2 · NAMI MISSISSIPPI
Letter from the President of the Board
Mississippi 2618 Southerland Street Jackson, MS 39216 601-899-9058 • 800-357-0388 Fax: 601-956-6380 • namims.org
TABLE OF CONTENTS
President’s Letter We Need You! NAMI Oxford NAMI Pine Belt NAMI Vicksburg NAMI Coastal MS NAMI Central Mississippi Voter Registration Drive-Thru Staff Highlight: Kimberly Massey Website Update NAMIWalks 2020 Education Open Up Mississippi: Meet the Staff 2021 State Conference Calendar of Events • Support Groups Membership
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS Mary Harrington, President & Oxford Affiliate Representative Megan Hamm, Vice President & Four Rivers (MS) Representative Harriette Mastin, Secretary and At Large Marcus Ginn, Treasurer and At Large Sherry Bouldin, At Large Sharon Turner-Davis, At Large Christiane Williams, At Large Thomas Carson, Peer Leadership Council Representative Auvergne Williams, Central Mississippi Affiliate Representative Shan Abbott, Coastal MS Affiliate Representative Diane Sellers, Meridian Affiliate Representative Mavis Creagh, Pine Belt Affiliate Representative Stephanie Stout May, Tupelo Affiliate Representative Jenny Drake, Vicksburg Affiliate Representative STATE OFFICERS Sitaniel J. Wimbley, Executive Director Joy Amerson, Account Manager Kawanna Jenkins, Education Outreach Volunteer Kimberly Massey, Program Marketing Specialist Nicole Thomas, Marketing & Outreach Intern Latasha Willis, Peer Community Outreach Specialist Cara Willoughby, Program Development Intern AFFILIATES Central Mississippi Four Rivers (MS) Pine Belt Vicksburg Meridian Oxford Coastal MS Tupelo (Developing) The NAMI Mississippi newsletter is funded by donations from members and partners, and is published to inform, educate and strengthen the community of individuals and families affected by serious mental illness. The articles and opinions within are not necessarily those of the NAMI Mississippi organization. Content is not intended to endorse any political candidates, viewpoint, treatment or medication.
I
am thrilled to be writing my first newsletter article as your new Board President! Let me briefly introduce myself. I retired from Ole Miss as Director of Institutional Research and Assessment six years ago, ran a higher-education consulting business for the next four years, and now am focusing on nonprofit volunteer work. NAMI is an important part of that focus. When my now-32-year-old daughter was diagnosed with a mental illness at age 13, I was completely unprepared to deal with it and felt I was the only person in Oxford facing this challenge. Then, on a friend’s advice, I took NAMI’s Family to Family class. I don’t think it’s an understatement to say it changed my life. I learned so many coping and coaching skills, and found solace as we shared our experiences. Some of the people I met in that class a decade ago remain some of my closest friends. Needless to say, I am a huge NAMI fan!
We all faced challenges this year because of the pandemic, and NAMI was no exception. But I’m proud of the way the staff and our members rose to this challenge. Despite transitioning the Walk to a virtual platform, we set a record for funds raised. When faceto-face classes had to be cancelled, we transitioned both classes and support groups to an on-line format. Our NAMI-MS organization is strong, committed, and resilient. I’m convinced we can do even more in the upcoming year to share NAMI’s message of support and hope. My heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you for the important part you play in our success! Best regards,
Mary Harrington, President NAMI Mississippi Board of Directors
Thank You, David! David Shumpert, we appreciate your service and dedication during your time as an Office Volunteer for the State Office. We’ll miss having you around, and we hope that your next chapter is great!
