MBJ_Oct06_2017

INSIDE — Mississippi’s August unemployment figures — Page 7 AGRIBUSINESS

www.msbusiness.com

October 6, 2017 • Vo. 39. No. 40 • 20 pages

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Cal-Maine reports $16 M loss for quarter — Page 2

MBJ FOCUS ARCHITECTS & ENGINEERS {Section begins P10}

Turning the corner: County Line Road at Ridgewood PAGE 2

» Biloxi firm Machado Patano to revive Katrina eyesore for its new headquarters

» Millsaps chapel project has ‘special place in our heart’ for contractor

{The List P13} » Oldest Engineering Firms

http://msbusiness.com/ceo-awards-of-mississippi/

2 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q October 6, 2017 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGRIBUSINESS

Turning the corner: County Line Road at Ridgewood

By JACK WEATHERLY jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com

Two investors are buying in to the intersection of County Line Road and Ridgewood Road.

Between the $900,000 spent on the former Applebee’s in the North Regency Square and the $1.8 million to buy and renovate the old Copeland’s, the total reaches about $2.7 million.

Both spaces had been vacant for several years.

News of the revitalization of the corner comes after the Mississippi Business Journal revealed in August that the Kroger store at 2000 E. County Line Road in Ridgeland, vacant for nearly four years, will soon have new occupants.

Sky Zone, a trampoline-based franchise, and Crunch Fitness, a gym, will divide the 62,000-square-foot building on the opposite eastern end of County Line, long a dominant retail corridor in metro Jackson but which has been struggling to keep its footing as newer retail centers siphon off prestige tenants.

Yasser Alkhatib plans to open a Denny’s in the old Applebee’s spot by the end of October.

Changho Lee is awaiting only his liquor license before he can open Vibe Sports Grill at 6390 Ridgewood Rd. Both men are naturalized Americans.

Lee immigrated 20 years ago from South Korea, and Alkhatib, a native of Damascus, Syria, arrived four decades ago.

Everything is new in Vibe, Lee points out.

The place last occupied

by Friday Tuna for only Lee a few months, was in disarray, Lee said.

The sports bar will be the first restaurant for Lee who owns 11 beauty supply stores in Mississippi.

He bought the 8,000-square-foot building with 5,000 square feet of dining space and a seating capacity of between 250 and 300, Lee said.

Built by Copeland’s of New Orleans, which operated there for a number of years, it was followed by Friday’s Tuna, which was only in business for a few months.

He has spent five months redecorating the space and replacing the kitchen and all its appliances, plus fixing the leaky roof.

A stage with music equipment has been added for a once-a-week karaoke night, Lee said.

Vibe will offer sports-bar fare, with an oriental twist, such as Korean tacos and wings.

Alkhatib is a believer in Denny’s. The

The Denny’s at North RegencySquare is expected to open at the end of the month.

restaurant at North Regency Square will be his 12th franchise in the chain, including one in Pearl.

Alkhatib said of Denny’s: “This is an American diner,” adding that the South Carolina-based chain is “good to deal with.”

“This is a commitment,” he said. “We feel like this is going to be a good spot for this type of business.”

Alan Hart, director of economic development for the city of Ridgeland, agrees.

“I think its a good fit for the area,” Hart said.

And it stands to be good for North Regency Square, which has lost a number of tenants.

It was in the portfolio of Stonemar Properties of New York City, which let the Ridgeland property go in foreclosure, said Jonathan Gould, co-managing member of Stonemar.

The property is now owned by C-III Capital Partners LLC, a New York-based commercial real estate investment management company.

Excluding Denny’s, about 15,482 square feet of the center’s 63,316 square feet was listed as available Tuesday on the website of Collier International, the leasing agent.

Pier 1 Imports and Party City are stalwarts in the shopping center.

JACK WEATHERLY/MBJ

CAL-MAINE REPORTS $16 MILLION LOSS FOR QUARTER

By JACK WEATHERLY jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com Cal-Maine Foods Inc. reported on Monday a net loss of $16 million, or 33 cents per share, for the first fiscal quarter compared with a net loss of $30.9 million, or 64 cents, for the year-earlier period.

Net sales were $262.8 million, compared with $239.8 million for the prior-year period.

MarketWatch reported that the FactSet Research Systems Inc. consensus was for a pershare loss of 18 cents. Revenue missed the FactSet consensus of $264.1 million.

Nonetheless, the nation’s largest egg producer reached a 52-week high Monday in trading on the NasdaqGS stock market, with its shares closing at $41.65, up 55 cents.

Dolph Baker, chairman, president and chief executive officer of the Jackson-based company, stated in a news release issued before its stock started trading that “while we are disappointed to report a loss for the quarter, we are encouraged by the year-over-year improvement in our performance.”

“Our results reflect continued solid retail demand and a modest increase in both volumes and prices compared with the first quarter of fiscal 2017 . . . . Our average customer selling prices for all eggs were up 6.8 percent in the first quarter compared with a year ago.

Baker noted again that after the 2015 avian influenza outbreak and losses of laying hens, producers replaced their flocks with younger, more-productive layers and “total supply still remained high through the first quarter.”

“Retail demand has been in line with normal seasonal trends and continues to show year-overyear improvement. However, lower institutional demand for egg products and reduced export demand have resulted in an oversupply environment and created additional pricing pressures.

“The most recent USDA reports indicate the chick hatch has been trending down for most of the past year compared with the previous year, which could influence future supply levels.”

October 6, 2017

Q

Mississippi Business Journal

Q

3

ARCHITECTURE

Courtesy of Duvall Decker/MBJ

Duvall Decker unveils plan for Springdale, Ark. municipal campus

By JACK WEATHERLY jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com

Duvall Decker Architects P.A., a Jackson ďŹ rm, has unveiled plans for a 120,000-square-foot $35.5 million municipal complex for the city of Springdale in northwest Arkansas. “Duvall Decker is honored to have been selected to design the Springdale Municipal complex,â€? partner Roy Decker said in an email. “We were selected over ďŹ rms from New York, San Francisco and Minneapolis, by many measures, ďŹ rms more well known. The mayor and council members recognized in our work in Mississippi a dedication to design quality with public value, durability and a keen sense of economy that comes natural to us here.â€?

Construction will start in the fall of 2018 with completion estimated by December 2020.

Currently in the planning phases, the municipal campus will include a state-ofthe-art police facility, a state district court, and renovation of the city administration building.

The new campus will consolidate various municipal departments and provide better public safety and service for its citizens, according to a news release from Duvall Decker.

The revived downtown will connect to the Razorback Greenway, a bike and recreation trail that unites Bentonville with Fayetteville through the heart of Springdale.

Springdale’s population has grown more than 123 percent to more than 80,000 residents since 1993, when the existing 43,000-square-foot city facility was built.

The police force has grown from 75 to over 200, and the court now hears 20,000 more cases per year.

Duvall Decker’s design team includes public safety and court consultants from Dewberry Architects and local architectural partner, Hight Jackson Associates from Rogers, Ark. Duvall Decker was selected to lead the project through the Walton Family Foundations’ Northwest Arkansas Design Excellence Program. The design for the project is one of several northwest Arkansas projects funded by the foundation, “which seeks to elevate the architectural quality of future public buildings and spaces in Benton and Washington Counties.�

Led by principals Roy Decker and Anne Marie Decker, the ďŹ rm has earned numerous awards for design excellence.

Recent commissions include academic facilities for Hinds Community College,

Conceptual rendering of the Municipal Campus in Springdale.

Tougaloo College, and Alcorn State University, a library renovation for Mississippi Valley State University, military facilities, commercial data centers, a hotel, and housing/urban development for partners in the state

MEC’s 16th Annual

Perspectives from State Leaders Featuring a Special Message from Governor Phil Bryant

Also hear from:

Mississippi

Lt. Governor Tate Reeves

Speaker of the House Philip Gunn

Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

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Attorney General Jim Hood

Agriculture & Commerce Commissioner Cindy Hyde-Smith

State Treasurer Lynn Fitch

State Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney

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4 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q October 6, 2017 LAW ELEVATED

What brands should consider with social media influencer

M

aybe you are a beauty guru receiving free products to review on your YouTube channel with hundreds of thousands of subscribers. Maybe you are an Instagram influencer who gets paid for each of your posts seen and liked by your millions of followers. Maybe you are a lifestyle blogger who partners with household brands to take on special projects. Or, maybe you are the brand that wants to work with these influencers through sponsorships.

Before you enter into a sponsorship agreement as an influencer or the brand, make sure the social media posts disclose the sponsorship relationship to your followers and consumers. Otherwise, you may run the risk of engaging in deceptive marketing practices in violation of the Federal Trade Commission Act.

The FTC Act and disclosures The social media advertising world involves brands’ social media teams reaching out to popular YouTubers, Instagram celebrities, lifestyle bloggers, and more in an effort to partner with them to ultimately help sell their products and services on-

line. Social media influencer sponsorships are a non-traditional approach that allows brands to reach consumers who may otherwise miss traditional television and radio commercials. Although non-traditional and effective, this kind of advertising is still subject to the Federal Trade Commission Act. The FTC Act is the primary statute of the FTC. It protects consumers from “unfair or deceptive acts or practices.” This prohibition on unfair and deceptive practices applies broadly to advertising claims, marketing and promotional activities, and sales practices – even when such practices occur online.

Recognizing the broadening of online advertising activities, the FTC issued “Dot Com Disclosures” in May 2000.

This guidance document discussed how consumer protection statutes, rules, and guides applied to online advertising and sales. In 2009, the FTC released Endorsement Guidelines, discussing the standards to which both brands and social media influencers should adhere. The dot-com disclosures were revised in 2013 to reflect the dramatic changes in online advertising,

and clarified that the FTC could consider undisclosed social media sponsorships as deceptive marketing practices.

Just a little more than two months ago, the FTC reviewed numerous Instagram posts by celebrities, athletes and other social media influencers, and sent out more than 90 letters to those individuals to remind them to “clearly and conspicuously disclose their relationships to brands when promoting or endorsing through social media.”

Defining a ‘sponsorship’ relationship Whether you are a brand or a social media influencer, you must disclose your sponsorship relationships to your followers. Under the FTC’s endorsement guidelines, a “material connection” between a brand and social media influencer should be “clearly and conspicuously” disclosed, unless it is already clear from the context of the communication.

A social media sponsorship relationship may be a material connection between the brand and the influencer if it consists of a business or (less likely) family relationship, monetary payment, or a gift of a free prod-

uct. Practically speaking, sponsorships can take the form of beauty gurus receiving free hair or makeup supplies in exchange for positive review videos, Instagram influencers being paid per post, and life- Melonie S. Jordan style bloggers partnering with major brands for campaigns. Merely sharing that you are a fan of a particular brand or product does not create a material connection.

When in doubt, it is best to err on the side of disclosure.

‘Clearly and conspicuously’– when in doubt, #Hashtag it correctly The dot com disclosures also advise brands and influencers to use unambiguous language and to make their disclosures stand out.

For YouTube users, disclosure of sponsorship relationships may take place through audio, videos, or animated segments. Thus, beauty gurus and the like may

See LAW ELEVATED, Page 14

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MBJPERSPECTIVE October 6, 2017 • www.msbusiness.com • Page 5

OTHER VIEWS

#THE OUTSIDE WORLD

Marketing valuable for schools, districts

Website: www.msbusiness.com October 6, 2017 Volume 39, Number 40

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» INSIDE MISSISSIPPI

Quickie budget hearings produce few surprises

T

he Legislature’s quickie budget hearings produced few surprises last week.

Schools, colleges, and universities, as usual, asked for lots more money while legislators, as usual, focused on holding down spending.

One unusual aspect, compared with recent history, was the absence of a looming budget cut due to revenue shortfalls. State tax collections for the first two months of this fiscal year are 10% higher than last year and 4 percent ahead of the revenue estimate. Last year, the state collected millions less than expected and suffered three midyear budget cuts by Gov. Phil Bryant.

Tempering this good news was the continuing outlook for slow revenue growth due to what state economist Darrin Webb called the state’s “lackluster” economic performance. Fitch and S&P ratings also project “relatively slow” economic growth.

Two surprises were the Department of Mental Health asking for level funding and Medicaid asking for less than it sought last year. The mental health agency was severely impacted by budget cuts over the past two years.

Consequently, the agency announced it would lay off 650 employees and cut many services. Apparently, agency leaders decided the cuts to be a fait ac-

Bill Crawford

compli and chose not to die in the ditch seeking unlikely budget increases.

Medicaid’s request was down $47 million. The agency said it could request less because of an increase in federal matching funds.

Education entities, on the other hand, told the budget committee they need $437 million more to adequately educate and train students. “I don’t want to see Mississippi left behind as the rest of the world moves forward,” said Dr. Mark Keenum, president of Mississippi State University, as reported by the Associated Press.

“We are not going to have that kind of money,” House Pro Tem Greg Snowden said, according to the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. “We have to prioritize and choose somehow.”

One extra thing they will choose to fund for sure is the next phase of the $415 million tax cut adopted in 2016.

The additional cost for the upcoming fiscal year is estimated to be $46 million.

“We work for the taxpayers, not the bureaucracy that has been created over the past 200 years,” said Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, according to Mississippi Today.

See CRAWFORD, Page 6

reating a connection between parents and the schools and district which their children attend is a valuable initiative that can help build a strong foundation of community support.

That’s why members of the Tupelo Public School District have focused directly over the past several years on marketing efforts, aiming to use a variety of content shared through social media and other platforms to help parents feel connected to the schools.

The decision to ramp up marketing efforts came in part through district officials paying close attention to enrollment trends.

In recent months, school board members have spent more time discussing marketing efforts and student enrollment.

At a Sept. 12 school board meeting, assistant superintendent Andy Cantrell presented enrollment data from the past five years.

The district’s total enrollment was boosted this fall by the addition of more classes at the King Early Childhood Education Center.

There has also been a steady group of out-of-district students paying tuition to attend TPSD schools over the last five years.

Thereare 458 tuitionstudentsattending Tupeloschools this year.Last year, there were 408, and during the 2015-16 school year, there were 389 tuition students in the district.

Data from the 2016-2017 school year showed that 371 TPSD students transferred to another public school, which is about five percent of the district’s student population.

During the 2015-2016 school year, 337 TPSD students left for another public school.

When it comes to the district’s marketing efforts, a lot of the strategy boils down to these numbers and trends “We have more competition than ever before,” said TPSD Superintendent Gearl Loden.

Districtleadersandboardmembersareaskingquestionslike:Areparents choosing to send their students to Tupelo schools? Do parents feel connected to what’s going on in the schools? Is the district visible enough?

TPSD assistant superintendent Kim Britton said the district’s presence on social media allows it to be more transparent, but also to dispel preconceived notions about public schools by sharing positive news.

Through social media and other channels, the district also hopes to drum up community support, school spirit and positive morale – all attractive to teachers, parents and students.

Those discussions, district officials admit, sound fairly businessminded, a slightly different approach than some educators have taken in the past. Yet it’s a novel approach that deserves the significant time, energyandmoneydistrictofficialssaythey’veputbehindthemarketingefforts.

At the end of the day, those decisions showcase an investment being made for future growth in the district and continued support in the community.

While all districts might not have the same resources available to them, exploring similar ways to push marketing and communications efforts to a new level could be valuable in retaining community support of public education for future generations to come.

— Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal

PERSPECTIVE

6 I Mississippi Business Journal I October 6 2017 » RICKY NOBILE

CRAWFORD

Continued from Page 5

Lack of respect for the “bureaucracy” likely played a role in Reeves and Speaker of the House Philip Gunn scaling back the time allotted to agency heads to plead their budget cases. As pointed out by The ClarionLedger, agencies used to be allotted significant time to present and justify their budgets. Past hearings would take a solid week, sometimes more, compared to the day and a half allotted this year. “Most agencies will only submit their spending requests to the Legislative Budget Office and not make a formal presentation,” the newspaper reported.

“How can you actually get up and talk about your agency and the needs of your agency in a 20-minute presentation?” Brenda Scott, president of the Mississippi Alliance of State Employees, told Mississippi Today.

No one is listening, Brenda, so the gap between what agency heads see as citizen demands for services and what legislators perceive as demands from taxpayers just grows and grows.

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

»ON MISSISSIPPI

Analysis: Mississippi could have tough 2018 Senate race

M

ississippi’s most recent Republican primary for U.S. Senate was hard-fought and ugly, and it might be a preview of things to come in 2018.

State Sen. Chris McDaniel came close to unseating longtime U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran in 2014 by portraying the Appropriations Committee chairman as a big-spending Washington insider who belonged to an out-of-touch political elite.

Voters ultimately chose to keep Cochran, and his influence, for a seventh six-year term.

McDaniel and some of his tea party supporters criticized the Cochran campaign for openly courting black voters in traditional Democratic counties for their support in the Republican primary runoff. The tactic is legal because Mississippi voters don’t register by party and the only people restricted from voting in one party’s runoff are those who voted in the other party’s original primary. Still, the McDaniel camp has used “Remember Mississippi” as a rallying cry for what they perceive as injustice and what Cochran supporters say was simply smart strategy.

After Donald Trump prevailed over U.S. senators and former governors in the 2016 Republican presidential primary and ultimately won the White House, McDaniel supporters see renewed momentum for an outsider candidate.

McDaniel is positioning himself to challenge Mississippi’s other Republican U.S. senator, Roger Wicker, in 2018.

Though he says he has not made a final decision, McDaniel is dropping hints, just as he did right up until his announcement in late 2013 that he would take on Cochran in ’14.

After former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore won the Republican U.S. Senate primary in Alabama last week by appealing to social conservatives, McDaniel told The Associated

Press that he saw the Alabama results as “a continuation of what we did in 2013 and ’14.” McDaniel stopped short of saying he would challenge Wicker, but said Moore’s win “makes ours a much more compelling race.”

McDaniel also has the support of former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, who backed Moore in Alabama.

Wicker served in the Mississippi state Senate before winning a U.S. House seat in 1994. Gov. Haley Barbour appointed Wicker to the U.S. Senate in December 2007 after fellow Republican Trent Lott resigned. Wicker defeated Democratic former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove in November 2008 to fill the final years of the term Lott started.

Wicker easily won a six-year term in 2012 and has focused on building up the Navy fleet, which helps one of Mississippi’s largest private employers, Ingalls Shipbuilding.

McDaniel argues that Wicker “has the same voting record as Sen. Cochran,” but without decades of good will built up across the Mississippi electorate. McDaniel said that means that he could gather the same anti-establishment support he won in 2014 without Wicker being able to turn to independents and Democrats.

“When we started that race, Thad Cochran was the most

Emily Pettus

popular politician in Mississippi,” McDaniel said. “In Mississippi, we have some folks known by one name. We have Elvis.

We have Thad. But we looked at it and saw from the start the beginnings of the philosophical divide that we have in our party. It just has to be exposed properly.”

Wicker led the National Republican Senatorial Committee in 2016, and gained favor in the GOP by raising money and campaigning for candidates in several states.

Winning a Senate race is expensive, and much of the money traditionally comes from national groups. Republican

After Donald Trump prevailed over U.S. senators and former governors in the 2016 Republican presidential primary and ultimately won the White House, (Chris) McDaniel supporters see renewed momentum for an outsider candidate.

Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee announced last week that he won’t seek re-election in 2018, and that could affect how much cash is available for the Senate race in Mississippi, both for Wicker and for anyone trying to knock him out of office.

Emily Wagster Pettus covers Capitol matters for the Mississippi Associated Press in Jackson.

August 2017

October 6, 2017

Q

Mississippi 5.1

Mississippi U.S. Business Journal 4.5

Q

DeSoto 3.7

7 Tunica 5.4

MISSISSIPPI’S AUG. UNEMPLOYMENT FIGURES

Tate 5.1

UNITED STATES Labor Force Data Civilian Labor Force Unemployed Unemployment Rate Employed

Aug ‘17 160,863,000 7,287,000 4.5 153,576,000

STATE OF MISSISSIPPI Unemployment Insurance Data •• Initial UI Claims Continued Claims BeneďŹ ts Paid Weeks Paid First Payments Final Payments Average Weekly BeneďŹ t

July ‘17 1,304,300 79,300 6.1 1,225,000

July ‘17 161,911,000 7,441,000 4.6 154,470,000

Aug 2017 5,498 53,876 $7,692,730 38,613 2,633 621 $199.23

Aug ‘16 1,272,700 71,700 5.6 1,201,000

Aug ‘16 159,800,000 7,996,000 5.0 151,804,000

July 2017 6,284 69,346 $9,518,753 48,171 3,817 765 $197.60

‘16 Avg. 1,280,500 74,700 5.8 1,205,800

‘16 Avg. 159,187,000 7,751,000 4.9 151,436,000

Prentiss 4.8

Yalobusha 5.9

Calhoun 4.4

Leflore 7.7

Carroll 5.8

Montgomery 5.0

Humphreys 8.8 Sharkey 6.8

Moving Avg.** 159,985,000 7,314,000 4.6 152,670,000

Holmes 9.1

Yazoo 6.5

Issaquena 8.8

Noxubee 7.4

Winston 6.4

Leake 5.6

Neshoba 5.1

Scott 4.2

Newton 5.4

Kemper 7.6

Madison 3.9 Warren 5.8 Rankin 3.5

Hinds 4.9

Claiborne 10.1 Jefferson 14.9 Adams 7.6

Wilkinson 9.6

Franklin 7.1

Lincoln 5.3

Amite 6.9

Pike 6.0

Covington Jones 4.9 5.1

Walthall 7.0

Marion 5.2

8.3 - 14.9

5.6 - 8.2 8.3 - 14.9

Lamar 3.7

Pearl River 5.3

Hancock 5.3

Clarke 5.7

Wayne 5.9

Lawrence Jeff Davis 6.8 8.0

Unemployment Rates

— Mississippi Department of Employment Security5.6 - 8.2

Lauderdale 5.5

Jasper 6.2

Smith 4.7

Simpson 5.0

Copiah 5.5

** Average for most recent twelve months, including current month Rates •• Unemployment Insurance amounts presented in this section only represent regular UI benefits, federal program amounts areUnemployment not included.

3.5 - 4.0 3.5 - 4.0 Labor force amounts are produced in cooperation with the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

4.1 - 5.5 4.1 - 5.5 Note: Unless indicated state and county data presented are not seasonally adjusted.

Forrest 4.8

Perry 6.5

Stone 6.0

Harrison 4.6

Greene 7.6

George 7.3

Jackson 5.6

Source: Labor Market Data Publication Design: Labor Market Information Department, MDES

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Lowndes 5.4

Oktibbeha 5.0

Choctaw 4.8

Attala 5.6

Monroe 5.2

Clay 6.7

Webster 5.2

Washington 7.6

Tishomingo 5.1

Itawamba 4.3

Chickasaw 5.4

Grenada 4.4

Sunflower 8.2

Lee 4.0

Pontotoc 3.8

Bolivar 7.0

Moving Avg.** 1,289,900 69,100 5.4 1,220,800

Aug 2016 6,821 66,606 $9,759,187 49,066 3,084 887 $198.90

Alcorn 4.6

Tippah 4.5

Lafayette 4.3

Quitman 7.9

Coahoma 7.4

Tallahatchie 4.8

Aug ‘17 1,276,300 64,700 5.1 1,211,600

Benton 5.2

Union 3.5 Panola 6.5

Labor force and employment security data STATE OF MISSISSIPPI Labor Force Data Civilian Labor Force Unemployed Unemployment Rate Employed

Marshall 4.9

Newsmakers

8 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q October 6, 2017

Nail McKinney adds to staff Daniel Drummond has joined the Nail McKinney Professional Association firm as a Staff Accountant in the Tupelo office. Daniel is a native of New Albany and a 2017 graduate of the University of Mississippi with a Master of Accountancy. He has passed all parts of the CPA exam.

Adams to command JSU ROTC Drummond

Hotel Vue selects Weber

Charles Weber was recently name Food & Beverage Director for the Hotel Vue and The Pilot House Restaurant in Natchez.

Weber has more than 30 years experience in the food and beverage industry. His primary responsibilities include overseeing all aspects of The Pilot House and catering functions for Hotel Vue.

Weber

Alcorn rises in rankings Alcorn State University has moved up to the 19th best historically black college and university in the nation according to the 2018 U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges rankings.

Alcorn jumped five spots from its position as 24th in the 2016 rankings. The University also ranks 37th in the Top Public Schools category, making it the only Mississippi HBCU to be ranked in the category. Alcorn remained among the Top 100 Best in the Regional Universities (South) category at number 95.

U. S. News recognizes highly ranked schools in different categories. Criteria evaluated in the U.S. News rankings include academic reputation, retention and graduation rates, among others. The organization ranked 74 HBCUs.

MSU professor recognized

Associate Professor Bradley S. “Brad” Trinkle, a member of the Mississippi State University College of Business faculty, recently became one of four contributors receiving the first Best Paper Award of the Journal of Information Systems, academic publication of theAmerican

Trinkle

Hall

MCEDA selects Deason

Mask new MWB president

Jackson advertising agency, Maris, West & Baker (MWB), recently announced that Tim Mask has been named the President of the agency.

Mask, who will be the fifth president, is a 19-year veteran of the agency, which he joined in 1998.

Peter Marks, who has served as Mask CEO and President of the agency since 2006, will continue in the role of CEO. Mask is the founder of Fast Forward Mississippi, a nonprofit that he founded to reduce the out-migration of college-educated adults in Mississippi.

While serving as agency president, Mask will maintain his supervisory role on MWB clients, including the Mississippi State Department of Health, Entergy Nuclear, the Mississippi Development Authority and the Jackson Convention and Visitors Bureau.

University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting from the Cleveland Institute of Art. He began his teaching career in 1997 at Indiana University and then taught at the John Waldron Arts Center before joining the Mississippi State art department faculty in 1999 as an assistant professor. He was promoted to full professor in 2010.

Aron Smith / Courtesy of JSU

Lt. Col. Shander Adams, right, was recently named the first woman commander of JSU’s Air Force ROTC. Adams, a JSU alum, follows outgoing commander Lt. Col. Timothy Henderson, center. At left is Mississippi congressman Bennie Thompson. The Gluckstadt native is the fifth of 10 children, joined the military out of financial necessity after graduating from the University of Southern Mississippi. She left active duty four years later after the birth of a son and joined the Mississippi Air National Guard. The GI Bill enabled her to obtain her master’s degree from JSU. Later, she entered Officer Training School. After she put off plans to retire in 2018, Henderson recruited Adams to JSU a year ago.

Accounting Association’s Accounting Information Systems section.

Since 2011, he has been a faculty member in the Richard C. Adkerson School of Accountancy, a major unit of the university’s College of Business.

“Understanding Compliance with Bring-Your-Own Device Policies Utilizing Protection Motivation Theory: Bridging the Intention-Behavior Gap” was the title of a report Trinkle co-wrote with former MSU faculty colleague Robert E. Crossler, now of Washington State University. James H. Long and Tina M. Lorass, both of Auburn University, were the other authors.

Because they are becoming the norm rather than the exception, BYOD policies are being put in place by businesses to help address risks inherent in allowing individuals to use their own devices to access or store company data.

Trinkle is a University of Alabama doctoral graduate, with bachelor’s and master’s degrees completed at East Tennessee State University.

Ware named to position Pastor Tonya Hairston Ware was recently named Project Manager for Leadership Greater Jackson.

Ware is the creator and host of Jackson’s “Saturday Success Church.” She has been featured on national television networks and is host of the “How To Write Ware Your Book in 60 Days” Program and the Manifestation Mastermind Group.

For more than 12 years, Ware focused her attention on her career, as a Benefits and Retirement Planner for a Fortune 500 Company. She was named a member of the Mississippi Business Journal’s “Top 40 Under 40,”

and now mentors business owners through Score.

Her Bold New Book,” Life Is Your Song: Discover Your Voice” fuses her successful story with a blueprint for others to construct the life of their dreams.

She is a member of the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership where she serves as an Ambassador and Co-chair. Tonya also serves with TeamJXN. She is a Managing Partner with The Success House and a Certified Trainer with the Jack Canfield Breakthroughs to Success Program.

Nelson to direct division Jeff Nelson has joined Guaranteed Rate as Division Manager for the Southeast. Nelson oversees markets in Mississippi and six other Southeastern states.

With has more than 20 years of mortgage experience and joins Guaranteed Rate from Wells Fargo, where he previously was Regional Sales Manager.

Nelson

Haupt assumes MSU post Jeffrey Haupt, who previously served as the painting concentration coordinator in the Department of Art, was recently named associate dean for Mississippi State University’s College of Architecture, Art and Design. The move allows Associate Dean Greg Hall to concentrate his work as interim Haupt director of the college’s Building Construction Science program.

Haupt received his Master of Fine Arts from Indiana

The Madison County Economic Development Authority Board of Directors recently selected Joseph (Joey) Deason as the organization’s new executive director. Deason assumes the position from Ken Oilschlager who has been serving as Interim Deason Director over the last year.

Deason previously spent four years as the Chief Operating Officer at the Golden Triangle Development Link where he was integral in projects such as Yokahama Tire and SDI Steel Mill while also developing strategic partnerships with East Mississippi Community College in the creation of a manufacturing training center. Prior to his tenure in the Golden Triangle, he served as President and CEO of Schulz Xtruded Products (SXP), Chief Financial Officer of the Mississippi Development Authority and worked at General Motors and Delphi Corporation for more than 17 years.

Corps names Lee to post The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg District, recently selected Cynthia Lee as chief of its Resource Management Office.

Lee will develop and administer finance and accounting, budget, manpower, and management analysis activities designed to meet Lee organization needs. Her responsibilities include leading a staff of 16 government employees who provide resource management services to the Vicksburg District totaling over 1,000 employees in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas. She is also responsible for planning and executing programs in all District functional areas to include financial, budgeting, organization leadership and manpower management.

Previously she was the District’s finance and accounting officer. Lee began her career with the Corps in 2006 in the finance and accounting branch of the Resource Management Office. Prior to her career with the District, Lee served overseas as a quality assurance accountant for Defense Finance and Accounting Service, Japan, for six years.

She is a member of the American Society of Military Comptrollers. She is a graduate of the Vicksburg District’s Leadership Development Program and a member of the Corps Chapter Chamber of Commerce.

A native of Montgomery, Ala., a, she received her Bachelor’s Degree in accounting from Alabama State University. She is a certified defense financial manager and has a Level II DoD FM certification. Lee has over 18 years of financial management experience.

She and her husband, Robert, are residents of Vicksburg.

Newsmakers

October 6, 2017

Beau Rivage taps president

MGM Resorts International has appointment Bill Boasberg as president and chief operating officer of Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, where he will oversee daily operations while providing strategic direction.

Boasberg began his career in Boasberg hospitality and gaming in New Orleans, his hometown. Most recently, he has served as the top executive at MGM National Harbor in Maryland, which he helped open in December.

In May 2015, Boasberg became the general manager of MGM National Harbor, and in June of this year, he was promoted to president and COO of the resort.

Before joining the Maryland team in 2015, he served as senior vice president and chief financial officer at ARIA Resort & Casino. During his 12 years with MGM Resorts, he has been instrumental in directing complex financial strategies at resorts including The Mirage, New York-New York, Luxor and Excalibur. He began his career in hospitality and gaming at Bally’s in New Orleans.

Earlier in his career, he was a consultant for accounting firm KPMG in Dallas. He received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Louisiana State University and an MBA from the University of New Orleans.

Boasberg will assume his new role at Beau Rivage later this year, after completing licensing requirements. He succeeds Marcus Glover, who in July was named president and COO of Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City.

Karam joins Clinic

Claudia Karam, M.D., has joined the Hattiesburg Clinic and will direct the new Functional & Integrative Medicine service.

Karam received her medical degree from the American University of Beirut in Lebanon.

She completed an internship in internal medicine at Emory Univer- Karam sity in Atlanta. She completed a residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich., where she served as chief resident.

Karam is board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. She is also certified in anti-aging medicine by the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine.

Mitchell elected to council

Meade W. Mitchell of Butler Snow has been elected to the governing council of the American Bar Association, Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section.

The purpose of the Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section (TIPS), one of the larger ABA Mitchell sections, is to promote the objectives of the American Bar Association and to serve those involved in tort and insurance law by bringing together lawyers of diverse backgrounds and practices by providing leadership, inspiring professional excellence and improving the civil justice system.

NASA honors Stennis workers The NASA Space Flight Awareness Program recently recognized several Mississippi employees at the Stennis Space Center with Honoree Awards for outstanding support of human spaceflight: Matt Ladner of Necaise is the facility demolition manager with NASA’s Center Operations Directorate at Stennis. Ladner was recognized for outstanding efforts in the electrical restoration of the B-2 Test Stand in preparation for testing the core stage Ladner of NASA’s new Space Launch System rocket.

Dwayne LaVigne of Picayune is a complex controls engineer with Syncom Space Services at Stennis. LaVigne was recognized for his dedication and tireless efforts towards problem resolution.

LaVigne Kent Morris of Biloxi is the A-1 Test Stand construction manager with Syncom Space Services at Stennis.

Morris was recognized for successful completion of multiple designs and construction activities, primarily in modifying the A-1 Test Stand for the Morris RS-25 engine test project.

Daniel Puckett of Picayune is an information technology (IT) security specialist with SaiTech Mitchell is a litigator and concentrates his practice on product liability defense, toxic tort defense, transportation law/trucking defense, energy litigation, insurance coverage, insurance defense and personal injury defense.

Mitchell is AV-Rated by Martindale-Hubbell and has been named in the Top 50 by Mississippi Super Lawyers. He is a former president of the Capital Area Bar and Jackson Young Lawyers and a past chair of the Mississippi Bar Litigation Section. Mitchell is recognized in The Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers, is a fellow of the American Bar Foundation and is a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel. He has been named in the Top 40 Under 40 by the Mississippi Business Journal and as an Outstanding Young Lawyer of Mississippi by the Mississippi Bar. journals, law reviews and professional publications.

Origin again makes bank list Origin Bank has been named one of the Best Banks to Work For in 2017 by American Banker and Best Companies Group. It is the fifth consecutive year Origin has been recognized on the list.

To be considered for participation, banks had to have at least 50 employees working in the U.S., and be a commercial bank, thrift, mutual association, mutual savings bank, savings and loan association, or a savings bank.

Origin Bank, formerly Community Trust Bank, is based in Louisiana and has 40 banking centers throughout Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi.

at Stennis. Puckett was recognized for professionalism, dedication and exceptional support in IT security and system assurance that contributes directly to the success of NASA’s mission.

LaSonya Pulliam of Tupelo is a specialist engineer with Puckett Aerojet Rocketdyne at Stennis.

Pulliam was recognized for her outstanding support of safety, health and environmental programs at the A-1 Test Stand at Stennis, resulting in no significant injuries or incident.

Robert Drackett of Waveland is a high-speed Pulliam data acquisition engineer with NASA Engineering and Test Directorate at Stennis.

Drackett was recognized for his professionalism, dedication and outstanding technical support to the various propulsion test projects at Stennis.

Travis Sanders of Pass Christian is a metrology technician with A2Research at Stennis. Sanders was recognized for exemplary metrology and calibration support to NASA’s Space Launch System Program and for contributions to test activities at Stennis and construction efforts at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in Sanders nearby New Orleans.

Q

Mississippi Business Journal

Q

9

a Beginning Trainee in 2002. Since then, Holifield has held the roles of Feed Mill Clerk, Internal Auditor and, most recently, Corporate Cash Management Accountant. As Corporate Cash Management Accountant, Holifield was responsible for supervising monetary control of all company funds including recording, classifying and summarizing activities of cash receipts, depositories and disbursements of funds.

A resident of Stringer, Holifield is a graduate of Jones County Junior College in Ellisville, and the University of Southern Mississippi, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. She is pursuing a Juris Master’s degree with a concentration in Financial Regulation & Compliance from Florida State University College of Law. Holifield holds a Certified Treasury Professional Credential and is a graduate of Leadership Jones County. She is actively involved in her church, where she serves on various committees.

Yancey award presented Several Butler Snow attorneys, along with Yamaha’s in-house counsel, have been selected for the Yancey Memorial Award by the International Association of Defense Counsel. The award is given to acknowledge excellence in academic writing.

The winning article, The Use of Bourn Computer-Generated Animations and Simulations at Trial, was written by Victoria Webster, senior counsel of Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., and Butler Snow attorney Fred E. (Trey) Bourn III with assistance from Butler Snow attorneys Carol T. Montgomery and Caroline D. Walker.

Watkins & Eager adds 3

Tupelo a U.S. semifinalist Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association has been named a Top Ten Semi-Finalist for the Great American Main Street Award. This award is the most prestigious award a Main Street community can receive.

Three Main Street communities will be selected as overall winners for this award, which will be announced in March 2018. The award recognizes communities that revitalize their conventional downtown areas and create a vibrant, transformed Main Street.

Tupelo is located in the center of the Mississippi Hills. It is famous for being the birthplace of Elvis Presley, The King of Rock n’ Roll still serves as strong foundation for tourism and entertainment in Downtown Tupelo.

Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association has generated over $165 million in public/private investment and received over 60 awards in 27 years.

Two Mississippi Main Street communities have received the GAMSA, Columbus in 2010 and Ocean Springs in 2013.

Sanderson selects Holifield Christy Holifield has been named Corporate Cash Management Manager at Sanderson Farms, Inc., headquartered in Laurel. Holifield will be responsible for supporting the company’s treasury and cash management operations, as well as developing strategies to maximize efficiencies, safeguard assets and minimize costs.

Holifield began her career with Sanderson Farms as

L. Brown

D. Brown

Strubel

Mississippi-based Watkins & Eager PLLC has opened an office in Birmingham, Ala., and three lawyers have joined the that office.

Lanier Brown’s litigation practice includes representation of nursing home operators and other health care providers, motor vehicle and other product manufacturers, construction firms, engineering firms, restaurant and hospitality operators, insurers, personal injury defendants, and pharmaceutical and medical device clients. He earned his B.S. in Economics from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and his J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law. David Brown’s law practice includes automotive liability, product liability, professional liability, medical malpractice, pharmaceutical and medical device defense, employment litigation, and general insurance litigation defense. David earned his B.A. from the University of Alabama and his J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law. Patrick Strubel’s litigation practice includes product liability involving automobile manufacturers, recreational vehicle manufacturers, agricultural equipment manufacturers, pharmaceutical and medical device defense, and medical malpractice claims. He earned his B.S. from Birmingham-Southern College and his J.D. from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University.

AN MBJ FOCUS: ARCHITECTS & ENGINEE

Turning storm int » Biloxi firm Machado Patano to revive Katrina eyesore for its new headquarters

By JULIA MILLER mbj@msbusiness.com

B

iloxi Mayor Andrew “Fo Fo” Gillich’s vision of a revitalized downtown has taken another step foward with the announcement of Machado Patano and M | P Design Group’s plans to renovate a 21,000 square-foot warehouse across from MGM

Park.

Jamie Barhanovich, Machado Patano’s business manager, said current plans are to relocate both the engineering firm Machado Patano, PLLC, and M | P Design Group’s headquarters to 918 Howard Ave and carve out about 7,000 square feet to sublease.

The space, which will be available for anything from a restaurant to offices, will include a street view as well as access from Howard Avenue. The remaining 14,000 square feet will house the 30 employees of the two Machado Patano companies.

“The owners [of Machado Patano] want to see the restoration of downtown and get rid of all these eyesores in downtown,” Barhanovich said.

Right now, the building is just a structure and will need to be fully gutted. Much of the building was damaged during Hurricane Katrina. The area was struck by 30 to 35 feet of water during the 2005 storm.

“It was destroyed and has been sitting there for 12 years,” Barhanovich said. “It looks like a haunted house. It’s huge.”

All design work is being handled inhouse, and plans include salvaging the monumental staircase and adding a balcony overlooking Howard Avenue.

Prior to Katrina, the building was home to Merchiston Hall as a retail space and warehouse. Merchiston Hall bought the building in the 1970s. Before that it held a car dealership.

The city of Biloxi unveiled it’s five-year plan for downtown restoration in July, but Barhanvich said the purchase and planning for Machado Patano has been in the works all year. Machado Patano is See STYLE, Page 12

Photos courtesy of Mac

October 6, 2017 • MISSISSIPPI BUSINESS JOURNAL • www.msbusiness.com

ERS

to style

chado | Patano

Courtesy of Millsaps

The historic Millsaps Christian Center will be transformed into a modern building.

Machado Patano is working to bring life back into the old Merchiston Hall (above, renderings at left) building located on Howard Drive.

The estimated $1.7 million project is expected to break ground before the end of the year.

Machado Patano will be handling all designs in-house. The Howard Avenue building will become its new headquarters on completion.

The staircase is the only feature Machado Patano will be able to restore.

Millsaps chapel project has ‘special place in our heart’ for contractor » Transformation includes light-filled cruciform chapel

By BECKY GILLETTE mbj@msbusiness.com

W

.G. Yates & Sons Construction Company is not only the general contractor for a project to totally transform the interior of the Millsaps Christian Center in Jackson, but has also donated $2.2 million toward turning the historic building into a modern facility that will include at its center an inspiring light-filled cruciform chapel that will welcome people of all faiths or no faith at all.

“That part of the project is very important to the Yates family,” said Paul Musick, vice president and division manager of the Jackson office of Yates Construction. “It gives us an opportunity to work with the school and bring back an historic building on campus. This is one of the main buildings for Millsaps built back in 1950s facing West Street. This renovation will enhance the college’s efforts to revitalize

their buildings and refocus on that West Street neighborhood behind them.”

Musick said while they will do some reformatting of the building itself to bring it up to current standards, it will still have Musick the same exterior look. The architecture will blend with the historic nature of the building.

“We have some great projects and are honored to be all over the world in different things, interesting things, from the State Department to Volvo and Mercedes, but this project has a special place in our heart,” said William G. Yates III, president and CEO of Yates, which is the largest construction company based in Mississippi. “I’ve been talking to Rob Pearigen (president of Millsaps) about this project for several years, and his vision and commitment and dedication to make this happen has really been inspiring.”

The project will take an estimated 18 months to complete with constructed expected to be complete by December 2018.

After furniture and technology is added, the building is expected to be ready for occupancy in the spring of 2019.

See MILLSAPS, Page 11

Architects & Engineers

12 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q October 6, 2017

MILLSAPS Continued from Page 11

Courtesy of Machado Patano

AFTER MORE than 30 feet of water moved through the Howard Avenue area during Hurricane Katrina. The damaged building has been left sitting for 12 years.

STYLE Continued from Page 10

currently bidding out subcontractors, but it anticipates a cost between $1.7 and $1.8 million. It hopes to break ground in the fourth quarter, with approximately oneyear of construction.

This project will be taking place alongside the city of Biloxi’s Saenger Theatre renovation as well as the conversion of Howard Avenue to four-lanes.

Gillich took office after a special election in 2015, and he has been pushing for a return to the old downtown ever since.

“We’re at the precipice of what we need to do,” he said. “I’ve only been mayor for two years, but I’ve been in Biloxi my whole life.”

As a baby boomer, Gillich has vivid memories of the life and activity of downtown prior to the Urban Renewal projects

of the 1970s. The city’s plan and Machado Patano’s project are among the first steps to see a renewal to Biloxi’s downtown area.

Machado | Patano was established in 2007 by David J. Machado, who later partnered with Brad P. Patano and Gerrod W. Kilpatrick. The interdisciplinary engineering firm works with a variety of sectors, including municipal, industrial, marine, federal, educational, transportation, commercial retail, medical and hospitality. The design studio works to fulfill their clients’ visions through master planning, site analysis, cost estimation, programing, conceptual and architectural design, architectural 3D renderings, interior design construction administration and management.

Another major donor for the project is the Selby and Richard McRae Foundation, which is contributing $4 million.

After the renovation is complete, the building will be rededicated as the Selby and Richard McRae Christian Center.

Dale Partners has been selected to provide architectural services for the design-build renovation that will cost an estimated $13.2 million.

“We are honored to have been chosen to help restore and enhance this iconic building on Millsaps’ campus,” said Jeff Barnes, a partner with Dale Partners. “We are infusing the entire interior with daylight through Pearigen the four internal courtyards surrounding the new chapel. Floorto-ceiling windows and a chapel dome will lend a sense of history and serenity to the inter-denominational worship space.”

Barnes said that, when complete, the new Christian Center will further enhance the college’s academic programs and religious traditions, including its historical relationship with the United Methodist Church.

Plans include construction of a stateof-the-art lecture hall, high-tech classrooms, faculty offices, suites, and seminar rooms to be used by the departments of English, history, religious studies, philosophy, and classical studies. Barnes said the building’s front façade, long a symbol of Millsaps College, will be restored and enhanced with a new clock tower which will be faithfully reconstructed to match the original.

John Sewell, director of marketing and communications for Millsaps College,

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said the institution is looking forward to the transformation of a building that has been in need of work for some time.

“These renovations will include new faculty offices, brand new classrooms and learning spaces and a 150-seat lecture hall on the east end of the building,” Sewell said. “But the most transformative space will be the renovation of the former theater. All of that space is being transformed into a chapel that will be available to students and visitors. The chapel will be surrounded by a courtyard that was part of the original design of the building. It will be an open and light-filled space that will be really beautiful and inspiring. We are a college affiliated with The United Methodist Church, but this is a place where people with other faiths or no faith are also welcome. It is an open and inviting campus and this chapel will be a big part of growing the openness for years to come.”

The Millsaps campus is bordered by Woodrow Wilson to the North and State Street to the East. The west boundary is on West Street.

“Across West Street is the Midtown community, an area undergoing a lot of revitalization,” Sewell said. “We will be reopening our gate on the west side of campus, a positive step to be inviting and inclusive to our Midtown neighbors.”

Millsaps is also planning another building in that area, a new visual arts center.

Sewell said ground will be broken on that project in another two months, and that project will also continue to grow presence and openness on that side of campus.

Pearigen said during the formal launch of renovations that plans have been made for the project for three years and there has been a two-year fundraising effort.

“When finished, the building will, indeed, be a jewel on our campus,” Pearigen said.

The building will also include a suite housing the chaplaincy, the Center for Ministry, and the Wesley Foundation, which Pearigen said will help the college strengthen its relationship with The United Methodist Church as called for in the college’s strategic plan.

Pearigen said with the humanities departments and the chapel under one roof, it will also reinforce the shared values and compatibility of reason and faith – the mind and the heart – in our world today.

“The renovation will return a beautiful chapel to the heart of the building, providing a sacred space that has not been available on our campus for many years,” Pearigen said. “Serving as a worship space and as the center of the college’s religious and spiritual life, the new chapel will allow students of all faiths to connect their intellectual, spiritual, and moral commitments. It will also provide a central, sacred, gathering place for our community in times of celebration and in times of sadness.”

Architects & Engineers

October 6, 2017

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Mississippi Business Journal

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Newsmakers

14 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q October 6, 2017

Best Lawyers in America Includes Mississippi lawyers omitted from Best Lawyers list published Sept. 22

Carson Law Group » 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Jackson Dorsey Carson, Construction Law

Copeland, Cook, Taylor & Bush

» 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Ridgeland Glen Bush, Energy Law, Oil and Gas Law; Tom Cook, Corporate Law; Charles Copeland, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Insurance Law; Tom Kirkland, HealthCare Law; Bill Leech, Banking and Finance Law, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Financial Services Regulation Law, LitigationBankruptcy, Litigation-Real Estate; Bill McDonough, Insurance Law, Mass Tort Litigation/Class ActionsDefendants; Jim Moore, Insurance Law, Transportation Law, Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants; Ryan Perkins, Litigation-Insurance, Personal Injury Litigation- Defendants; Roger Riddick, Workers’ Compensation Law-Employers; Dale Russell, Insurance Law; Ronnie Russell, Workers’ Compensation Law- Employers; Ted Sanderson, Tax Law; Allison Simpson, HealthCare Law; Glenn Taylor, Energy Law, Litigation-Environmental, Natural Resources Law, Oil and Gas Law, Water Law; Bobby Thompson, Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants, Workers’ Compensation Law-Employers; Eric Toney, Insurance Law; Bill Whitfield, Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants

2018 Edition of Best Lawyers is the oldest peer-review publication in the legal profession. Best Lawyers has published it list for over three decades as a source of legal referrals. Lawyers on the Best Lawyers in America list are divided by geographic region and practice areas. They are reviewed by their peers on the basis of professional expertise, and undergo an authentication process to make sure they are in current practice and in good standing. Lawyer of the Year is awarded to only one attorney in each community and practice area.

» 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Jackson Richard A. Courtney, Elder Law, Trusts and Estates.

Lalor Bailey & Aby » 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Jackson F. Hall Bailey, Insurance Law, Personal Injury Litigation–Defendants, Workers’ Compensation Law-Employers.

Maron Marvel Bradley Anderson & Tardy » 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Jackson Stefan G. Bourn, Product Liability Litigation-Defendants; Julie E. Chaffin, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions-Defendants; Beau Cole, Product Liability Litigation-Defendants; Marcy B. Croft, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions-Defendants; Mary Margaret Gay, Product Liability Litigation-Defendants; Samuel D. Habeeb, Personal Injury Litigation; Christi Jones, Product Liability Litigation-Defendants; John C. McCants III, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions-Defendants; Thomas W. Tardy III , Commercial Litigation, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions-Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation, Product Liability Litigation-Defendants; Colleen S. Welch, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions-Defendants.

Deutsch Kerrigan

» 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Gulfport R. Douglas Vaughn, Insurance Law; Litigation-Insurance

Frascogna Courtney » LAWYERS OF THE YEAR: Jackson Richard A. Courtney, Elder Law.

Page, Mannino, Peresich & McDermott » LAWYERS OF THE YEAR: Biloxi-Gulfport David M. Allen, Banking and Finance Law; Stephen G. Peresich, Insurance Law » 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Biloxi-Gulfport David M. Allen, Banking and Finance Law, Land

LAW ELEVATED Continued from, Page 4

disclose sponsorship relationships within the title of the video, the caption of the video and through verbal statements as the person reviews the product in the video.

Brands and influencers using space-constrained platforms, such as Instagram or Twitter, can make it clear that there is a sponsorship relationship by placing a simple “#Ad” – doing so “should inform consumers that the message is an advertisement.” Likewise, the term “#Sponsored” will “likely inform […] consumers that the message was sponsored by an advertiser.” Brands and influencers should stay away from hashtags such as “#sp” or “#partner,” as it may not be clear to your consumers that there is a sponsorship relationship.

Brands and influencers can also make it clear that there

Use & Zoning Law, Real Estate Law; Henry N. Dick, III, Corporate Law, Tax Law; Ronald G. Peresich, Commercial Litigation, Environmental Law; Stephen G. Peresich, Insurance Law, Medical Malpractice Law–Defendants; Gina Bardwell Tompkins, Land Use and Zoning Law, Litigation-Municipal.

Wise Carter » LAWYERS OF THE YEAR: Jackson James L. Robertson, Litigation–First Amendment » 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Jackson Mark P. Caraway, Litigation-Health Care, Medical Malpractice Law-Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants; James K. Child, Jr., Energy Law, Utilities Law; Betty Toon Collins Commercial Transactions/UCC Law, Corporate Compliance Law, Corporate Governance Law, Corporate Law, Health Care Law; Gaye Nell Currie, Litigation-Health Care, Product Liability Litigation-Defendants; Virginia S. Gautier, Workers’ Compensation Law-Employers; D. Colllier Graham, Jr., Corporate Law, Health Care Law, Litigation-Health Care; James E. Graves III, Railroad Law; Henderson S. Hall, Jr., Energy Law, Utilities Law; R. Mark Hodges, Health Care Law, Litigation-Health Care, Medical Malpractice Law-Defendants; Elizabeth G. Hooper, Health Care Law; Kimberly N. Howland, Medical Malpractice Law-Defendants; Crane D. Kipp, Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law, Health Care Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, Litigation-Land Use and Zoning; Douglas E. Levanway, Energy Law, Energy Regulatory Law, Litigation-Labor and Employment, Litigation-Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy); Eugene R. Naylor, Health Care Law, Insurance Law, Medical Malpractice Law-Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants; W. McDonald Nichols, Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law, Litigation-Trusts and Estates, Real Estate Law, Trusts and Estates; John D. Price, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions-Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants, Product Liability Litigation-Defendants, Professional Malpractice Law-Defendants; George H. Ritter, Health Care Law, Litigation-Health Care, Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants, Railroad

is a sponsorship by being conscious of where they place the disclosure in the space-constrained caption. The dot-com disclosures encourage brands and influencers to place disclosures such as #Ad or #Sponsor at “the beginning of a tweet or similar short-form message.” The FTC’s letters to several influencers encouraged them to think about consumers viewing Instagram posts on mobile devices. The letters noted that disclosures should occur within the first three lines of a longer post, as Instagrammers typically see only those lines of a longer post unless they click “more,” which many may not do. The letters also noted that when multiple tags, hashtags, or links are used, consumers will likely skip them. As the dot-com disclosures note, “A disclosure that is buried in a long paragraph of unrelated text will not be effective.”

Besides meeting the FTC’s requirements, disclosing your sponsorship relationships to your followers and con-

Law; James L. Robertson, Admiralty and Maritime Law, Appellate Practice, Civil Rights Law, Commercial Litigation, Environmental Law, Insurance Law, Litigation-Environmental, Litigation-Antitrust, Litigation-First Amendment, Litigation-Intellectual Property; Charles E. Ross, Insurance Law, Railroad Law; John P. Sneed, Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation, Corporate Law, Litigation-First Amendment, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions-Defendants; Andrew D. Sweat, Workers’ Compensation Law-Employers; Barbara C. Wallace, Employment Law-Management, Litigation-Labor and Employment; Michael B. Wallace, Appellate Practice, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Government Relations Practice; Margaret H. Williams, Corporate Law, Government Contracts, Health Care Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law. Hattiesburg Joe D. Stevens, Banking and Finance Law. Gulfport Lynda C. Carter, Litigation-Health Care, Medical Malpractice Law-Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants; David C. Goff, Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants; Frederick T. Hoff, Jr., Litigation and Controversy-Tax, Real Estate Law, Tax Law; James C. Simpson, Jr., Commercial Litigation, Corporate Law, Government Relations Practice; Stephen B. Simpson, Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants.

W. Scott Welch, Lawyer & Mediator » 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Ridgeland W. Scott Welch, Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation-Plaintiffs, Product Liability Litigation-Defendants, and Transportation Law.

sumers provides transparency about your vested interest and builds trust. As the brand, make sure you require the influencer to disclose your relationship, as recently done

by Instagram. This may help to avoid fines from the FTC. As the influencer, be sure to properly disclose your sponsorship relationship clearly and conspicuously in the social media post.

Whether you are a brand or have a large social media following, you must disclose sponsorship relationships to your consumers and followers. Otherwise, you may risk engaging in deceptive marking practices in violation of the FTC Act.

By Melonie S. Jordan Law Elevated is a column on the latest trends, issues and perspectives facing the legal industry, written by associates of Butler | Snow.

DOWNTOWN JACKSON

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Near Capitol Private offices Reception Conference room Storage Kitchen FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:

Alan Turner, alan.turner@msbusiness.com 601-364-1021

16 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q October 6, 2017 THE SPIN CYCLE

10 social media trends to consider for future S ocial media platforms will continue their rapid disruption as a communications vehicle in the digital world – and a number of new tech advancements will continue to leverage these tools for audiences around the world.

As the waves of social media surge, here are the top 10 future social media trends according to Entrepreneur.

1. Rise of augmented reality At the first-ever event hosted in the Steve Jobs Theater, Apple announced the iPhone 8 and the iPhone X. Both devices incorporate a new chip that allows the phones to provide users with extraordinary augmented reality experiences. While augmented reality will have its initial impact on mobile gaming, it is likely that social media platforms will find ways to incorporate the new technology as well.

For example, it’s conceivable that Snapchat or Instagram will soon support filters that allow users to take a selfie with a friend or celebrity projected via augmented reality. Similarly, brands could soon project their products into the homes of social media users through special filters.

2. Increasing popularity of Instagram Stories More than 200 million people use Instagram Stories each month, which is 50 million-plus more than those who use Snapchat – and Instagram stories is just one year old! At this rate, nearly half of all Instagram users will be using Stories by the end of 2018. This means that brands interested in connecting with Instagram users must take the time to master Instagram Stories.

3. Continued investment in influencer marketing More than 90 percent of marketers who employ an influencer marketing strategy believe it is successful. Companies like North Face, Hubspot and Rolex use social media-based influencer marketing strategies to connect with new audiences and improve engagement with existing audi-

ences.

This year we saw that brands that opted for traditional advertising strategies struggled to connect to social media users.

Next year, it is likely that more brands will embrace influencer marketing as a way to connect with audiences who tend to ignore traditional strategies.

4. Focus on Generation Z A recent study conducted by Goldman Sachs concluded that Generation Z was more valuable to most organizations than millennials. Today, the oldest Gen Zers are 22 years old. They are just beginning to enter the labor force, and will have increased buying power for some time.

Brands will begin to recognize this, and will shift their social media strategies accordingly. Expect great investment in platforms loved by Gen Zers like Snapchat and Instagram.

5. Increasing brand participation in messaging platforms More than 2.5 billion people use messaging platforms globally, and yet brands are still primarily focused on connecting with consumers on pure social networks.

In 2018, expect brands to invest more time and money in connecting with consumers on messaging platforms. Artificial intelligence, voice assistants and chatbots will enable brands to offer personalized shopping experiences on messaging platforms like Messenger, WhatsApp and Kik. 6. Expansion of live streaming What was once a novel gimmick has become a mainstream part of social media.

Today, brands big and small have started using live streaming to capture the attention of followers.

GORUCK, a backpack manufacturer and the organizer of extreme endurance events, is one example of a medium-sized brand that has grown its reach by live streaming compelling content on Facebook. Thousands of followers tuned in to watch 48-hour coverage of a recent endur-

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INSURANCE AGENCIES

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

ance race.

In 2018, more brands will begin to realize the power of live streaming, and will incorporate it into their monthly content plans.

7. Rethinking Twitter Twitter has failed to grow followers significantly in 2017. In fact, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram all have more social media followers. This year, Twitter also lost access to streaming NFL games (Amazon won the rights). In 2018, it is likely that Twitter leadership will aim to rethink how the platform operates.

Possible changes to Twitter include selling the company to private investors, changing the platform to include some subscription element and/or revamping Twitter advertising options, which have fallen behind other platforms.

8. Digital hangouts go mainstream Houseparty is a video hangout platform used by over one million people each day.

It is primarily used by Gen Zers as a way to hang out with friends digitally. The platform is so successful that Facebook is reportedly investigating ways to create a similar functionality within their platform.

9. Facebook Spaces goes mainstream Facebook isn’t just interested in live video streaming; it has been working on a project called Spaces that is designed to allow friends to connect in VR. Given that Facebook owns Oculus, a virtual reality hardware and software company, it is no surprise that the social media giant is developing a platform to make use of this new technology.

Facebook is poised to scale Spaces in 2018. When they do, it is likely that it will be the first successful VR social media product at scale.

10. Social platforms embrace stronger governance policies After a series of controversial decisions during the 2016 presidential election, social media platforms have embraced a more hands-on approach to governing conduct on their platforms. Facebook recently turned over thousands of ads that seem to be connected to Russian meddling, and has invested in new AI and human forms of monitoring.

Heartbroken Mic: Las Vegas shooting shocks nation When I was a police reporter for The Washington Times back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, I frequently jarred the then murder capital of the U.S. awake with the scary, senseless carnage that struck the city.

But nothing like this. Nothing like Las Vegas in the darkness of Oct. 1. Nothing can prepare even a seasoned crime beat writer for the, heartless, harrowing carnage

that erupted at the joyous Route 91 Harvest Todd Smith Festival during a Jason Aldean concert. It quickly turned from a happy fall country music celebration to a hellish war zone, the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

It left at least 59 people dead, more than 500 others injured, and a nation heart broken yet again at the evil that men do. Why would this retired, steady gambling, cowardly wacko open fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort onto an innocent crowd of 22,000?

You can’t get your head around it, and your heart will never understand! When will the headlines stop? When will the carnage in Las Vegas and other innocent places like Virginia Tech and Orlando cease?

We may never know, and it probably will never happen. What we do know is that heroes emerge from the ashes and give flight to hope amid the destruction, despair, blood and tears. Love, courage and peace prevail.

Heroes like Sonny Melton, 29, who took his wife to the concert as a celebration of the purchase of their dream home in bucolic Paris, Tenn. When the bullets rained down from the devil on his perch, Sonny pulled his wife, Heather up and pushed her along with the surging crowd. When the rapid-fire sound pierced the sky and ricocheted around them, he shielded her from the onslaught. The bullets pierced his back and took his life, but Heather survived.

“I lost my true love and knight in shining armor,” she posted on Facebook. “I want everyone to know what a kindhearted, loving man he was.”

We do, Heather, and a nation prays for you and thinks of you and the countless others cut down by a senseless maniac!

But heroes like your husband, the first responders, the ordinary who carted victims to hospitals saved lives in the death and destruction. The extraordinary spirit of these heroes – and a nation bound in unity – will live on forever!

Each week, The Spin Cycle will bestow a Golden Mic Award to the person, group or company in the court of public opinion that best exemplifies the tenets of solid PR, marketing and advertising – and those who don’t. Stay tuned – and step-up to the mic! And remember … Amplify Your Brand!

Todd Smith is president and chief communications officer of Deane, Smith & Partners, a full-service branding, PR, marketing and advertising firm with offices in Jackson. The firm — based in Nashville, Tenn.

— is also affiliated with Mad Genius. Contact him at todd@deanesmithpartners.com, and follow him @ spinsurgeon.

New Businesses

October 6, 2017

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Mississippi Business Journal

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17

CORKY’S: The Greater Starkville Development Partnership recently held a ribbon cutting for for the new ownership of Corky’s, 632 Highway 12 in Starkville.

Courtesy of Greater Starkville Development Partnership

Courtesy of EMBDC Courtesy of Greater Starkville Development Partnership

SWANKY B BOUTIQUE: The Greater Starkville Development Partnership recently held a ribbon cutting for Swanky B Boutique, 209 E. Main St. in Starkville.,

STATE FARM: The East Mississippi Business Development Corp. recently held a ribbon cutting for the opening of Roshundia Sanford’s State Farm agency, 2207 8th St. in Meridian.

OXFORD TREATMENT CENTER: The Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce recently held a ribbon cutting for the new outpatient offices of the Oxford Treatment Center, 611 Commerce Parkway in Oxford.

Courtesy of Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce

New Businesses

18 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q October 6, 2017

YOUR EXTRA CLOSET: The Greater Starkville Development Partnership recently held a ribbon cutting for Your Extra Closet, 1002 N. Jackson St., in Starkville.

Courtesy of Greater Starkville Development Partnership

Courtesy of EMBDC

VIC’S BISCUITS & BURGERS: The East Mississippi Business Development Corporation recently held a ribbon cutting for the grand opening of Vic’s Biscuits & Burgers, 3125 8th St. in Meridian.

Courtesy of Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership/Jackson Chamber of Commerce

STEAMERS SHRIMP AND CRAB MARKET: The Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership recently held a ribbon cutting for Steamers Shrimp and Crab Market, 2530 Robinson Road in Westland Plaza in Jackson.

Courtesy of Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership/Jackson Chamber of Commerce

KENDRA SCOTT: The Greater Jackson Chanmber Partnership recently held a ribbon cutting for Kendra Scott, 4500 I-55 North Frontage Road, Suite 118, Highland Village in Jackson.

Courtesy of Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership/Jackson Chamber of Commerce

STRAYER UNIVERSITY: The Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership recently held a ribbon cutting for the grand reopening of Strayer University’s Jackson Campus, 100 E. Capitol St., Suite 101.

New Businesses

October 6, 2017

Q

Mississippi Business Journal

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RECURVE HEALTH CENTER: Dr. Annalea Wood, Chiropractor for the RECURVE Health Center and the Oxford-Lafayette Chamber of Commerce recently held a ribbon cutting for the chiropractic care and nutritonal center at 1007 N Lamar Blvd, Suite 2, in Oxford.

Courtesy of Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce

Courtesy of Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership/Jackson Chamber of Commerce

DURRELL DESIGN GROUP: The Greater Jackson Chmber Partnership recently held a ribbon cutting for Durrell Design Group, 500 East Woodrow Wilson Avenue, Building G in Jackson.

Courtesy of Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership/Jackson Chamber of Commerce

BECKHAM JEWELRY: The Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership recently held a ribbon cutting for Beckham Jewelry in The District at Eastover, 120 District Boulevard, in Jackson.

Courtesy of Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership/Jackson Chamber of Commerce

ENVY SALON & SPA: The Greater Jackson Chmber Partnership recently held a ribbon cutting for Envy Salon & Spa, 840 East River Place, Suite 607 in Jackson.

Courtesy of Great Minds Communication

TRIPLE A BBQ: Barrett Design Studio recently put its redesign skills to work for Triple A BBQ. The Brandon-based restaurant also has locations in Flowood, Philadelphia and Madison.