, offering advice to them as they looked at life after college.

Lane and Blankenship served as guest judges in a “Shark Tank”-like business plan competition for one of Belhaven’s entrepreneur classes.

All of the executives interviewed said they hoped the students got as much out of as they did.

“I have a passion to be around and available to young people. People did that for me,” said Blankenship. “I loved the interaction with the students — it was like a breath of life to me.”

While the executives talked about big-picture issues, the smaller nuances of what it takes to make it business were also offered.

“One of the students asked me if they needed to make an appointment if they wanted to speak to me later. I told them all they had to do was when I call, answer the phone,” Blankenship said with a laugh. He added on a serious note, “I told them when you go to a meeting, always have paper and pen so you can take notes. It’s not always the big things (that makes one successful). It’s not complicated.”

Dowell said she jumped at the chance to participate because it was for young women.

“I wished someone had offered this program to me,” she said. She added that she also feels a need to coach young people on the smaller issues that can derail careers before they begin. “I always show up late for a job interview. If the person doesn’t stand when I walk in, doesn’t know how to shake a hand, it’s over.”

Dowell said she believes every institution of higher learning in the state should have a program like Executive in Residence, and both Lane and Blankenship said they have already talked to Belhaven officials about wider participation in the future.

Belhaven is listening.

“We are very, very pleased with the response we have gotten from the program,” said Rickels.

“We already have plans to expand it.”

study that says the state could shave around $5 million a year off its current $16 million annual leasing costs by consolidating its office use into the Central Business District.

The bulk of the savings would come from reducing the average square-feet of office space per state employee from a current 321 to the federal benchmark of about 221.

About 690 state employees occupy 221,245 square foot of office space under 26 different leases in Metro Jackson outside the several-mile Capitol Complex.

I

Mississippi Business Journal

I

9

even though they have brought value to property,” she said in a written statement.

“A lease or sale is the direct result of the work performed by the broker and they deserve to be paid the contracted amount for the work completed.”

On the other hand, brokers who claim they should be paid when they shouldn't can expect trouble, Easley said.

Filing of false lien claims subjects them to triple damages, he noted. “Our goal is not to tie-up a person's property. We want to hold our own people just as responsible.”

State Sen. David Blount, a Jackson Democrat and chair of the Senate Property Committee, has proposed the consolidation the past two years. The bills easily passed the Senate but died in the House without a vote, an outcome credited to Speaker Philip Gunn of Clinton and other metro House members not wanting state workers to be relocated from their districts.

Blount proposed moving the far flung state offices into leased space in eight privately owned office buildings in the CBD, which in total has about 471,000 square feet of empty space, mostly in buildings rated class B and C.

http://www.msbusiness.com

AUCTIONS Q Taylor Auction & Realty, Inc............................................................... www.taylorauction.com

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

INTERNET SERVICES Q Comcast Business .......................................................................................... www.comcast.com Q TEC ..................................................................................................................................www.TEC.com

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

PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES Q Delta State University................................................................................... www.deltastate.edu

REAL ESTATE Q State Street Group........................................................................www.statestreetgroup.com

TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS Q Synergetics DCS, Inc. ...................................................................... www.synergeticsdcs.com

TELECOMMUNICATIONS Q AT&T................................................................................................................................... www.att.com Q Comcast Business .......................................................................................... www.comcast.com Q MegaGate Broadband................................................................................ www.megagate.com Q Nextiva.................................................................................................................... www.nextiva.com Q TEC ..................................................................................................................................www.TEC.com

WEBSITE DESIGNERS Q U.S. NEXT....................................................................................................................... www.usnx.com

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

10 I Mississippi Business Journal I May 30 2014 TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOM

GULF COAST

Biloxi stadium construction could begin in July BILOXI — Architects have told the Biloxi City Council site work for the city's minor league baseball stadium will be done and a general contractor could start building July 21.

"That's making it work quickly, to get it July 21. So, if we have an awardable bid by July 9, we should be able to do that," Leigh Jaunsen with Dale Partners Architects told council members.

If all goes as planned, construction could officially begin at the end of July on the site where prep work has been taking place for weeks. But, that means an extended completion date.

"We anticipate a substantial completion date of May 17, 2015," said Jaunsen.

Jaunsen said the city will start advertising for bids June 5 and bid packages from general contractors are due July 9.

The bid will be for a 10-month completion, with a 12-month option. Jaunsen said that will determine if the city will pay more for speeding up the project or for paying the penalty for not having the stadium done on time for next year's baseball stadium.

The agreement calls for the city to pay a $10,000 penalty for each home game that can't be played in the 2015 season.

The city had expected to start work after a deal for the team was finalized in October or November. But the Huntsville (Alabama) Stars AA team's move was not completed until January. The Huntsville Stars AA is scheduled to start play in Biloxi in April 2015.

The city broke ground Jan. 23 on the $36 million MGM Park.

» If all goes as planned, construction could officially begin at the end of July ... But, that means an extended completion date.

C Spire draws new Ridgeland ‘fiberhood’ maps RIDGELAND — C Spire says more areas in Ridgeland are poised to qualify for the company’s 100 times faster consumer broadband Internet service now that new “fiberhood” maps have been published on C Spire’s company’s fiber to the home website.

The new maps, which debuted last Friday, reduce the size of several fiberhoods and the corresponding number of households needed to pre-register for the Gigabit-speed Internet and related digital TV and home phone services.

Pre-registration levels remain at either 35 or 45 percent for each fiberhood, but redrawing the boundaries should make it easier to see progress in qualifying neighborhoods for the new service, according to Jared Baumann, market development and deployment manager for C Spire’s consumer fiber services.

“We’ve worked very closely with city leaders on these maps and the changes rolled out today reflect the reality that it is easier to qualify areas for

construction if they are smaller in size,” Baumann said. “With smaller fiberhoods, the results of grassroots efforts by residents are more dramatic and encourage more homeowners to pre-register to get this infrastructure in their neighborhood.”

In some cases, the company removed large apartment complexes and related buildings that were already under long-term or exclusive agreements with other broadband providers, resulting in the elimination of the Towne Center fiberhood.

Baumann said the company is not closing the door on future construction of the infrastructure for apartment complexes. He said C Spire will consider those buildings if owners approach it and request the service. He also encouraged renters who want high-speed connections to inform building managers.

In addition to eliminating the Towne Center fiberhood, the company made the following changes: Divided the Central fiber hood into two separate fiberhoods – a Central South and a Central North

fiberhood. The pre-registration percentage requirement for both areas remains at 35 percent.

Created a separate fiberhood for the Montrachet, Muirwood and Camden Park areas by removing them from the Ann Smith fiberhood. The new fiber hood comprised of the three neighborhoods has a 35 percent pre-registration requirement.

Reduced the size of the newly configured Ann Smith fiberhood. The pre-registration percentage requirement is 45 percent.

Reduced the size of the Reservoir and Southeast fiberhoods. The pre-registration percentage requirement remains at 35 percent for both areas.

While Friday’s changes only affect six of the 11 areas in Ridgeland under consideration for the service, C Spire is considering making changes in other cities with similar circumstances, Baumann said.

— from staff and MBJ wire services

INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE AT&T Mississippi President Mayo Flynt, from left, recently presented a $52,000 check to support the work of Teach For America-Mississippi.

Representing TFA-MS are third-year math teacher in Byhalia Raisa D’Oyley and first-year Spanish teacher in Greenville Digna Pena Mejia.

Also present at the year-end summit in Jackson was Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves. TFA-MS currently has 350 teachers serving in 27 Mississippi school districts.

— from staff and MBJ wire services

GOP

Continued from Page 7

On April 25, Cochran did a six-minute interview with The Associated Press between campaign stops in northern Mississippi. Standing outside a tire warehouse in Batesville, where he had spent about an hour shaking hands and talking with workers, Cochran said he’s in good health and intends to serve the full six-year term if re-elected. He also defended his record on federal spending and said he has declined invitations to debate McDaniel because he believes the challenger misrepresents his Washington record.

“I disagree with the criticism that my opponent is making of my service in the Senate,” Cochran told the AP. “But I think I’ve acquitted myself with due diligence and have performed in a way that reflects credit on our state.”

Cochran has blanketed the state with ads promoting himself as a consistent conservative. His most recent ad notes endorsements from the National Rifle Association,

National Right to Life and Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant, a tea party ally.

Through May 14, Cochran had spent $3 million on his campaign, an impressive sum for primary race in a state with about three million residents and nearly 1.9 million registered voters. McDaniel had spent just more than $1 million. But both men have benefited from a deluge of outside spending expected to top $8 million by the time polls open Tuesday.

The matchup gives the hard right another opportunity to do what it hasn’t been able to do this year: knock off a sitting Republican senator. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell easily dispatched a tea party opponent in Kentucky. Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts is a favorite over challenger Milton Wolf. Challengers to Tennessee’s Lamar Alexander and South Carolina’s Lindsey Graham have struggled to gain traction.

McDaniel’s latest ad hits on the theme of his battle against

the establishment. “Mississippians deserve a senator who will repeal Obamacare entirely, limit government spending and stand up for working families,” he says, later concluding, “I approved this message, because after 40 years we deserve better from Washington.”

Yet, the images of Cochran’s wife threaten to define the race.

McDaniel has said repeatedly that his campaign had nothing to do with the photos. He called the violation of Rose Cochran’s privacy “reprehensible.”

McDaniel told the AP on May 15 that Cochran has a liberal record with votes to increase the debt ceiling and to confirm Chuck Hagel as defense secretary and John Kerry as secretary of state.

“These are the votes of a senator who’s been in Washington so long, he’s forgotten his Mississippi conservative values,” McDaniel said.

— The Associated Press

Loves growing things in her garden.

OR

Has grown her garden shop into a thriving landscape design company.

No assumptions.

Predictable? Conventional? That’s not your style. You don’t fit any one mold and your financial needs and goals are just as unique. So instead of one-size-fits-all solutions, your Regions Wealth Advisor, leading a team of subject-matter experts, will customize a plan that addresses your individual financial picture. From cash flow to investing to succession planning and beyond, you get a comprehensive, unbiased approach to your specific financial situation. You’ll also get more straight talk and transparency than you might expect from a bank. But then, we’re pretty unique ourselves. For a personal consultation to discuss how your Regions Wealth Advisor can help you move forward, call 1.800.826.6933 or visit us online at regions.com/wealth.

Wealth Management | Investments | Retirement | Solutions for the Real You © 2014 Regions Bank. Investments in securities and insurance products are not FDIC-insured, are not a deposit, may go down in value, are not bank guaranteed, are not insured by any government agency, and are not a condition of any banking activity.

AN MBJ FOCUS: BANKING & FINANCE

Bankers’ INTEREST means N Providing a way to help with federal grants is part of banks commitment to assisting the nonprofit

By LISA MONTI I CONTRIBUTOR mbj@msbusiness.com

I

N 28 YEARS, Habitat for Humanity Mississippi Capital Area has built 590 homes and rehabilitated and/or weatherized more than 155 homes, making it the largest singlefamily housing developer in Jackson and one of the top Habitat affiliates in the nation.

The goal is to help low to moderate income families attain home ownership which in turn helps create jobs and stable neighborhoods. It is estimated that for every dollar spent on Habitat for Humanity construction, an additional $1.70 is generated into the local economy.

Cindy Griffin, HFHMCA executive director, can’t imagine operating without the support of banks that provide financial support and volunteer help to Habitat.

“They are great partners,” she said. “They serve on our board and participate not only in a bank line of credit but contribute to home builds.”

Habitat for Humanity Mississippi Capital Area has received national atBankers who are heavily tention for Englewood Gardens. This model neighborhood developed by involved in the Habitat misHFHMCA in west Jackson was once a vacated military barracks, illegal sion can’t imagine what dumping ground and haven for prostitution and other problems. their communities would be like without the work the nonprofit Habitat does in helping families.

George Gunn, executive vice president and real estate banking manager for Trustmark Bank, calls Habitat “an outstanding program for people who wouldn't be able to afford a new home or refurbished home without the financing The construction of new HFHMCA homes in Mid-City/Georgetown area that goes with it. It’s a projof Jackson led to the stabilization of that area of Jackson..

ect that everybody in the community is able to pitch in and have a good result.”

HFHMCA families have a zero-interest mortgage, and contribute “sweat equity” building their home and the homes of others.

The zero interest credit line is made possible by a coalition of 11 banks in the Jackson area led by Trustmark and Regions, coleads in the participatory line.

The participatory line of credit which Griffin described as groundbreaking was established around 1993.

“If we get a federal grant, it is paid on completion of the work but you need working capital while you’re building so the bank line fills that gap and provides working capital. It helps us smooth out the cash flow.”

Besides the banks’ considerable help, bank employees at all levels contribute to Habitat with financial donations and hours of volunteering.

Said Griffin: “HFHMCA is one of the largest affiliates in the country, and I truly believe that the banking community helped make that possible. When you think that we are in the top one percent, for a city our size, it’s the community support that has made Habitat successful and enabled us to help as many families as we have.”

Gunn, who is a member of the Habitat executive board, said: “I’m impressed with the way they conduct business and with the services they provide.” Trustmark, he said, has been involved with Habitat “since day one.”

Robert Leard is Region Bank’s commercial banking executive for the state of Mississippi. He also serves on the executive board as well as a volunteer.

He said a cornerstone of Region’s philosophy is the concept of shared values which takes into consideration what is good for the community, the employees and the shareholders.

“Habitat is one of those causes that fits very well under the umbrella of shared values,” he said. “Regions has always been an active participant in the communities that we serve, and we work very hard to establish strong relationships with a variety of community partners to promote their activities and to get Regions associates involved.”

In addition to Trustmark and Regions, these financial institutions provide the zero interest bank line: BancorpSouth, BankPlus, Community Trust Bank, Metropolitan, State Bank & Trust Company, First Commercial Bank, Renasant Bank, Liberty Bank and BankFirst.

In addition to the participatory line banks, there are other banks that are regular donors of house builds, including providing volunteers.

Robert Leard of Regions with hi

May 30, 2014 • MISSISSIPPI BUSINESS JOURNAL • www.msbusiness.com

CE

NO INTEREST for Habitat

Photos courtesy of Habitat for Humanity Mississippi Capital Area

gions with his wife, Ginger (left), and daughter, Samantha, volunteer at a recent HFHMCA build. He says: “Habitat is one of those causes that fits very well under the umbrella of shared values,”

BANKING & FINANCE

14 I Mississippi Business Journal I May 30, 2014 PROFILE

A passion for banking, food, fitness » From Food Network to marathons, Tillman stays busy

By LYNN LOFTON I CONTRIBUTOR mbj@msbusiness.com

B

Y PROFESSION SHE’S a loan administrator with Southern AgCredit, but cooking is an important part of Katy Tillman’s life.

Now a resident of Flora, she grew up in Vicksburg where she spent lots of time in the kitchen with her mother and grandmothers as far back as she can remember. That background and love of cooking led to Tillman winning a cooking contest and a 2007 appearance with Paula Deen on the Food Network.

“My mother and grandmothers would let me ‘help’ in the kitchen from the time I was old enough to beg them to let me cook,” she said.

“They never seemed concerned with the mess or discouraged my ‘assistance.’ I’ve been cooking and baking something for at least the last 31 years, but cannot grill to save my life! I even bought the Grilling for Dummies book but it couldn’t help me.”

Grilling aside, Tillman entered the recipe contest at the urging of her mother who saw the announcement with the first prize being an invitation to a taping of Paula’s Party on the Food Network.

“We submitted our recipe for Lemon Dessert along with a picture of us holding a ‘We Love Paula’ sign,” she said. “A producer from the Food Network called to interview me about the recipe and about the rela-

Lemon Dessert » 1 can evaporated milk (refrigerate overnight) » juice of 3 or 4 lemons » 1 tsp. lemon zest » 1 cup sugar » vanilla wafers Chill bowl and beaters. Whip milk until foamy. Slowly add sugar, while beating. Add lemon juice and zest and continue to beat until thick.

Line sides and bottom of round Pyrex dish with vanilla wafers.

Pour in mixture. Freeze.

From the kitchen of Carol Buchwald and Katy Tillman

At right, Katy Tillman with Paula Deen.

Tillman won an appearance on the Food Network by submitting her Lemon Dessert recipe.

Photo courtesy of Katy Tillman

“Aside from lending money to help people finance the land of their dreams, I am very passionate about Fit for Agriculture. It is my baby.”

Katy Tillman Loan administrator, Southern Ag Credit

tionship with my mom and our love for cooking together and then a few days later we got the call to come to Savannah for the taping. I was very surprised to win.”

The show was filmed at Bubba’s, the restaurant owned by Paula Deen’s brother. At the conclusion of the first episode’s taping, the producers asked Tillman to stay a second day to cook goulash with Bobby Deen, Paula Deen’s son.

“I researched various types of paprika and the history of goulash so I would be prepared with some witty banter for Bobby during our episode,” See

TILLMAN, Page 15

BANKING & FINANCE TILLMAN

Continued from Page 14

Tillman said. “Minutes before we were to begin taping, Christopher Knight (Peter Brady on the Brady Bunch TV show) showed up, and I got booted out and he cooked my goulash with Bobby Deen. It was disappointing but humorous all at the same time.”

Tillman says being on the Food Network was exciting and she especially enjoyed being behind the scenes to see how a TV show is made.

“There is so much involved — food artists and designers and chefs preparing the food and slipping dishes in and out of the oven to create the magic of a meal cooked on television. Seeing it all come together in the 30-minute episode is really amazing.”

Although she loves a good contest, Tillman says she probably won’t enter any more recipe or cooking contests, “I love to cook, but I don’t think my skills are on par with prize winning for the most part.”

Tillman considers taking comfort foods and giving them a figure-friendly makeover her specialty. “I created a BBQ ‘fried’ chicken recipe that everyone loves, including my kids, that is better for you than barbecued chicken or fried chicken,” she said. “Eating clean but still enjoying the foods you love is very important. I also love to bake anything sweet. Like Marie Antoinette, I have a ‘prodigious appetite for all things covered in frosting!’ ” Tillman graduated from high school a year early and enrolled at Mississippi State University where she graduated with a bachelors degree in business administration.

She has been working in the banking industry since 2004 in sales roles, commercial real estate, lending and credit analysis. In 2008 she obtained a Mississippi real estate license.

A part of the Southern AgCredit team since March 2012, she coordinates the marketing efforts for all branches in addition to her duties as a loan administrator.

“Aside from lending money to help people finance the land of their dreams, I am very passionate about Fit for Agriculture.

It is my baby,” Tillman says. “‘Fit for Agriculture’ is a family-friendly half marathon/10K event held annually in December with all proceeds going to Batson Children’s Hospital. 2012 was my first year as race director and we had 250 participants and were able to donate $7,500 to Batson.”

In 2013 participants in the race doubled and the group presented Batson Children’s Hospital with a check for $13,000.

“Not only is this a fundraiser for Mississippi’s children’s hospital, but it also helps to raise awareness of our state’s need to become more active and promote healthy lifestyles,” she said.

“We are blessed to have had the support of our Southern AgCredit family, friends,

May 30, 2014

“Eating clean but still enjoying the foods you love is very important. I also love to bake anything sweet. Like Marie Antoinette, I have a ‘prodigious appetite for all things covered in frosting.’ ” Katy Tillman Loan administrator, Southern AgCredit

volunteers and the many community leaders and local businesses who work hard all year to make the event successful and

allow us to give back to our community.”

As a runner, Tillman has completed one full marathon and several half marathons

I

Mississippi Business Journal

I

15

along with local 5K and 10K races.

“Running is my favorite hobby, but I also love to read, volunteer at community events and be involved with my kids’ sports,” she said.

“Both my sons — Dawson, 15, and Cash, 5, — play baseball during the spring and we travel for baseball all summer in the post season.”

With all of Tillman’s activities, it’s no surprise she was selected earlier this year as a member of the Mississippi Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40 class.

16 I Mississippi Business Journal I May 30, 2014

ESTATE PLANNING

experience access

BKD National Financial Services Group On site = insight. When you work with BKD National Financial Services Group, expect attention from partners and managers you’ll see and hear from regularly. Our approximately 300 financial services professionals have a reputation for being available, reliable, engaged and proactive. We respond to your questions, meet deadlines and sweat the small stuff. Experience how our dedication can help take your financial and estate planning to the next level.

601.948.6700 // bkd.com Donna Bruce // Partner // dbruce@bkd.com

Olivia Host // Partner // ohost@bkd.com

ESTATE PLANNING

Thanks for Helping Shape Our Futures!

May 30, 2014

I

17

Ă•Â˜i £™] { U ™ ‡ ĂŽ * Lake Terrace Convention Center ÂŁ ÂœÂ˜Ă›iÂ˜ĂŒÂˆÂœÂ˜ iÂ˜ĂŒiĂ€ *Â?>â> >ĂŒĂŒÂˆiĂƒLĂ•Ă€}] - Ι{ä£

NO FEES for attendance or as a vendor/exhibitor For more info call

Mississippi Business Journal

2014

ent, m e ur Proc cial and n Fina ource Res ions t Solu

The zero-interest bank line from our bank partners means more children will grow up in safe, affordable homes. Together we make a difference in young lives and brighten futures.

I

Â˜Ă›ÂˆĂŒi` iĂ?…ˆLÂˆĂŒÂœĂ€Ăƒ ˆ˜VÂ?Ă•`i\

- - ˜}>Â?Â?Ăƒ ÂˆĂƒĂƒÂˆĂƒĂƒÂˆÂŤÂŤÂˆ *ÂœĂœiĂ€ ϡ *ÂœĂ€ĂŒ Âœv Ă•Â?vÂŤÂœĂ€ĂŒ

ÂœĂ€ÂŤÂ° Âœv ˜}ˆ˜iiĂ€Ăƒ Chevron ,ÂœĂž ˜`iĂ€ĂƒÂœÂ˜ ÂœĂ€ÂŤÂ° Yates Construction >˜` “>Â˜Ăž Â“ÂœĂ€i°°°

1-888-601-8214 Register now at: http://www.ptassist.com/services/ ptac_register.php?id=6D0AE42483 Hosted by: Strategic Systems, Inc., South Mississippi Contract Procurement Center and the Mississippi Enterprise for Technology

ESTATE PLANNING

18 I Mississippi Business Journal I May 30, 2014

Mortgages can be puzzling.

Let Trustmark bring it all together.

From the day of application to closing, count on Trustmark to make the pieces of homeownership ďŹ t together. Visit www.trustmark.com/mortgage or call 601-987-1001 to ďŹ nd a lender who will turn your dream home into home-sweet-home.

trustmark.com

Member FDIC

NEWSMAKERS Hadaway wins two awards Julie “Missy” Hadaway, admissions and student affairs coordinator with the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine, has been awarded the 2014 Irvin Atly Jefcoat Excellence in Advising award at MSU. She was also selected for an Outstanding Advising Certificate of Merit in the primary advising role category by the National Academic Advising Association.

Hadaway received her bache- Hadaway lor’s degree in business from Mississippi University for Women in 1994. She joined MSU in April 1997.

Woodward selected as VP Dr. Jonathan Woodward has been named the vice president of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College's Jefferson Davis Campus, Naval Construction Battalion Center and Keesler Center.

Previously, he was chair of the Fine Arts Department at the college's Jackson County Campus in Gautier, and he also worked in the Gulfport School District.

Woodward holds a doctorate in higher education administra- Woodward tion with an emphasis in instructional technology from the University of Southern Mississippi, including a Community College Leadership Certificate. He also earned master of music education and bachelor of music education degrees from USM with a double emphasis in vocal/choral music and classical guitar/instrumental music.

Before coming to MGCCC, he taught or supervised choral music at West Elementary, Central Middle, Bayou View Middle and Gulfport High schools, all in the Gulfport School District. While serving in the Gulfport School District, he was honored as Teacher of the Year at West Elementary and was awarded several grants, including the America’s Unsung Heroes Award. While serving in Gulfport, he coordinated vocal music for the Gulfport School District for three years, and he was the MHSAA District VIII chairperson. Gulfport High School was named Mississippi’s Best Fine Arts Department in 2002-2003 while he was the choral director there.

Starting as an instructor at MGCCC in August 2004, Woodward taught choir, small singing ensemble, music theory, private voice, private guitar and various other music classes. He served as president of the Mississippi Community College Choral Director’s Association from 2006-2008. In this role, he organized statewide choral festivals involving hundreds of students and all 15 Mississippi community colleges.

Woodward was named fine arts chair at the Jackson County Campus in April 2006. In 2008, he was named the dean of Instruction for the campus, serving in that role for six years. The Association of Educational Office Professionals (AEOP) honored him as MGCCC’s Administrator of the Year for 2013-2014, and he was named the Jackson County Campus Administrator of the Year by AEOP in 2011-2012 and 2013-2014.

Outside of school, Woodward has a variety of interests. Recently, he presented at the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools 2012 annual meeting and the American Educational Research Association 2013 annual meeting. He is actively involved in church

work and is currently the worship pastor at Crosspoint Church in Gulfport. He enjoys composing, arranging, producing and performing music.

Phelon to make presentations Dr. Shonda Phelon, a recent graduate of Mississippi University for Women’s doctorate of nursing practice program and an instructor of nursing at The W, has been accepted to present her capstone project, “Suicide Assessment and Prevention: A Clinical Practice Guideline for Primary Care,” at two national conferences. The National Nurse Practitioner Symposium has tapped Phelon for a poster pres- Phelon entation at Keystone, Colo., in July, and she will discuss her project in a podium presentation at the American Psychiatric Nurses Association at Indianapolis, Ind., in October.

She has 22 years of experience working as a family nurse practitioner and eight years as a psychiatrist nurse practitioner.

Smalling elected to board Copeland Cook attorney Holly Smalling has been elected to the board of trustees for Madison-Ridgeland Academy. Smalling has been an involved parent for 11 years at the K-12 private school.

She has two sons who currently attend MRA. Smalling is a shareholder in Copeland Cook’s Ridgeland office. She practices in the areas of insurance coverage and litigation and workers’ compensation. Smalling She is a member of the Mississippi Bar, Hinds County Bar Association and Madison City Bar Association.

Junior League presents awards The Junior League of Jackson recently honored special recipients of the Amalie Fair Robinson Sustainer, Active and Provisional of the Year Award. The recipient of the JLJ Sustainer of the Year award was Donna Bailey Dye. Dye has given her service to the League for over 42 years helping with projects involving the Old Capitol Museum, the Mississippi Children’s Museum and the League’s many councils and committees.

The Active of the Year award was presented to Emily Garner. Garner has served the League for over eight years helping with the Mississippi Children’s Museum, Mistletoe Marketplace and the JLJ Communications team. Garner is also an active member of the Susan G. Komen Society and the Mississippi University for Women Alumni Association.

The Provisional of the Year Award was presented to a group of women who helped with the HeARTworks art ministry project for Stewpot Community Services. They are Mary Kathryn Allen, Susan Anderson, Natalie Burkley, Morgan Carr, Olivia Champion, Susan Dickinson, Beth Ann Fedric, Jillien Fry, Shea Hosch, Jana Johnson, Megan Jones, Jill Keys, Kristen Ley, Mary Margaret McKinnon, Ashley Mosley, Carole Richardson, Jaime Stein, Typhany Stewart and Katie Sullivan.

May 30, 2014

I

Mississippi Business Journal

Schmidt retires

TEC selects Miguez, Hill

Chief Master Sgt. Gregory Schmidt was recently honored for more than 27 years of Air Force service during a retirement ceremony at Keesler Air Force Base.

Schmidt was the 81st DS superintendent, overseeing the daily operations of Keesler’s dental clinic and laboratory.

Schmidt grew up in Arkansas City, Kan., and entered the Air Force in February 1987. His background includes duties as a den- Schmidt tal assistant craftsman, dental laboratory craftsman and first sergeant. He returned to the dental career field in 2006 and was assigned to Keesler in July 2012. Prior to his current assignment, Schmidt served as superintendent of the 86th DS at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

TEC has appointed Hallie Miguez as junior graphic designer copywriter in the Marketing Department in the corporate office in Jackson. Miguez received a bachelor of arts degree with an emphasis in communication design from Louisiana Tech University. She currently resides in Ridgeland with her husband, Noah.

Also, TEC has named Ronnie Jemison Hill as account executive in the Sales Department at TEC of Jackson Inc. in Jackson.

Hill received a bachelor of science degree from Jackson State University. He currently resides in Jackson with his wife, Catrina.

Regions honors Paul Dr. Ian Paul, University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Medicine professor of psychiatry and human behavior, has won him the second-annual Regions Bank TEACH Prize. Paul earned his undergraduate degree in behavioral neuroscience from the University of Pittsburgh in 1983 and his Ph.D. in neurobiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1989.

He came to UMMC as an assistant professor in 1993 from the National Institutes of Health. Paul was awarded tenure in 2000 and became a full professor in 2005. Two years later he established the Program in Neuroscience as the first interdepartmental graduate program at UMMC.

Goff dies at 84 James "Jimmy" Goff, longtime publisher and editor of The News-Commercial weekly newspaper in Collins, has died at 84. A Lucedale native and Korean War veteran, Goff taught school and coached in Shaw and Mount Olive. He began working at the NewsCommercial after his father-in-law, Jimmy Arrington, died in 1957, becoming editor in 1960.

Goff was a deacon at Collins' First Baptist Church, a Rotary Club member, a referee for the Mississippi High School Activities Association and a former Covington County Hospital trustee.

Survivors include wife Analyn Arrington Goff, daughter Anna Goff and son James Arrington Goff, all of Collins; as well as brother Frank Goff of Knoxville, Tenn.

Chance named ‘Top Cop’ Darrell Chance, a senior special agent with the State Auditor’s Office, has received the agency’s “Top Cop” award. Chance is a 34 year veteran of OSA’s Investigative Division, and has led the agency’s Katrina Fraud Prevention and Detection Unit since its inception in the spring of 2006.

Chance, who lives in Hattiesburg, received his bachelor’s in accounting from the University of Southern Mississippi and completed the Southern Regional Safety Institute in 2000. He is a certified fraud examiner, certified internal auditor, certified government auditing professional and a certified public manager.

I

19

Hill

Miguez

Margolis receives recognition Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, LLP’s counsel Kate Margolis has received the Outstanding Service Award from the Capital Area Bar Association (CABA).

The award recognizes CABA members who have provided exceptional service to the association. In addition to serving as editor of the CABA Newsletter since 2010, Margolis has served as a director on the CABA board of officers and directors. She is also currently serving as president of the Mississippi Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.

Margolis handles commercial litigation, with particular focus on insurance coverage matters for policyholders. She holds a J.D. from the University of Mississippi School of Law and a B.A. from Mississippi College.

Renasant elevates Adams Evan Adams has been promoted to assistant vice president at Renasant Bank’s main office in Amory.

Adams is a native of Amory and graduated from Mississippi State University with a bachelor’s degree in real estate finance. He joined Renasant in 2011.

Adams is a member of Amory Main Street Association, serving on its board. He also serves his community as a member of the Lions Club, where he is treasurer. Adams Additionally, Adams is a volunteer firefighter with the Hatley Volunteer Fire Department.

He is married to Courtney and they have fourmonth old triplets, Charli Kate, Owen and Ty, and an eight-year-old son, Bryson Walters. They reside in Amory.

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

20 I Mississippi Business Journal I May 30 2014 »TAX LAW

Tax potpourri

I

n the last few weeks, there have been several noteworthy developments in the tax world that have broad practical and policy application and merit further discussion because of their impact on taxpayers and our tax system overall.

First, let’s start with the health care law and its raft of new taxes.

The recent announcement that over eight million people have signed up for coverage is telling. Irrespective of political persuasion, any program of this magnitude, further bolstered by popular provisions covering pre-existing health conditions and dependent coverage up to age 26, is likely here to stay.

Even if Republicans take over the Senate in November (possible) and retain the House (probable), then pass legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act, the President will veto that bill, and there is nothing close to a two-thirds majority in either house to override a veto.

So, at that point, the law stays in existence until at least 2017, when a new president takes office.

People will have more time to adapt to the changes and will not John Scott want to give up those aspects of the law that they deem beneficial.

The end result appears to be amendments and modifications versus outright repeal, but stay tuned for more political theatrics in the meantime.

There have already been numerous delays of key provisions. In particular, Mississippi businesses hovering just below 50 full-time equivalent employees and those with 50-99 employees should be closely monitoring these changes – and their near-term effect.

All the related new taxes and penalties look likely to survive.

On another topic, Congress continues to

GOOD NEWS IS WORTH REPEATING! Digital Reprint Article or list will be reformatted with Mississippi Business Journal masthead on the top of the page and be provided in PDF format.

Framed Article

Plaque - 9”x12” or 8”x10” - $125

Articles are reformatted to fit on either one or two pages with Mississippi Business Journal masthead on the top of the page.

Article size is 8.5” x 11”.

Frame size - 14” x 16.5” - $199

Framed articles take approximately one month to complete.

Introductory Offer $199

R Digital Reprint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$375

R Framed Article 14” x 16.5” cherry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$199 R Framed Article 23” x 16.5” cherry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $250 R Plaque 8” x 10” or 9” x 12” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$125 Call: 601-364-1044 Fax: (601) 364-1007 WAYS TO ORDER » Fax or mail: Mississippi Business Journal Attn: Marcia Thompson-Kelly 200 North Congress St, Ste 400, Jackson 39201 Email: marcia.kelly@msbusiness.com or print off form at http://msbusiness.com/wp-files/forms/article-request-form-web.pdf

struggle with an approach to pass “extenders” legislation. Remember, these are popular tax saving provisions that are not permanent to the tax code, and they have to be “extended” every year or two.

The Senate would like to pass all of these for two years. The House is more interested in evaluating them piecemeal. So, they are at an impasse right now.

The biggest issue, of course, is that these provisions, which include such items as small business expensing, bonus depreciation, various tax credits, deductions of state sales taxes in lieu of income taxes, etc., expired at the end of last year.

Right now, the best guess seems to be that they will all be voted on after November’s elections and reinstated retroactively to January 1, 2014. This complicates tax planning and certainly bears watching. In particular, 50% bonus depreciation appears at some risk of not being reenacted. Mississippi businesses need to stay aware.

Finally, two recent stories from decidedly different perspectives tell a conflicting tale

about the state of the U.S. tax system. First came the news that the Treasury paid out at least $13 billion in bogus earned income tax credits last year. This program, well-intended as it is, annually is rife with abuse as dishonest filers and preparers continue to outwit the IRS using erroneous income, dependent, and citizenship information.

However, the other news was much better. After years of trying, the IRS and Justice Department got a guilty plea and $2.6 billion nondeductible fine from Credit Suisse. The Swiss bank had fostered U.S. tax evasion for decades with abusive structures designed to help wealthy U.S. citizens hide income from U.S. taxation. Others had paid smaller fines with deferred prosecution agreements where the charges were later quietly dropped. But, this is an outright felony conviction and huge fine – a strong statement that sends a message.

Let’s hope it is heard. » John Scott, CPA, is a tax partner at HORNE LLP and has more than 25 years of public accounting

Ag commissioners visit border, see need for immigration reform SOUTH TEXAS — Agricultural leaders from states far from the U.S.-Mexico border, including Mississippi Agriculture Commissioner Cindy Hyde-Smith, visited Texas yesterday and said they are more convinced than ever of the need for immigration reform after a tour of border security operations in the Rio Grande Valley.

The eight state agriculture commissioners who joined Texas Commissioner Todd Staples at a Border Patrol station a mile from the Rio Grande in South Texas often think about immigration in terms of ensuring a reliable workforce for farmers and poultry processing plants. But standing behind glass above a warren of holding cells packed well beyond capacity with 1,000 immigrants afforded a very different perspective, they said.

The bipartisan delegation said a new guest worker program would provide American farms and businesses the legal workers they need and also improve border security.

Alabama Agriculture Commissioner John McMillan came to Texas believing the border could be secured, but he said the visit changed his opinion.

“It’s such an overwhelming thing that I’m not sure we can totally secure the border, but a viable guest worker program would help with the whole situation,” McMillan said.

Alabama was one of the states that passed laws in recent years that aimed to effectively drive immigrants living in the country illegally out of the state. A settlement with the federal government stripped away the harshest provisions, but McMillan said it still resulted in many farmers cutting back the number of acres they planted because they weren’t sure they could find the workers necessary to harvest crops.

Staples, who made border security a central campaign theme in his unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor, said he invited his counter-

parts from the U.S. interior to see the border so they would go back and push for immigration reform.

The Senate passed a comprehensive bill last year that would have bolstered border security, remade legal worker programs and offered a path to citizenship to the estimated 11.5 million people now living in the United States illegally. Cindy Hyde-Smith Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have refused to move forward on immigration reform without first securing the border.

But border security can be substantially enhanced through reforming the guest worker program “because then our law enforcement would have so fewer people to have to intercept,” Staples said after cruising the Rio Grande aboard a Department of Public Safety gunboat.

The Rio Grande Valley surpassed the Border Patrol’s Tucson, Ariz., sector last year for the most arrests on the Southwest border. The agency is scrambling to keep up with the flow by bringing in agents from elsewhere, flying immigrants to other sectors for processing and dropping others at bus stations with notices to appear before a judge later.

This sector has recorded more than 130,000 arrests since Oct. 1, an increase of about 67 percent from this time last year. The sector made more than 154,000 arrests for all of the prior fiscal year.

The commissioners said Border Patrol officials told them Wednesday that agents had arrested about 1,400 immigrants just the previous night.

Commissioners from Wyoming, Nevada, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi and South Carolina also attended Wednesday’s meeting.

May 30 2014

I

Mississippi Business Journal

I

21

» MISSISSIPPI LEADERS by Martin Willoughby

A winning culture McNeill remained loyal and built a successful business

M

anagement guru Peter Drucker is attributed the quote, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” His statement is often repeated to emphasize the importance of culture in building a great organization.

Companies like Southwest Airlines or Zappos are some of the most well-known examples of companies that have achieved tremendous success by nurturing their culture. Zappos CEO Tony Hseigh noted in a Harvard Business Review blog post, “Last year 25,000 people applied for jobs with us, and we hired only 250. Someone told me that statistically it’s harder to get a job at Zappos than it is to get admitted to Harvard, which says a lot about the strength of the culture we’ve created here.”

My interviewee this week, Paul McNeill, understands the importance of building a winning culture. McNeill serves as Senior Vice President-Wealth Management and Resident Director of Merrill Lynch in Ridgeland. McNeill grew up in Oxford, England and moved to Jackson, Mississippi when he was thirteen years old. After graduating from Millsaps College, he began his financial career back in England. However,

Up Close With ... Paul McNeill Title: Resident director, vice president of wealth management, Merrill Lynch Favorite Book: ”My favorite book on investing is The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham.”

First Job: “I worked in our family business growing up and in high school I was a runner for an accounting firm.”

Proudest Moment as a Leader: ”It is always great when I hear positive feedback from our clients on the service provided by our team.”

Hobbies/Interests: “I enjoy spending time with family, travel and reading.”

he had the opportunity to return to Jackson in 1991 to join Merrill Lynch and has been there ever since. After building a very successful wealth management business at the firm, McNeill was asked to become Resident Director and manage the local office in 2013. McNeill decided to take on the position because of the confidence and faith he had in the team he would be lead-

ing, and because he could also continue to take care of the client relationships he had developed over the last 20+ years.

He shared, “My focus as Resident Director has been to create a great place for people to work. I want our team members to look forward to coming to work each day.”

McNeill has been intentional about creating a great culture at the firm. One of the

“I want our team members to look forward to coming to work each day.”

Paul McNeill Merrill Lynch

ways he does this is to be very open and inclusive with meetings and decisions. McNeill recognizes that the only way to truly take outstanding care of clients is to take outstanding care of Martin Willoughby your team members.

While this may seem obvious, I have found in my business consulting practice that this principle is often not consistently applied. Too often, employers underappreciate and undervalue their employees and somehow expect them to deliver outstanding customer service.

Unfortunately, that just doesn’t work. McNeill also noted, “I try to lead by example and not ask people to do things I would not do myself.” This is another way to show people that you value them as individuals which is critical to building trust.

McNeill is active as a community leader and devotes time to organizations such as the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (AL/MS), Mississippi Children's Home Services and St. Andrew’s Episcopal School. He also was recently named to the Board of Trustees for Millsaps College. In an industry where people often move around between employers, McNeill has remained loyal and built a very successful business. I am sure that his understanding of how to develop a winning culture will serve his team and clients well for years to come.

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.

Mississippian Ellen Gilchrist’s newest book delights

M

» Acts of God

By Ellen Gilchrist Published by Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill $23.95 hardback

ississippi’s own modern-day master of the short story, Ellen Gilchrist, is back in true form. With Acts of God, her first book in eight years, and her 12th book of short stories overall, Gilchrist again pleases those who love her wit, her wry sensibility, and her keen eye for detail.

Gilchrist, at 79, has built a long career as a successful writer, and she shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. I was lucky enough to attend a book signing and reading she did this past week in New Orleans at the independent bookstore Garden District Books.

In front of a standing-room-only crowd, Gilchrist read one of the stories from her new collection, bringing back to life the beloved recurring character of Rhoda Manning. Set up as a series of letters between Rhoda, her lawyer, and her neighbors over some noisy dogs next door, the escalation of a trivial situation in Gilchrist’s capable hands was so funny she had us

laughing the entire time. The pleasure of hearing a writer like Gilchrist read her own work can’t be overstated. And she herself said that when she writes something funny, she still thinks it’s funny long after, no matter how many times she’s read her own work.

As usual for the National Book Award-winning Gilchrist, she’s filled Acts of God’s ten stories with characters from Mississippi and she’s set a lot of the action either in Mississippi or New Orleans. She herself still keeps a condo on the beach in

Ocean Springs, although she primarily lives, as she has for years, in Fayetteville, Ark. The “acts of god” referred to in the book’s title do take the form of natural disasters in many of these stories, but she also stretches the meaning to include, more simply, things that her characters cannot control (like Rhoda and those pesky dogs next door). Hurricane Katrina gets its due here in more than one story, as does a tornado in Arkansas. But instead of being beaten by these external forces, her characters repeatedly find themselves learning how strong they can really be, and figuring out what matters most in life and what doesn’t. All of this sounds like heavy stuff, and it is, but somehow Gilchrist still manages to find the lightness here and make us laugh.

Asked after she was done reading how she felt about writing for all these many years and where she found inspiration, she said, without missing a beat, “Y’all just keep doing all these crazy things and I just keep writing about it.”

— LouAnn Lofton, mbj@msbusiness.com

22 I Mississippi Business Journal I May 30 2014 THE SPIN CYCLE

Key shifts in social media strategy, new dictionary words emerge o you ever wonder how marketers and business owners are using social media to grow their business? Whether they are concerned about declining Facebook reach? What platforms and strategies they intend to invest their time in?

Wonder no more. Social Media Examiner has just released its annual Social Media Marketing Industry Report after surveying more than 2,800 marketers.

The one undeniable message from the report is that marketers continue to place high value on social media with 92 percent of marketers (up from 86 percent last year) indicating that social media was important for their business.

The report also revealed a number of shifts in focus, as marketers try to stand out from – and navigate – all the noise to get noticed and get results online.

D

Related: 7 Super Tips for Creating Powerful Infographics Here are six key shifts in strategy that are highlighted by this year’s industry report: 1. A return to blogging: When asked how they will change their future social-media activities, blogging topped the charts with 68 percent of marketers planning to increase their efforts. Not since 2010 has blogging been the focus for increased activity for marketers, according to the report.

2. Facebook is losing its shine: The report indicates that we’re seeing the beginning of a decline in the use of Facebook by marketers, despite it remaining the most important social network overall. Seven percent of marketers plan to decrease their use of Facebook in 2014, and only 43 percent think their Facebook efforts are effective.

3. B2B vs. B2C requires a shift in focus: The report reveals interesting differences in the focus of B2B and B2C marketers. When it comes to B2C, Facebook dominates (with 68 percent of marketers choosing Facebook as their No. 1 choice of social platform) followed by YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram.

For B2B marketers, LinkedIn surpassed Facebook as the platform of choice, with blogging and Twitter also playing a more prominent role.

Related: As Social Media Becomes More Visual, a Tool for Analyzing Image Engagement 4. A greater fascination with Google+: Marketers want to learn most about Google+. “While 54 percent of marketers are using Google+, 65 percent want to learn more about it and 61 percent plan on increasing Google+ activities in 2014,” the report states.

5. Podcasting is on a growth trajectory: Although only 6 percent of marketers are involved with podcasting, 21 percent plan to

increase their podcasting activities this year.

This is more than a three-fold increase.

With 28 percent of marketers wanting to learn more about podcasting, this is a major Todd Smith shift in priorities and, according to Social Media Examiner is likely fuelled by: » The global adoption of smartphones » Introduction of Apple’s CarPlay (an incar system to allow the playing of podcasts via car dashboards) » Major auto manufacturers integrating dashboards with 3rd party apps.

6. Eyes are now on visual content: When it comes to content, visual assets top the list of content forms that marketers want to learn more about. Sixty-eight percent of marketers want to know about how to create original images and infographics, followed closely by an interest in learning how to produce original videos.

It is becoming harder to reach your ideal audience while they filter out the noise. As indicated in the report, clever marketers are considering a shift in their approach to reach consumers.

Whether this shift is to be flexible in the platforms you focus on, to include more visual content, or to embrace emerging mediums like podcasting, the end result is to provide quality content that catches the attention of consumers and provides them with value.

It’s Official – Hashtag, Selfie & Tweep Are New Dictionary Words Hashtag, selfie, and tweep join over 150 new words and definitions added to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate® Dictionary in 2014, available now in print and online at Merriam-Webster.com. These new additions to America’s best-selling dictionary reflect the growing influence technology is having on human endeavor, especially social networking, once done mostly in person.

Crowdfunding joins big data and gamification, illustrating how technology is being used to understand and motivate behavior. A similar, if more playful, intersection of technology and human behavior can be seen in steampunk (“science fiction dealing with 19thcentury societies dominated by historical or imagined steam-powered technology”).

In the area of more intimate relationships, catfish, a technology-related term, refers to a person who sets up a false social networking profile for deceptive purposes. Catfish was popularized by the documentary and television series of the same name and by last year’s strange story of football player Manti Te’o’s nonexistent girlfriend.

“So many of these new words show the impact of online connectivity to our lives and livelihoods,” explains Peter Sokolowski, Editor at Large for Merriam-Webster.

“Tweep, selfie, and hashtag refer to the ways we communicate and share as individuals.

Words like crowdfunding, gamification, and big data show that the Internet has changed business in profound ways.”

New culinary terms include pho (“a soup made of beef or chicken broth and rice noodles”), turducken (“a boneless chicken stuffed into a boneless duck stuffed into a boneless turkey”), and the Canadian favorite poutine (“a dish of French fries covered with brown gravy and cheese curds”).

Other notable additions include freegan, fracking, and Yooper, a nickname used for a native or resident of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Join the New Words conversation on Twitter using hashtag #MW2014NewWords.

Check out just a few of the new words added to this year’s update of MerriamWebster’s Collegiate® Dictionary, and their definitions: 1. big data – an accumulation of data that is too large and complex for processing by traditional database management tools.

2. catfish – a technology-related term, refers to a person who sets up a false social networking profile for deceptive purposes.

3. crowdfunding – the practice of soliciting financial contributions from a large number of people especially from the online community.

4. fracking – the injection of fluid into shale beds at high pressure in order to free up petroleum resources (such as oil or natural gas).

5. freegan – an activist who scavenges for free food (as in waste receptacles at stores and restaurants) as a means of reducing consumption of resources.

6. gamification – the process of adding games or gamelike elements to something (as a task) so as to encourage participation.

7. hashtag – a word or phrase preceded by the symbol # that classifies or categorizes the accompanying text (such as a tweet).

8. pho – a soup made of beef or chicken broth and rice noodles.

9. poutine – a dish of French fries covered with brown gravy and cheese curds.

10. selfie – an image of oneself taken by oneself using a digital camera especially for posting on social networks.

11. social networking – the creation and maintenance of personal and business relationships especially online.

12. steampunk – science fiction dealing with 19th-century societies dominated by historical or imagined steam-powered technology 13. turducken – a boneless chicken stuffed into a boneless duck stuffed into a boneless turkey.

14. tweep – a person who uses the Twitter online message service to send and receive tweets.

15. Yooper – a native or resident of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan —used as a nickname.

Smeared Mic | Jill Abramson vs. New York Times In PR War There’s a big, dark cloud hovering over The Grey Lady in the wake of The New York Times’ grossly mishandled firing of its first female and longtime executive editor Jill Abramson. Both Abramson and the Times have been embroiled in a PR war since the announcement surfaced. Abramson was suddenly and unexpectantly pushed out of the top editorial role of The Times recently.

Dean Baquet, who was managing editor, immediately took over the job, becoming the first African-American to lead the publication. Abramson was named executive editor in September 2011 and was the first woman to have run the paper’s editorial side.

A Times spokesperson said Arthur Sulzberger Jr., publisher of the Times and chairman of The New York Times Company, was spurred by a desire to change how the newsroom was managed. That’s the ultimate spin.

The vagueness of the announcement quickly fueled speculation over Abramson’s firing. Citing anonymous sources, the New Yorker reported that tensions between Sulzberger and Abramson rose when she discovered that she was being paid less than her male predecessor, Bill Keller. But the Times pushed back on that storyline, telling Politico that her total compensation was “not less than” Keller’s. Meanwhile, the Times itself reported that Abramson had been trying to hire an outsider to be Baquet’s co-managing editor. Over time, the world will discover what truly happened, but regardless, it was a poorly executed PR and crisis communications strategy. The Spin Cycle realizes it’s not wise to duke it out with an organization that buys ink by the barrel, but we must uphold fair and balanced journalistic integrity in a rapidly changing media landscape. For that, The New York Times gets a tarnished mic to put on the shelf next to its Pulitzers.

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 fullservice 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

May 30, 2014

I

Mississippi Business Journal

I

23

» JEFFREY GITOMER

Old way or new way?

Only one way works. My way.

T

he old way of selling is dead.

The only people who don’t know that are other sales trainers, recently released old-world sales tactics books that are still trying to convey old messages, and several million salespeople still trying to cold call, pitch the product, overcome objections, and close the sale. Don’t forget their managers who force them to use an uncomfortable “system, “ a nonsales helpful CRM, and hold their salespeople accountable for their actions and numbers. It’s over.

Dead and over.

What killed it?

Who killed it?

The internet and its immediate access to any information – including one’s reputation – the economy, Google and online searchability in general, social media, smart phones, one-click buying, Amazon feedback and other ratings sites, and smarter customers and consumers both B2B and B2C. WOW! The online and smartphone evolution has become a sales and selling revolution.

The NEW big picture of selling is quite simple.

Here’s what to train and teach your salespeople: • Teach why people buy rather than how to sell.

My mantra and trademarked phrase is, People don’t like to be sold, but they LOVE to buy.

• Teach customer loyalty, not customer satisfaction. Customers may never be satisfied but will continue to do business with you based on your perceived value.

• Teach salespeople to “ask” questions about the customer rather than “tell” about their product. The old way of selling doesn’t work anymore. And no one is more aware of that than an informed customer.

• Teach salespeople to be responsible for their actions instead of being accountable for their activity.

CONSTRUCTION LEIN

Here are 4.5 NEW ways of thinking, acting and selling responsibly: 1. FIND THEIR WHY. Uncover your customer’s intentions and motives for purchase before or during your sales presentation. Do online searchs for why they might buy, and ask emotionally revealing questions. Their “why” is your order.

2. TALK ABOUT THEIR OUTCOME. Share with him or her how they produce more and profit more AFTER purchase. Explain what happens after they take ownership Talk about how they win, not a bunch of boring crap about you that the customer could have found in less than two seconds on Google.

3. PROVE YOUR VALUE. Get several of your existing (best) customers to do video testimonials to corroborate your claims. When you say it about yourself it’s bragging, when others say it about you it is proof. Voice of customer is the proof you need to convert selling to buying.

4. DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN A PRISTINE REPUTATION. Not just your company and your products – you personally. Information and reputation arrives before you do. Google yourself right now. That’s what your customer sees before you arrive.

4.5 BEWARE AND BE AWARE OF THE INTERNET. It has changed and continues to change the face of selling, and the lives (not to mention the incomes) of salespeople. EXAMPLES: Retail sales, banking, trading stocks, buying cars, traveling, and, most important, the ability to research the opinions and outcomes of others. Get internet savvy. Get internet fluent. Then stay there.

A few months ago I wrote about the difference between aggressive selling and assertive selling. That difference is pivotal in the company’s philosophy of selling, salesperson’s method of selling, and the cus-

Continued from Page 4

The lien law also subjects general contractors to triple damages for withholding payments to subs after receiving payment from the property owner.

“It’s a step in the right direction,” said the Homebuilders Association’s Milstead.

The court ruling “left a real mess” that the legislation cleaned up, he added. “We think it should give some recourse to those who aren’t getting paid and clear those who are paying their bills,” Edens said Mississippi risked losing crucial tradesmen and materials suppliers had it not provided the lien option.

“We have some folks who said if they can’t get protection, we aren’t going to stay here and do business. This is long overdue. It’s not a perfect bill, but it is better than what we had before, which was nothing.”

LET’S DEAL! Lease expiring?

Need new space?

Better Location?

2400sf-9200sf Office/Retail 42,000 ADT Lakeland Dr. Dogwood area, Flowood, MS Also 1 acre Commercial at the entrance to Market Street.

Thomas (601)624-1321

tomer’s decision to buy your product or service.

Here is the CliffsNotes™ version of the difference: • Aggressive salespeople “tell.”

• Assertive salespeople “ask.”

• Aggressive salespeople “go for the sale.”

• Assertive salespeople “go for the customer.”

Aggressive salespeople sell the old way. They talk, they brag, they give a demo, they manipulate to close the sale, they send proposals, and in general they fight. They fight to get an appointment, they fight price, they fight competition, and they fight for the sale – a sale that even if they win they have lost profit.

The assertive presentation challenges you, the salesperson, to bring forth a combination of your knowledge and value as it relates to customer needs as well as a superior ability to connect both verbally and nonverbally with the person or the group you’re addressing.

You’ll know your assertive strategy is working when the customer or the prospective customer begins asking questions to get a deeper understanding

about the value and difference your product or service offers. This changes monologue to dialogue and creates the power of engagement, or should I say assertive engagement.

A FEW MORE Jeffrey Gitomer WORDS OF CAUTION: The new way of selling requires more work on the part of the salesperson.

More research, more preparation, more knowledge, better presentation skills, more value differentiation, and more proof.

This accentuates my rule of, “the more the more.”

The more research, preparation, knowledge, enthusiastic presentation skills, value differentiation, and proof you bring to the sales presentation, the more sales you will make.

Which type of salesperson are you?

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.

Office Space for Rent in downtown Jackson Approximately 1800 sq. ft., includes 2 private offices

Amenities available: I^Wh[Z a_jY^[d I^Wh[Z ijehW][ I[c_#fh_lWj[ e\ÓY[ ifWY[ FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT:

Alan Turner, alan.turner@msbusiness.com

601-364-1021 Tami Jones, tami.jones@msbusiness.com

601-364-1011

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY IS: Fiber optic data that doesn’t slow you down

C SPIRE BUSINESS SOLUTIONS CONNECTS YOUR BUSINESS. • Guaranteed speeds up to 100x faster than your current connection.

• Synchronous transfer rates for sending and receiving data.

• Reliable connections even during major weather events.

CLOUD

SERVICES

Get Advanced Technology Now.

Advanced Technology. Personal Service.

1.855.212.7271 | cspirebusiness.com