MISSISSIPPI ECONOMIC COUNCIL STATEMENT REGARDING THE OFFICIAL FLAG OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI
The Mississippi Economic Council has a long-standing position that the state flag should be changed.
The presence of the Confederate Battle Flag as a component of the 1894 flag is offensive to many, not representative of all Mississippians, and perpetuates negative stereotypes of our state. Regardless of its origins, and despite some opinions that the emblem honors history and heritage, the reality is the battle flag has become a global symbol of prejudice and hatred.
MEC feels strongly that adoption of a new flag is a timely and high profile action that would improve Mississippi's image, advance a new narrative about our state, and set the stage to enhance economic opportunities and improve quality of life in a fair and inclusive manner for every Mississippian.
The current flag is harmful to Mississippi's image and reputation for those outside our state and is hurtful to many fellow Mississippians. MEC encourages state leaders to take action to change the flag.
Support is growing for this important effort. Add your name to the growing list of signees who have voiced support for changing the State Flag of Mississippi - encourage your senators and representatives to do the right thing and take action to change the flag.
Kurt Allen
President/CEO
Mississippi Aquarium
Allison Anderson
Principal
Unabridged Architecture
Roy Anderson, III
President/CEO
AnderCorp
Chelsea Baulch
Executive Director
Monroe County Chamber of Commerce
R. Dean Bingham
President
Agracel, Inc.
Gerald Blessey
Owner Gerald
Blessey Law Firm
Jeff Bowman
President/CEO
Cooperative Energy
David Brevard
President/CEO
B B CONCRETE CO INC
Geraldine K Brookins
Trustee
Mississippi Museum of Art
Phil Buffington
Partner
Adams and Reese LLP
BJ Canup
CEO
Tremont Floral
Will Caves
Communication & Public Relations Manager
Mississippi Economic Council
Chris Cavote
Refinery General Manager
Chevron Products Company
Suresh Chawla
President
Delta Lodging Group, LLC
Jeffrey Clark
President & CEO
Keystone Specialty Pharmacy
Augustus Collins
Chief Executive Officer
MINACT, Inc.
William Coppage
Executive Director
Washington County Economic Alliance
Charles Cowan
Attorney
Wise Carter Child & Caraway, P.A.
Jessica Crosby
Realtor
Martin O’Neal & Associates
Bev Crossen
Owner
Indigo Cowork; Farmhouse Tupelo; Farmhouse Fulton
Royce Cumbest
Chairman
Merchants & Marine Bank
Yolanda Daniel
Founder
8 Oak Development
Nettie Davis
City Councilwoman
Elise Deano
President
Law Office of Elise Epperson Deano
Bruce Deviney
Owner
Deviney
Kane Ditto
Principal
StateStreet Group, L.L.C.
Justyn Dixon
Development Director
Agracel
Tiffany Ealey
CEO
GET SNATCHED LLC
Ashley Edwards
President and CEO
Gulf Coast Business Council
Erik Fields
Vice-President of Manufacturing
Nissan North America
James Fisher
Colonel, USAF (Retired)
Lowndes County Administrator
Mayo Flynt
President
AT&T
Shelby Fox
Executive Director
Knight Nonprofit Center
Brandt Galloway
Managing Member
Galloway Chandler McKinney
David Gates
President-Mississippi Division
Atmos Energy
Joseph Geddie
Retired
NMIDA
Robert Gibbs
Managing Partner
Gibbs Travis, PLLC
Bobby Gillon
Director of Marketing & Leasing
The District on Howard Avenue
Brian Gomillion
Mayor
Town of Walnut Grove
Jeff Good
President
Mangia Bene Restaurant Management Group
Reed Guice
CEO
Guice&Guice Advertising
Sally Hamlin
Executive Assistant
Mississippi Economic Council
Bill Hannah
President / CEO
East Mississippi Business Development Corporation - Board of Directors
Alan Hargett
CEO
Planters Bank
Joey Havens
Executive Partner
HORNE LLP
Ann Hendrick
Director of Get2College
Woodward Hines Education Foundation
Joe Max Higgins
CEO
Golden Triangle Development LINK
Christee Holbrook
President
Graham Roofing Incorporated
Paul Hollis
President
Delta Council
Jerry Host
Chairman and CEO
Trustmark Corporation
Blair Hughes
Owner
Park Heights Restaurant
William O Jacobs
Owner
Jacobs Properties
William James
Manager
Pruet Companies
Samuel Jones
Asst. to the President for Leadership Training
Jones College
Jonathan Jones
Senior Vice President and General Manager
Harrah's Gulf Coast (Caesars Entertainment)
Angie Juzang
Co-Founder
Legacy Business League
James Kaigler, Jr.
Senior Vice President Hancock
Whitney Bank
Beth Kitchings
VP Member Involvement
Mississippi Economic Council
Allen Kurr
Vice President, Economic Development
Oxford-Lafayette County Economic Development Foundation
Tori Langworthy
Assistant Director of State Outreach
Woodward Hines Education Foundation
John Lassiter
Partner
Burr Forman LLP
Jeffrey Leffler
Assistant Professor
Mississippi State University
Doug Levanway
Shareholder
Wise Carter Child & Caraway PA
Wade Litton
President and CEO
Wade Incorporated
Kate C. Luce
President & CEO
Mississippi Export Railroad
Travis Lunn
President & COO
Beau Rivage & Gold Strike
Adele Lyons
CEO
Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce
Courtnie Mack
Leadership Mississippi Coordinator
Mississippi Economic Council
Chris Maddux
Chair
Butler Snow
Andrew Mallinson
CEO
Multicraft International
Suzette Matthews
Owner
Delta Dairy
Karen Matthews
President & CEO
Delta Health Alliance
Brad Mayhew
Regional Operations Manager
Drax Biomass
GT McCullough
Project Manager
The Alliance
Hu Meena
CEO
C Spire
John Mercier
President
officePRO
Cherisha Moss
Senior Tax Analyst
H&R Block
Cathy Northington
Chief Operating Officer
Mississippi Economic Council
Vince Overholt
Plant Manager
Kimberly-Clark Corporation
Sarah Ozbun
Director of Operations
Delta Lodging Group
Stephanie Patton
Publisher
The Leland Progress
Allen Pegues
Owner
Premium Productions
Carol Pigott
President and CEO
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi
Derek Polk
Director
Nissan North America
Allilia Price
Technology PM
Federal Government
William A. Ray
President & CEO
BankPlus
Jack Reed, Jr.
Chairman
Reed’s
Jeff Rent
President and CEO
Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership
Betsy Ritter
Board Member
Goodwill Industries
George Ritter
Shareholder
Wise Carter
Mike Robinson
VP and General Manager
Hunter Douglas
Dan Rollins
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
BancorpSouth Bank
Charlie Ross
President
Wise Carter Child & Caraway, P.A.
Christa Rouse Bishop
Executive VP, Chief Communications Officer
Cooperative Energy
Joe Sanderson
Chairman and CEO
Sanderson Farms, Inc.
Jack Schultz
CEO
Agracel, Inc.
Kurt Shettles
President & CEO
McCarty Architects
Temika Simmons
Director, Local Government Leadership Institute & Chair, Winning the Race Conference
Delta State University
Prentiss Smith
General Manager
Toyota of Brookhaven
C. D. Smith
Regional DIrector
AT&T
Erin Smith
President
Therizo Foundation
Terry Smith
Owner
Voice56Studio
John Sneed
Shareholder
Wise Carter Child & Caraway, P.A.
Stacy Sneed
Owner
Shiflett Properties LLC
Mitch Stringer
Director of Economic Development
Cooperative Energy
Karen Sullivan
Alderman at Large
City of Brookhaven
Chevis Swetman
President & CEO
The Peoples Bank
Andy Taggart
CEO
Taggart, Rimes & Graham, PLLC
Denny Terrell
President
Ivey Mechanical Company
Patricia Thomasson
CEO
Thomasson Company
Ginger Tucker
Membership Associate
Mississippi Economic Council
Richmond Vincent
President and CEO
Goodwill South Mississippi
Shelley Walker
CEO
Delta Lodging Group
Scott Waller
President & CEO
Mississippi Economic Council
Andrew Warmath
CFO
Barnes Crossing Auto Group
Mitch Waycaster
President & Chief Executive Officer
Renasant Bank
Rob Wells
President
YoungWilliams
Tollie White
Chairman of the Board
Community Development Foundation
T. Martin Williams
Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
Corinth Coca-Cola Bottling
Rhea Williams-Bishop
Director of Programming for Mississippi & New Orleans, LA
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Judd Wilson
Vice President, Chamber of Commerce
Community Development Foundation
Ryan C. Witges
Executive Vice President
Agracel, Inc.
Emily Wooten
Communications & Projects Manager
Mississippi Economic Council
Jason Word
Owner
Champions Basketball Academy
William Yates
President/CEO
W. G. Yates & Sons Construction Co.