MBJ_Oct19_2018

INSIDE — Supporting Startups: Delta I-Fund comes to Jackson — Page 4 EDUCATION

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October 19, 2018 • Vo. 40 No. 42 • 20 pages

Grant library notching a place for itself on Civil War trail — Page 2

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SMALL BUSINESS {Section begins P9}

» An MBA is still relevant even in a tight job market » A Legacy’s Path: Stebly takes tattoo art to new heights

{The List P12} » Employment Agencies

THE SPIN CYCLE {P19}

» Apple retains most valuable brand ranking in Interbrand’s Global Brands list

JACK WEATHERLY: From the broken hatchet to the lost empire Page 2

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2 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q October 19, 2018 EDUCATION/TOURISM

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK

Mississippi State University President Mark Keenum poses with a life-size likeness .of Grant at the opening of the library.

Rogelio V. Solis/AP

Grant library notching a place for itself on Civil War trail

By JACK WEATHERLY jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com The irony of a library dedicated to U.S. Grant in Mississippi did not pass unnoticed.

A space of 21,000 square feet was created at Mississippi State University at a taxpayer cost of $10 million to tell the story of the Union general who captured Vicksburg, a turning point in the Civil War, and won the ultimate victory over the Confederacy at Appamattox Courthouse, Va. For a state whose flag still includes the Confederate Battle Flag, some see irony in the selection of the Mitchell Memorial Li- Marszalek brary as host building for the Grant Presidential Library.

Not only that, but Mitchell Library also includes the Frank J. and Virginia Williams Collection of Lincolniana, which has been valued at $3 million. President Abraham Lincoln was, of course, Grant’s commander in chief.

Aside from being the repository of invaluable historic documents and artifacts, a major source of scholarly research, the Grant Library and Lincoln collection, also attract tourists.

Since the library opened on Nov. 30, 2017, it has registered 8,000 visits, according to John F. Marszalek, executive diector of the library and professor emeritus of history at MSU. And that includes overcoming the attendance obstacle of extended breaks during the Christmas holidays and spring break, when the school shuts down and so must the library, Marszalek said in an interview.

Visitors from 48 of the 50 states along with a number of foreign countries have taken in the library, he said.

“We’re doing very well,” he said. “We’re not the easiest place to get to.”

“What we encourage people to do is start at Shiloh and Corinth and come to us and [then] to Vicksburg,” Marszalek said.

Once the scholarship of Marszalek regarding Grant and his right-hand commander, William T. Sherman, is understood, then the selection of Mississippi State is not quite so unexpected, so ironic.

Marszalek is also the author of “Sherman: A Soldier’s Passion for Order,” published in 1993. The next year, he was named Giles Distinguished Professor at MSU, a position he still holds in an emeritus status.

The Publisher’s Weekly called it “an outstanding modern study of one of this country’s great public figures.”

Marszalek said that he is pleased with the reception of “The Complete Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant, Annotated Edition,” for which he edited and has received critical acclaim.

It was published last year by Harvard University Press as a timely event that paired with the library opening.

Grant biographer Ron Chernow said that “this fine volume leaps straight onto the roster of essential reading for anyone even vaguely interested in Grant and the Civil War.” A native of Buffalo, N.Y., Marszalek taught at Canisius College in Buffalo and Gannon University in Erie, Pa. One of Marszalek’s speaking engagements was the annual Mississippi Book Festival in Jackson on Aug. 18. The panel was moderated by Williams, who, with his wife, Virginia, donated their Lincoln collection to MSU. Williams, former Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court is author of “Judging Lincoln” and “Lincoln as Hero.”

Sears: From the broken hatchet to the lost empire

T

he grumpy old man brought in the hatchet with a chunk missing from the blade. He wanted a new hatchet, and didn’t want to pay for it.

Fine, the hardware department manager said and walked to the proper bin and handed the man a brand-new Craftsman hatchet.

The manager, whose name, you’ll forgive me, I cannot remember after all those intervening years, did the transaction all in a day’s work.

He was fulfilling the famous Satisfaction Guaranteed motto of what was for the longest the Jack Weatherly world’s biggest retailer.

Those were the good old days at Sears. I was a green college student studying business, learning about the work place and getting paid a little.

The Sears at Crosstown at Memphis was a 10-story, 1.5 million-square foot retail and catalogue-order distribution center. The art deco building with its signature tower, still dominates crosstown Memphis.

Another time, I worked in the men’s clothing department, learning how to use a tape measure to make sure things fit right, I offered selections on slacks, jackets, shirts and socks. We even offered tailored suits, though we’d send those out to real craftsmen.

And I learned about the Sears motto and operating slogan. And I also heard of the fabulous retirement system, which was the reward at the end of the career rainbow in payment for a lifetime of dedication and modest paychecks.

Sears has been disappearing for decades. This week, the company announced it would file for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11, and hopes to survive as a “restructured” and “more efficient,” meaning smaller, business.

In the past 10 years, it closed or sold 1,700 stores, 60 percent of its outlets, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Its past 25 years have seen it surpassed by Walmart as the top retailer, and further made less of a retail player by Amazon.

Since the days of the fabled and gargantuan Sears Catalogue, America’s “Wish Book,” from which seemingly anything from a complete house kit, vacuum cleaners, to tools, clothes, home appliances, lawn equipment ad infinitnitum could be ordered.

Later came the stores, which, which eventually carried company brands Kenmore appliances and Craftsman tools.

The first store was opened in 1925 in Chicago.

The Memphis mammoth opened two years later.

The next five or so decades were the glory years.

That was before it started diversifying, becoming a lender by offering the Discover card, entering the See SEARS, Page 3

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Mississippi Business Journal

Q

3

SEARS

AGRIBUSINESS U.S., South African farmers cry

Continued from, Page 2

insurance field by acquiring Allstate and real estate through Coldwell Banker.

As one observer put it, “they took their eye off the ball.”

“The bankruptcy filing threatens to put many of roughly 70,000 employees out of work and throw the financial security of its 100,000 pensioners into doubt,” The Journal reported.

The company’s list of closures does not include any Mississippi outlets.

The Memphis colossus?

2w

fowl over Trump metal tariffs Which came first, the chicken or the trade war?

Well before President Donald Trump began slapping tariffs on steel, aluminum and other imported goods, there was a deal with South Africa that gave U.S. chicken producers duty-free access to a market that had effectively been shut to them for years.

But that trade deal, worth tens of millions of dollars to American businesses, now is being threatened by Trump’s metal tariffs.

A group of senators from chicken-producing states — Democrat Chris Coons of Delaware and Republicans Johnny Isakson of Georgia and Roger Wicker of Mississippi — have detailed their concerns in a recent letter to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. They cite a lawsuit in South Africa that aims to end duty-free imports of American chicken unless South Africa is exempted from Trump’s metal tariffs.

The dispute illustrates the risk Trump runs by employing tariffs so aggressively. The president has wielded the import taxes — real and threatened — as part of a campaign to force countries like Mexico and Canada into trade pacts with terms he considers more favorable to the United States. But along with Trump’s confrontational approach is the potential fallout for American companies and consumers, as countries take retaliatory action.

And it’s also a reminder of how much clout the poultry industry has in certain states. In Delaware, where Mountaire Farms and Perdue Farms operate processing plants, chicken accounts for 70 percent of the state’s cash farm income, according to the Delmarva Poultry Industry, a trade association in Georgetown, Dela.

U.S. Agriculture Department data show that Georgia leads all states in the production of chickens raised specifically for meat production; 1.3 billion “broilers” were produced there in 2017. And in Mississippi, where there are more than 1,400 poultry farms, the industry contributed $2.5 billion to the state’s economy last year, according to the Mississippi Farm Bureau.

The U.S. used to be the largest supplier of bone-in chicken parts to South Africa. But in the late 1990s, South Africa’s influential poultry industry grew alarmed over the growing amount of imports. Poultry is South Africa’s largest individual agricultural industry and chicken farmers flexed their muscle by successfully pushing the South African government to impose antidumping duties on American chicken. Exports fell to almost zero.

Then, in 2015, the two countries partly resolved their differences through the renewal of a U.S. trade law intended to stoke economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa. Under the terms of the arrangement, South Africa agreed to permit an annual import quota of 65,000 tons of bone-in chicken parts from the United States.

Coons and Isakson, co-chairmen of the Senate Chicken Caucus , played a central role in securing the agreement by pressuring South Africa to end the duties.

South Africa has become the eighth largest export market for U.S. chicken producers since the agreement was finalized. Between January and July, exports to South Africa totaled $55 million, according to Tom Super, spokesman for the National Chicken Council, a Washington lobbying group. Mexico is by far the No. 1 overseas market for American chicken, with $300 million in exports during the same period.

— AP

October 19, 2018

Photo from Sears Facebook page

The Sears building has towered over the Memphis Crosstown commercial district for more than 90 years.

» Contact Mississippi Business Journal staff writer Jack Weatherly at jack. weatherly@msbusiness.com or (601) 364-1016.

4 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q October 19, 2018

ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN MISSISSIPPI

Supporting Startups: Delta I-Fund comes to Jackson

C

ontemporaneous with my writing of this article, there are 17 teams of startups congregated on the first floor of my State Street building for the kickoff weekend of the Delta I-Fund summer cohort, an annual program funded by grants from the Winrock Foundation and the Delta Regional Authority.

The mission of the Delta I-Fund is to positively impact low-to-moderate income communities throughout the Delta Regional Authority territory, which include areas in Mississippi. The program seeks to provide a platform for the creation and launch of high-growth companies, spurring economic development and job creation in the region.

The types of ideas and startups targeted by the Delta I-Fund are those based on innovative business models, including patented university research, such as medical, biomedical, science, and engineering applications; software and other IT-based platform solutions; and any other patented or proprietary technology or innovation that provides a competitive advantage.

The 17 teams that descended on Jackson over this past weekend hail from the eight-state Delta Region and embarked on a two-day onboarding process into this early-stage, proof of concept accelerator.

Each team, which is made up of two or three entrepreneurs, will set out on a 12-week rigorous training program focused on customer validation using the lean business canvas model. The teams also receive technical assistance and access to seed stage capital as part of this accelerator program.

Teams are also matched with a mentor who has correlating industry experience and skillsets.

Mentorship is a tactical component of the Delta I-Fund’s strategy, as each mentor will guide from his or her own experience and serve as a “coach.”

I have enjoyed the distinct privilege of serving as a mentor for the Delta I-Fund on two occasions,

first mentoring an Arkansas-based consumer food product startup and currently an Arkansas-based ed-tech startup that wants to gamify certain aspects of elementary education.

Mississippi is well represented in this summer cohort, with two companies in particular that I am interested in observing through this process.

One of these Mississippi startups is EasyKale, a consumer food product business that seeks to provide customers with kale products that are easier-to-use, have a longer shelf life, taste better, and retain the bioactivity of traditional leaf kale without the use of pesticides. EasyKale was founded by Bilal Quizilbash and is being supported by veteran startup junkie Richard Sun, the entrepreneur in residence with Innovate Mississippi, and marketing guru, Todd Stauffer, owner and publisher of the Jackson Free Press and BOOM Jackson.

Another Mississippi entrepreneurial venture participating in the Delta I-Fund, and one to keep an eye on, is OutFirm. This company’s goal is to provide startup founders with much-needed legal services from ideation to series A through a fixed-price, affordable subscription services.

OutFirm was founded by startup and emerging company lawyer, Anne Turner. OutFirm’s product seeks to disrupt the legal service industry, a conservative industry that has resisted change in light of the democratization of legal knowledge through robust search engines such as Google.

Where the Delta I-Fund excels for Mississippi is that it is reaching and making an impact in many of our lower income communities. There is great value in this mission, because by exposing these bright minds and their innovative ideas to the appropriate resources and guidance, we are investing in their futures as well as our state’s future. In fact, there are plenty of inspiring stories of highly successful entrepreneurs that came from even abject poverty before finding success.

Jay-Z is one of those. He was selling crack in a

Brooklyn housing project long before he became one of the most successful – and innovative – music moguls in the United States.

For me, it is not only a privilege, but it is also fascinating to work with these types of entrepreneurial minded in- Matthew McLaughlin dividuals and watch as they follow their dreams and often grow their ideas into viable businesses. I have been immeasurably blessed with the good fortune of working with hundreds of entrepreneurs throughout Mississippi and the Southeastern United States over the span of my career as an attorney.

Supporting startups through programs such as the Delta I-Fund that offer Mississippians in our Delta region valuable opportunities for personal and professional growth is greatly needed.

After all, entrepreneurial success is not – and should not be – dictated exclusively by educational, financial, or social status. Instead, it is the exposure to opportunities for learning. It is the culmination of the training and grooming of characteristics, such as vision, passion, adaptability, and resilience. These are the intangible traits that high achieving entrepreneurs possess and what will ultimately set these innovators apart and position them for success.

Matthew P. McLaughlin is an attorney with McLaughlin, PC in Jackson, Mississippi, and serves as the executive director of the Mississippi Brewers Guild. Matthew’s passion is working with creative and entrepreneurial-minded people and organizations, having worked with and advised hundreds of entrepreneurs, startups, and social innovators throughout the Southeastern United States. He may be contacted at matthew@mclaughlinpc.com or 601-487-4550, or you may visit www.mclaughlinpc.com for more information.

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MBJPERSPECTIVE October 19 2018 • www.msbusiness.com • Page 5

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Tax for roads, bridges necessary evil

Website: www.msbusiness.com October 19, 2018 Volume 40, Number 42

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» INSIDE MISSISSIPPI

State job recovery more modest than terrific

R

ecord numbers of jobs and job growth in Mississippi top political speeches by incumbent politicians

these days.

Yes, more Mississippians have jobs now than before the Great Recession.

Yes, more Mississippians have jobs now than ever before.

But, there is more to the story.

Total residence-based employment (the number that includes part-time and self-employed individuals used to calculate unemployment rates) hit 1,223,887 in July. That was up 0.3% from 1,219,739 in July 2008 and a new record.

Total non-farm jobs (the number of jobs at Mississippi establishments) reached 1,165,500 in July. That was up 1.9% from 1,143,800 in July 2018 and a new record.

However, over the same multi-year periods, U.S. employment grew 7.2% and non-farm jobs 8.4%.

While employment was up overall, it was not up in two-thirds of the 82 counties.

Down counties with percentages include: Humphreys -43.6%, Issaquena 42.4%, Quitman -27.6%, Jefferson -27.1%, Jefferson Davis -25.2%, Sharkey -25.2%, Carroll -25.1%, Wilkinson 23.2%, Neshoba -23.1%, Leflore -21.7%,

Bill Crawford

Washington -21.2%, Sunflower -20.1%, Jasper -18.7%, Jones -17.9%, Adams 16.4%, Stone -16.0%, Holmes -14.4%, Walthall -13.5%, Amite -13.3%, Clarke 12.4%, Kemper -12.2%, Claiborne 10.4%, Bolivar -10.1%, Coahoma -9.8%, Warren -9.4%, Panola -8.9%, Perry 8.5%, Lawrence -8.3%, Wayne -7.9%, Newton -7.3%, Greene -7.0%, Winston -6.5%, Franklin -6.4%, George -6.1%, Pike -6.0%, Leake -4.6%, Forrest -4.6%, Lauderdale -4.6%, Covington -4.4%, Copiah -3.5%, Montgomery -3.1%, Hinds -3.0%, Simpson -3.0%, Yalobusha -2.8%, Jackson -2.3%, Lowndes -0.8%, Marshall -0.7%, Yazoo 0.6%, Attala -0.3%.

At the same time, there were a few big gainers. Nine counties saw employment jump by over 15% since 2008.

Up counties with percentages include: Lamar 30.1%, Lafayette 23.9%, Union 23.7%, Webster 20.0%, Madison 19.3%, Tippah 17.3%, Choctaw 16.0%, Benton 15.7%, Clay 15.4%, Pontotoc 14.6%, DeSoto 14.4%, Oktibbeha 14.2%, Lee 12.1%, Noxubee 11.9%, Calhoun 11.6%, Pearl River 11.0%, Tunica 10.6%, Smith 10.2%, Tishomingo 10.1%, Lincoln 10.0%, Itawamba 8.6%, Alcorn 8.1%, Grenada 6.5%, Tate 5.9%, Scott 5.7%, Chickasaw 5.2%, Prentiss 4.8%, See CRAWFORD, Page 6

fter years of delays on the issue, the Mississippi Legislature passed in August a comprehensive package to fund needed repairs to the state’s roads and bridges. The package included a new lottery and also diverted revenue from online sales taxes and sports gambling. It is projected to eventually provide about $130 million annually in muchneeded funds to patch a crumbing infrastructure system.

Recently, however, one of the lesser known measures of that package has begun to get more attention. State lawmakers approved an additional $150 annual tax on electric vehicles. Hybrid vehicles are now subject to $75 of additional taxes each year.

The state Department of Revenue has recently begun mailing notices of the new tax to owners of such vehicles, as reported by the Daily Journal’s Caleb Bedillion. The amounts are set to increase with inflation in 2021 and subsequent years.

Despite the latest effort to direct different sources of revenue toward infrastructure, the primary source of funding for Mississippi’s roads and bridges remains the state’s 18.4-cent per gallon gas tax. We have written before that this is the appropriate mechanism, with the idea being those who are using the roads and bridges are paying for their upkeep.

Part of the idea behind the tax on hybrid and electric cars is ensuring those drivers are contributing to infrastructure repairs since they are spending less on gas, and therefore paying less in gas taxes.

Critics of the new tax have correctly pointed out that many new traditional cars are getting as good of gas mileage as some older hybrids.

This is an important point that the legislature should consider as it adjusts infrastructure funding going forward.

But, the fact remains that maintaining roads and bridges is a core function of government. And doing so requires money.

The new tax on hybrid and electric vehicles has been as unpopular as you would expect a new tax to be. But we believe it should remain as part of a package for keeping the state’s roads and bridges the best they can be.

Despite the latest effort to direct different sources of revenue toward infrastructure, the primary source of funding for Mississippi’s roads and bridges remains the state’s 18.4cent per gallon gas tax.

— Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal

PERSPECTIVE

6 I Mississippi Business Journal I October 19 2018 » RICKY NOBILE

CRAWFORD

Continued from Page 5

Tallahatchie 4.3%, Rankin 4.0%, Hancock 3.9%, Monroe 3.2%, Marion 1.9%, Harrison 1.3%.

What job categories grew?

In the private sector: social assistance 61%, transportation and warehousing 19%, educational services 19%, ambulatory health care 18%, professional and business services 11%, nursing and residential care facilities 10%, leisure and hospitality 8%, utilities 6%, retail trade 1%.

In the public sector: local government 1%.

All other private and public sectors remain below 2008 levels.

Some good news is annual average wages increased in all counties but George and Jefferson Davis.

Some not-so-good news is while Mississippi wages increased, they fell further behind national averages. For 2008, Mississippi wages averaged $33,508, behind the national average of $45,563 by $12,055. For 2017, Mississippi wages averaged $38,788, behind the national average of $55,390 by $16,602. Mississippi wages also increased just 2% faster than inflation since 2008 while nationally wages beat inflation by 8%.

So, yes, Mississippi has recovered jobs lost during the Great Recession and, overall, more Mississippians are working with higher average wages. But with so many counties still lagging below 2008 employment levels and Mississippi’s weak growth compared to national averages, things are really more modest than terrific.

(Data from the U.S. Bureau Labor of Statistics; historic data no longer available from Mississippi. Department of Employment Security.)

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

»INSIDE MISSISSIPPI

Campaigning like incumbent risky for Cindy Hyde-Smith

M

ississippi voters sent Republican Thad Cochran to the U.S. House in 1972 and the U.S. Senate in 1978, and he served on Capitol Hill until frail health prompted him to retire in April of this year.

For most of his 40-year political career, Cochran didn’t have to exert himself in campaigns. He faced a tough race in 1984, with a challenge from Democratic former Gov. William Winter. After that, Cochran cruised back into office on feel-good TV ads and a record of bringing federal money to Mississippi.

The don’t-break-a-sweat approach to campaigning nearly cost Cochran the seat in 2014 as he faced an aggressive competitor, tea party-backed state Sen. Chris McDaniel, in the Republican primary.

Fast forward to 2018.

With less than a month before a special election to fill the final two years of the six-year term that Cochran started, his temporary successor, Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, is holding carefully curated campaign events. That tactic usually worked for Cochran, but Hyde-Smith could be doing so at great risk to her own political career because she has never been elected to the Senate.

Republican Gov. Phil Bryant appointed Hyde-Smith to temporarily succeed Cochran.

Although she won statewide office as agriculture commissioner 2011 and 2015, Hyde-Smith faces more pressure now in running for U.S. Senate. Two of her three challengers, McDaniel and Democratic former U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy, are raising money and campaigning around the state.

Hyde-Smith has declined invitations to debate, saying she

doesn’t want the campaign to interfere if she needs to be in Washington for Senate business.

On Oct. 5, the day before Hyde-Smith voted to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court, she did a teleconference town hall meeting from Washington. It was arranged by her campaign, and she took questions from people who gave first names only.

A woman named Lindsey (or Lindsay or some other variation) prefaced a question by saying, “Democrats have really ramped up their efforts to punish law-abiding gun owners.”

Hyde-Smith responded: “I am very committed to defending the Second Amendment.” The senator talked about her admiration for the NRA, said her family likes to hunt and said handguns are important for self-protection.

“I love my little snub-nosed .38,” Hyde-Smith said.

“It sounds like you are really going to work hard for us,” Lindsey replied.

The tele-town hall was a controlled environment where Hyde-Smith received easy questions, wasn’t contradicted by an opponent and didn’t face the possibility of adverse audience reaction.

The main plank of Hyde-Smith’s campaign platform is that she has a 100 percent voting record for President Donald Trump’s agenda. Her biggest campaign appearance hap-

Emily Pettus

pened Oct. 2 in north Mississippi’s heavily Republican DeSoto County, where Trump held his own campaign rally. He brought Hyde-Smith on stage for a few minutes and urged

Cochran defeated McDaniel in the 2014 Republican primary runoff, partly because he could draw on support earned through decades of constituent services. people to vote for her, after inaccurately telling the audience that he had appointed her to the Senate upon the governor’s recommendation.

“She’s always had my back,” Trump said. “She’s always had your back. And a vote for Cindy is a vote for me.”

Party labels won’t appear on the Nov. 6 ballot for the Senate special election. If nobody wins a majority Nov. 6, the top two advance to a Nov. 27 runoff.

Cochran defeated McDaniel in the 2014 Republican primary runoff, partly because he could draw on support earned through decades of constituent services. Hyde-Smith inherited some of Cochran’s Senate staff, but that doesn’t mean she automatically inherited his network of connections that could give her a similar boost. She holds the office but could be gambling if she campaigns like a comfortable incumbent.

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

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August 2018

8 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q October 19, 2018

DeSoto 3.7

Mississippi 4.7 U.S. 3.9

Tunica 4.7

MISSISSIPPI’S 4%. UNEMPLOYMENT FIGURES

UNITED STATES Labor Force Data Civilian Labor Force Unemployed Unemployment Rate Employed STATE OF MISSISSIPPI Unemployment Insurance Data •• Initial UI Claims Continued Claims Benefits Paid Weeks Paid First Payments Final Payments Average Weekly Benefit

Tate 4.8

Jul ‘18 1,304,800 69,600 5.3 1,235,200

Aug ‘17 1,269,000 63,100 5.0 1,205,900

‘17 Avg. 1,280,000 64,900 5.1 1,215,100

Coahoma 7.1

Yalobusha 5.3

Jul ‘18 163,734,000 6,730,000 4.1 157,004,000

Aug 2018 4,341 40,148 $5,670,996 28,064 1,998 408 $202.07

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

Jul 2018 5,566 57,445 $8,625,271 42,979 3,333 521 $200.69

‘17 Avg. 160,320,000 6,982,000 4.4 153,337,000

Leflore 6.7

Carroll 5.3

Montgomery 4.9

Holmes 8.6

Yazoo 5.3

Issaquena 6.4

Monroe 5.1

Clay 6.2 Lowndes 5.0

Oktibbeha 4.9

Choctaw 4.6

Noxubee 6.4

Winston 5.8

Attala 5.3

Sharkey 6.5

Itawamba 4.0

Chickasaw 5.0

Webster 5.0

Washington 7.3

Moving Avg.** 161,409,000 6,493,000 4.0 154,916,000

Leake 5.1

Neshoba 4.7

Scott 3.8

Newton 4.9

Kemper 6.8

Madison 3.5 Warren 5.4 Rankin 3.4

Hinds 4.5

Claiborne 9.6

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

Calhoun 4.1

Grenada 4.1

Sunflower 7.4

Lee 4.0

Pontotoc 3.8

Bolivar 5.9

Moving Avg.** 1,280,300 60,000 4.7 1,220,300

Lafayette 3.9

Quitman 6.8

Humphreys 8.0

Aug ‘18 161,909,000 6,370,000 3.9 155,539,000

Tishomingo 4.6

Union 3.5

Tallahatchie 4.4

Aug ‘18 1,281,500 60,600 4.7 1,220,900

Alcorn 4.1

Tippah 4.1

Prentiss 4.4

Panola 5.8

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

Benton 5.0

Marshall 4.6

Copiah 5.4

Jefferson 14.7 Adams 6.5

Lincoln 4.8

Franklin 6.3

Wilkinson 9.3

Amite 6.7

Pike 5.8

Covington Jones 4.4 4.7

Marion 5.0

Walthall 6.6

Unemployment Rates

7.5 - 14.7

Wayne 5.2

Lawrence Jeff Davis 6.3 7.4

** 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.

3.4 - 3.8 3.4 - 3.8 Labor force amounts are produced in cooperation with the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

3.9 - 5.1 3.9 - 5.1 Note: Unless indicated state and county data presented are not seasonally adjusted.

— Mississippi Department of Employment Security5.2 - 7.4

Clarke 5.2

Jasper 5.5

Smith 4.3

Simpson 4.5

Lauderdale 4.9

Lamar 3.6

Forrest 4.4

Pearl River 4.7

Hancock 4.9

5.2 - 7.4 7.5 - 14.7

Greene 6.1

Perry 6.3

George 6.9

Stone 5.7

Jackson 5.6

Harrison 4.4

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

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October 19, 2018 • MISSISSIPPI BUSINESS JOURNAL • www.msbusiness.com

AN MBJ FOCUS: SMALL BUSINESS

An MBA is still relevant even in a tight job market

By BECKY GILLETTE mbj@msbusiness.com The Master of Business Administration degree is considered one of the most important and respected degrees for people from a wide variety of different types of business to pursue. But with today’s tight employment office, does it make sense to get an MBA or would it be better just to go into the job market?

“While the job market is strong, there is never a bad time to further improve one’s skills,” said Ashley J. McGee, Director of MBA Administration, School of Business Administration, The University of Mississippi. “Earning an MBA is going to give you the opportunity to advance within the field and flexibility to move across industries. There is value in having that MBA in your pocket and, most importantly, on your resume.”

Ole Miss has the option of a one-year campus MBA program. McGee said students who are already in the “zone” of schoolwork, can set aside only one more year and build their knowledge and network to allow for greater opportunities.

“Additionally, we offer an online program which allows students the ability to continue their education while also being in the workforce,” McGee said. “So, for many people, they don’t have to choose between work and education; they can do both at the same time.”

Dr. Faye Gilbert, dean of the College of Business and Economic Development, University of Southern Mississippi, agrees an MBA today is still relevant even in a tight labor market.

“Similar to many other disruptions in the mar-

ketplace with millennials, the traditional two-year, full-time MBA, which would cost you $142,000 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is still worth it to many,” Gilbert said. “But at Southern Miss, our MBA will cost you about $12,000 and you complete it in two years while you still work Gilbert full-time. The millennials may not want a full-time MBA program without working. They do want options in skill development in a just-in-time manner.”

Other options for improving business skills are also popular.

Southern Miss has a Graduate Certificate in Business Foundations that is pre-MBA. The program can be completed in one year by taking McGee four 8-week online courses in management, accounting, marketing, and finance. Gilbert said those classes are filled with physicians, nurses, non-profit managers, construction managers and economic developers. They want the basic business skills they need to run their organizations without necessarily going on to obtain an MBA. “If we weren’t providing the Pauli MBA, we wouldn’t have skills on our faculty to begin the transformative certificates that have subsets of that MBA overall available to people to take when and where

they need them,” Gilbert said. “The certificate is completed online and is asynchronistic. You don’t have to be present in a classroom or call in at the same time, but can pick when to study.”

While having an MBA listed on their resume may be a goal of some students, Gilbert said the Graduate Certificate in Business Foundations is a way for the college to meet help people who need skills to be able to operate their businesses.

About 70 percent of MBA students at Southern Miss are professionals who work full-time and 30 percent are traditional students. The majority of their students are still from south Mississippi, but they are beginning to draw students from much farther afield.

“We were ranked by bestcollegereviews.com at #41 because we have an MBA with an emphasis in sports security,” Gilbert said. “We are the only college in the country with an MBA with in emphasis on sports security. Even though our online MBA has been in existence only four years, we are trying to meet key markets where we find them as opposed to expecting them to come to us. MBA programs are changing, but the basic skills are still quite relevant to keeping up with managing business organizations well.”

Dr. Kevin P. Pauli, MBA Director and Associate Professor at Mississippi College, said the idea of an MBA is really an extension of experience. It is not working or going to school. It is both.

“The idea of getting an MBA is to enhance what you are doing and to build on your experience,” Pauli said. “Fundamentally, it is giving you an See MBA, Page ĈĈ

Small Business

10 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q October 19, 2018

A LEGACY’S PATH » Stebly takes tattoo art to new heights

By CALLIE DANIELS BRYANT mbj@msbusiness.com

As the grandson of Ocean Spring’s famed Walter Anderson, Matt Stebly found painting as “just something that was normal to me.”

But from his legacy he forged a new path in tattooing, an artistic passion that was taboo at the time.

“I mainly got into tattooing because I was fascinated by it, and also it was a way I could create my own path in an industry that wasn’t familiar with who my family was. I feel my family was reluctant to give their full support when I first started tattooing since it was still a taboo art form at the time – mainly I think they were worried I couldn’t make a living tattooing,” Stebly said.

Now owner of Twisted Anchor Tattoo Gallery in downtown Ocean Springs on Government Street – a location he told The Sun Herald in 2017 was his dream

spot that he worked hard to obtain – Stebly has made a name for himself in the tattooing world, especially in the South.

His art has been featured across the Gulf Coast including Biloxi Shuckers jerseys as well as the Biloxi Seafood Festival. He hosts Due South Tattoo Expo, the first of its kind which brings over 90 tattoo artists to the Mississippi coast and was a competitor on nationwide television show “Ink Master” which premiered this August on Paramount Network (formerly Spike TV).

He came a long way from cleaning up at a local tattoo shop in hopes of pursuing a career in tattooing.

To become a tattoo artist, he needed a year-long apprenticeship under a licensed tattoo artist. Stebly accepted the challenge.

“I just showed up day after day, helping with cleaning and drawing until I was offered an apprenticeship at a small local shop in Ocean Springs,” Stebly said.

He got his first tattoo on his 18th birthday, and was 21 or 22 years old when he did his first tattoo.

See TATTOO, Page 11

Courtesy of twistedanchortattoo.com

Matt Stebly applies his art to the arm of a customer at Twisted Anchor Tattoo Gallery in Ocean Springs.

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additional credential to set you apart from others as you move up in the organization.

We offer both fully online and hybrid MBA classes in an 8-week format. Hybrid classes meet once a week and have another session online. To me, an MBA is not just memorizing facts. It is about doing more than that: it is about thinking, analyzing and networking. That part is especially well served in those classroom sessions.”

The majority of Mississippi College students are already working and coming back to school to get an additional degree.

Taken on a part-time basis, most finish it in about two years.

Traditional full-time MBA programs have been on decline. Some universities have closed full-time MBA programs.

“Because the job market is good, people are not leaving work for two years to get a degree,” Pauli said. “Even Harvard is seeing a decline in its full-time in-class MBA program.”

Mississippi College’s MBA costs about $18,000, is AACSB accredited, growing, and is structured for those working full-time who are looking for that extra credential that will get them a promotion and/or a new job.

“The MBA is designed to help people re-examine business,” Pauli said. “It gives them a chance to think of the bigger issues. Business people can get caught up in the day-to-day details of what is happening in their business and town. Part of what the MBA does is to change your perspective. MBA programs help students to look at the world differently, to think about what things mean, to develop new analytic skills, and to begin to exercise those skills.”

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Continued from, Page 9

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some deep spiritual meaning – some can be just because you like the art. You are never too old to get a tattoo. Make sure you do your research when you’re getting tattooed: tattooers are like any other artist out there; they have their specialties and things they dislike doing. There is a tattooer out there that fits your needs, you just have to look. Getting tattooed is an experience, so make sure you enjoy it from start to finish.”

Hailing from an artistic legacy Stebly has made a name for himself on Mississippi Coast, bringing a fresh perspective to his family’s talents. Twisted Anchor Tattoo Gallery can be found at twistedanchortatoo.com and Due South Expo can be found at duesouthtattoo.com.

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“The experiences were very, very different,” he said. “Getting a tattoo was not nearly as nerve-wracking when I sat down to do my first one.”

He prefers to draw and tattoo wildlife, animals, birds and fish as well as nautical themes. When asked about his own tattoos Stebly said he has “too many to count, and if I had some deep meaning behind all of them then I would be a very pretentious person.”

“Most of my tattoos just mark a time in my life, kind of like a permanent postcard,” Stebly said.

He loves owning a local studio, Twisted Anchor Tattoo Shop, in Ocean Springs.

“It’s everything I wanted in a studio,” he said. “Yes, we did have a few hiccups when we started the process opening the shop but I was persistent in doing whatever I needed to do to get the shop opened.”

posit

Continued from, Page 10

October 19, 2018

number of applications we receive through the website.”

Now in its fifth year, Due South Tattoo and Art Expo will be held at the IP Casino Resort Spa in Biloxi on March 8 to 10. Stebly said there will be a handful of regional bands playing during the show to spread the famous Southern hospitality.

The attendees will not only be able to potentially receive a tattoo from a famous artist but the artists themselves will attend seminars and learn from one another.

Stebly said that tattooing, like any art form, needs ongoing education to hone one’s craft which the expo will provide in the South.

When asked what advice he could give to the curious on tattoos, Stebly said: “Tattoos hurt. Not every tattoo has to have

Those hiccups were renovating an old building while calling on the city to rezone so that his tattoo parlor would be on Government Street, a thriving hub in Ocean Springs. He met these challenges with the same relentless spirit he had in pursuing an apprenticeship which led to the shop’s success.

With the same spirit he spearheaded Due South Tattoo and Art Expo, an annual expedition that showcases tattoo artists from all over the United States.

“The inspiration behind the show was from my personal travels to other tattoo events all over the world and wanting to bring a great tattoo event to a local area,” Stebly said. “The artists are selected by myself and Christina, my shop manager and personal life coach from the large

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TATTOO

Small Business

12 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q October 19, 2018

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14 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q October 19, 2018 August 2018 sales tax receipts/year to date, July 1 MISSISSIPPI STATE TAX COMMISSION Here are cities’ earnings through sales tax collections. Sales tax has a three-month cycle.

Month 1 — Tax is collected by the retailer. Month 2 — Tax is reported/paid to the Tax Commission by the retailer. Month 3 — Sales tax diversion is paid by the Tax Commission to the cities.

This report is based on the month the tax is collected at the Tax Commission (Month 2).

August August Year to date YTD CITY 2018 2017 2018 2017 ABBEVILLE $3,408.61 $4,762.74 $7,507.69 $9,858.67 ABERDEEN 68,595.22 66,144.22 144,173.09 137,171.81 ACKERMAN 23,194.30 21,594.03 48,449.84 44,976.50 ALCORN STATE U 111.80 266.86 ALGOMA 2,663.06 2,683.59 5,242.19 5,114.63 ALLIGATOR 381.92 370.39 702.42 739.89 AMORY 167,848.39 156,253.57 333,923.73 317,384.77 ANGUILLA 1,863.34 2,246.14 3,679.82 5,885.99 ARCOLA 726.07 1,109.89 1,519.63 2,452.94 ARTESIA 735.44 810.43 1,449.30 1,463.03 ASHLAND 11,887.58 12,449.94 24,353.58 28,832.94 BALDWYN 45,849.08 42,832.25 88,731.70 87,464.44 BASSFIELD 12,890.24 12,837.68 27,585.79 25,989.09 BATESVILLE 395,842.22 380,461.88 786,088.59 763,739.93 BAY SPRINGS 56,672.98 55,390.96 112,826.86 113,455.15 BAY ST LOUIS 130,237.43 151,079.81 287,553.64 295,926.11 BEAUMONT 8,980.82 9,410.82 19,357.10 17,944.64 BEAUREGARD 233.12 199.41 453.42 407.46 BELMONT 25,592.36 26,387.67 53,764.71 54,819.56 BELZONI 32,613.33 37,517.94 68,715.67 79,057.79 BENOIT 3,408.85 2,438.35 6,154.21 4,889.18 BENTONIA 11,769.84 14,109.44 22,758.03 31,466.39 BEULAH 320.46 371.69 650.81 730.48 BIG CREEK 296.45 448.79 612.16 709.01 BILOXI 1,240,513.86 1,165,949.09 2,429,340.24 2,272,832.06 BLUE MOUNTAIN 9,554.40 10,707.49 19,380.86 22,169.16 BLUE SPRINGS 2,224.62 2,331.07 4,423.20 4,814.77 BOLTON 13,987.54 15,592.40 30,908.65 30,220.47 BOONEVILLE 155,133.08 151,246.42 316,490.85 313,010.51 BOYLE 22,665.89 18,191.74 50,096.12 35,195.45 BRANDON 526,244.60 488,139.26 1,032,595.46 972,396.68 BRAXTON 1,277.10 1,705.51 2,831.94 3,273.63 BROOKHAVEN 470,511.64 484,926.38 922,940.99 959,759.96 BROOKSVILLE 9,147.17 10,446.81 18,776.83 21,537.87 BRUCE 38,326.34 39,055.16 80,050.13 84,680.85 BUDE 10,478.52 11,900.31 22,490.65 23,533.83 BURNSVILLE 13,665.27 14,150.24 27,827.08 29,413.26 BYHALIA 68,393.10 60,251.47 144,010.56 135,971.28 BYRAM 254,576.44 219,053.76 492,294.30 430,513.62 CALEDONIA 13,931.46 14,947.09 29,429.31 28,271.00 CALHOUN CITY 22,301.97 23,754.37 47,250.79 48,169.02 CANTON 254,441.86 260,053.24 505,833.97 504,277.06 CARROLLTON 6,659.01 6,071.19 13,780.14 13,040.08 CARTHAGE 145,835.50 149,114.33 292,113.35 292,693.14 CARY 814.64 963.96 2,705.89 1,961.08 CENTREVILLE 17,185.29 18,540.59 37,677.40 38,763.50 CHARLESTON 28,444.39 28,004.01 58,870.14 56,715.79 CHUNKY 870.25 929.75 1,506.96 1,835.43 CLARKSDALE 208,048.35 211,686.00 423,408.31 433,846.70 CLEVELAND 295,052.88 321,813.97 588,576.21 624,814.51 CLINTON 397,094.41 385,809.85 754,906.25 764,925.72 COAHOMA 518.38 588.58 987.51 1,266.62 COAHOMA COLLEGE 15.97 9.52 59.22 42.73 COFFEEVILLE 10,297.70 9,951.79 21,975.70 21,550.28 COLDWATER 20,803.29 19,361.00 45,011.07 38,134.45 COLLINS 146,517.03 144,681.73 291,273.61 265,074.28 COLUMBIA 268,287.84 257,146.69 536,531.03 521,057.42 COLUMBUS 773,498.07 806,384.23 1,580,395.48 1,613,874.45 COMO 18,839.07 16,531.74 33,775.05 29,378.39 CORINTH 517,500.74 489,663.55 1,043,986.83 1,025,404.23 COURTLAND 1,439.03 1,637.43 2,766.83 3,172.75 CRAWFORD 1,603.99 1,595.78 3,118.12 3,112.09 CRENSHAW 5,158.71 4,788.06 11,052.82 10,095.23 CROSBY 876.81 1,374.16 2,360.23 1,924.94 CROWDER 2,209.29 1,609.80 4,408.75 3,498.68 CRUGER 409.19 424.92 709.40 860.16 CRYSTAL SPRINGS 62,517.21 65,481.90 130,697.21 133,739.73 D LO 1,840.67 1,527.14 39,050.00 3,586.04 D’IBERVILLE 657,437.48 612,666.42 1,338,389.49 1,232,761.77 DECATUR 11,076.56 11,571.91 22,696.31 22,470.62 DEKALB 17,396.89 18,981.63 37,963.46 37,797.78 DERMA 4,607.15 4,802.31 15,186.54 16,804.23 DIAMONDHEAD 71,738.96 53,012.45 124,643.58 98,623.52 DODDSVILLE 441.45 549.79 1,262.33 1,212.97 DREW 6,301.06 6,762.22 13,554.12 13,905.56 DUCK HILL 4,044.54 4,406.21 9,041.66 8,346.70 DUMAS 930.67 1,129.95 2,019.09 2,355.85 DUNCAN 1,855.74 541.41 2,389.40 1,016.95 DURANT 60,956.46 32,017.35 97,367.57 70,435.08 EAST MS COLLEGE 34.44 30.01 87.23 79.94 ECRU 9,589.49 12,571.55 19,882.75 25,262.11 EDEN 82.38 73.85 171.78 147.69 EDWARDS 6,298.70 6,541.31 13,141.68 12,949.15 ELLISVILLE 79,560.53 73,949.39 154,073.71 151,187.74 ENTERPRISE 5,183.12 5,417.83 11,316.32 11,772.00 ETHEL 2,232.69 2,358.39 4,808.49 4,876.60 EUPORA 32,650.16 35,870.63 72,549.07 72,497.16 FALCON 205.97 240.71 572.16 362.05 FALKNER 5,028.38 5,433.57 10,443.76 11,533.46 FARMINGTON 5,822.34 2,035.72 11,184.07 4,587.12 FAYETTE 15,641.07 15,798.28 31,088.03 35,904.25 FLORA 33,023.45 29,544.84 69,067.45 59,515.50 FLORENCE 76,060.50 62,649.64 150,861.15 137,047.19 FLOWOOD 986,710.64 920,251.01 2,028,901.87 1,868,113.24 FOREST 189,999.30 193,601.20 391,837.24 379,512.28 FRENCH CAMP 1,226.61 981.06 2,384.90 2,005.78 FRIARS POINT 2,956.36 2,784.55 6,913.73 4,939.54

FULTON GATTMAN GAUTIER GEORGETOWN GLEN GLENDORA GLOSTER GOLDEN GOODMAN GREENVILLE GREENWOOD GRENADA GULFPORT GUNNISON GUNTOWN HATLEY HATTIESBURG HAZLEHURST HEIDELBERG HERNANDO HICKORY HICKORY FLAT HINDS COMMUNITY HOLLANDALE HOLLY SPRINGS HORN LAKE HOULKA HOUSTON INDIANOLA INVERNESS ISOLA ITTA BENA IUKA JACKSON JONESTOWN JUMPERTOWN KILMICHAEL KOSCIUSKO KOSSUTH LAKE LAMBERT LAUREL LEAKESVILLE LEARNED LELAND LENA LEXINGTON LIBERTY LONG BEACH LOUIN LOUISE LOUISVILLE LUCEDALE LULA LUMBERTON LYON MABEN MACON MADISON MAGEE MAGNOLIA MANTACHIE MANTEE MARIETTA MARION MARKS MATHISTON MAYERSVILLE MCCOMB MCCOOL MCLAIN MEADVILLE MENDENHALL MERIDIAN MERIGOLD METCALFE MIZE MONTICELLO MONTROSE MOORHEAD MORGAN CITY MORTON MOSS POINT MOUND BAYOU MS GULFCOAST MS STATE UNIV MS VALLEY ST MT OLIVE MYRTLE NATCHEZ NETTLETON NEW ALBANY NEW AUGUSTA NEW HEBRON NEWTON NO. CARROLLTON NOXAPATER OAKLAND OCEAN SPRINGS OKOLONA OLIVE BRANCH OSYKA OXFORD PACE PACHUTA PADEN

127,694.38 139.57 189,700.96 3,636.30 3,159.46 445.89 11,342.74 3,586.90 3,022.15 501,830.31 367,373.07 376,757.79 2,052,403.61 691.67 16,486.94 1,406.99 1,926,912.39 114,370.41 16,156.40 319,230.19 5,673.43 6,776.28 838.27 13,357.03 116,914.54 466,994.30 8,173.68 85,440.67 149,190.01 5,212.62 1,989.20 11,138.04 94,955.21 2,331,359.00 2,801.00 1,505.69 6,341.06 178,799.57 4,485.40 23,296.17 2,126.72 757,655.56 28,364.35 1,083.72 49,390.74 2,355.76 30,456.01 20,652.88 127,816.45 1,825.35 1,451.65 153,288.82 189,060.63 1,142.18 12,513.64 2,104.55 7,066.87 46,744.51 721,287.14 187,395.23 42,111.98 16,993.48 2,060.09 4,187.96 16,832.37 15,240.43 15,939.36 860.46 506,933.94 612.96 4,142.43 10,640.51 59,569.24 1,192,214.27 7,364.68 847.28 11,118.59 39,172.46 384.76 6,870.34 572.56 34,175.97 182,947.23 3,864.88 73.72 33,649.47 213.80 8,170.20 4,276.80 431,002.22 28,459.00 286,528.20 12,525.96 5,710.04 82,080.15 3,036.80 7,742.64 6,531.99 450,568.61 22,113.36 906,289.52 4,959.11 721,686.67 495.59 3,216.63 68.15

126,442.31 151.56 180,747.30 3,576.08 3,109.73 389.07 11,754.83 4,314.41 3,293.46 495,710.72 366,385.86 361,867.35 1,853,449.38 834.08 16,868.67 1,202.67 1,859,309.53 107,715.65 17,346.53 297,090.79 7,142.16 6,479.00 908.69 14,843.10 113,377.49 425,833.34 8,180.60 83,265.55 150,188.49 4,169.86 2,167.37 11,159.18 67,437.79 2,384,273.68 1,843.17 371.20 5,876.54 174,273.91 3,681.19 19,794.05 2,705.95 734,471.96 22,606.59 720.87 45,512.44 2,215.16 33,956.52 20,486.55 131,585.08 883.40 156,102.00 177,009.22 705.75 13,081.59 1,880.34 7,584.20 43,233.88 671,011.99 175,937.49 44,430.17 19,087.55 1,586.52 4,478.11 17,216.27 15,227.90 15,974.64 774.95 463,389.76 643.19 4,015.77 11,042.01 53,549.03 1,139,352.93 6,745.15 892.58 9,161.23 40,484.45 3,725.62 6,773.05 547.75 39,316.54 171,200.91 3,507.49 77.11 101,279.41 305.85 8,672.90 4,633.53 424,124.98 24,915.10 280,565.44 11,481.56 6,743.31 79,784.60 3,665.69 7,523.33 6,799.49 420,029.02 23,353.52 905,427.68 4,596.57 920,792.14 451.56 1,540.34 76.59

255,358.75 284.67 390,410.89 8,045.33 7,541.90 917.58 23,752.73 7,592.14 6,449.37 1,014,343.50 725,782.23 766,774.88 3,954,486.87 1,468.00 34,344.79 3,538.61 3,756,414.54 229,227.91 34,337.58 624,695.27 14,417.73 13,449.18 1,659.94 30,426.25 232,595.35 887,717.07 16,894.56 177,424.57 301,846.93 10,585.17 3,804.14 22,540.78 170,729.23 4,765,582.94 5,894.23 3,516.62 12,074.64 358,127.72 9,465.40 42,992.63 4,213.88 1,479,158.54 55,776.96 1,921.18 103,558.41 4,838.84 66,438.57 43,211.49 247,760.41 3,582.84 2,597.49 307,076.70 379,600.07 1,973.62 27,246.94 3,732.03 15,424.54 94,999.48 1,426,734.73 371,987.90 86,790.01 36,364.12 4,349.97 8,832.86 37,807.17 31,911.82 32,998.18 1,650.73 976,481.93 1,159.15 8,287.40 22,577.29 116,564.59 2,376,779.00 14,235.83 2,106.22 22,548.60 79,747.77 531.99 14,318.04 1,102.82 78,994.80 368,923.80 7,436.55 354.06 56,698.13 387.46 17,193.16 8,842.55 861,950.66 61,920.35 595,142.03 24,797.05 12,012.90 162,576.85 7,085.93 16,811.51 14,044.90 875,447.36 47,143.84 1,843,254.92 9,990.09 1,436,220.55 941.22 6,709.58 128.43

259,388.45 269.92 374,307.79 7,493.52 6,749.24 718.97 24,552.22 9,304.85 6,525.18 1,010,791.25 751,828.20 734,366.92 3,659,495.68 1,709.69 34,565.68 4,430.10 3,676,977.76 220,829.99 38,323.26 593,937.01 14,405.18 12,744.47 1,582.80 34,393.67 230,390.46 832,743.71 17,459.82 176,563.82 313,702.59 9,722.44 4,457.11 22,549.37 141,280.13 4,821,144.47 3,926.18 854.30 11,707.71 345,664.14 7,372.62 33,119.45 5,151.13 1,456,158.51 52,538.91 1,351.64 89,905.97 4,095.46 71,907.34 43,320.95 248,965.77 2,461.28 1,846.57 304,043.69 353,940.66 3,461.51 27,628.70 3,713.54 15,179.01 96,717.06 1,361,753.57 354,042.12 79,161.16 39,045.61 3,616.71 10,002.24 37,441.82 32,694.40 32,102.46 1,357.70 941,629.68 1,284.59 8,590.06 23,823.20 97,707.52 2,280,692.59 14,238.95 1,781.68 19,284.70 75,657.69 3,866.10 14,733.17 1,037.69 84,100.07 324,907.08 7,055.77 270.37 122,802.49 464.85 18,315.82 9,715.64 844,958.33 62,246.05 563,329.68 23,493.95 13,439.42 162,784.64 6,237.38 15,004.11 13,810.39 820,766.00 44,670.06 1,777,612.23 10,023.23 1,629,497.29 920.13 3,183.21 167.60

PASCAGOULA 465,866.62 432,525.87 910,905.19 867,527.82 PASS CHRISTIAN 140,291.56 124,669.63 265,694.48 237,956.62 PAULDING 118.77 167.42 243.29 297.71 PEARL 897,894.59 865,788.24 1,774,850.73 1,670,730.55 PELAHATCHIE 31,261.09 36,633.49 70,439.14 75,166.28 PETAL 224,154.99 209,504.21 451,184.34 434,357.75 PHILADELPHIA 372,106.69 367,415.27 719,312.34 696,255.97 PICAYUNE 433,961.63 393,103.21 814,206.07 800,237.64 PICKENS 6,510.56 6,249.42 13,616.77 12,779.57 PITTSBORO 1,890.04 1,984.24 3,529.48 3,641.35 PLANTERSVILLE 9,797.95 5,254.39 15,089.35 10,155.32 POLKVILLE 1,234.65 1,154.48 2,875.06 2,682.01 PONTOTOC 204,831.64 202,718.89 413,114.40 408,075.33 POPE 4,644.13 3,118.24 10,757.04 6,366.25 POPLARVILLE 73,953.86 72,248.77 155,578.44 136,001.03 PORT GIBSON 26,024.70 26,627.87 54,905.01 54,570.95 POTTS CAMP 6,964.55 7,523.88 14,811.46 15,821.59 PRENTISS 30,577.06 33,237.13 63,662.56 69,156.84 PUCKETT 8,894.78 7,917.21 17,557.61 15,865.38 PURVIS 66,365.62 65,660.12 136,750.37 147,208.46 QUITMAN 47,482.09 46,586.54 95,353.65 94,848.90 RALEIGH 16,892.96 14,959.83 33,717.78 30,962.56 RAYMOND 17,995.46 14,518.72 34,770.23 32,292.34 RENOVA 3,417.25 2,188.32 7,082.63 4,467.16 RICHLAND 521,637.70 411,682.83 1,012,602.55 868,735.57 RICHTON 27,347.53 27,608.39 56,941.92 58,069.89 RIDGELAND 1,067,985.62 1,058,288.22 2,159,587.53 2,136,459.91 RIENZI 3,902.81 3,936.71 8,393.34 8,879.96 RIPLEY 119,346.21 113,410.17 247,974.92 235,107.09 ROLLING FORK 28,214.15 28,330.87 61,961.74 63,223.46 ROSEDALE 10,625.71 10,605.03 20,505.37 21,829.92 ROXIE 4,118.04 1,640.35 5,601.22 3,219.39 RULEVILLE 19,897.04 19,063.92 40,260.77 39,311.23 SALLIS 1,525.94 1,675.93 2,940.47 3,355.93 SALTILLO 72,590.84 70,789.47 145,416.20 137,517.23 SANDERSVILLE 13,984.90 26,602.34 29,656.19 54,145.18 SARDIS 29,178.88 28,138.50 58,532.21 53,803.84 SATARTIA 302.65 313.62 577.16 609.53 SCHLATER 1,072.29 1,053.16 2,320.71 2,082.64 SCOOBA 7,572.04 7,648.27 15,143.68 16,765.88 SEBASTOPOL 16,261.38 16,359.46 33,396.07 31,572.78 SEMINARY 13,457.42 12,543.67 28,797.29 26,738.89 SENATOBIA 188,941.46 179,823.78 381,794.75 360,356.52 SHANNON 10,467.44 11,563.27 22,137.20 24,253.48 SHAW 5,961.63 6,583.48 13,648.19 14,101.67 SHELBY 9,254.03 9,093.29 20,425.46 19,060.97 SHERMAN 40,572.17 32,367.98 73,555.64 75,225.81 SHUBUTA 3,401.11 3,710.50 7,201.78 8,001.16 SHUQUALAK 2,173.17 2,065.09 3,986.64 5,033.63 SIDON 452.93 537.48 1,794.11 1,127.48 SILVER CITY 353.36 392.38 728.96 773.82 SILVER CREEK 2,658.03 2,547.16 5,281.82 5,205.07 SLATE SPRINGS 316.06 100.14 537.34 208.66 SLEDGE 1,382.68 1,409.80 2,677.92 2,700.42 SMITHVILLE 5,607.93 5,833.73 11,665.47 12,065.62 SNOWLAKESHORES 134.15 100.23 270.16 212.91 SOSO 12,349.58 9,269.24 22,355.91 18,568.84 SOUTHAVEN 1,260,152.47 1,164,949.70 2,528,072.81 2,329,861.36 SOUTHWEST COMM 63.54 38.61 101.34 70.00 STARKVILLE 541,766.28 557,801.89 1,109,561.14 1,106,701.26 STATE LINE 11,713.94 11,208.91 21,147.42 23,188.85 STONEWALL 5,895.08 5,961.08 11,896.30 12,100.69 STURGIS 6,933.01 2,130.47 9,498.45 4,319.62 SUMMIT 38,604.04 45,904.13 80,026.07 84,308.48 SUMNER 3,174.34 3,165.49 6,650.42 7,209.44 SUMRALL 51,704.86 43,460.11 100,570.73 88,045.69 SUNFLOWER 2,595.62 3,061.64 5,458.72 6,372.13 SYLVARENA 227.64 213.61 409.63 457.47 TAYLOR 2,137.52 1,857.45 4,604.04 4,489.06 TAYLORSVILLE 23,067.20 25,739.65 48,703.79 54,112.57 TCHULA 5,588.04 5,611.94 12,811.62 12,049.69 TERRY 25,827.11 27,250.59 51,444.03 56,676.58 THAXTON 4,030.39 3,587.27 8,571.36 7,917.78 TISHOMINGO 12,751.41 8,874.66 26,544.44 23,408.62 TOCCOPOLA 611.58 5,470.77 1,387.74 5,804.28 TOWN OF WALLS 14,357.57 12,825.43 21,126.73 21,251.17 TREMONT 1,952.25 1,152.85 3,269.60 2,650.51 TUNICA 34,398.23 46,178.22 70,443.82 85,354.31 TUPELO 1,798,529.19 1,618,308.81 3,562,748.66 3,328,483.72 TUTWILER 4,109.27 3,904.08 8,078.00 8,603.74 TYLERTOWN 53,889.47 54,905.99 107,971.76 115,532.81 UNION 23,290.63 25,015.51 47,930.19 51,062.31 UNIV OF MISS 5,685.46 84,267.05 16,385.90 93,406.60 UTICA 8,471.57 8,690.06 15,670.39 17,195.53 VAIDEN 7,927.55 7,172.14 16,480.04 15,231.05 VARDAMAN 12,735.45 10,895.40 22,637.14 22,337.48 VERONA 19,044.99 88,421.28 39,967.49 103,368.34 VICKSBURG 710,366.33 656,801.82 1,358,564.13 1,322,311.06 WALNUT 20,467.56 19,909.85 43,706.62 40,883.90 WALNUT GROVE 5,050.84 5,648.46 10,513.54 10,560.78 WALTHALL 1,169.67 1,309.22 2,739.07 2,421.62 WATER VALLEY 43,939.01 41,878.61 88,800.90 87,100.09 WAVELAND 223,501.81 198,350.18 448,412.51 407,380.00 WAYNESBORO 189,184.02 169,130.61 365,913.51 341,562.80 WEBB 7,032.39 7,599.93 14,598.61 15,400.67 WEIR 3,689.13 3,115.28 7,262.66 7,163.22 WESSON 12,857.45 12,121.58 26,524.32 26,083.70 WEST 963.26 1,038.24 1,974.20 2,039.51 WEST POINT 162,816.95 171,677.23 330,756.14 337,869.55 WIGGINS 164,371.68 158,760.58 324,719.47 314,797.08 WINONA 76,022.54 92,527.21 157,786.87 180,661.57 WINSTONVILLE 251.64 234.46 490.90 480.68 WOODLAND 6,550.65 5,056.12 12,591.61 11,584.74 WOODVILLE 29,018.66 30,221.27 58,967.34 61,626.75 YAZOO CITY 160,643.33 162,151.71 339,043.43 323,798.73 TOTAL $37,580,558.42 $36,467,573.71 $74,882,443.48 $72,694,286.36

Smarter energy begins with a smarter power grid.

At Entergy Mississippi, we’re committed to providing reliable and affordable power for the next generation. So we’re implementing new technologies to modernize the power grid and create a smarter energy future. Advanced Metering Infrastructure, known as AMI, is the first step.

Approved by the Mississippi Public Service Commission in May 2017, AMI is a multi-year investment. We are already planning the IT and network systems to support this technology. Once meters are installed, beginning in 2019, homes and businesses will start seeing these innovative new benefits: - Customers can view near real-time electricity usage, better manage bills and potentially save energy.

- Outages will be identified more accurately and efficiently.

- Long-term reliability will improve, particularly after challenging weather.

- A foundation will be laid for future new technologies.

Technology remains crucial in advancing Mississippi businesses and communities. Entergy Mississippi is investing in and applying the technology that will power our state for generations to come.

Learn more at energyfuturemississippi.com.

A message from Entergy Mississippi, Inc. ©2018 Entergy Services, LLC All Rights Reserved.

16 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q October 19, 2018

Berry appointed to Mississippi Autism Board

Origin Bank hires Karma Brantley Williams

Dr. Krystal Thurman Berry, Assistant Director for Training and Professional Development for the Mississippi Community College Board, has been appointed by Gov. Phil Bryant to the Mississippi Autism Board for a four-year term ending June 30, 2022.

Thurman Berry will serve as the parent/family member representative of the Autism Board, which licenses Applied Behavior Analysts and Assistant Behavior Analysts in the State.

In 2001 and 2003, respectively, Thurman Berry earned her baccalaureate degree in Marketing and Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in International Business from Arkansas State University. She received a Doctor of Education in Higher Education from the University of Mississippi in 2018.

Thurman Berry has spent 15 years serving in various roles in higher education, 10 of these years in Finland with guest lecture positions in the Netherlands and Russia. She held teaching positions at Arkansas State University, Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, and Lapland University of Applied Sciences. Prior to her current role, Dr. Thurman Berry served as a Curriculum Specialist and Training and Processional Development Specialist at the Mississippi Community College Board.

Origin Bank recently announced that Karma Brantley Williams has joined the company as a Senior Vice President, Private Banking and Commercial Relationship Manager.

Williams has more than 30 years of banking experience with a broad range of specialties, including private and commercial Williams banking, small business finance and commercial real estate. In her position at Origin she will focus on business development and building private banking relationships, customizing personal strategies to assist customers in meeting their financial needs.

Williams has a Bachelor of Science in finance from the University of Mississippi, and is a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University. She is a member of the Junior League of Jackson and Christ United Methodist Church, and frequently volunteers for charitable organizations such as the American Heart Association, Stewpot, the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership and the Cancer League of Jackson. She is married to Scott Williams, and together they have two children.

Williams will maintain an office at Origin’s Jackson Banking Center at The District at Eastover.

Mississippi Consumer Finance Association announces new leaders The Mississippi Consumer Finance Association (MCFA) recently announced new leaders in the organization for 2018 -2019.

Michael Weaver has been elected to serve as President of the MCFA Board of Directors. Weaver is a partner in Sebastopol Finance, Westside Finance, Union Finance, Walnut Grove Finance, and Longleaf Finance. He replaces Rex Ellison, President and CEO of Republic Finance, who will serve as the immediate past president. Norman Tyner has been elected to serve as Vice President. Tyner is the owner of Poplarville Financial Services. J. Michael Culpepper has been elected to serve as the Secretary/Treasurer. Culpepper is the President/COO of First Heritage Credit.

Members of the MCFA Board of Directors are as follows: Bobby Hood, Ackerman Finance; John Brasher, Treasurer Loans; Jim Fortune, Fidelity National Loans; Jody Macon, Tower Loan; Banky Hammack, Philadelphia Credit Corp.; Paul Robinson, Gulf Islands Credit; Jim Hill, First Heritage Credit; Thomas Conner, Third Union Finance; Ernie Felker, Liberty Finance; Bryan Anderson, First Metropolitan Financial; Jason Gunter, Assurance Credit; Ricky Hentz, Solutions Finance; Chris Mitchell, Acceptance Loan Corp.; Pat Smith, 1st Franklin Financial; Patrick Williams, World Acceptance

Merit Health Hospital names HR Director Jackie Williams was recently named human resources director of Merit Health Rankin, Merit Health River Oaks and Merit Health Woman’s Hospital.

Williams began her career in human resources 30 years ago with Merit Health Central and most recently was human resources director of Merit Health Williams Madison.

Williams holds her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Jackson State University.

Wes Rouse joins The First as Senior Vice President Wes Rouse, CCIM, recently joined The First, A National Banking Association, as Senior Vice President.

Rouse comes to The First after having served in leadership and executive positions in the Hattiesburg banking community for the past eighteen years.

Rouse attended the University of Southern Mississippi graduating with a Bachelor of Science Rouse in Business Administration and a Masters of Business Administration. He also is a graduate of the Wealth Management for Private Bankers from the Cannon Financial Institute and the LSU Graduate School of Banking. In 2010 he obtained his Certified Commercial Investment Member Designation (CCIM). The CCIM designation signifies his expertise in commercial real-estate property investment and transactions.

Newsmakers Rouse has provided leadership to the Hattiesburg community through his service on a number of boards and committees, such as Chamber of Commerce Division Chair for the Area Development Partnership, board member of the Hattiesburg One Hundred and the ADP Leadership Pine Belt Steering Committee.

He has also served as a member of the Hattiesburg Public School District Education Foundation Board, the United Way Board and the Salvation Army Advisory Board. In 2017-2018 Rouse served as Mississippi Young Bankers, President and currently sits on their executive council.

Rouse has been a participant in the Leader’s for a New Century in 2002, Leadership Gulf Coast in 2005, Leadership Mississippi in 2011 and was awarded “Top 40 Under 40” by the MS Business Journal in 2011 and “Top 20 Under 40” by the Hattiesburg American in 2015. He is married to Traci Rouse and has a daughter named Rebecca.

Golden Triangle Leadership announces 2018-2019 Class The Columbus Lowndes Chamber of Commerce, Greater Starkville Development Partnership, and Growth Alliance in West Point, has announced the 4th class of local business and community leaders who were selected to participate in the Golden Triangle Leadership program.

Selected for the 2018-2019 GTL Class are: Alison Alexander – Instructor at East Mississippi Community College Ally Walker – Development for Palmer Home For Children Aubrey Adair – Partner at T.E. Lott Brianna White – Director of CIS Home Loans Brooke Minton – Clinical Coordinator of Community Counseling Services Chad Thomas – Vice President of McConnell Brothers Transfer and Storage Cherie Labat – Superintendent of Columbus Municipal School District Dusty Knickrehm – Chiropractor at Saum Chiropractic Janie Shields – Public Relations at Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science Jason Trufant – Athletic Director at Mississippi University For Women Jessica Pierce – Executive Assistant at Cadence Bank John Cunningham – Senior Engineer/Manager of Neel-Schaefer Joy Lathan – Director at Northeast Mississippi Procurement Center Karen Clay – University Counsel at Mississippi University For Women Lt. Kara Crennan – Public Affairs Director at Columbus Air Force Base Sheri Lipsey- Realtor at Real Living Hearts and Home Realty Wayne Cothern – General Manager of Holiday Inn Express Columbus Helen Copeland – Director of Radiology at North Mississippi Medical Center Julia Morrison – Special Programs Coordinator at East Mississippi Community College Julie Hill – Community Relations at West Point Consolidated School District Misty McCraw – Human Resources / Accounting Graham Roofing Inc. Joseph Iupe – Auditor at T.E. Lott Starkville West Schrickel – Senior Pastor at Orchard Church Starkville

Mary Anne Brocato named executive director The Leland Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors announced this week that Leland native Mary Anne Brocato has been named the new Executive Director for the Leland civic organization.

Brocato, who has been in Leland for nearly 40 years, currently still resides in Leland and Brocato recently retired as the Associate Vice President/Director of the Greenville Higher Education Center (GHEC). Prior to that, she was Dean of Career-Technical Instruction at Mississippi Delta Community College. Brocato earned a Bachelor’s degree in Consumer Relations, a Masters in Natural Science and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership, all from Delta State University.

Civically, she has been actively involved on the Education Committee of Delta Council; the President Elect for the Delta Community Tennis Association; Past Board member of the Deer Creek School; Elder and Clerk of Session for Leland Presbyterian Church; Rotary International; and Greenville Junior’s Woman’s Club.

“We are fortunate that someone with Mary Anne’s skill set and capabilities is available and interested in helping to build on the momentum that the Leland Chamber has seen over the last several years,” said Nicki Watford, Leland Chamber Board President. “I know she will do a great job for our community.”

Brocato is taking over for Interim Director, Stephanie Patton. “Melia Christensen worked so hard to get this organization in shape, not just financially, but she made it really support the community,” said Patton.

“We needed someone with just as much enthusiasm as Melia, and Mary Anne will be that person for Leland.”

Wise Carter announces expansion of Jackson office

Wise Carter Child & Caraway, P.A. is pleased to announce that Angela Y. Cockerham has joined our Jackson office as Special Counsel as of October 15, 2018.

Angela Y. Cockerham received her J.D. from Loyola University New Orleans School of Law in 2001, her M.A. from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy-Tufts University, and her B.A. in English from Jackson State University. Ms. Cockerham is licensed to practice law in the State of Mississippi and the State of Louisiana. Ms. Cockerham brings to Wise Carter more than seventeen (17) years of experience in the areas of banking, criminal law, business law, common and civil law, oil and gas law, family law, construction defense, and workers’ compensation defense. She served as City Prosecutor for the Town of Summit, MS. She is currently the Board Attorney for the Town of Gloster, MS and the City of McComb, MS. Ms. Cockerham has been a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives since 2005, where she Chairs the Energy Committee and is listed as Mississippi’s Top 50 Elected/Appointed Government Officials. She is an Adjunct Professor for Mississippi College School of Law and was appointed to the State Drug Courts Advisory Committee by the Mississippi Supreme Court.

Newsmakers Wells Named Phi Theta Kappa staff accountant Siara Wells has been named Staff Accountant at Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.

Wells is a Phi Theta Kappa member from Hinds Community College in Raymond, where she received an associate degree in accounting. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in business adWells ministration in accounting from Jackson State University. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in accounting from Mississippi College, which she’ll complete in December, and she plans to become a Certified Public Accountant.

Prior to joining Phi Theta Kappa, Wells worked as a financial assistant and grants specialist for My Brother’s Keeper Inc., a non-profit social services organization.

Wells is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. She attends Ideal Family Church in Jackson.

Phi Theta Kappa is the premier honor society recognizing the academic achievement of students at associate degree-granting college.

Richmond Vincent joins Executive Council Richmond Vincent, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries of South Mississippi, has been elected to serve on the Goodwill Industries International (GII) Conference of Executives (COE) Executive Council and as a member of the GII Board of Directors.

The Executive Council has the necessary power consistent Vincent with GII’s bylaws policies of the GII Board of Directors. The Executive Council is the vehicle by which the Conference of Executives acts as a consultative body to GII.

Community Bank hires Nicki Hudson Nicki Hudson has been named Business Development Officer for Jones County, where she recently served as Business Development Specialist. A native of Magee, Mississippi, Hudson has been in banking for eight years. In her new role, Hudson will focus on strengthening current customer relationships, Hudson cultivating new customer relationships, community involvement, and treasury management.

Hudson, is a graduate of The University of Southern Mississippi with a Bachelor of Business Administration with major in Marketing. Prior to USM, she received her Associates Degree from Jones County Junior College.

Active in her community, Hudson is involved with Laurel Main Street Organization/Events Committee, Leadership Jones County, Provisional member of

October 19, 2018

Forrest General’s Hospice receives Best Superior Performer Award

Courtesy of C Spire

Forrest General’s Hospice recently received the Strategic Healthcare Programs’ (SHP) Best Superior Performer Award, which recognizes the hospital for achieving an overall score that ranked within the top 20 percent in the SHP national Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Hospice benchmark and above the SHP national average for each CAHPS hospice quality measure in the 2017 calendar year. This annual program acknowledges home health and hospice providers who have proven to provide high quality care to their patients. Pictured are, first row, from left, Elizabeth Guice, Debbie Davis, Melita Miller, director, Becky Pardue, assistant director, Nadia Clark, Meg Paul. Second row: Riccara Keyes, Dorinda Ralston, Jo Ann Thompson, Vanessa Hartfield, Stacey James Paige Pattie, Jennifer Keyes, Freda Martin, Marry Moss, Vicki Delk, Nicole Rayburn, Andrea Butler, Jadee Hall, Sherry Amacker; Third row: Matt Martin, Ken Roberts, Bonny Bounds and Marilyn Laird. (Courtesy of Forrest General Hospice)

Junior Auxiliary of Laurel, and attends First Baptist Church of Laurel, where she sings in choir.

She is married to Andrew, together they have three children, Kate, Emalyn, and Hank.

LUBA named to Business Insurance magazine list Business Insurance magazine announced today that LUBA Workers’ Comp has been named to its annual “Best Places to Work in Insurance” list. The program selects the country’s best employers in the insurance industry. The list includes agents, brokers, and insurance companies.

LUBA Workers’ Comp is a regional casualty insurance company that provides workers’ compensation coverage across Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, and Mississippi. “Our motto ‘Genuine Dependability’ is something we live by. It means going the extra mile in everything we do,” said LUBA Founder and CEO, David Bondy. “That starts internally with working as a team, and ultimately translates to superior customer service for our agents and policyholders.”

This year’s report recognizes only 75 companies from across the United States. “Our process is designed to evaluate the heart and culture of a company,” says Business Insurance Publisher Keith Kenner. “Being named to Business Insurance’s list of the ‘Best Places to Work in Insurance’ demonstrates that LUBA Workers’ Comp is a place where employees are dedicated, supported and engaged.”

Best Companies Group, in partnership with Business Insurance, conducts a two-part assessment of each nominee to determine the winners. The process begins with an in-depth employer questionnaire regarding the company’s policies, procedures and

benefits. The company’s employees are then asked to privately and confidentially reveal their job satisfaction level via a 50+ question satisfaction survey.

The complete list of winning companies will be unveiled in the November issue of Business Insurance.

Monique Davis takes helm of Center for Art & Public Exchange The Mississippi Museum of Art (MMA) is has announced Monique Davis as the incoming Managing Director of the Museum’s Center for Art & Public Exchange (CAPE). Davis succeeds founding CAPE director Julian Rankin, who will begin his tenure as Director of the Walter Anderson Museum of Art (WAMA) in Ocean Springs, Mississippi on October 15. Davis and Rankin are collaborating during the transition to continue the momentum of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation-supported CAPE initiative, the purpose of which is to use original artworks, exhibitions, programs, and engagements with artists to increase understanding and inspire new narratives in contemporary Mississippi.

“The Museum is thrilled that we have the perfect colleague to assume the leadership of CAPE,” said Betsy Bradley, Director of the Mississippi Museum of Art. “Monique lives the values—of equity, transparency, and truth—that define this important initiative, and she has decades of experience facilitating conversations that dive into important questions about our shared humanity. She will build CAPE from its very solid, yet dynamic foundation built by Julian Rankin. I cannot overstate the value which Julian has

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contributed to the Museum during his eight years with us. His intellect, communication, and keen perception have created in him a hunger for learning and an impatience to make a difference. He has become a leader I deeply respect and a colleague I trust completely. The Walter Anderson Museum of Art made a wise decision in hiring him, and I look forward to collaborating with Julian and WAMA as a colleague. We are pleased to be part of his career and are confident of its continued brilliant success.”

Monique Davis joined MMA in 2016 to spearhead membership and community engagement efforts.

Davis was part of the first cohort of the Liberation Leadership School, a program of the Highlander Institute. As part of her wider equity and service work, Davis holds positions as Board Chair of AlternateROOTS and on the Board of the Jackson Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Jackson). Davis received her Bachelors of Business and Public Administration from Howard University.

“Julian’s leadership ensured that CAPE was grounded in CAPE’s three values: Equity, Transparency and Truth. I am grateful for his commitment and humbled by the opportunity to continue the work of CAPE,” said Monique Davis. “Art has the ability to help us recognize our shared humanity and inspire us to create a new Mississippi where all stories are heard and valued. Let’s get to work!”

Julian Rankin has served at MMA since 2010 in communications, community engagement, and leadership capacities. His departure from MMA for WAMA comes at the conclusion of a dynamic year for CAPE, which included newly engineered museum programs; a statewide listening tour in Mississippi communities; the inauguration of The Lab, a gallery space for co-creation between curators and visitors anchored by contemporary art acquisitions; and the first CAPE national artist residency, with New York-based artist Jeffrey Gibson. Rankin returns to MMA on Saturday, November 3 to participate in “WonderLust: Materiality and Movement in Mississippi,” a half-day program exploring a new video artwork created by Jeffrey Gibson as part of that 2018 artist residency in Jackson.

Origin Bank promotes Kilpatrick Origin Bank has announced that it has promoted Ryan Kilpatrick to Executive Vice President, Chief Brand and Communications Officer.

Kilpatrick has served the Rustin, La.-based organization since April 2006, most recently as Senior Vice President, Kilpatrick Director of Culture Strategies and Governmental Affairs. While at Origin he has been responsible for business development, building a strong corporate culture devoted to employee engagement and community involvement, strengthening relationships with customers and shareholders, and he managed corporate communications and governmental affairs. In his new position, he will continue his work in corporate culture and governmental affairs while overseeing the bank’s brand strategy and corporate communications.

Kilpatrick has a Bachelor of Arts in history from Louisiana Tech University and is a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University.

Newsmakers

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Visit Ridgeland wins DMO of the Year award The Mississippi Tourism Association (MTA) presented their annual awards for tourism achievement for the year 2017 during activities at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism held at the Oxford Conference Center in Oxford, Miss. on Sept. 23-25, 2018. The awards program recognizes outstanding contributions to the advancement of tourism by members of the 300+-member private sector organization as well as honoring travel media, community leaders and friends of the industry. Awards were presented in 15 categories, each focusing on a different aspect of the hospitality industry or individual achievement.

Receiving the award for Destination Marketing Organization of the Year in the $750,000 & Over Budget Category was Visit Ridgeland. Well known in the state as a shopping destination, a cyclist’s haven and home to the Bill Waller Craft Center, Ridgeland celebrates 20 years of success and dedication in marketing Ridgeland as a tourism destination. Within the city, it is home to a national park, miles of multi-purpose trails, a 33,000-acre recreational reservoir and a variety of annual events. After extensive research, Ridgeland presented a new brand, Ridgeland…Inside + Out. Like the destination itself, the strapline is simple and elegant. It sets up the idea that Ridgeland is an outdoor destination with tremendous indoor assets. It invites exploration of natural beauty brought indoors and style and design found outdoors.

Ridgeland Tourism continues to advance the economic vitality of tourism in Ridgeland through defined strategies, collaborative promotions and enhanced marketing of their tourism brand. Tax trends continue to increase (12% over the past three years), and hotel occupancy is among the highest in the state with growth in weekend occupancy due to partnership activities being a strategy of the Ridgeland Tourism Commission. These accomplishments, among many others, contributed to their overwhelming success as a destination marketing organization in 2017-2018.

BankPlus named one of Best Banks to Work For BankPlus has been named one of the Best Banks To Work For in 2018 by American Banker. This is the sixth consecutive year BankPlus has been recognized by American Banker in their annual program.

The Best Banks to Work For program, which was initiated in 2013 by American Banker and Best Companies Group, identifies, recognizes and honors U.S. banks for outstanding employee satisfaction.

Full results of this year’s program are available at americanbanker.com and in the September issue of American Banker Magazine.

To determine the top-ranked banks for 2018, American Banker evaluated BankPlus with a two-step process. The first step consisted of evaluating the bank’s workplace policies, practices and demographics. The second part consisted of anonymously surveying the entire BankPlus workforce in order to gauge strength as a company in categories such as leadership, planning, corporate culture, communication, work environment, compensation, benefits and more.

One employee had this to say about BankPlus, “Employees really feel like they work for an organization that truly ‘walks the walk’ regarding the stated core purpose, vision and values. Employees are proud to work for BankPlus, and the benefit programs are excellent including a health strategy supported by a

wellness program.”

Employees rated BankPlus extremely high in the areas of culture, benefits, community service and feeling like family.

Donna Ritchey inducted into PR Hall of Fame Donna Ritchey, vice chairman and chief strategy officer of GodwinGroup, has been inducted into to the Southern Public Relations Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame identifies leaders in the public relations industry deserving recognition for their extraordinary achievements, Ritchey accomplishments and contributions to their organizations, communities and the public relations profession. Hall of Fame inductees are current and former Southern public relations practitioners or educators who have brought honor to the field and chosen by a panel of distinguished public relations professionals.

The induction took place at the Southern Public Relations Federation’s 2018 annual conference held in New Orleans.

Will Townes joins Beard+Riser Architects Beard + Riser Architects recently announced that Will Townes, AIA, LEED AP has joined the firm in its Oxford office as a Project Architect.

A native of Louisville, Ky., Townes graduated from the Louisville Collegiate School, received a Bachelor of Philosophy degree from Washington & Lee University and earned a Master of Architecture degree from Virginia Tech University. A licensed architect in the State of Mississippi and a U.S. Green Building Council LEED Accredited Professional, his experience include 7 years with design-build firms and 14 years with architectural practices, including the past 4 in Oxford. Townes and his wife Catarina, an Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Southern Studies at the University of Mississippi, have two children, William and Emilio.

Johnson named distinguished alumni Dr. Linda Johnson of Jackson is the 2018 Indiana University School of Optometry Foley House Distinguished Alumni. The award is the highest honor the school awards to its alumni.

Johnson is a 1978 graduate of IUSO, becoming the first African American woman optometrist in Mississippi. She is the Director of Optometry Services at the Jackson-Hinds Comprehensive Health Center. Over the course of her career she has received numerous honors and awards, including the National Optometric Association’s Optometrist of the Year, the American Optometric Association’s Optometrist of the Year, and the Mississippi Optometric Association’s (MOA) Dr. James Brownlee Optometrist of the Year. Additionally, she served on the Southern College of Optometry Board of Trustees for eight years and was awarded an honorary degree from the school.

A native of Richland, Johnson is also an active member of Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church and a past Chairman of the Central Mississippi chapter of the American Red Cross. She is a graduate of Jackson

State University and a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Rho Lambda Omega chapter. She is the mother of one son, Dr. James Carson III, a 2013 graduate of Salus University School of Optometry in Philadelphia, PA.

McCluskey named director of investigations State Auditor Shad White announced that Richie McCluskey will replace David Huggins as Director of Investigations at the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor. Huggins resigned from his position shortly after White became State Auditor.

McCluskey joins the Auditor’s office from a long law enforcement career which began in 1988 at the Flowood Police Department. McCluskey advanced from Patrolman to Chief Investigator at that Department before leaving in 2000 to become the Senior Criminal Investigator of the Public Integrity Division at the Office of the Attorney General State of Mississippi.

In the Public Integrity Division, McCluskey conducted statewide public corruption and white-collar crime investigations and provided assistance to district attorneys and local law enforcement departments.

In 2015, McCluskey returned to the Flowood Police Department as Chief of Police. He retired from that position earlier this year. During his career, McCluskey has accumulated over 60 law enforcement qualifications.

Ramey Agency promotes 3, adds healthcare executive The Ramey Agency marketing firm recently hired Taylor Neely, who has 10-plus years of marketing experience in the healthcare industry. It also announced the promotions of Jana Brady, Swayze Pentecost and Sam Potesky.

Neely joined Ramey after 10 years at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, where she served as Director of Marketing for the state’s only academic medical center.

Jana Brady, formerly Senior Account Executive, has been promoted to Account Supervisor. She is based in the New Orleans office.

Pentecost, formerly Senior Account Executive, now serves as Marketing Solutions Manager, with a special focus on digital media.

Potesky, formerly Copywriter who joined the firm in 2015, has been promoted to Senior Copywriter.

Wisor named president of National Association of Bond Lawyers Butler Snow announced Dee P. Wisor has been elected president of the National Association of Bond Lawyers (NABL) for the 2018-2019 year. Wisor’s term began Sept. 26 during the NABL’s annual Bond Attorneys’ Workshop.

NABL was established in 1979 to promote the integrity of the municipal market through the education of its members in the laws affecting state and municipal bonds. NABL provides its members with a forum for the exchange of ideas as to law and practice, giving its members tools that help them continually improve innovation in the field. NABL also provides commentary and recommendations at the federal, state and local levels on legislation, regulations and

rulings affecting bonds, and on occasion submits friend of the court briefs or memoranda in connection with court or administrative proceedings.

Wisor concentrates his practice in public finance and public facilities and public-private partnerships.

He represents governmental entities and other transaction participants in public finance transactions and economic development projects.

Wisor was recognized by the Denver Business Journal as its 2005 “Best of the Bar” winner for his work in public finance. He has also been listed in Best Lawyers in America® since 2007 and selected as Best Lawyers®’ 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2019 Public Finance Lawyer of the Year for Denver.

Wisor is a member of the Colorado Bar Association, the Denver Bar Association and the American Bar Association and is a fellow of the American College of Bond Counsel. He received his undergraduate degree from Dickinson College and his Juris Doctor from the University of Denver.

Memorial Physician Clinics welcomes Schlosser Memorial Physician Clinics welcomes Charles E. Schlosser, III, MD, MPH, in the practice of Pain Management and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Dr. Schlosser joins the practice with Samir Tomajian, MD, at 1340 Broad Ave., Suite 450, Gulfport.

Dr. Schlosser graduated Schlosser cum laude from the Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, where he also earned his Master of Science in Exercise Physiology. He earned his Master of Public Health from Tulane University School of Public Health in New Orleans. He completed his medical doctorate, residency, and fellowship at Louisiana State University Health Science Center in New Orleans.

Dr. Schlosser is board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation and pain medicine.

Nancy Lifer joins Renasant Bank as VP Renasant Bank is announced that Nancy Lifer has joined Renasant as Vice President and Business Development Officer. Lifer will be responsible for developing and expanding business and personal banking relationships and assisting clients with various financial needs in Lifer the Starkville area.

Lifer is a graduate of Vanderbilt University with a Bachelor of Science in Economics, and a graduate of the Rollins College Crummer School of Business with a Masters of Business Administration.

Lifer serves the Starkville community through organizations such as the Starkville Area Habitat for Humanity as Vice President, and the Starkville Rotary Club where she previously served on the board of directors.

She and her husband, Martin, have two children: Grace, a teacher in South Carolina, and Faith, a news reporter in the Starkville area. The Lifers reside in Starkville and attend First Presbyterian Church in Starkville.

October 19, 2018

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THE SPIN CYCLE

Apple retains most valuable brand ranking in Interbrand’s Global Brands list

A

pple fended off Google to remain the world’s most valuable brand, according to Interbrand’s 2018 Best Global Brands report.

According to the ranking, Apple’s brand value grew 16 percent to $214.5 billion in the past year – the first time a company has passed the $200 billion mark ever. Google, which grew 10 percent to $155.5 billion, came in No. 2, while Amazon, valued at $100.8 billion was up 56 percent, and took third place (it was the fastest-growing brand on the list).

Microsoft (valued at $92.7 billion) rolled in at No. 4 and Coca-Cola ($66.3 billion) complete the top five.

However, the year was not without its casualties: Facebook, No. 9, suffered a 6 percent decline in brand value compared with 2017 in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica data misuse scandal. It ends Facebook’s five-year stretch as the fastest-growing brand.

Companies enjoying a rapid ascent include Netflix, up 45 percent on its 2017 brand value, Gucci (up 30 percent), Salesforce.com (23 percent) and Louis Vuitton (23 percent).

Spotify is the highest new entrant, landing at number 92 on the list, while Japanese carmaker Subaru rounds out the ranking in 100th place. Rebounding brands include Chanel (No. 23), Hennessy (No 98) and Nintendo (No 99).

“A decade after the global financial crisis, the brands that are growing fastest are those that intuitively understand their customers and make brave iconic moves that delight and deliver in new ways,” Charles Trevail, global chief executive of Interbrand, said in the announcement.

The report, in its 19th year, bases its ranking on three areas: financial performance, role the brand plays in purchase decisions and competitive strength, and its ability to create loyalty, demand and future profit.

With the latest iPhone having hit the market, Apple has vaulted to the top of the brand mountain, and Trevail said the company “continues to set the standard for what it means to be a world-class brand in the 21st century and respond to today’s ever-changing customer expectations”.

The focus of this year’s study is “activating brave” and brands that are responding to the needs of the marketplace while pursuing a clear and aligned long-term vision.

Interbrand cites the recent example of Nike’s controversial campaign featuring NFL star Colin Kaepernick – something that it describes as a “huge calculated risk”.

Video moves to 25 percent of ad spending Digital video advertising will reach a milestone in 2018, growing nearly 30 percent to $27.8 billion, according to eMarketer’s most recent ad spending forecast.

That lofty territory will make up 25 percent of U.S. digital ad spending, according to the report.

Facebook Facebook will capture nearly one-quarter (24.5 percent) of all video ad spending in the U.S. this year, at $6.8 billion (including Instagram). That makes Facebook the top social video ad platform in the U.S. Not surprisingly, Facebook controls nearly 87 percent of U.S. social network video ad spending.

Twitter Twitter will derive more than half (55 percent) of its total U.S. ad revenues from video in 2018, according to eMarketer.

This year, video ad revenues will grow slightly more than 12 percent to $633.3 million. That gives Twitter an 8.1 percent share of U.S. social video ad spending, and a 2.3 percent share of total video spending.

YouTube While eMarketer does not consider YouTube a social network, its importance in the video ad space is too large to ignore.

This year, YouTube will generate $3.36 billion in net U.S. video ad revenues, up 17.1 percent over last year. YouTube now derives 73 percent of its ad revenues from video in the U.S. YouTube overall represents a steady 11 percent of Google’s net U.S. ad revenues.

Because traffic acquisition and content acquisition costs exceed half of YouTube’s gross revenues – higher than its rivals – it’s not completely accurate to compare YouTube’s share of video ad revenues to the other platforms, according to eMarketer.

Snapchat Snapchat’s U.S. video revenues will reach $397.3 million this year, up nearly 19 percent over 2017. Video is by far the driving force behind Snapchat’s revenues, representing 60 percent of its U.S. ad business

through 2020. However, Snapchat’s share of social video spending will be 5.1 percent this year, while its share of the overall U.S. video pie will be just 1.4 percent.

That share will continue to grow slightly through 2020.

Muffed Mic | But … Google data gaffe gives brand black eye Google exposed the private data of hundreds of thousands of users of the Google+ social network and then opted not to disclose the issue this past spring, in part because of fears that doing so would draw regulatory scrutiny and cause reputational damage, according to people briefed on the incident and documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.

As part of its response to the incident, the Alphabet Inc. company recently announced sweeping data privacy measures that include permanently shutting down all consumer functionality of Google+.

The move effectively shutters a product that was launched in 2011 to challenge Facebook and is widely seen as one of Google’s biggest busts.

A software glitch in the social site gave outside developer’s potential access to private Google+ profile data between 2015 and March 2018, when internal investigators discovered and fixed the issue, according to media reports. According to The Wall Street Journal, a memo circulated by Google’s legal staff and shared with senior executives warned that disclosing the incident would likely trigger “immediate regulatory interest” and invite comparisons to Facebook’s leak of user information to data firm Cambridge Analytica.

The closure of Google+ is part of a broader review of privacy practices by Google that determined the company needs tighter controls on several major products. In its announcement, Google said it is Todd Smith curtailing the access it gives outside developers on Android smartphones and Gmail.

The false step threatens to give the brand a black eye on privacy issues after public assurances that it was less susceptible to data gaffes like those that hit Facebook. It could also deter Google’s effort to curry favor with leaders inside the Beltway in D.C. 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.

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The new C Spire Business is the nation’s first ever to combine advanced connectivity with cloud, software, hardware, communications, and professional services to create a single, seamless, managed IT service portfolio. The result is smarter. Faster. More secure. From desktop to data center, we step in wherever you need us and take on your biggest technology challenges. You focus on business.

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