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News Briefs
MSU National Alumnus of the Year
Albert C. Clark received MSU’s highest alumni honor when named 2023 National Alumnus of the Year. Clark, a 1965 business administration graduate, is President and CEO of C.C. Clark Inc., a regional beverage distributor, and Vice President of Clark Distributing Co. He has served on the boards of BancorpSouth Bank, Inc. and First Federal Bank for Savings and is current President of the Gulf State Canners, Inc. board. Clark is a longtime member of the Greater Starkville Development Partnership and has given his time to the Oktibbeha County Economic Development Authority board, Starkville Rotary Club and Starkville Chamber of Commerce. The 2004 COB Alumnus of the Year was named among the College’s Centennial Top 100 Alumni in 2015 and has been recognized as a “Living Legend” by the Coca-Cola Bottlers Association. He is a board member and past President of the MSU Foundation. He and wife Glenda, also an MSU graduate, have generously provided for student scholarships and faculty support, as well as the COB, athletics, facilities and other initiatives.
COB Alumnus of the Year
A third-generation Bulldog and two-time MSU graduate, Cynthia Anne “Cyndi” Tucker is MSU’s 2023 COB Alumnus of the year. Tucker, shown here with MSU President Dr. Mark Keenum, earned a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1977 and an MBA in 1978. She retired as Director of Business Development and Emerging Technologies of ConocoPhillips, where she spent her 35 years in progressive technology information and development-related roles. Tucker began with Conoco in Ponca City, OK, in the information technology department and later moved into operations, focusing on a variety of downstream activities, including refining optimization, trucking management and crude sales. In 1998, she relocated with her family to Russia, where she oversaw and managed crude sales, transportation and health and environmental safety. The Tuckers returned to the U.S. in 2000, and she continued in progressive roles focused on areas from marketing and freight to sales and contract negotiations. Today, the Aberdeen, MS, native serves on the COB Executive Advisory Board and is a longtime Bulldog Club member. Tucker has also helped fund student scholarships for over 20 years.
