Class of 2025
Forty-five standout Mississippians have been selected for MEC’s Leadership Mississippi Class of 2025. Leadership Mississippi is an annual program of the Mississippi Economic Council conducted by the M.B. Swayze Foundation. Participants work together in a training program that combines individual study, group sessions, and project experience in using leadership skills. Each Class is selected by a committee of Leadership Mississippi alumni.
Leadership Mississippi is endowed through a generous contribution by the late J.C. and Annie Redd. J.C. Redd was Chairman of the Mississippi Economic Council from 1973-74 when the program began.
Leadership Mississippi is the second-oldest statewide leadership program in the nation. Since its inception in 1974, Leadership Mississippi has graduated more than 1,400 alumni active in Mississippi business and politics. Mississippi's top business executives, community leaders, and elected officials have participated in Leadership Mississippi to expand their networks and possibilities for future success. The program’s purpose is to identify and work with Mississippi leaders in strengthening our state. Leadership Mississippi empowers participants with information to make a strong impact in our state.
The 2025 Leadership Mississippi sessions began in Jackson on April 17, 2025. When the class graduates in December 2025, they will have visited Jackson, the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Natchez, and Tupelo.
Michael Adcock
Vice President, Population Health and Clinical Operations
Magnolia Health
Troy Allen
General Manager
Toyota Motor Mfg MS
LaDarion Ammons
Partner
Ten One Strategies
Laura Antonow
Director of College Programs
University of Mississippi
Adam Askew
Senior Vice President
Hancock Whitney Bank
Lisa Bradley
Manager, Corporate Stewardship and Community Relations
Ingalls Shipbuilding
Brandon Bridges
Purchasing Agent
City of Meridian
Ashley Briscoe
Marketing Manager
Southern Mississippi Planning & Development District
Jason Brooks
Senior Vice President/ Premier Banking/ Loan Officer
Cadence Bank
Brianna Caldwell
Associate Attorney
Butler Snow LLP
Trey Cannon
Director of Generation Projects
Cooperative Energy
Andrew Causey
Assistant Director of Advancement
William Carey University
Eric Chambless
CEO, Coast Division
Community Bank
Ralph Clark
Vice President - Commercial Banking
Trustmark National Bank
Duane Dobson
Manager of Business and Industry Services
Mississippi Power Company
Brady Davis
Chief Executive Officer
Chickasaw Inkana Foundation
Jennifer Ellis
Purchasing Manager
Stringer Industries, Inc.
Davis Gates
Manager of Public Affairs
Atmos Energy
Wallace Goodman
Vice President
Argus Building Company
Daniel Hamburg
Principal Architect / Shareholder
EGH Architects, PA
Chris Harp
General Manager
Hol-Mac Corp
Biz Harris
Executive Director
Mississippi Early Learning Alliance
Kristi Hendrix
Executive Director
Midtown Partners
Casey Hill
Chief Financial Officer
Merchants & Marine Bancorp, Inc.
Zac Howell
Forrest County Tax Collector
Forrest County
Marcus Johnson
Director, Training, Development & Productivity
C Spire
Setrick Johnson
Director of Operations/172nd MDG
Mississippi National Guard
DeLana Jones
Sr. Engineer, Utility
Entergy Mississippi
Case Knight
Government Relations Manager
Tennessee Valley Authority
Jeremy Kyser
Vice President - Refining
Ergon Refining, Inc.
Summer Lovett
Director of Business Development
Cleveland-Bolivar County Chamber of Commerce
Narcisa Pricope
Associate Vice President for Research and Professor
Mississippi State University
Vickie Roberts-Ratliff
Board Member
Montgomery County Economic Development District
Erica Robinson
State Director
Youth Villages
Ray Robinson, Jr.
Program Manager
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Teri Roddy
Director of Business Development
Convenant Caregivers
Finée Ruffin
Executive Vice President/Chief Marketing, IT, and Governmental Affairs Officer
Jones County Junior College
Blane Sellers
Division Manager - Operations
ICM Construction
Kell Smith
Executive Director
Mississippi Community College Board
Kristie Smith
COO
Delta Lodging Group
Dwanna Stanley
Broker/Owner
The Agency! HAUS
Courtney Taylor
Executive Director
AccelerateMS
Danny Thompson
Deputy Director of GEARUP Outreach
Woodward Hines Education Foundation
Jonathan Townes
Vice President of Career and Technical Education, Sponsored Grants, and HBCU Initiatives
Hinds Community College
Holly Tubbs
Director of Staff Development
City Of Oxford