5 minute read
Mayor in Motion
By Jeffrey Rupp
Lynn Spruill, Starkville Mayor and MSU College of Business graduate, embodies a unique blend of leadership, resilience and a passion for adventure that sets her apart. Raised by her father, L.E. Spruill, an accountant with an adventurous spirit himself, despite being hobbled by polio as a child, Lynn inherited a love for exploration.
“He wanted to make sure I tried just about everything – skeet shooting, archery, water skiing, horseback riding and flying,” Spruill recalls. “We’d go riding every Sunday. It was formative, and you remember those things.”
While those Sundays created lasting memories and fostered Spruill’s deep connection with horses, it was flying that ignited her true passion.
Enrolling in the MSU College of Business in 1971, Spruill aimed to join the Air Force ROTC with dreams of flying in the U.S. Air Force. Despite her readiness, the Air Force wasn’t ready for female aviators at that time. Undeterred, Spruill found a welcoming opportunity in the U.S. Navy, becoming part of the second class of eight female student pilots. Her ultimate goal was to become a commercial airline pilot, but her Navy service revealed two defining aspects of her character.
First, Spruill discovered a passion for serving the greater good.
“I realized that it matters to do good things,” she reflects.
Second, she carved out a bit of her own aviation history. As a naval officer, in 1979 she became the first woman pilot in the history of the Navy certified to land on an aircraft carrier.
After leaving the Navy, Spruill became a private pilot for the Atlantic Richfield Oil Company and later a commercial pilot for Delta Air Lines, flying Boeing 757s and 767s. She retired as a Captain in 2004.
While living in Addison, TX, she ventured into the political arena, serving as a Councilman and then Mayor of Addison from 1985 until 1993, when she was named the city’s Woman of the Year. After choosing not to run for re-election, Spruill decided to further her education by attending law school, earning her JD/MPA joint degree from Georgia State University in her “free time.”
She returned to her hometown of Starkville in 2004 to take over Spruill Property Management from her father. A year later, she became the city’s Chief Administrative Officer for Mayor Dan Camp and then for Mayor Parker Wiseman. Spruill is now halfway through her second term as the Mayor of Starkville, while also overseeing more than 350 apartments in town as the Managing Partner of Spruill Property Management.
Spruill’s involvement in the local community extends beyond her professional roles. She actively participates in various organizations, serving as a board member for the Greater Starkville Development Partnership, the Starkville Community Theater and Volunteer Starkville. She generously supports various causes, especially the Oktibbeha County Humane Society (OCHS).
“Lynn is an incredible advocate for the animals of our community and is a huge supporter of the Oktibbeha County Humane Society,” says Rick Welch, OCHS Board President and owner of Starkville-based Rick’s Café. “She donates a lot of her time, efforts and funds to our various causes and events throughout each year. I can’t remember an event that she has not attended. Quite often she will also take a personal interest in specific animals that come into our care, as well as specific projects and needs that our shelter may face.”
Starkville, like any college town, depends on its local university as its cultural and economic engine. At the same time, MSU depends on Starkville to provide housing, restaurants and shopping options that appeal to students, faculty, staff and alumni. Finding that perfect town and gown balance is sometimes tricky, even between MSU and Starkville. However, that relationship is arguably the best it has ever been, according to someone who should know: MSU President Dr. Mark Keenum.
“I have said many times that what is good for Starkville is good for Mississippi State University, and vice versa. In that regard, it has been a pleasure to work with Mayor Spruill to help move our university and our community forward together,” states Keenum. “We communicate often to share ideas and discuss issues of mutual interest. I believe our town and gown relationship is as strong today as it has ever been, and I appreciate the role she has played in this partnership. I value her leadership and her friendship.”
Spruill echoes that sentiment.
“When Dr. Keenum became President [of the University], I felt an immediate change,” she shares. “The stronger Mississippi State is, the stronger we are. The unprecedented growth at the University and in our community is a direct result of the positive, synergistic relationship between Starkville and MSU.”
When Spruill first ran for mayor, she won by a handful of votes. When she ran for re-election four years later, she was unopposed, perhaps the biggest compliment an elected official can get. Though she believes in term limits, she is contemplating a third term.
“COVID really delayed completing my agenda, so I’m giving serious thoughts to one more term,” she notes.
Whether or not she decides to run again, she will have already left an impressive legacy, one that includes bringing her beloved university closer to her beloved community.
