̫ӳ Alumni Association announces incoming leaders
Contact: Amy Cagle
STARKVILLE, Miss.—The ̫ӳ Alumni Association welcomes a new national treasurer and a slate of new and returning directors for its national board. These individuals began terms July 1, representing the university’s more than 149,000 living alumni and the 104 chapters and clubs of the association.
Riley Nelson of Vicksburg enters into a new three-year term as national treasurer. He earlier served as Mississippi Central 3 Region Director. Prior to that, he held leadership roles, including multiple terms as chapter president, with the Warren County Alumni Chapter. At ̫ӳ, he is a member of the Richard C. Adkerson School of Accountancy Advisory Council. He earned two degrees from the school, a 1999 Bachelor of Accountancy and a 2001 Master of Taxation. Nelson is a managing partner with May and Company LLP.
Other national officers continue in the second half of their terms. They are: Sherri Carr Bevis of Gulfport, a 1986 Bachelor of Arts in communication graduate, as national president; Patrick White of Spring, Texas, a 1990 Bachelor of Arts in communication graduate, as vice president; and Brad M. Reeves of Jackson, a 2002 Bachelor of Business Administration graduate in management of construction and land development, as immediate past president.
Along with these officers, the association welcomes the following directors to its national board.
—Taylor Flowers of Marks will serve as Mississippi North 1 Region Director. She is active with the Quitman County Alumni Chapter leadership team, assisting with chapter events and activities and serving as part of the Alumni Recruitment Network. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing in 2013.
—Zwan Landfair of Olive Branch will serve as Mississippi North 1 Region Director. He is active in the Alumni Recruitment Network, serves on the Black Alumni Advisory Council and currently co-chairs ̫ӳ’s Black Alumni Weekend. He earned a Bachelor of Science in industrial technology in 1993.
—Will Bowlin of Booneville will serve a second term as Mississippi North 2 Region Director. Before relocating to Prentiss County, he was an active member and chapter president in the Union County Alumni Chapter. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife and Fisheries in 2001 and a Master of Public Policy and Administration in 2009.
—J.D. Wood of Tupelo will serve as Mississippi North 2 Region Director. He earlier served the Lee County Alumni Chapter in a variety of leadership positions and currently serves as president. He earned a Bachelor of Science in physical education in 2002.
—Stratton “Strat” Karatassos of Starkville will serve as Mississippi North 3 Region Director. He recently retired after a 43-year career with ̫ӳ Athletics, having been a fixture at Alumni Association events. He remains active with the Oktibbeha County Alumni Chapter post retirement. He earned a Master of Science in physical education in 1974.
—Jimmy McPherson of Starkville will serve his second term as Mississippi North 3 Region Director. He has been active with the Oktibbeha County Alumni Chapter, including previously serving as president and representing the Alumni Association at various send-off party events. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in banking and finance in 1995 and an MBA in 1998.
—Adrienne Morris of Columbus will serve as Mississippi North 3 Region Director. She serves the Lowndes County Alumni Chapter as president, having earlier been vice president, and serves on the Black Alumni Advisory Council. At ̫ӳ, she has been an advisory board member of both the Department of Communication and Montgomery Leadership Program. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in management in 2005, a Master of Science in workforce education leadership in 2007, and a Master of Public Policy and Administration in 2010.
—Herbert Clark of Rolling Fork will serve a second term as Mississippi Central 1 Region Director. He is a longtime volunteer, having served as president of the Sharkey-Issaquena Alumni Chapter since 1984. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing in 1981.
—Matt Mahan of Kosciusko will transition to Mississippi Central 2 Region Director. Mahan previously represented the Mississippi North 2 Region. He has served both the Jones County and Lee County alumni chapters as a volunteer and led the Jones County Chapter as president. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing in 2004.
—Nathan Cummins of Clinton will serve as Mississippi Central 3 Region Director. He is active with the Richard C. Adkerson School of Accountancy, the Warren County Alumni Chapter, and established the Cummins Family Endowed Scholarship at ̫ӳ benefiting accounting students. He earned a Bachelor of Accountancy in 2002 and a Master of Taxation in 2003.
—Theressia McAlpin of Pearl will serve a second term as Mississippi Central 3 Region Director. She is a longtime volunteer with various leadership roles in the Central Mississippi Alumni Chapter, including chapter president, and she is active in the Alumni Recruitment Network. She earned a Bachelor of Science in special education in 1977 and Master of Science in special education in 1998.
—Dwanda Moore of Ridgeland will serve as Mississippi Central 3 Region Director. She is a longtime volunteer with the Central Mississippi Alumni Chapter, serving in various leadership roles including chapter president. Moore also serves as a member of the Black Alumni Advisory Council. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing in 1996.
—Fred Monsour of Meridian will serve a second term as Mississippi South 1 Region Director. He is a longtime volunteer and past president of the Lauderdale County Alumni Chapter who has been influential in raising funds for the chapter’s scholarship. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in economics in 2002 and an MBA in 2005.
—Jonathan Jackson of Hickory will serve as Mississippi South 1 Region Director. He is active in the Newton County Alumni Chapter as student recruiting chair and with the Alumni Recruitment Network. He also participates with the annual ̫ӳ alumni band reunion. He earned a Bachelor of Science in biological sciences in 2010.
—Celeste Carty of Brookhaven will serve a second term as Mississippi South 2 Region Director. She has been active in the Lincoln County Chapter in various leadership roles, including past president, and she has been active in the Alumni Recruitment Network. She earned a Bachelor of Science in marketing in 1979.
—Lynn Twitty Burwell of Gulfport will serve a second term as Mississippi South 3 Region Director. She has been active in the Mississippi Gulf Coast Alumni Chapter and the Alumni Recruitment Network, and she is a past president of the former Harrison-Stone Alumni Chapter. She earned a Bachelor of Science in home economics in 1980.
—Richard Cannon of Ocean Springs will join the board as Mississippi South 3 Region Director. He is a past president of the Jackson County Alumni Chapter and was instrumental in founding the Mississippi Gulf Coast Chapter. He was among the 2018 ̫ӳ Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award recipients. He earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering in 1986.
—Stephen Woo of Cordova, Tennessee, will serve as Out-of-State Region 2 Director. He is a longtime Alumni Association and Memphis Maroon Club volunteer. He was honored among the 2019 ̫ӳ Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award recipients. He earned a Bachelor of Professional Accountancy in 1994 and a Master of Accountancy with a concentration in taxation in 1995.
—Stephanie Williford of Mobile, Alabama, will serve a second term as Out-of-State Region 3 Director. She has served the Mobile, Alabama Alumni Chapter for many years, including a term as president. She was among the 2009 ̫ӳ Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award recipients. She earned a Bachelor of Science in educational psychology and a Master of Education in counselor education, both in 1972.
—Paige Roper of Franklin, Tennessee, who attended the university, will serve as State of Tennessee Director. She has been active in the Nashville, Tennessee Alumni Chapter in a variety of leadership positions, involved with alumni recruitment activities, and volunteers with the Music City Marathon.
—Crystal Vincent of Wylie, Texas, will serve as State of Texas Director. She was involved with the Birmingham, Alabama Alumni Chapter and serves on the Black Alumni Advisory Council and as co-chair of Black Alumni Weekend 2020. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing in 2005.
The Alumni Association was founded June 17, 1885, by the first three graduating classes of then Mississippi Agricultural and Mechanical College. For more information about the ̫ӳ Alumni Association, contact Jeff Davis, executive director, at 662-325-7000 or jdavis@alumni.msstate.edu. The association is online at alumni.msstate.edu.