MBJ_Sept22_2017

INSIDE — Upgrades and repairs set for 3 Biloxi properties — Page 2 ENTREPRENEURS

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September 22, 2017 • Vo. 39. No. 38 • 20 pages

ENERGY

Mississippi firm, Duck clan answer the call to help Houston — Page 2 MBJ FOCUS

Law & Accounting {Section begins P7} » Are you Future Ready? » Staying ahead is a key CPA issue

{The List P9-14} » Tax Preparers » Best Lawyers in America

No. 9

Mississippi ranks 9th in solar growth in second quarter Page 3

BEN WILLIAMS {P3}

» The U.S. Supreme Court Mississippi flag order that wasn’t

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2 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q September 22, 2017 ENTREPRENEURS

Mississippi firm, Duck clan answer the call to help Houston

By JACK WEATHERLY jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com It’s got to be one of the most unusual rescue teams helping out the flood victims in the Houston area.

One produces relaxation drink Lean Slow Motion Potion and “hemp-infused brownies,” Kush Cakes, and markets them with a decided hip hop slant.

The other manufactures duck calls, and promotes duck hunting and duck culture featuring the Robertson clan with long ZZ Top-style beards.

Together they have helped flood victims.

Demar International Inc., which was founded by pharmacist Marco Moran and is headquartered in Clinton, responded to health needs.

“I immediately contacted members of our staff at our subsidiary pharmacies and clinics to ask them to gather as much diabetic supplies, general medical supplies [as] we could spare,” Moran said in a release issued Sept. 15.

Willie Robertson, chief executive of Duck Commander and star of Arts and Entertainment show “Duck Dynasty,” saw to it that victims got clothing and outdoor wear.

Of Demar, Robertson said in the release, “They share the same passion as we do at Duck Commander to help those in need.”

It also shares business interests with Demar, which now markets Willie’s Duck Diner, which reopened Sept. 7 in West Monroe, La. (Duck Commander The Experience is

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Courtesy of Dewmar International Facebook/For the MBJ

Marco Moran (left) and Willie Robertson have joined forces in the marketplace.

also nearby, offering 15 galleries of family artifacts and pictures, set recreations and clothing from the television show Duck Dynasty, and offers the “sensorial” experience of a duck hunt with the Robertson Family.)

Efforts to reach Moran and Robertson by phone for this article were unsuccessful, but there is no shortage of Internet postings and releases, as well as filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Moran is former chairman of the Mississippi District Export Council.

Dewmar is traded Over the Counter as a “penny stock,” which is about what its common shares closed at on Tuesday.

Dewmar International showed assets of $4.5 million at the end of the second quarter and $2.9 million in liabilities.

Its second-quarter filing with the SEC showed a loss of $159,688.

The company on April 28 signed an agreement with Walmart to sell Lean Slow Motion Potion to add Walmart Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets in Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma.

It has been selling the drink at 21 Walmart stores in Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas for three years. It is also available on Amazon.com.

Slow Motion Potion is hemp-based – but unlike first-cousin marijuana it has only trace amounts of THC, the psychoactive chemical in marijuana – and as with Demar’s Kush Cakes is infused with cannabidiol, or CBD. The company says the products are legal in all 50 states.

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Special to the MBJ A plan has been set in motion for upgrades to the Lighthouse Pier parking area and the Biloxi Small Craft Harbor boat launch, and repairs are now in the works for the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art Welcome Center, which was damaged by a fire a year ago.

Tuesday, contractors with Twin L began a 60-day project to upgrade the public parking area south of the Biloxi Lighthouse. Improvements include removing the imposing guardrail between the beach and parking area and installing concrete bollards. The site also will see new parking lot islands, curbing and vegetation. There also will be a designated staging area for the Biloxi Tour Train and the center entrance and exit, east of the Biloxi Lighthouse will be closed to allow for additional parking.

“We are looking to dress up and improve the area around the Lighthouse Pier,” said Biloxi Chief Administrative Officer Mike Leonard. “The overall area will be more visually appealing, and, more importantly, the public will have better access to of one of the more popular places on Biloxi’s beachfront.”

The parking area will remain open during the $70,000 project, but some work areas may be temporarily closed.

Repairs to the fire-damaged welcome center at the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art are set to begin on Oct. 2.

The 90-day, $190,000 project will include detailed cleaning of walls and floors.

And on Oct. 30, workers will begin a 30-day project to install a new pre-fabricated concrete boat ramp, over the existing boat ramp, at the Biloxi Small Craft Harbor. The project also will include the installation of new bumper rails.

The harbor boat ramp will be closed while the project is underway, which is expected to involve all of November. During the closure, the public will be encouraged to use the Kuhn Street Boat Launch.

September 22, 2017

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Mississippi Business Journal

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GOVERNMENT/POLITICS

The U.S. Supreme Court Mississippi flag order that wasn’t

M

arshall Ramsey’s Sept. 3 cartoon, depicting Governor Bryant as a Confederate soldier writing home about defending the flag on order of the “Yankee Supreme Court,” is quite clever and well-drawn. The immensely-talented cartoonist is a credit to the state of Mississippi. This particular cartoon, however, may perpetuate recent indistinct and misleading news reports. Counter to published reports in various news media, including The New York Times, Washington Post, and ABC News, the Supreme Court of the United States has not asked the state of Mississippi or governor to defend the battle emblem on the Mississippi flag.

The News Reports On Aug. 29, the Associated Press broke the flag news with a story stating: “The U.S. Supreme Court is asking attorneys for Mississippi’s governor to file arguments defending the Confederate battle emblem on the state flag.” The story was quickly picked up by national and local media. Curiously, the reports were devoid of quotations or reference to any official court document.

The actual U.S. Supreme Court docket tells a different — or more precise — story.

The Flag Litigation The private lawsuit challenging the Mississippi flag was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District in Mississippi. Judge Carlton Reeves – a UVA law graduate, Obama appointee, and Article III

uscourts.gov/opinions/ pub/16/16-60616CV0.pdf ). Still, on June 28, the plaintiff renewed his quest by filing a Petition for a Writ of Certiorari, a formal plea that the U.S. SuBen Williams preme Court hear the matter. On July 10, the Governor of Mississippi waived the right to respond to the petition. Such petitions are routinely denied and the two lower court opinions fully addressed the jurisdictional issues.

FORD WILLIAMS

lifetime federal judge - ruled Sept. 8, 2016, in a 32-page opinion, that the plaintiff had no standing to bring the suit and the federal court therefore lacked jurisdiction. Citing a U.S. Supreme Court case, Judge Reeves stated: “The Article III standing requirement, ‘which is built on separation-of-powers principles, serves to prevent the judicial process from being used to usurp the powers of the political branches.’”

A three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit that included two Obama appointees unanimously affirmed the lower court ruling on March 31, 2017 (http://www.ca5.

The Supreme Court The misinterpreted Aug. 29, action of the U.S. Supreme Court is described on the court docket as “Response Requested. (Due September 28, 2017).” The underlying document turns out not to be an order but rather a letter from the Clerk of the Court requesting the attorney for the Governor file a response to the plaintiff’s petition that the high court take up the matter. There is no mention of “defending the Confederate battle emblem.” The sole issue before the U.S. Supreme Court concerns the constitutional authority of the federal courts to even entertain the lawsuit.

Procedurally, four of the nine Supreme Court Justices must vote in favor of even considering the jurisdictional issue petition. Assuming that statistically improbable event happens, the Court would then con-

sider whether the two lower federal courts botched the jurisdictional issue. If a majority of the Supreme Court Justices votes to overturn the lower court ruling, the trial court could finally take up the case on the merits.

News reports to the contrary, the U.S. Supreme Court has not asked the State or Governor to defend the battle emblem.

The People & the Flag

LAURIN STENNIS

Our system of government involves three branches, all playing distinct roles. The judiciary – the smallest and least representative branch – was not established to address political issues. The divisive flag issue is one for the Legislature or the people.

Personally, I favor the flag design replacement proposed by Laurin Stennis.

Ben Williams is a Mississippi attorney. Email Ben at MBWJ@aol.com. Ford Williams attends the Savannah College of Art & Design.

ENERGY

Mississippi ranks 9th in solar growth in second quarter

By JACK WEATHERLY jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com

Mississippi ranked ninth in the country in solar power growth in the second quarter by adding 92.9 megawatts, thanks largely to projects brought online by utilities.

The U.S. industry installed 2,387 megawatts of solar facilities for the quarter, a record increase of 8 percent over the year-earlier quarter, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).

“This report shows once again that solar is on the rise and will continue to add to its share of electricity generation,” SEIA President and Chief Executive said in a release.

Only 1.26 megawatts (a megawatt is 1 million watts) were added in the residential and nonresidential segments in Mississippi.

The industry added 883 jobs in the state last year, according to SEIA. Across the U.S. $23 billion was invested in solar projects in 2016 and 260,000 jobs were created, the association reported in conjunction with GTM Research.

Mississippi ranks 32nd nationally in total solar output.

California, for example, has 19,665 MW installed, ranking first in the nation.

And although the Magnolia State is lagging behind most most of the country, the solar industry itself still provides only a small part of the overall electricity generation.

The Energy Information Administration reports that solar energy is only 0.9 percent of the mix produced by utility-scale facilities. Other renewable sources – hydropower, 6.5 percent; wind, 5.6 percent; biomass, 1.5 percent, geothermal, 0.4 percent – combine with solar to provide 14.9 percent of the total.

Natural gas accounted for 33.8 percent, followed by coal, 30.4 percent, and nuclear, 19.7 percent.

However, renewables continue to grow. In 2011 renew-

ables accounted for 9 percent of the mix, including solar at 2 percent, according to EIA. Entergy Mississippi brought three solar projects online in 2016.

The projects, built by Hattiesburg-based Stion, are located in Brookhaven and Hinds and DeSoto counties.

Collectively, they provide enough energy to power 178 homes.

Mississippi Power Co. and Silicon Ranch launched earlier this month a facility located on 450 acres off U.S. 49 South near Hattiesburg that will generate enough electricity annually to power 6,500 houses.

The utility dedicated a 3-4MW project at the Seabee Base in conjunction with Hannah Solar and the U.S. Navy, which are partnering on a 15-acre site.

Mississippi Power is partnering with D.E. Shaw on a 52MW A 52-MW project at Sumrall which opened July 7 on a 595-acre site.

The Mississippi Public Service Commission unanimously approved a 52.5 MW solar facility in Lauderdale County that will be another partnership between Mississippi Power and Silicon Ranch.

Cooperative Entergy, the second-largest electricity provider in the state, has built and operates five small-scale solar sites, each installation with 100 kilowatts or less.

New Businesses

4 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q September 22, 2017

RENAISSANCE COMMUNITY LOAN FUND: Renaissance Community Loan Fund, a Mississippi-based non-profit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), recently held the grand opening of a new location 431 W. Main St., Suite 300 in Tupelo. Tupelo native John-Michael Marlin leads the office as Community Outreach Coordinator.

Courtesy of Renaissance Community Loan Fund

Courtesy of The Alliance Courtesy of Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce

HOTTY TODDY TAN BLOWOUTS & BEAUTY BAR: The Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce recently held a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Hotty Toddy Tan Blowouts & Beauty Bar, 3000 Old Taylor Road Ste B. Mississippi native Keely Williams is owner.

CADE’S AUTO CARE: William Hutcheson The Alliance recently held a ribbon-cutting for the grand opening of Cade’s Auto Care, 102 S. Fillmore St. in Corinth. Owner Cade Hatcher, cut the ribbon, with staff members Jaylon Gaines and William Hutcheson , Mayor Tommy Irwin and other city and county officials, Alliance staff and volunteers, and family and friends assisting.

COLUMBUS ORTHOPAEDIC AND PHYSICAL THERAPY: The Greater Starkville Development Partnership recently held a ribbbon cutting for Columbus Orthopaedic and Physical Therapy, 225 Tomlinson Drive, in Starkville.

Courtesy of Greater Starkville Development Partnership

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MBJPERSPECTIVE September 22, 2017 • www.msbusiness.com • Page 5

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Budget work vital for officials

Website: www.msbusiness.com September 22, 2017 Volume 39, Number 38

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» INSIDE MISSISSIPPI

State flag conflict: morality versus heritage

F

ormer state GOP executive director, elected Republican official, and chief of staff to Kirk Fordice, Mississippi’s first Republican governor, Andy Taggart has publicly challenged his party to step up and “lead the charge in finally removing from our state flag the representation of the Confederate battle flag.”

Saying such a move “will make a strong, moral statement” acknowledging “our current state flag is divisive and hurtful to a significant number of our fellow Mississippians,” Taggart joins Republican Speaker of the House Philip Gunn in taking a stand against the controversial flag.

“Changing the flag is the right thing to do,” Speaker Gunn said last year.

“We can deal with it now or leave for future generations to address. I believe our state needs to address it now.”

Over a decade ago, another longtime Republican leader spoke out strongly on racism, retired Federal Judge Charles Pickering.

All active Baptists, these three leaders align with the moral approach against racism pursued by the Southern Baptist Convention. In its historic resolution on racial reconciliation adopted in 1995, Convention members resolved to “commit ourselves to

Bill Crawford

be doers of the Word (James 1:22) by pursuing racial reconciliation in all our relationships, especially with our brothers and sisters in Christ (1 John 2:6), to the end that our light would so shine before others, that they may see (our) good works and glorify (our) Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16).”

Last year, the Convention encouraged members to stop displaying the Confederate flag.

And this past June, the Convention called every form of racism “antithetical to the Gospel of Jesus Christ” and resolved “we still must make progress in rooting out any remaining forms of intentional or unintentional racism in our midst.”

Other denominations are taking stands too. For example, following the Charlottesville upheaval, a diverse group of ministers held an outdoor, public prayer gathering in Meridian.

Their theme was “let’s talk” and their goal was to get black and white to understand each other better and live together better. Among them was Dr. Rhett Payne, III, a Reformed theology pastor at predominantly white First Presbyterian Church in Meridian.

Back in church, Dr. Payne preached on See CRAWFORD, Page 6

egislative leaders begin an important, albeit slightly cumbersome, process this week in order to craft Mississippi’s budget.

Taxpayers can get a glimpse into how the sausage is made when the 14-member Legislative Budget Committee begins to hear requests for funding from key agency heads Thursday and Friday.

The process is one that takes place each year and, as state leaders point out, is vital for the members of the committee to glean important information that comes into play when developing the state’s budget.

The committee is chaired by Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, a role that rotates on an annual basis between him and Speaker Philip Gunn.

For the past several months, the more than 100 agencies, boards and commissions the Legislature funds each year have been developing their budget proposals to submit to the staff of the Legislative Budget Committee, as reported by the Daily Journal’s Bobby Harrison.

The committee will hear from some of those key agencies, such as kindergarten through 12th-grade education, Medicaid and higher education, during the two days of public hearings.

At one point, the Budget Committee hearings went on over a multiple week time period in September, but in recent years, the number of meetings have been whittled down.

The overall state budget is more than $20 billion. This includes: » State-support revenue coming primarily from general taxation, such as the sales tax on retail items, personal income, businesses, casino gambling and a litany of other taxes. This totals around $6 billion. » Special funds coming from taxes, fees and assessments that fund specific agencies. The Department of Transportation, funded with an 18.4-cent per gallon tax on motor fuel, is the largest special fund agency. Others include, for instance, an assessment on barbers to fund their regulatory board. The total special funds budget is more than $5 billion. » Federal funds coming to supplement the state effort in a number of areas, ranging from Medicaid, to education, to public safety, to social welfare programs. Federal funds account for more than $9 billion in the state budget.

The Mississippi Legislature has limited discretion in determining how those federal funds are spent. The special funds are, for the most part, directed toward specific purposes based on the laws passed by the Legislature. But the Legislature can, and sometimes does, redirect those funds.

The real legislative discretion comes in determining how the statesupport funds are spent. The general tax revenue pays for most of the general operations of the state budget ranging from education to public safety to health care to the state parks. Divvying up those funds consumes much of the time the Legislature spends focusing on the budget.

Make no mistake that the management of taxpayer dollars is one of the most significant responsibilities entrusted to our elected officials.

We urge all members of the budget committee, as well as of those groups making presentations this week, to be mindful of that as they begin the due diligence of allocating public funds for the state’s budget.

— Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal

PERSPECTIVE

6 I Mississippi Business Journal I September 22 2017 » RICKY NOBILE

CRAWFORD

Continued from Page 5

“Truth, Satan, The Christian Mind…and Racism,” declaring racism as “offensive to God.” Recently, the Daily Journal’s Bobby Harrison wrote an epic column on Southern heritage. In it he empathizes with the heritage sentiment of some flag supporters, noting there may have been people marching in Charlottesville “with pride and heritage in their heart, not hate.

“But,” he continued, “it was difficult to find those in the midst of all those who were there with hate and bigotry in their hearts, waving not only Confederate battle flags, but Nazi swastikas. When the symbol is more identified with hate and bigotry, it is reasonable to argue that creates a problem for a government that still flies the emblem as part of its official banner as Mississippi does.”

“The truth is that it might be too late to separate the banner from hate,” Harrison concluded.

Taggart was lambasted in political blogs, but garnered some praise for putting morality ahead of heritage regarding the flag conflict.

Where there is faith, there is hope.

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

»INSIDE MISSISSIPPI

Analysis: school takeover tangled in web of other issues

T

he potential state takeover of Mississippi’s second-largest school district has highlighted the depth of anger some people feel about how policymakers treat public education and how some legislators have acted toward the capital.

The state Board of Education last week asked Republican Gov. Phil Bryant to declare that an “extreme emergency” exists in Jackson Public Schools. That is a step toward state takeover of the capital district with nearly 27,000 students.

“What we are seeing is a recolonization of our city by the state,” Jed Oppenheim, a Jackson School Board member, declared after the state board voted. “This is not about children. This is about money and this is about power.”

The Legislature has short-funded the state education budget formula almost every year since the formula was put into law in 1997. It’s a pattern that began under Democratic control and has continued under Republicans. Some Jackson Public Schools supporters say the district hasn’t had a fair shot to succeed because of tight budgets.

For the past several years, Republican leaders have pushed expansion of charter schools, which are funded by public money but run by private operators receiving state approval.

Only a few operate in Mississippi. While supporters say charters have more flexibility to be innovative, critics say they drain money from existing public schools.

Another issued not directly connected to public education is now figuring prominently in discussions about Jackson Public Schools. The Legislature voted in 2016 to change the makeup of the Jackson airport board. Instead of all board members coming from the city, some would come from sub-

urban counties. The change is tied up in a court fight.

Suburban legislators said the airport is a regional asset and should have a regional board. Opponents said the move was about money, power and race, and that white people who left Jackson or never lived there in the first place were trying to grab something valuable from the majority black city.

The state Department of Education examined operations of the Jackson district for more than a year and outlined about 2,000 pages of findings, including allegations that some high school seniors had graduated without showing they had met requirements, some teachers had provided ineffective instruction and that some schools were unsafe.

Freddrick Murray, who became Jackson’s interim superintendent in November, disputed some findings and said the district was working to correct many of the problems. He asked for more time, but the board voted 5-2 to ask for the governor’s declaration.

Some supporters of the Jackson district, which is 97 percent black, said they see nefarious motives in a state takeover, including a possible expansion of charter schools without community support.

Emily Pettus

The state has taken control of 19 school districts because of academic or financial problems in the past 20 years, but never one as large as Jackson.

The state Board of Education said if the Jackson takeover

“Everybody in this city is here for our kids.It’s not about the adults …

It’s about the kids.”

— Alvin Sykes happens, the new interim superintendent would be Margie Pulley, who was put in charge of the Tunica County School District in 2015 after the state took control because of academic problems. The 2,100-student district improved its academic rating from 2015 to 2016.

Alvin Sykes, a Jackson Public Schools graduate who now has three children in the district, said connections to public schools strengthen the community. He said he worries that a state takeover could sever those ties.

“Everybody in this city is here for our kids,” Sykes said. “It’s not about the adults … It’s about the kids.”

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

September 22, 2017 • MISSISSIPPI BUSINESS JOURNAL • www.msbusiness.com

AN MBJ FOCUS: LAW & ACCOUNTING

Are you Future Ready? » Be prepared to meet business changes head-on

By BECKY GILLETTE mbj@msbusiness.com

W

hat does it mean to be “future ready”? HORNE LLP CPAs and Business Advisors, which is based across the Southeast and serves clients across the nation, took on that topic at their Leadership Summit in late August.

It is a topic that every business owner needs to keep in mind in order to be successful in today’s fast-changing business environment, said Joey Havens, CPA, executive partner with HORNE CPA. “The two words used over and over again are ‘future ready’,” Havens said. “Being future ready means you have the capacity to be anticipatory.

You break down anticipatory into being aware, predictive and adaptive. You must be anticipatory of emerging technology and trends in business, demographics and the social environment that impact your company. We as advisers have to be future ready and every business or client we serve has to be thinking of being future ready.”

Havens said the rate of change is moving from incremental to transformation. That is being fed by rapid technology changes and increasing amounts of knowledge. More data has been cre-

ated in the past two years than in rest of the history of the world.

“We are in a period of disruption and uncertainty,” Havens said.

“Those are facts of life. That is not going to go away. We are going to see change on a scale people haven’t seen before.”

Havens Knowing that technology change is coming, and that there will be business disruption, can get pretty daunting. It is a challenge. But while there is a lot of uncertainty, Havens also sees a big field of opportunity.

“Let’s flash forward to our future and what we have been talking about,” Havens said. “We are talking about change we haven’t seen and experienced before. We have seen the power of our phones change. We’ve seen a lot of automation in our lives. We have seen it touch on the way we are working, but we haven’t seen it replace the way we are working. We have to start preparing.”

Havens said it is important to have a windshield view looking ahead and anticipating what is around the corner. In fact, many firms are looking into the rearview mirror hoping that what has worked in the past will continue to be the template for the future. But that isn’t the case.

“Since you know change is not going to be

incremental, you have to prioritize being future ready and work with future ready advisors such as bankers, CPAs, and lawyers,” Havens said. “It is important to work with professionals who are also being anticipatory. I would encourage any CEO, CFO or CIO to spend at least one hour a week reading and studying to anticipate what is changing in their business. That is where you start.

Most of us don’t do take the time for that because we are really busy blocking and tackling.”

Are some businesses doomed because they will be replaced by technology innovations? That isn’t necessarily the case. An example is Kodak.

“It is not that Kodak was doomed,” Havens said.

“It was that they were not willing to change their business model. That is the difference. Kodak could have been Instagram. They are not because they kept trying to do business printing photos and the business model had changed to sharing photos.”

Bill Gates in his book The Road Ahead said, “We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten. Don’t let yourself be lulled into inaction.” Havens thinks that is important to keep in mind.

See FUTURE READY, Page 12

Law & Accounting

8 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q September 22, 2017

Staying ahead is a key CPA issue » Society’s chair-elect says developing online learning capabilities is biggest project

By CALLIE DANIELS BRYANT mbj@msbusiness.com

The Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants is the largest professional organization for CPAs in the state, and William “Bill” Taylor is its chairman.

“I’m just getting started but so far I’m really enjoying it,” Taylor said, “The Chair-Elect is very involved at the MSCPA, so there usually aren’t any big surprises for the new Chairman early in his or her term.”

With a Master of Taxation degree from the University of Mississippi, Taylor began his accounting career with KPMG in Jackson in 1990, the same year he joined MSCPA. After managing retirement and estate planning, he eventually left public accounting to start an investment firm that designed and managed retirement plans.

After selling the firm he became the Community Bank President with Renasant Bank in Water Valley. After retiring at the bank in 2013, Taylor traveled around the country speaking.

“Since I retired, I travel around the country leading CPE seminars,” Taylor said, “So far I have spoken in 47 states but I have a contact in Alaska that may bump that to 48 next year – still waiting for Hawaii and Maine.”

He has met with CPAs around the country and has worked with numerous state associations similar to MSCPA. “I like to think this gives me a good feel for the profession over all,” he said, “and Mississippi seems to be in a great position compared to the rest of the nation. Our state board members are accountants and move more deliberately than most states. While that can be frustrating for cutting-edge firms engaged in new fields of practice, it has helped protect our state’s accountants from some false steps that have been taken in other states.”

He also currently teaches Managerial Accounting in the MBA program at the University of Mississippi.

“Since my students aren’t in the Master of Accountancy program we don’t focus on the actual accounting function that much,” Taylor said, “In fact, I tell my students on the first day of class that everything they read in the book will be done by a computer in a modern company. That’s a bit of a stretch, but my point to them is that their value in the business world is to take the numbers they are given by the computer and use those numbers to make

“What I can tell you about Mississippi is that the accounting programs at most of our universities have had a 100 percent job placement for several years in a row.“ — Bill Taylor, chairman, Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants

their business better.”

As the Chair-Elect, Taylor said his biggest project this year will be to develop online learning capabilities provided by for the MSCPA for CPAs’ continuing professional education.

Continuing Professional Education is paramount to CPAs’ careers. To keep one’s accounting license requires 40 hours of education every year, and the MS State Board of Education requires CPAs to be up to date to retain the title whether in public or industrial use.

In the last few years, the provision of Continuing Professional Education resources for CPAs has grown in the last few years so Taylor wants MSPCA to expand its online resources to assist with Continuing Professional Education.

“Online learning is becoming a larger and larger component of CPE for accountants,” Taylor said. “Those seeking the convenience give up a lot of local knowledge, networking and individual consulting that comes with joining a group of CPAs in a live seminar, but there are definitely some advantages.

“One of the biggest advantages is that a very specialized topic that may not draw enough attendees to warrant a live seminar can be offered to a much larger geographic base online. Maybe only four accountants in Jackson would be interested in a particular topic, but statewide there might be 20, enough to make a seminar feasible.”

The MSCPA has on-demand webinars from a number of vendors, but its goal for 2018 is to live stream seminars held in the MSCPA through its website.

Taylor explains that while live streaming seminars sounds simple, MSCPA must comply with standards set by National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) where participants must continuously interact with the instructors in an Q&A and the streaming software must also conduct random attendance checks to ensure the participants are actively watching.

He said, “One major reason for pushing ahead with this is to assist Mississippi-licensed CPAs currently living or working

out of state. Our state requires four hours of Ethics education every three years, and one of those hours must be an update on Mississippi’s rules and regulations.”

For example, his fraternity big brother is licensed in Mississippi but lives in Virginia. Mississippi Rules and Regulations CPE is not offered outside of the state which Taylor says is a personal plus since he’ll see him every three years.

“It can be a real hardship for many though,” Taylor said, “For this triennial period, he will be able to attend a Mississippi ethics course from his desk, and hopefully he will come visit me anyway.”

With accessibility to online education due to location in mind, one of the challenges MSCPA is facing is the ability to practice accounting across state lines.

“Since each state licenses firms and accountants separately,” Taylor said, “it can sometime be difficult to serve a client not located in your own state. While that may be a positive thing for a small firm protecting its clients from out-of-state competition it is a hindrance for a Mississippi firm expanding across state lines. We have members in each of those groups so it is a serious issue for the MSCPA, but the overarching issue is how Mississippi can be comfortable that an accountant or firm licensed in another state will meet the standards of knowledge, training and public trust that we have come to expect from our own accountant.”

Another project Taylor is tackling with MSCPA is recruitment of students into the profession to address the shortage of qualified accountants since the profession has become in high demand which requires more hiring.

The MSCPA, and its Young CPA Network, currently recruits college students and Taylor hopes to expand into high schools to raise awareness of the profession.

“Let’s face it,” he said, “not many kids say they want to grow up to be accountants instead of cowboys, ballerinas or astronauts.”

He explains that the AICPA, the parent organization of MSCPA, has started a program to include more Accounting

classes in high schools.

“The original plan was to expand college-credit dual enrollment classes,” Taylor said, “but that has hit some stumbles with accreditation so a new path similar to AP classes is being developed. Hopefully it will be in schools soon, but school bureaucracies don’t seem to move quickly.”

He added that several MSCPA members are actively speaking to high school groups which he sees as a start.

“The big issue we believe is awareness,” Taylor said, “Not many high school students know an accountant, so they have no idea what the profession entails or the career possibilities. Heck, when we finally do get a major motion picture about an accountant, he turns out to be an international assassin.”

While MSCPA works on its burgeoning high school recruitment, Taylor reports that college students have had success in accounting.

He said, “What I can tell you about Mississippi is that the accounting programs at most of our universities have had a 100 percent job placement for several years in a row. I can’t give you numbers but I am hearing a lot of older accountants like myself talk about how salaries for their staff are increasing. We are old, of course these discussions include words like ‘ridiculous’ a lot.”

As the incoming chair, Taylor is cognizant that MSCPA may be challenged by nationwide issues affecting the accounting profession.

One of those issues is PEER Review.

Accountants who perform audits, reviews and other types of engagements that involve vouching for a client’s financial information must have their work reviewed by other accountants.

“Mississippi has one of the best PEER Review programs in the country according to national bodies,” Taylor said, “but many state programs are not as effective. This has led to an uproar nationally because the changes proposed by the AICPA that are intended to shore up weaker programs would cause a tremendous burden on effective programs like ours and could actually end up weakening the process in Mississippi.”

Taylor is confident that the accounting program is stable and thriving as he spearheads projects and leads MSCPA through national challenges.

“Overall, I think that the accounting profession in our state is in great shape,” Taylor said. “That is great news for an incoming Chairman. Of course, next year when the accounting profession in our state is in great shape I will be willing to take full credit for doing nothing.”

Law & Accounting

September 22, 2017

Q

Mississippi Business Journal

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Law & Accounting

10 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q September 22, 2017

Best Lawyers in America Adams and Reese

» LAWYERS OF THE YEAR: Jackson Charles P. Adams, Jr., Litigation – Securities; C. Phillip Buffington, Jr., Commercial Finance Law. » 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Jackson Charles P. Adams, Jr., Corporate Law, Litigation – Securities, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Securities / Capital Markets Law, Securities Regulation; Holmes S. Adams, Litigation – Trusts and Estates, Trusts and Estates; William C. Brabec, Insurance Law; C. Phillip Buffington, Jr., Banking and Finance Law, Commercial Finance Law, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Paul A. Carrubba, Banking and Finance Law, Finance Services Regulation Law; James A. Keith, Education Law, Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management; Elizabeth Lee Maron, Education Law; Powell G. Ogletree, Jr., Energy Law, Litigation – Real Estate, Natural Resources Law, Real Estate Law, Timber Law; Charles N. Parrott, Banking and Finance Law, Corporate Law, Financial Services Regulation Law, Litigation – Real Estate; Raymond G. Russell, Corporate Law; A. Jerry Sheldon, Energy Law, Natural Resources Law; Jeff Trotter, Energy Law, Environmental Law, Litigation – Environmental, Oil and Gas Law; Charles R. Wilbanks, Jr., Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants.

Anderson Crawley

» 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Ridgeland James M. Anderson, Workers’ Compensation Law - Employers; Terry B. Germany, Workers’ Compensation Law - Employers.

Baker Donelson

» LAWYERS OF THE YEAR: Jackson Charles W. Ferguson, Mergers and Acquisitions; Leonard C. Martin, Trusts and Estate Law; Dan M. McDaniel Jr., Gaming Law; J. Scott Newman, Litigation – Antitrust; J. Carter Thompson Jr., Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants. » 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Jackson John B. Beard: Health Care Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Non-Profit/Charities Law; Jonell B. Beeler: Health Care Law; Sheryl Bey: Litigation – Construction; Heather J. Camp: Gaming Law; Barry K. Cockrell: Health Care Law; Michael T. Dawkins: Criminal Defense – White-Collar, Environmental Law, Litigation –Environmental; Alfrado D. Donelson: Mergers and Acquisitions Law; James K. Dossett Jr.: Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Non-Profit/Charities Law, Tax Law, Trusts and Estates; Brooks Eason: Commercial Litigation, Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment; La’Verne Edney: Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants; Amy Kebert Elder: Gaming Law; Charles W. Ferguson: Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Health Care Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Rusty Fortenberry: Government Relations Practice,

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

Municipal Law; William Davis Frye: Commercial Litigation; Jennifer G. Hall: Litigation – Labor and Employment; Robert E. Hauberg Jr.: Antitrust Law, Commercial Litigation, Corporate Compliance Law, Criminal Defense – White-Collar, Litigation – Antitrust; Wilton J. Johnson III: Economic Development Law, Project Finance Law, Public Finance Law, Real Estate Law; James L. Jones: Commercial Litigation; Jon Stephen Kennedy: Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants; David F. Maron: Commercial Litigation, Consumer Law, Insurance Law, Mass Tort Litigation/ Class Actions – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants; Leonard C. Martin: Non-Profit/ Charities Law, Tax Law, Trusts and Estates; Dan M. McDaniel Jr.: Gaming Law; William S. Mendenhall: Corporate Law, Insurance Law, Real Estate Law; J. Scott Newton: Government Relations Practice, Health Care Law, Litigation – Antitrust, Qui Tam Law; William S. Painter: Corporate Law, Health Care Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Tax Law; J. Randall Patterson: Litigation – ERISA, Litigation – Labor and Employment; Scott W. Pedigo: Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Labor and Employment, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants; William N. Reed: Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants; David A. Rueff Jr.: Real Estate Law; Frederick N. Salvo III: Litigation – Real Estate; Jon D. Seawright: Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Corporate Law, Health Care Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Non-Profit/Charities Law; Bradley W. Smith: Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants; Stacy E. Thomas: Litigation and Controversy – Tax, Non-Profit/Charities Law, Tax Law; J. Carter Thompson Jr.: Commercial Litigation, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants, Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants; D. Jeffrey Wagner: Banking and Finance Law; Robert F. Walker: Litigation and Controversy – Tax, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants; David P. Webb: Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Litigation and Controversy – Tax, Tax Law; Richard F. Yarborough Jr.: Litigation – Environmental, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants.

Balch & Bingham » LAWYERS OF THE YEAR: Gulfport H. Rodger Wilder, Energy Law. » 20xx EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Gulfport Ricky Cox, Energy Law; Paul Delcambre, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants; Jonathan Dyal, Commercial Litigation; Leo Manuel, Energy Law; John Rice, Banking and Finance Law, Real Estate Law; Jennifer Signs, Project Finance Law, Real Estate Law; Ben Stone, Energy Law, Gaming Law; H. Rodger Wilder, Energy Law; Teri Wyly, Environmental Law. Jackson Scott Andress, Corporate Law, Gaming Law; Walter Boone, Commercial Litigation, Insurance

Law, Litigation – Real Estate, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants; Pepper Crutcher, Copyright Law, Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment; Tara Ellis, Gaming Law; Armin Moeller, Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management; Bill Reeves, Commercial Litigation, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants; Jennifer Skipper, Litigation – Insurance; Bill Smith, Commercial Litigation, Environmental Law, Litigation – Real Estate; David Thomas, Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management; Chris Waddell, Public Finance Law

Corporate Law, Litigation – Banking and Finance, Litigation – Real Estate; William R. Purdy, Construction Law; Alex Purvis, Insurance Law, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants; Joseph J. Stroble, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants; Stephen L. Thomas, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants; Stephen M. Wilson, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Corporate Law, Litigation and Controversy – Tax, Tax Law.

Bennett Lotterhos Sulser

» LAWYERS OF THE YEAR: Jackson John M. Flynt, Administrative / Regulatory Law; Louis G. Fuller, Litigation and Controversy – Tax; Lynne K. Green, Closely Held Companies and Family Business Law; R. David Kaufman, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants; Samuel C. Kelly, Construction Law; Ron A. Yarbrough, Litigation – Construction. » 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Biloxi Leonard A Blackwell, Gaming Law, Land Use and Zoning Law. Columbus J. Gordon Flowers, Commercial Litigation, Environmental Law, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Action Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants.

Jackson Matthew W. Allen, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Action s – Defendants; Sheldon G. Alston – Litigation – Land Use and Zoning, Litigation – Real Estate, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants; P. David Andress – Real Estate Law; Benje Bailey – Commercial Litigation, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants, Trademark Law; Stephen J. Carmody – Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, Litigation – Intellectual Property, Litigation – Labor and Employment, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants, Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants; R. Richard Cirilli – Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants; John M. Flynt – Administrative / Regulatory Law, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Real Estate Law; Louis G. Fuller – Litigation and Controversy – Tax, Tax Law; Lynne K. Green – Closely Held Companies and Family Business Law, Elder Law, Tax Law, Trusts and Estates; James L. Halford – Communications Law, Energy Law; Ken Harmon – Oil and Gas Law; Karen E. Howell – Commercial Litigation; William Trey Jones – Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Environmental; R. David Kaufman – Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Securities, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants; Samuel C. Kelly – Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, Litigation – Construction; James A. McCullough II – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Bankruptcy, Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law; M. Patrick McDowell – Commercial

» 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Jackson Joseph E. Lotterhos, Insurance Law; Marcus M. Wilson, Litigation - Bankruptcy, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law.

Biggs Ingram & Solop » 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Jackson Robert A. Biggs III, Insurance Law, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants; Stan T. Ingram, Natural Resources Law, Oil and Gas Law; Edward Otis Johnson, Jr., Energy Law, Oil and Gas Law, Natural Resources Law; Christopher Solop, Construction Law, Government Contracts; Lynn Patton Thompson, Construction Law.

Bradley » LAWYERS OF THE YEAR: Jackson Roy D. Campbell III, Litigation – Insurance; W. Rodney Clement, Real Estate Law; Stephen L. Thomas, Litigation – Intellectual Property; » 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Jackson Michael J. Bentley, Commercial Litigation; Jeffrey R. Blackwood, Commercial Litigation; Roy D. Campbell III, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants; David W. Clark, Commercial Litigation; W. Rodney Clement, Land Use and Zoning Law; Margaret Oertling Cupples, Appellate Practice, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants; W. Wayne Drinkwater, Appellate Practice, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants; Jason Fortenberry, Land Use and Zoning Law; Ralph B. Germany, Jr., Construction Law; J. William Manuel, Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Environmental, Litigation – Labor and Employment, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants; J. Douglas Minor, Jr., Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Real Estate; Mary Clay W. Morgan, Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Labor and Employment, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants; Wendy R. Mullins, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships); Dinetia M. Newman, Health Care Law; Alan W. Perry, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Corporate Governance Law,

Brunini

Law & Accounting

September 22, 2017

Q

Mississippi Business Journal

Q

11

Best Lawyers in America

Litigation, Litigation – Securities, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants; John E. Milner – Environmental Law, Litigation – Environmental; William C. Penick IV – Corporate Law; Warren Ken Rogers – Commercial Transactions / UCC Law, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Joseph A. Sclafani – Appellate Practice; Watts C. Ueltschey – Administrative / Regulatory Law, Energy Law, Energy Regulatory Law, Mining Law, Natural Resources Law, Oil and Gas Law, Real Estate Law; Leonard D. Van Slyke, Jr. – Litigation – First Amendment, Litigation – Trusts and Estates, Litigation and Controversy – Tax, Media Law, Tax Law, Trusts and Estates; Joseph E. Varner, III – Tax Law, Trusts and Estates; John E. Wade – Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants; Thomas E. Walker, Jr. – Banking and Finance Law, Financial Services Regulation Law, Mergers and Acquisitions; Gene Wasson – Real Estate Law; Walter S. Weems – Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Tax Law; Ron A. Yarbrough – Construction Law, Litigation – Construction.

Crawford Jr., Commercial Litigation, Litigation Securities; Paul N. Davis, Commercial Litigation, Oil and Gas Law; Richard M. Dye, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants, Product Liability Litigation Defendants; Stephen C. Edds, Economic Development Law, Government Relations Practice, Municipal Law, Project Finance Law, Public Finance Law; John F. England, Commercial Finance Law, Public Finance Law; Sue Hicks Fairbank, Public Finance Law; Trudy

D. Fisher, Environmental Law; William M. Gage, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants; Mark W. Garriga, Government Relations Practice; Matthew H. Grenfell, Commercial Transactions / UCC Law; Charles E. Griffin, Commercial Litigation, Litigation Insurance; J. Clifford Harrison, Banking and Finance Law, Commercial Finance Law, Consumer Law, Financial Services Regulation Law; Robert B. Harwell,

Corporate Law; John J. Healy III, Copyright Law, Patent Law, Trademark Law; Steven M. Hendrix, Corporate Compliance Law, Corporate Governance Law, Corporate Law, Real Estate Law, Tax Law; John C. Henegan, Appellate Practice, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Communications Law, Litigation - Antitrust, Litigation - First Amendment; Chad R. Hutchinson, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants; Robert C. Hutchison, Corporate Law,

Butler Snow

» LAWYERS OF THE YEAR: Gulfport John L. Galloway, Real Estate Law. Ridgeland J. Clifford Harrison, Banking and Finance Law; J. Paul Varner, Tax Law; James B. Tucker, Corporate Compliance Law; Phillip S. Sykes, Corporate Governance Law; Selby A. Ireland, Business Organizations (including LLCS and Partnerships); Thad W. Varner, Public Finance Law; Timothy M. Threadgill, Labor Law – Management; Trudy D. Fisher, Environmental Law. » 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Gulfport John L. Galloway, Real Estate Law; John M. Harral, Banking and Finance Law, Litigation - Banking and Finance; Michael B. Hewes, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants; Richard W. Sliman, Insurance Law. Oxford Paul V. Cassisa, Jr., Product Liability Litigation Defendants.

Ridgeland Phil B. Abernethy, Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Construction; Paula Graves Ardelean, Employment Law - Management, Litigation - Labor and Employment; Amanda Bolz Barbour, Criminal Defense: White-Collar; Kenneth W. Barton, Commercial Litigation, Product Liability Litigation Defendants; P. Ryan Beckett, Commercial Litigation; James H. Bolin, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants; Lucien L. Bourgeois, Public Finance Law; Fred E. Bourn III, Commercial Litigation; John A. Brunini, Environmental Law; Don B. Cannada, Commercial Transactions / UCC Law, Real Estate Law, Tax Law; R. Barry Cannada, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Michael D. Caples, Government Relations Practice; Tommie S. Cardin, Government Relations Practice; Alveno N. Castilla, Corporate Law, Litigation and Controversy - Tax, Tax Law; Donald Clark Jr., Public Finance Law; Elizabeth L. Clark, Government Relations Practice; John A.

Better Together At Bradley, we combine legal experience and knowledge with a sophisticated understanding of the industries that drive Mississippi. Our attorneys use our talents, judgment, work ethic, and experience to come up with practical, strategic solutions specifically tailored to our clients’ business operations. We go above and beyond expectations to help our clients meet their goals.

Bradley is proud to have 20 attorneys from our Jackson office listed in The Best Lawyers in America® for 2018, and 237 Bradley attorneys listed firm-wide across our nine offices.

No representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers. ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. Contact: Margaret Oertling Cupples, Esq., 601.592.9914, mcupples@bradley.com, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP, 188 E. Capitol Street, Suite 400, Jackson, MS 39201. © 2017

12 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q September 22, 2017

Law & Accounting

Best Lawyers in America Real Estate Law; Selby A. Ireland, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Donna Brown Jacobs, Appellate Practice, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants; Charles F. Johnson III, Corporate Law, Health Care Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Alyson Bustamante Jones, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants; Christy D. Jones, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants; Samuel W. Keyes, Jr., Government Relations Practice, Public Finance Law; Ronald I. Loeb, Trusts and Estates; Christopher R. Maddux, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law; W. Eugene Magee, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law; Michael E. McWilliams, Commercial Litigation, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants; Robert A. Miller, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants; Meade W. Mitchell, Product Liability Litigation Defendants; Anita Modak-Truran, Entertainment Law - Motion Pictures and Television, Trademark Law; R. Wilson Montjoy II, Energy Law, Mediation, Natural Resources Law, Oil and Gas Law; Samantha R. Moore, Tax Law; Luther T. Munford, Appellate Practice, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, First Amendment Law, Litigation - First Amendment, Litigation - Intellectual Property, Litigation and Controversy - Tax, Media Law; Kurt G. Rademacher, Tax Law; Orlando R. Richmond Sr., Product Liability Litigation - Defendants; Benjamin

W. Roberson, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law; E. Barney Robinson III, Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Banking and Finance; Stephen W. Rosenblatt, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law; W. Michael Russ, Public Finance Law; Arthur D. Spratlin, Jr., Product Liability Litigation - Defendants, Transportation Law; Jefferson K.B. Stancill, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships); Phillip S. Sykes, Commercial Litigation, Corporate Governance Law, Litigation - Land Use and Zoning, Litigation - Real Estate, Litigation - Securities, Litigation and Controversy - Tax, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants, Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants; Ronald G. Taylor, Corporate Law, Real Estate Law; Timothy M. Threadgill, Employment Law - Management, Labor Law - Management; James B. Tucker, Corporate Compliance Law; Gilbert C. Van Loon, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law; J. Paul Varner, Tax Law, Trusts and Estates; Thad W. Varner, Public Finance Law; Benjamin M. Watson, Appellate Practice, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships); Joshua J. Wiener, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation; Thomas E. Williams, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants, Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants; Edward A. Wilmesherr, Administrative / Regulatory Law, Banking and Finance

Law, Consumer Law, Corporate Law, Financial Services Regulation Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law.

Chinn & Associates » 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Jackson Mark A. Chinn, Family Law.

Clayton O’Donnell

Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Environmental Law, Litigation - Banking and Finance, Litigation - Environmental; Virginia T. Munford, Environmental Law, Litigation - Environmental; Kathy K. Smith, Litigation - Environmental, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants, Commercial Litigation, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants.

» LAWYERS OF THE YEAR: Oxford David D. O’Donnell, Litigation - Municipal » 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Tupelo Claude F. Clayton, Jr., Product Liability Litigation - Defendants, Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants.

Oxford David D. O’Donnell, Insurance Law, Litigation Municipal, Civil Rights Law, Municipal Law.

Currie Johnson & Myers

Corlew Munford & Smith

» LAWYERS OF THE YEAR: Jackson Gary K. Jones, Workers’ Compensation Law Employers; Roy A. Smith Jr., Insurance Law Oxford Wilton V. Byars III, Product Liability Litigation Defendants. » 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS:

» LAWYERS OF THE YEAR: Jackson John G. Corlew, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions- Defendants. » 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Jackson John G. Corlew, Commercial Litigation, Mass Tort

FUTURE READY Continued from Page 7

An example of a company that has successfully navigated technology changes is Domino’s Pizza.

“It was on a downturn in 2010,” Havens said. “Then they made it easy to order a pizza with a smartphone. Now you can tweet an order, and you can track your pizza and driver’s progress. This year Domino’s started driverless delivery service in Ann Arbor, Mich.”

In the case of accounting firms, because of the automation of technical knowledge, Havens said they can’t just continue to do bookkeeping, taxes and auditing or they won’t be relevant or in business in ten years.

“For the 55 years since HORNE LLP has been in business, time has been our friend,” he said. “Even if we messed up a spread sheet, we could charge for more time. Time is going to be irrelevant. It is going to turn into our enemy. So, we have to quit running a business model on a time clock. Our clients are already demanding insights and data analytics.”

Havens advises against thinking it is doomsday and instead look for opportunities. But know that every business model is going to change. How is it going to change is what you want to start anticipating.

There will be a lot of competition.

“Do IBM, Google and Amazon scare me? Absolutely,” he said. “But there are a whole lot of things they don’t have to

» 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Jackson William H. Creel, Jr., Insurance Law; Edward J. Currie, Jr., Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants, Insurance Law; Whitman B. Johnson III, Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants; Lisa Williams McKay, Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants; Michael F. Myers, Insurance Law.

Daniel Coker

offer such as wisdom and legacy relations.

Where we get our confidence is we are technical experts. Emotional intelligence will be a required field. Our firm will prosper when we are able to take the data, take the analytics, take the legacy customer relationships and as teams use emotional intelligence to cooperate to find solutions.”

Havens said it is important for advisers from firms like his to get on site and find out what is going on with clients. What are the opportunities? Is there a culture for innovation?

“There is going to be a lot of disruption,” Havens said. “Future ready businesses need to take steps to be prepared to win. We might be ahead of some of our competition, but if we think about how fast the competition is changing, we realize we are not moving fast enough. And we must have a shared future view so we understand why we are going to do what we are going to do. The strategy about our future view is having a growth mindset.”

Havens said HORNE LLP advisers will have to redefine reality for clients. They don’t understand all the hard trends and how it is going to affect their business model. They are looking for someone to inspire them.

“It is way different than how we are serving some of our clients now,” Havens said. “But that is where we have to be. We have to get over that gap. In a crowded marketplace, if you don’t stand out, you are invisible.”

Law & Accounting

September 22, 2017

Q

Mississippi Business Journal

Q

13

Best Lawyers in America

Gulfport John Stanford Gonzalez, Workers’ Compensation Law - Employers; Edward C. Taylor, Litigation – Insurance, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants.

Jackson Jackson H. Ables III, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants; Robert S. Addison, Personal Injury Litigation Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants; Sandra D. Buchanan, Mass Tort Litigation /Class Actions - Defendants; C. Michael Ellingburg, Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, Litigation - Banking and Finance, Litigation - Construction, Litigation - Securities; J. Wyatt Hazard, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants; Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants; Gary K. Jones, Workers’ Compensation Law - Employers; Terry R. Levy, Commercial Litigation, Insurance Law, Litigation - Construction, Litigation – Municipal, Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants; Silas W. McCharen, Administrative / Regulatory Law, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Employment Law - Management, Litigation - Labor and Employment, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants; W. Bienville Skipper, Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers; Ginger M. Robey, Workers’ Compensation Law - Employers; Roy A. Smith, Jr., Insurance Law, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants, Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants.

Oxford Wilton V. Byars III, Insurance Law, Municipal Law, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants; Mitchell O. Driskell III, Litigation - Insurance; Larry D. Moffett, Commercial Litigation, Energy Law, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants, Natural Resources Law, Oil and Gas Law, Utilities Law; George E. Read, Workers’ Compensation Law - Employers; Kenneth Rutherford, Commercial Litigation, Corporate Law; Robert

F. Stacy, Jr., Litigation - Insurance, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants.

Davis Crump » 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Gulfport Martin Crump, product liability litigation & mass torts.

Farese, Farese & Farese » LAWYERS OF THE YEAR: Ashland Anthony L. Farese, Criminal Defense: White-Collar. » 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Ashland John S. Farese, Family Law; Anthony L. Farese, Criminal Defense: General Practice, Criminal Defense: White-Collar, DUI/DWI Defense; John Booth Farese, Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants; Steven E. Farese Sr., Criminal Defense: General Practice, Criminal Defense: White-Collar, DUI/DWI Defense Steven E. Farese, Jr., Criminal Defense: General Practice, DUI/DWI Defense, Criminal Defense: White-Collar.

Fisher Phillips » 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Gulfport Steven R. Cupp, Labor & Employment.

Forman Watkins & Krutz » LAWYERS OF THE YEAR: Jackson Fred Krutz, Product Liability Litigation. » 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Jackson Edwin S. Gault Jr., Personal Injury Litigation Defendants, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants,

Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants; Nicholas C. Giallourakis, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants; Brian B. Hannula, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants; Fred Krutz, Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Environmental, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants; Daniel J. Mulholland, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants; Jennifer M. Studebaker, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants; Walter G. Watkins, Jr., Litigation Environmental, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants; Walter G. Watkins III, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants.

Heidelberg Steinberger

Gainsburgh, Benjamin

» LAWYERS OF THE YEAR: Jackson Gina M. Jacobs, Corporate Law; Robert S. Lazarus, Economic Development Law; Dennis W. Miller, Government Relations Practice; Randall B. Wall, Municipal Law. » 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Jackson Joseph Lee Adams, Employment Law – Management, Labor Law - Management;Jeffrey R. Barber, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation - Bankruptcy; Neville H. Boschert, Commercial Litigation, Insurance Law, Litigation - Antitrust; Robert E. Box, Jr., Tax Law; H. Mitchell Cowan, Commercial Litigation, Insurance Law, Litigation – Antitrust, Litigation - Banking and Finance, Litigation - Bankruptcy; Mark T. Davis, Real Estate Law; William E. Dossett, Tax Law, Trusts and Estates; J. Andrew Gipson, Securities Regulation; Chad J. Hammons, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation - Bankruptcy; Kathryn H. Hester, Land Use and Zoning Law, Litigation - Land Use and Zoning; Robert B. House, Administrative / Regulatory Law; Gina M. Jacobs, Corporate Law, Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Kristina M. Johnson, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Litigation - Bankruptcy; Linda Bounds Keng, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Trusts and Estates; Craig N. Landrum, Banking and Finance Law, Corporate Compliance Law, Corporate Governance Law, Corporate Law, Financial Services Regulation Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Robert S. Lazarus, Corporate Law, Economic Development Law, Project Finance Law, Public Finance Law; David L. Martin, Administrative / Regulatory Law, Banking and Finance Law, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Commercial Finance Law, Corporate Law, Financial Services Regulation Law, Insurance Law; Dennis W. Miller, Energy Law, Government Relations Practice; L. Keith Parsons, Corporate Compliance Law, Corporate Governance Law, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Public Finance Law, Securities / Capital Markets Law, Securities Regulation Law; Keith R. Raulston, Commercial Litigation, Insurance Law, Legal Malpractice Law – Defendants, Litigation – Antitrust, Litigation - Banking and Finance, Litigation - Bankruptcy, Litigation – Insurance, Litigation - Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy), Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, Workers’ Compensation Law - Employers; W. Whitaker Rayner, Copyright

» 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Ridgeland Walter C. Morrison IV, Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs, Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs.

Griffith Law Firm » 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Oxford Benjamin E. Griffith, Litigation - Municipal.

Hagwood Adelman Tipton » 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Gulfport George F. Bloss III, Medical Malpractice Law Defendants, Litigation - First Amendment; Henry F. Laird, Jr., Litigation - First Amendment, Commercial Litigation.

Greenville Carl Hagwood, Health Care Law, Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants.

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» LAWYERS OF THE YEAR: Pascagoula Jimmy Heidelberg, Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants. » 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Pascagoula Jimmy Heidelberg, appellate practice, environmental law, legal malpractice law – defendants, mass tort litigation/class actions-defendants, medical malpractice law - defendants, personal injury litigation-defendants and professional malpractice law – defendants.

Jones Walker

14 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q September 22, 2017

Law & Accounting

Best Lawyers in America Law, Information Technology Law, Litigation - Intellectual Property, Trademark Law; Thomas B. Shepherd III, Corporate Law, Gaming Law; Stanley Q. Smith, Communications Law, Energy Law; Zachary Taylor III, Corporate Law, Municipal Law, Project Finance Law, Public Finance Law, Securitization and Structured Finance Law; Aileen S. Thomas, Commercial Finance Law, Commercial Transactions / UCC Law, Corporate Law; Jim B. Tohill, Real Estate Law; Randall B. Wall, Corporate Law, Municipal Law, Project Finance Law, Public Finance Law.

Mayo Mallette » 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Oxford Pope S. Mallette, Municipal Law; J. Cal Mayo, Jr., Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation.

McGlinchey Stafford

» 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Jackson G. Dewey Hembree III, Commercial Litigation; H. Hunter Twiford III, Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Banking and Finance, Litigation - Municipal, Mass

Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants.

Merkel & Cocke

» 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Clarksdale John Hartwell Cocke, Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs, Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs; Charles M. Merkel Jr., Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants, Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs, Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs, Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs; Charles M. Merkel III, Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs.

Mitchell McNutt & Sams

» 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Tupelo Michael D. Ferris, Real Estate Law; Margaret Gratz, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants; William C. Murphree, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants; L. F. Sams, Jr., Professional Malpractice Law Defendants, Commercial Litigation, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants, Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants.

Oxford D. Andrew Phillips, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law.

Ogletree Deakins » 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Ridgeland Timothy W. Lindsay, Employment Law - Management, Labor Law - Management; Robin Banck Taylor, Litigation - Labor and Employment.

Owen, Galloway and Myers » 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Gulfport Ben F. Galloway III, Medical Malpractice Law -

Plaintiffs, Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs; Joe Sam Owen, Criminal Defense: White-Collar, Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs, Personal Injury Litigation Plaintiffs, Criminal Defense: General Practice, Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs

Phelps Dunbar » LAWYERS OF THE YEAR: Gulfport James G. Wyly III, Person Injury Litigation – Defendants.

Jackson Gary E. Friedman, Litigation – Labor and Employment; W. Thomas Siler, Jr., Employment Law – Management; Frank W. Trapp, Criminal Defense: White-Collar. » 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Jackson Reuben V. Anderson, Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation, Legal Malpractice Law Defendants, Mediation, Arbitration; Fred L. Banks Jr., Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation, Mediation, Arbitration; Ross F. Bass, Jr., Commercial Litigation, Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants, Litigation Banking and Finance; F. M. Bush III, Corporate Law, Health Care Law, Trusts and Estates, Mergers and Acquisitions Law; A.M. Edwards, Tax Law, Trusts and Estates, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships); Gary E. Friedman, Labor Law - Management, Litigation - Labor and Employment, Employment Law - Management; James W. O’Mara, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Bridgforth R. Rutledge, Real Estate Law, Franchise Law; James W. Shelson, Environmental Law, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants, Commercial Litigation; W. Thomas Siler, Jr., Labor Law - Management, Employment Law - Management, Litigation - Labor and Employment; Frank W. Trapp, Antitrust Law, Criminal Defense: White-Collar, Criminal Defense: General Practice; T. Calvin Wells, Commercial Finance Law, Corporate Law. Tupelo Mark N. Halbert, Employment Law - Management, Litigation - Labor and Employment; Jeffrey S. Moore, Health Care Law; Gregory D. Pirkle, Tax Law, Trusts and Estates.

Gulfport Kyle S. Moran, Litigation - Insurance, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants; James G. Wyly III, Transportation Law, Mediation, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants.

Sessums Dallas » LAWYERS OF THE YEAR: Ridgeland Bobby L. Dallas, Medical Malpractice Law Plaintiffs. » 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Ridgeland Bobby L. Dallas, Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs, Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs; William C. Griffin, Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants, Insurance Law, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants.

Watkins & Eager » LAWYERS OF THE YEAR:

Jackson M. Binford Williams, Jr., Project Finance Law; Mildred M. Morris, Litigation - Health Care; Molly Jeffcoat Moody, Commercial Transactions /UCC Law; Paul H. Stephenson III, Natural Resources Law; Walter T. Johnson, Medical Malpractice Law Defendants; William F. Ray, Litigation - Banking and Finance. » 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Jackson Clifford B. Ammons, Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants, Workers’ Compensation Law Employers; David L. Ayers, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants; Joseph G. Baladi, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants; Lewis W. Bell, Commercial Litigation, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants; Walter J. Brand, Litigation - Labor and Employment, Employment Law - Management, Labor Law - Management; H. Rusty Comley, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants; James J. Crongeyer Jr., Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Construction, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants; George R. Fair, Financial Services Regulation Law, Corporate Governance Law, Litigation - Banking and Finance, Utilities Law, Corporate Law, Administrative / Regulatory Law, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships; Betty Ruth Fox, Environmental Law; William F. Goodman, Jr., Natural Resources Law, Banking and Finance Law, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants, Energy Law, Oil and Gas Law, Product Liability Litigation Defendants, Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation, Bet-the-Company Litigation; Paul L. Gunn, Real Estate Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law; Douglas J. Gunn, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants; Michael O. Gwin, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants, Insurance Law; C. Joyce Hall, Commercial Finance Law, Health Care Law, Public Finance Law; Corey D. Hinshaw, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants; Jamie G. Houston III, Tax Law, Trusts and Estates, Litigation - Trusts and Estates, Corporate Law, Litigation and Controversy - Tax, Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Elder Law, Corporate Governance Law; Robert B. Ireland III, Land Use and Zoning Law; Molly Jeffcoat Moody, Commercial Finance Law, Commercial Transactions / UCC Law; Mark D. Jicka, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants, Qui Tam Law, Litigation - Health Care; Walter T. Johnson, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants, Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants, Insurance Law, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants, Mediation, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants Product Liability Litigation - Defendants; Richard T. Lawrence, Insurance Law, Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants; Clark C. Luke, Tax Law, Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law; Kenneth E. Milam, Labor Law - Management, Litigation - Labor and Employment, Employment Law - Management, Arbitration, Mediation; Jane B. Morgan, Banking and Finance Law; Mildred M. Morris, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants, Litigation - Health Care, Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants; Joseph D. Nosef III, Government Relations Practice; Steven D. Orlansky, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants, Insurance Law, Commercial Litigation, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants; Jason L. Poulson, Real

Estate Law, Securitization and Structured Finance Law, Commercial Finance Law; William F. Ray, Litigation - Banking and Finance, Litigation - Trusts and Estates, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation; Stephanie M. Rippee, Commercial Litigation, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants; William C. Smith III, Land Use and Zoning Law, Litigation - Land Use and Zoning, Real Estate Law; Jim F. Spencer Jr., Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Bankruptcy, Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Banking and Finance Law; Susan Latham Steffey, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants, Family Law; Paul H. Stephenson III, Natural Resources Law, Oil and Gas Law, Litigation - Banking and Finance, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Energy Law, Commercial Litigation; Keith W. Turner, Environmental Law; Michael W. Ulmer, Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants, Commercial Litigation, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants; Rebecca Lee Wiggs, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants; Jimmy B. Wilkins, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants; M. Binford Williams Jr., Derivatives and Futures Law, Commercial Transactions / UCC Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Project Finance Law, Commercial Finance Law, Corporate Law, Economic Development Law, Real Estate Law; Roger W. Williams, Real Estate Law, Land Use and Zoning Law; J. Collins Wohner Jr., Appellate Practice.

Wells Marble & Hurst » 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Ridgeland Betty Burton Arinder,Workers’ Compensation Law - Employers; Clifford K. Bailey III, Insurance Law, Litigation - ERISA; Steven H. Begley, Insurance Law, Litigation - ERISA; Roxanne P. Case, Workers’ Compensation Law - Employers, Litigation - Insurance; Roy H. Liddell, Commercial Litigation; Thomas M. Louis, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants, Litigation - Insurance, Personal Injury Litigation Defendants; Kenna L. Mansfield, Jr., Insurance Law; R. David Marchetti, Trusts and Estates, Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law; Richard G. Norris II, Insurance Law; Kelly D. Simpkins, Insurance Law, Commercial Litigation; Robert H. Walker, Commercial Litigation; Walter D. Willson, Commercial Litigation; R. James Young, Trusts and Estates.

Young Wells » LAWYERS OF THE YEAR: Ridgeland Don H. Goode, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law; Edwin Stephen Williams, Litigation - Real Estate. » 2018 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS: Ridgeland Don H. Goode, Tax Law, Trusts and Estates, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law; James H. Neeld IV, Corporate Law; Edwin Stephen Williams, Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Construction, Litigation - Real Estate.

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16 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q September 22, 2017 THE SPIN CYCLE

How the public approaches facts & information

H

ow does today’s audience engage with news, facts and information?

Does the subject hook them? How much do they trust the sources? How eager are they to learn? What is competing for their attention? How much access do they have to the information in the first place?

A new Pew Research Center survey explores these five broad dimensions of people’s engagement with information and finds that a couple of elements particularly stand out when it comes to their enthusiasm: their level of trust in information sources and their interest in learning, particularly about digital skills. It turns out there are times when these factors align – when people trust information sources and they are eager to learn, or when they distrust sources and have less interest in learning. There are other times when these factors go in opposite directions: people are leery of information sources but enthusiastic about learning.

Combining views toward new information – and their appetites for it – allows audiences to create an “information-engagement typology” that highlights the differing ways that Americans deal with these pressures.

There are five groups that fall along a spectrum ranging from fairly high engagement with information to wariness of it, according to Pew Research Center.

Roughly four-in-10 adults (38 percent) are in groups that have relatively strong interest and trust in information sources and learning. About half (49 percent) are in groups that are relatively disengaged and not very enthusiastic about information or about gaining more training, especially when it comes to navigating digital information. Another 13 percent occupy a middle area: They are not trusting of information sources, but they show higher interest in learning than those in the more information-wary groups.

The Eager and Willing – 22 percent At one end of the information-engage-

ment spectrum is a group called the Eager and Willing. Compared with all the other groups on this spectrum, they exhibit the highest levels of interest in news and trust in key information sources, as well as strong interest in learning when it comes to their own digital skills and literacy. They are not necessarily confident of their digital abilities, but they are anxious to learn.

One compelling trend about this group is its demographic profile: More than half the members of this group are minorities: 31 percent are Hispanic; 21 percent are black and 38 percent are white, while the remainder are in other racial and ethnic groups.

The Confident – 16 percent Alongside the Eager and Willing are the Confident, made up of one-in-six Americans and combine a strong interest in information, high levels of trust in information sources, and self-assurance that they can navigate the information landscape on their own. Few feel they need to update their digital skills and they are very self-reliant as they handle information. This group is disproportionately white, quite well educated and fairly comfortable economically. And one-third of the Confident (31 percent) are between the ages of 18 and 29, the highest share in this age range of any group.

The Cautious and Curious – 13 percent The Cautious and Curious have a strong interest in news and information, even though they do not have high levels of trust in the sources of news and information – particularly national news organizations, financial institutions and the government.

But they are interested in growth, with a great deal of interest in improving digital skills and literacy. This group differs very little from the general population’s average, although its members have somewhat lower levels of educational attainment than the mean.

The Doubtful – 24 percent The Doubtful are less interested in news

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and information than those in the previous groups. They are leery of news and information sources, particularly local and national news. They also have very busy lives, which could be why they also show little interest in updating their digital skills or information literacy. The Doubtful are the most middle-aged of the groups. They tilt towards being white and they are also relatively well educated and above average in their economic status.

The Wary – 25 percent At the edge of the spectrum are the Wary. They are the least engaged with information. They have very low interest in news and information, low trust in sources of news and information and little interest in acquiring information skills or literacies.

That places them at a distance from other Americans in terms of engagement with information. This group is heavily male (59 percent) and one-third are ages 65 or older.

Social media platforms becoming news sources of choice Two-thirds (67 percent) of U.S. adults get news from social media sites, up from last year’s figure of 62 percent, according to another Pew Research Center study. But not all platforms are equal in delivering news to users, according to the research: » Facebook still beats out every other social media site as the top news bearer among social media sites, with 45 percent of Americans reporting getting news from Facebook. That’s indicative of the fact that a larger percentage of Americans (66 percent) use Facebook than the other social media sites in the survey. » For Twitter, 74 percent of its users get news there (up 15 percentage points from last year). Twenty-nine percent of Snapchat users get news on the platform (up 12 percentage points from last year). » For YouTube, 32 percent of its users get news there (up 21 percentage points from last year). » Why they might be up: For Twitter, Pew points to Trump’s use of Twitter to make announcements in addition to the platform’s efforts to promote to news publishers its ability to spread news. When it comes to Snapchat, keep in mind that it has been partnering with CNN, NBC, The New York Times, and other news groups to publish Discover stories that might be upping that news consumption percentage among users. On the YouTube front, it’s added a “breaking news” summary on its homepage and has expanded YouTubeTV as well. » Keep that in perspective: 15 percent of Americans report using Twitter while 11 percent report getting news on it; 18 percent of Americans report using Snapchat while 5 percent report getting news on it; 58 percent of Americans report using You-

Tube while 18 percent report getting news there. » Stable reports: Facebook, Reddit, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tumblr all maintained about the same percentage of users who Todd Smith said they consumed news on those platforms as last year. » Pew asked about WhatsApp for the first time this year in this survey, and 23 percent of its users get news there.

MegaWatt Mic: J.J. Watt raises $37 Million + for hurricane victims J.J. Watt is not only a super hero on the field, he may be a bigger one off!

His recent off-the-field performance to aid victims of Hurricane Harvey has certainly vaulted him to epic status!

In the wake of the disaster, on Aug. 26, the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year launched a fund on YouCaring. com to raise money for victims with an initial goal of $200,000. At the time, that seemed like a sizable yet attainable goal.

Looking back, perhaps Watt – and all of us – underestimated the spirit of unity and goodwill from citizens across the land to help our brothers and sisters in need.

The fundraiser brought in an astonishing $37.1 million, more than 185 times his initial goal. More than 200,000 people donated, meaning Watt got as many donors as he expected dollars.

This kind of giving from the heart during a detrimental national tragedy has sparked anew the great American spirit – and reinforces how the heroes and icons in our midst can give flight to triumph over tragedy, and bring hope back to Houston, and beyond. It’s a golden beacon in the storms of life.

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.

Newsmakers

September 22, 2017

T.E. Lott elects shareholders

J. Aubrey Adair, CPA, CGMA, and Robert M. Whitaker, CPA, were recently elected shareholders of T.E. Lott & Company.

Adair has practiced over 25 years in public and private accounting. In public practice, his areas of concentration include providing audit services to manufacturing and small business, reviews, compilations and tax preparation services for corporations, partnerAdair ships and individuals. In private accounting, he held the positions of Controller, Chief Accounting Officer and Director of Accounting.

Adair is a native of Columbus and holds a bachelor of professional accountancy from Mississippi State University. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants and Chartered Global Management Accountants. He and his wife, Cindy, have two children, Sydney and Collin.

Whitaker has been with the company for 10 years as a member of the Financial Institution Services group. His professional expertise includes providing audit/attestation services, consulting services and tax preparation for public and non-public financial institutions, Whitaker small businesses, not-for-profit organizations and individuals.

Whitaker is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants.

The Columbus native received his bachelor of professional accountancy from Mississippi State University. He and his wife, Macaulay, have two sons, Tom and Dade. They are members of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

Reunion makes 4 staff changes David Nutt & Associates, the parent company of Reunion Inc., and the Reunion Golf and Country Club, recently announced four changes in its administrative staff.

Keith D. Kent, PLA, has been appointed Vice President Of Reunion, Inc. As Vice President Kent will be responsible for all developmental milestones of the 2,116-acre active Kent lifestyle residential community.

Those duties include Neighborhood Development, managing the logistics surrounding Reunion’s infrastructure and coordinating all design and construction of the new $15 million, 30,000-square-foot Reunion Golf & Country Club’s custom designed clubhouse scheduled to open at the end of 2017.

Kent will also manage the daily business of Reunion corporation, including the company’s involvement in legal, banking, sales, engineering, construction, personnel and project planning.

Larry Johnson has been appointed Marketing Coordinator for both the Reunion Golf & Country Club, and the next phase of residential development. Johnson has served as the Managing Principal of The Advisory Group of Mississippi, Johnson LLC., based in Canton. In that capacity he has been associated with David Nutt & Associates as Manager Of Equity Financial Service, LLC., since 2010. In addition to his new responsibilities, he will continue his advisory role to David Nutt & Associates.

Previously, Johnson served as President & CEO of

the Central Bank for Savings in Winona and Senior Vice President at Homestead Savings of Jackson.

Casey Smith has been named PGA General Manager of the Reunion Golf & Country Club. Smith will oversee management of Reunion’s Robert “Bob” Cupp designed golf course, as well as all club facilities. In 2018, Smith will be Smith responsible for the management of Reunion’s new Country Club. Smith joins Reunion from the Tuscaloosa North River Yacht Club where he served as Director of Golf and Assistant General Manager. Smith is a graduate of the Professional Golf Management program at Mississippi State University.

Smith has received numerous awards from the PGA, including Golf Professional Of The Year in 2013.

Recently he received the Bill Strausbaugh Award for mentoring other professionals and his involvement in charitable and community organizations.

Smith recently graduated from the Leadership Madison County Program. He currently serves as an Ambassador for the Madison City Chamber Of Commerce. He lives in Madison with his wife Mandy, a Pre-School Music Director at First Baptist Church of Ridgeland, and their two daughters. Smith sometimes sings the National Anthem at Mississippi Braves baseball games.

Elisha Fry has been named Country Club Membership Director. Previously, Fry was Event Planner for the Cerebral Palsy Foundation Of Mississippi.

Fry

fessional Development Committee. She is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management and the local Gulf Coast chapter of Society for Human Resource Management.

Batiste is an active member of Theta Zeta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., has served as president and vice president, and is former president of the TZO Ivy Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Theta Zeta Omega. Currently, she is the chapter’s membership chairperson. She is a charter member of Mississippi Gulf Coast Connection and serves as program chairperson. She has received several awards in leadership, including the 2011 Lifetime and Cable One Caring Women Award in Leadership and the Ethel Hedgemen Lyle Award for being a young leader and rising star. Recently, she received the Blessed Girls Rock award. She has also received her sorority chapter’s highest award, Woman of the Year. Charter president of the Kiwanis of Moss Point, she is a Rotarian and a former Civil Service commissioner, director of Jackson County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for children, and member of Junior Auxiliary of Biloxi/Ocean Springs. She is a graduate of Leadership Jackson County Class of 2010 and Singing River Health System’s Leadership and Management Development Program. She is also a graduate of the Mississippi Community College Leadership Academy.

Batiste, known to many as Danielle, is married to Pastor Tony R. Batiste, and they live in Moss Point.

MPB wins 5 Emmy Awards

MGCCC taps Batiste

Tenesha Batiste has been named the associate vice president for Institutional Advancement at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. The Institutional Advancement office oversees the MGCCC Foundation and Alumni.

Batiste was previously dean of Batiste Business Services at the college’s Jackson County Campus and director of Human Resources at the District Office in Perkinston. She previously was director of Human Resources for the City of Moss Point and worked in Human Resources at Singing River Health System.

Graduating magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English/journalism with a concentration in public relations from historic Tougaloo College, Batiste also holds a Master of Business Administration degree with an emphasis in human resources management from American Intercontinental University.

She is currently pursuing a doctorate in human capital development from The University of Southern Mississippi.

She has served on the Board of Directors for the Home of Grace Christian Rehabilitation Facility, Board of Directors for the College and University Professional Association for HR (CUPA-HR) Gulf Coast/Louisiana chapters, and CUPA-HR’s National Learning and Pro-

The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) recently recognized Mississippi Public Broadcasting with five 2017 Southeast Emmy Awards.

Three of MPB Television’s original productions won regional Emmy Awards in five different categories.

MPB winners are: Documentary – History: “Mississippi’s Free State of Jones,” Art McAlpin, Adam Chance, Edie Greene, John Gibson.

Audio - Live: “Mississippi College Festival of Lights,” Taiwo Gaynor, John Busbice.

Children / Youth (All Ages): “Ed Said,” Scott Colwell, Gaynor, Keri Horn.

Writer – Short Form: “Ed Said,” Colwell, Gaynor, Horn.

Craft Specialty – Musical composition / Arrangement: “Ed Said’s Super Fruit to Save the Day,” Colwell, Gaynor, Horn.

Baker Donelson group listed The Baker Ober Health Law Group at Baker Donelson recently earned multiple national and regional honors.

The firm was ranked third on the 2017 edition of Modern Healthcare’s “Largest Healthcare Law Firms.”

It was also ranked third on the American Health Lawyers Association’s “AHLA 2017 Top Honors” rank-

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ings of health law firms in the United States.

Baker Donelson was ranked No. 2 on the American Bar Association’s “Fourth Annual Regional Law Firm Recognitions” list of health law firms in the Southeast.

The listing recognizes by geographic region the largest health law firms in the United States. Ober|Kaler, which combined with Baker Donelson on January 1, was ranked No. 2 on the list of health law firms in the Northeast.

The Baker Ober Health Law Group has more than 200 attorneys in 10 states and the District of Columbia serving the health care industry.

IP recognizes employees IP Casino Resort Spa recently recognized employees for their service, dedication and work ethic in June, as well as the honorees for Team Leader and Part-Time Team Member of the Second Quarter of 2017.

June’s honorees were Rebecca Hartman (Food & Beverage), Maria Moses (Hotel), Tam Nguyen (Table Games), Patrick Bousqueto (Slots), Carolyn Davis (Food & Beverage) and Chance Fricke (Food & Beverage). Second Quarter honorees were Arlene Lurix (Table Games), Dennis Perkins (Finance) and Patsy Puglisi (Food & Beverage).

All winners receive two show tickets, a recognition plaque, a special-edition name tag, a professional photo and recognition in both the front-of-house area and back-of-house area. Honorees are entered in a drawing to receive special prizes and the chance to attend an end-of-year banquet with Boyd Gaming Executive Chairman Bill Boyd. At the end-of-year banquet, one team member will be named the Team Member of the Year, and win an all-expenses-paid trip for two to Hawaii.

BankFirst appoints Manning Leon Manning has been appointed First Vice President – Director of Marketing at BankFirst Financial Services in Columbus. His primary responsibilities include planning, implementing and managing the bank’s marketing efforts throughout the organization.

Manning is originally from the Manning west Alabama area, and received his degree in Finance and Banking from the University of Alabama. He is a graduate of the American Bankers Association School of Bank Marketing and Management where he graduated with honors.

Manning and is wife, Jennifer, have three children.

BankFirst Financial Services has 17 locations in Mississippi and Tuscaloosa, Ala.

People Lease adds 1 People Lease is pleased to announce the addition of Marleigh McCrimmon has recently joined People Lease a sales and marketing support specialist.

She earned her Masters of Business Administration at Mississippi State University, and her Bachelor of Science from Millsaps College. McCrimmon McCrimmon grew up in the Mississippi Delta and lives in Flowood. She enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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the American Medical Association.

Smith and his wife Rachel live in Columbus with their two children. He enjoys spending time with his family, hunting, fishing, skiing, golf and basketball.

Merit names Lolley CNO Merit Health Madison in Canton has named Tim Lolley as its new Chief Nursing Officer.

Lolley joins Merit Health Madison from Saint Francis Hospital Muskogee and Saint Francis Hospital Muskogee East (formerly Eastar Health System) in Lolley Muskogee, Okla.

Previous roles include Director of Progressive Care, Telemetry and Dialysis at Jackson Hospital in Montgomery, Ala.; Director of ICU, Medical Surgical Unit and Respiratory Therapy at Los Alamos Medical Center in Los Alamos, N.Mex; and Director of Critical Care at Vaughan Regional Medical Center in Selma, Ala. Lolley holds his master’s degree in nursing administration from Independence University in Murray, Utah.

Further, he has his bachelor’s degree in nursing from Troy University in Montgomery, Ala. and his associate’s degree in nursing from George Wallace Community College in Selma, Ala.

Woodward Hines hires 2

The Woodward Hines Education Foundation (WHEF) recently announced two new hires for its flagship program, Get2College, which provides free services to help families plan and pay for college.

Daniela Griffin was named Assistant Director and College Counselor for the Jackson Get2College Center. In this role Griffin provides general college planning and counseling for students and parents in the Jackson office and supports outreach efforts across Griffin the state. Griffin is a native of Jacksonville, Fla. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Florida and a Master’s Degree from the University of Mississippi. Griffin is a member of the Southern Association of College Admission Counseling and the National College Access Network.

Tyler Flynn joined Get2College as an Assistant Director of Outreach and College Counselor.

Flynn’s work includes leading workshops for high school students, coordinating the newly founded Get2College Corps, and supporting the organizations outreach to school counselors. He Flynn received an Associate’s Degree from Hinds Community College and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of Mississippi in 2017. Flynn is a native of Flowood and is a member of the National College Access Network and the Southern Association of College Admission Counseling.

Baker Donelson ranked For the sixth consecutive year, Baker Donelson has been ranked among the top 10 law firms in the country in the 2018 edition of Vault, Inc.’s “Best Law Firms for Diversity.”

Baker Donelson ranked 10th in the country on Vault’s overall “Best Law Firms for Diversity” list, which includes four separate categories for diversity all weighed evenly to determine the overall ranking.

The Firm was ranked third nationally for Diversity for

Regions recognizes MSU

Memorial changes board

Courtesy of Beth Wynn / MSU

Mississippi State University’s Department of Student Financial Aid recently was honored with the Regions Bank Marketing Partner Rock Star Awardfor its role in promoting financial education. Pictured are, from left, Jay Willis, branch manager for Regions Bank in Starkville; Sammy Slaughter, senior vice president and city president for Regions Bank in Starkville; John Daniels, MSU financial literary coordinator; and Paul McKinney, MSU student financial aid director. In fall 2016, MSU implemented Transit-Financial Wellness as part of the Regions Financial Scholars Program. It is an interactive, web-based, tablet-friendly financial education program created by EverFi Inc., a leading education technology company. Regions Bank sponsors Transit at college campuses in several states as part of the company’s commitment to sharing financial education with students of all ages.

Women, tenth for Diversity for Individuals with Disabilities and received top 25 rankings in the categories of Diversity for Minorities and LGBT Diversity.

Vault’s diversity rankings are based on each firm’s own associates’ ratings of how the firm does at creating, maintaining and fostering a diverse workforce.

Small Town, new leadership Leah F. Kemp was recently promoted to director at Mississippi State’s Carl Small Town Center, and Thomas R. Gregory III has begun his new role as the center’s community planner.

Kemp previously served for six years as assistant director and one year as interim director. At MSU, Kemp she also has served as an adjunct professor, visiting assistant professor and instructor in the College of Architecture, Art and Design.

A Mississippi Registered Architect, Kemp also has practiced in Washington, D.C., and Nashville, Tenn. She holds a bachelor’s degree in interior design from Gregory Virginia Tech, and a master of architecture from Tulane University, where she received a commendation.

Kemp is a member of the American Institute of Architects, and the national American Planning Association and its Mississippi chapter. She also is a Mississippi Heritage Trust and Mississippi Main Street board member.

In her new role, Kemp said she will continue serving as a leader, partner and educator in public interest design for MSU’s School of Architecture. Being a strong advocate for meaningful design in small towns is another of her top priorities, she said.

Gregory is a 2005 MSU business administration, construction management and land development bachelor’s graduate who also minored in economics and political science. He returned to his alma mater after eight years as chief administrative officer for the City of Greenwood.

A Master of City and Regional Planning graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Gregory is licensed by the American Institute of Certified Planners and is a member of the American Planning Association and Congress for the New Urbanism, among other professional groups.

Smith joins Baptist staff Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle welcomes Otolaryngologist Steven Smith, MD, has joined the Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle, and the practice of Dr. Justin Garner and Dr. Clay Borden at Otolaryngology Associates in Columbus.

Originally from Magee, Smith Smith is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Mississippi with a bachelor’s degree in biology and is a 2012 graduate of the University of Mississippi School of Medicine. He completed his residency at the University of Texas Medical Branch, department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery in Galveston, Texas, in 2016.

Smith worked as clinical research coordinator in the department of medicine, infectious diseases, at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and served on numerous committees throughout his residency, including Chief Resident Officer-Vice Chairman; Chief Resident/HOA Committee, Graduate Medical Education Committee and EPIC Utilization Committee.

Smith is a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology, the Texas Medical Association and

The Harrison County Board of Supervisors recently appointed Dr. Thad Carter to serve as a member of the Gulfport Memorial Board of Trustees. Carter replaced Kathie Short, whose term expired in July.

Carter joined Memorial Medical Carter Staff in 1980 in the practice of urology and served on numerous medical staff committees, including the Medical Executive Committee, Medical Quality Review Committee, and Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee. He also served as Chief of Staff for the 2010-2012 term, as well as serving on various Memorial Board appointed committees and hospital committees.

Carter retired from his urology practice in 2015 and remains an honorary member of the Memorial Medical Staff.

Nail McKinney promotes 3

Hutcheson

Oaks

Pernell

Nail McKinney Professional Association recently promoted three Certified Public Accountants to the position of Manager.

Joshua Hutcheson is a native of Booneville and a graduate of Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Accountancy and a Master of Taxation.

He resides in Tupelo with his wife, Kelly Williams Hutcheson and two sons, Graham and Clayton.

Matthew Oaks is a native of Booneville and a graduate of Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Accountancy and a Master of Taxation. He resides in Tupelo.

Jon Pernell is a native of Greenwood and a graduate of Delta State University with a Bachelor of Professional Accountancy . He and his wife, Casey, reside in Tupelo.

Cobb Institute taps interim Evan Peacock, a Mississippi State alumnus and veteran environmental archaeologist, was recently named interim director of the university’s Cobb Institute of Archaeology.

Peacock joined MSU in 1999 as an anthropology faculty member.

Peacock Born in Clarksdale and reared in Choctaw County, Peacock also worked as an archaeologist with the U.S. Forest Service.

In addition to a summa cum laude degree in anthropology from MSU, he holds master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Sheffield, England.

Newsmakers

September 22, 2017

Grantmakers adds to board

The Mississippi Association of Grantmakers, a membership organization for public, private, and corporate philanthropic entities, recently announced the election of eleven members to its board of directors, including a new slate of officers for 2017-2018.

Pittman Tom Pittman, president and CEO of The Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi, was elected to serve as board president.

Joining Pittman in leadership roles are board vice president Mike Clayborne, president of the CREATE Foundation; board secretary Sheila Grogan, executive director of the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation; board treasurer Jane Alexander, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Greater Jackson; and executive committee at-large member Carol Burger, president and CEO of the United Way of the Capital Area.

Sammy Moon is director of Mississippi Association of Grantmakers.

New board members are: Pittman; Clayborne; Alexander; Burger; Grogan; Kelly Butler, Managing Director, Policy and Partnerships, Barksdale Reading Institute, Jackson; Michele Connelly, Executive Director, United Way of West Central Mississippi, Vicksburg; Lloyd Gray, Executive Director, The Phil Hardin Foundation, Meridian; Rodger Meinzinger, Executive Director, Mississippi Power Company Foundation, Gulfport; Stuart Rockoff, Executive Director, Mississippi Humanities Council, Jackson; Yumeka Rushing, Program Officer, W. K. Kellogg Foundation, Jackson

Surgeon joins Burn Center

Merit Health Central recently welcomed surgeon Jeffrey T. Gibbs, MD, to its burn center medical staff at Joseph M. Still Burn Centers, Inc.. Gibbs is board certified in general surgery.

G0ibbs joins Merit Health Central from the main headquarters of Joseph M. Still Burn Centers, Inc. Gibbs Augusta, Ga. Along with general surgery, Gibbs performs plastic, general burn and hand surgery.

While working to complete his medical degree at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pa., Gibbs also pursued and completed his MBA. Gibbs also holds his bachelor of science degree from Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Gibbs completed his general surgery internship at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Ill. He served as a general surgery resident at Loyola, followed by a burn fellowship at Indiana University.

Next, Gibbs did a plastic surgery residency at Indiana University in Indianapolis, Ind. followed by a fellowship in surgical critical care at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pa.

3 join Forman Watkins

Forman Watkins & Krutz LLP recently added attorneys Spencer Ritchie and Sampada “Sam” Kapoor to its Jackson office, and Chelsea Gaudin in its New Orleans office.

Ritchie’s previous legal experience included working as an associate at a major regional law firm,

Community Bank promotes 3 Mike Webb, President and Chief Executive Officer for Community Bank, North Mississippi, recently announced three promotions.

Josh Newsom has been promoted to Senior Vice President at Community Bank’s Olive Branch location. He has 11 years of banking experience, with the last 3 of them being with Community Bank, where he most recently served as Vice Newsom President. In his new role, he will continue to work towards growing both loan and deposits in the Olive Branch market, as well as managing the daily operations of the office.

A native of Corinth, Newsom is a graduate of Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration. He then went on to complete The Mississippi School of Banking at Ole Miss. He is active in the local community, where he serves as the President of the Rotary Club of Olive Branch, a member of the Olive Branch YMCA Board of Directors, and a member of the MSU Desoto Alumni Chapter Board of Directors.

He and his wife, Laura, along with their daughter, Ava Grace, reside in Nesbit.

Derek McCain has recently been promoted to Assistant Vice President at Community Bank’s Ellisville office. He has over 3 years of banking experience, most recently serving as a loan officer in as law clerk to the Hon. Rhesa H. Barksdale, United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the Hon. Richard A. Schell, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, and as an Adjunct Legal Writing Professor at Mississippi College School of Law. Ritchie is a 2010 graduate from The University of Mississippi School of Law, where he was Associate Notes and Comments Editor of the Mississippi Law Journal and a member of the Moot Court Board.

Ritchie also has an extensive background in national and state politics, having served as Executive Director of the Mississippi Republican Party, as Director of Legislative Affairs for the Associated Builders and Contractors, and as Legislative Assistant to United States Rep. Sam Johnson of Texas. Ritchie, a native of Midland, Texas, received his Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Texas Tech University in 2002.

Kapoor is a recent cum laude graduate from The University of Mississippi School of Law where she was Editor-In-Chief for the Business Law Newsletter, was the winner of the American Bar Association Business Law Judicial Clerkship, and recipient of the James Oliver Eastland Scholarship. Prior to joining Forman Watkins,Kapoor served as law clerk to the Hon. Judge Christine Ward for the Commerce and Complex Commercial Litigation Court of Allegheny County, Penn.; she also interned with Mississippi Access to Justice and served as a student attorney for the University of Mississippi’s Innocence Project and the MacArthur Justice Center. Kapoor works primarily with the Mass Tort team.

Gaudin joins Forman Watkins as an associate in the New Orleans office. Gaudin is a recent cum laude graduate from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law where she served on Law Review and was a Dean’s Scholarship Recipient. An active member in

Ellisville. In his new role, he will continue to serve as a lender in the market.

McCain, a native of Leland, is a graduate of Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration.

He is active in the Lions club McCain and has recently completed the Leadership Jones County Program. He and his wife, Emilie, live in Ovett.

Weston Wallace has recently been promoted to Assistant Vice President at Community Bank’s Laurel office.

He has been with Community Bank over 2 years, beginning as a credit analyst in Jackson and most recently serving as a loan officer in Laurel. He will Wallace continue to serve as a lender in the market while assisting in the overseeing of daily operations in the Laurel office.

Wallace, a native of Brandon, is a graduate of Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration. Prior to attending MSU, Wallace attended East Mississippi Community College where he played golf for two years. He is a 2017 graduate of Leadership Jones County, active in the Sertoma Club of Laurel and also volunteers as a t-ball coach. her class, Gaudin was a member of Phi Delta Phi International Legal Honor Society and the International Law Society. She previously was a Student Practitioner for the Children’s Rights Clinic at Loyola University and was an extern with Louisiana Appleseed.

Silver Slipper’s top workers Silver Slipper Casino recently recognized its July Employee and Supervisor/Manager of the Month Nominees and winners.

Employees of the Month were Brandi Wyman, Palm Court, and Andrew Smith, Surveillance. Supervisor/Manager of the Month was Martine Fairconnetue, Food and Beverage supervisor.

Other nominees were Victoria Langlinais, Advertising & Publicity Manager; Aundra Jama, Player Services; John Harrison, Buffet; Devin Bermond, Buffet; Tereasa Dillon, Security Assistant Shift Supervisor.

Schaffer joins USM staff The University of Southern Mississippi recently named Dr. Lenore Schaffer to the newly created position of deputy coordinator to the Title IX Office.

Schaffer is a recent graduate of Southern Miss, earning her doctorate in higher education administration with a minor in student affairs in May 2017. Prior Schaffer to stepping into her new role, Schaffer also served the Title IX Office as a graduate assistant during the 2016-17 academic year and an intern during 2015-16.

In her new role, Schaffer will assist in coordinating

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the University’s efforts to comply with and carry out responsibilities under Title IX and provide support to students, faculty and staff located on the University’s Hattiesburg campus, as well as the Gulf Park campus in Long Beach and other teaching sites along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Schaffer will also support individuals who feel they have been treated differently based on gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or pregnancy and parenting status and will assist the Title IX coordinator with overseeing the University’s Sexual Misconduct, Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Policy, which prohibits any unwelcome behavior of a sexual nature that is committed without consent or by force. Sexual misconduct includes behaviors such as relationship violence, sexual exploitation, cyberstalking, unwanted touching and pressure from a superior to engage in unwanted sexual behavior.

Command transfered Maj. Gen. Michael C. Wehr recently transferred command of the Mississippi Valley Division (MVD), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to Maj. Gen. Richard G. Kaiser.

Wehr, division commander and president of the Mississippi River Commission since August 2014, has been assigned as the deputy commanding general for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, D.C. Kaiser comes to Vicksburg from Afghanistan where he served as director of the Joint Engineering Directorate for the U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, and commander of the Transatlantic Division (Forward), Afghanistan.

As MVD’s 39th commander, Kaiser will be responsible for the Corps water resources programs in a 370,000-square-mile area that includes portions of 12 states; its boundary extends from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. District offices are headquartered in St. Paul, Minn.; Rock Island, Ill.; St. Louis; Memphis; Vicksburg and New Orleans.

In addition, Kaiser will be president-designee of the Mississippi River Commission, the presidentially appointed agency that oversees the comprehensive Mississippi River and Tributaries flood control and navigation project, as well as the entire Mississippi River and its tributaries.

CV surgeon joins Baptist Richard Eubanks, MD. a cardiac, thoracic and vascular surgeon, has joined the staff at Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle in Columbus.

Eubanks received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., and Eubanks his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1995. Eubanks completed a residency in general surgery in 2000 and a residency in thoracic surgery in 2002, both at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas The New York native practiced in Texas and Florida for about five years, before starting the cardiac surgery program in Pascagoula in 2007. The program, affiliated with the Singing River Health System, was named one of the top 15 percent in the nation by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons in 2012.

As co-director of cardiothoracic and vascular surgery, Eubanks helped lead the program from doing less than 50 cardiac surgeries a year to a successful cardiac surgery program now doing more than 200 cardiac operations per year.