WHO WE ARE
PAST CHAIRS
From its first meetings in 1948 until today, the elected leaders of MEC have included Mississippi’s recognized executives in industry, banking and finance, the legal profession, wholesale and retail, insurance, agriculture, and education.
The following have served as chairmen of the Mississippi Economic Council:
( * Deceased)
*1949-50 Edmund Taylor, Greenville
The Goyer Company
*1950-51 A. F. Chisholm, Laurel
First National Bank
*1951-52 Frank Everett, Jr., Vicksburg
Brunini, Everett, Beanland & Wheeless
*1952-53 Otho R. Smith, Meridian
F. W. Williams State Agency
*1953-54 Harvey Lee Morrison, Okolona
Attorney at Law
*1954-55 James Hand, Jr., Rolling Fork
Delta Implement Company
*1955-56 Gerard Brandon, Natchez
Brandon, Brandon Hornsby & Handy
*1956-57 Fred B. Smith, Ripley
Attorney at Law
*1957-58 J. D. Wise, Hazlehurst
Wise Motor Company
*1958-59 Russ M. Johnson, Jackson
Deposit Guaranty National Bank
*1959-60 Morris Lewis, Jr., Indianola
The Lewis Grocer Company
*1960-61 Bruce C. Aultman, Hattiesburg
Simrall, Aultman & Pope
*1961-62 Charles D. Fair, Louisville
Attorney at Law
*1962-63 Vaughan Watkins, Jackson
Watkins Ludlam & Stennis
*1963-64 Jack Reed Sr., Tupelo
R. W. Reed Company
*1964-65 Balmer Hill, Jr., Natchez
Armstrong Rubber Company
*1965-66 Tally D. Riddell, Quitman
Riddell and Dabbs
*1966-67 Owen Cooper, Yazoo City
Mississippi Chemical Corporation
*1967-68 Leslie Darden, New Albany
Smallwood, Summers, Carter & Trout, P.A.
*1968-69 Leo W. Seal, Jr., Gulfport
Hancock Bank
*1969-70 William Henry Harris, West Point
Daily Times Leader
*1970-71 Taylor Webb, Leland
Webb and Webb
*1971-72 Joseph Dale, Prentiss
Dale and Clark
*1972-73 William A. Crabill, Marks
Self and Company
*1973-74 J. C. Redd, Jackson
JCR Enterprises, Inc.
*1974-75 Joe F. Tatum, Hattiesburg
Willmut Gas and Oil Company
*1975-76 Walter L. Ellis, III, Kosciusko
LuVel Dairy Products, Inc.
1976-77 Dewey H. Lane, M.D., Pascagoula
Surgical Associates, P.A.
*1977-78 Howard Lewis, Greenwood
Henderson and Baird Hardware Co.
*1978-79 G. B. Beard, Jackson
Consulting Engineer
*1979-80 Benton E. Cain, Jackson
Cain Lithographers, Inc.
1980-81 Lewis F. Mallory, Jr., Starkville
National Bank of Commerce of Mississippi
*1981-82 W. W. Gresham, Jr., Indianola
Gresham Petroleum Company
1982-83 Aubrey K. Lucas, Hattiesburg
University of Southern Mississippi
*1983-84 Charles Sewell, Jackson
Deposit Guaranty Mortgage Company
1984-85 Lewis Whitfield, Tupelo
Deposit Guaranty National Bank
*1985-86 J. Marlin Ivey, Kosciusko
Ivey’s, Inc.
*1986-87 Alan Barton, Gulfport
Mississippi Power Company
1987-88 Kenneth E. Milam, Jackson
Watkins & Eager
*1988-89 William E. McClure, Columbus
McClure Furniture Company
*1989-90 Gene A. Triggs, Yazoo City
Mississippi Chemical Corporation
*1990-91 Alvis Hunt, Jackson
Trustmark National Bank
1991-92 Kenneth Williams, Corinth
Coca-Cola/Refreshments, Inc.
1992-93 J. Kelley Williams, Jackson
First Mississippi Corporation
1993-94 William D. Sones, Brookhaven
State Bank & Trust Company
1994-95 Aubrey B. Patterson, Tupelo
Bank of Mississippi
1995-96 Stephen T. McMahon, Jackson
Time Warner Cable
*1996-97 W. C. Shoemaker, Kosciusko
W. C. Shoemaker, Inc.
1997-98 John R. McCarty, Jackson
McCarty Enterprises, LLC
1998-99 Dexter Barr, Jackson
Trustmark National Bank
1999-00 Don Kilgore, Philadelphia
Alford, Thomas & Kilgore
2000-01 Dwight Evans, Gulfport
Mississippi Power Company
2001-02 Reuben V. Anderson, Jackson
Phelps Dunbar LLP
2002-03 William G. Yates, Jr., Philadelphia
W. G. Yates & Sons Construction Company, Inc.
2003-04 Richard Hickson, Jackson
Trustmark Corporation
2004-05 John M. McCullouch, Jackson
BellSouth, Mississippi Operations
2005-06 James Threadgill, Tupelo
BancorpSouth
2006-07 Thomas Gresham, Indianola
Double Quick, Inc.
2007-08 Carolyn Shanks, Jackson
Entergy Mississippi, Inc.
*2008-09 Anthony Topazi, Gulfport
Mississippi Power Company
2009-10 Mayo Flynt, Jackson
AT&T Mississippi
2010-11 Jack Reed Jr.,Tupelo
Mayor, City of Tupelo
2011-12 Tommy Dulaney, Meridian
Structural Steel
2012-13 Jerry Host, Jackson
Trustmark Corporation
2013-14 Haley Fisackerly, Jackson
Entergy Mississippi, Inc.
2014-2015 Alveno Castilla, Madison
Butler Snow LLP
2015-2016 David Gates, Flowood
Atmos Energy
2016-2017 Robin Robinson, Laurel
Sanderson Farms, Inc.
2017-2018 William Yates III, Biloxi
Yates Construction
2018-2019 Dan Rollins, Tupelo
BancorpSouth
2019-2020 William A. "Lex" Taylor, Louisville
The Taylor Group, Inc.
2020-2021 Anthony Wilson, Gulfport
Mississippi Power
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