Contact: Addie Mayfield
STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State University Alumni Association recently hosted the 2024 Alumni Volunteer Leadership Weekend, recognizing alumni leader and volunteer member contributions and cultivating meaningful engagement while investing in the association’s grassroots network.
The event kicked off with the Chapter and Volunteer Awards Reception, which recognizes honor chapters, cowbell winners and volunteer awards. Developed to encourage and promote volunteer leadership, chapter membership and chapter engagement activities, the Chapter Recognition Program awards outstanding chapters each year according to membership and achievement within the Honor Chapter Point System.
Gold, Silver and Bronze cowbell distinctions are presented to the top three chapters in each of the association’s five existing categories and honor awards are also given to qualified, high-achieving chapters. Of the more than 100 chapters and clubs that make up MSU’s Alumni Association, 50 chapters were presented awards. A full list of chapters honored is included below.
In addition to these chapters, several alumni were recognized for their dedicated service to the association. Four honorees received the Distinguished Service Award: Steve Brandon, a two-time graduate, holding 1972 bachelor’s and 1973 master’s degrees in agriculture, Chattanooga. Tennessee; Andrew Frank, a 1991 business administration graduate, Kosciusko; Theressia McAlpin, a two-time graduate, holding 1977 bachelor’s and 1998 master’s degrees in special education, Pearl; and Kirk Shaw, a 1965 mathematics graduate, Daphne, Alabama.
The association also annually honors the university’s outstanding young alumnus or alumna. This year’s award recipient is Taylor Pettway, a 2015 business administration graduate from Mobile, Alabama.
The Leadership Conference emphasized the university’s tagline “Taking Care of What Matters.” Throughout the day of volunteer training and sharing, participants heard updates from key university representatives, including Alumni Association National President Terri Russell; Alumni Association Executive Director Jeff Davis; Dean of the College of Professional and Continuing Studies and Executive Director of the Center for Distance Education Susan Seal; Director of Student Recruitment and Marketing Naron Remillard; and other staff and volunteer leaders. Vice Provost Brent Fountain also discussed MSU’s strategic plan and Transforming MSU, a blueprint that boldly re-envisions the university’s role and impact in solving some of the world’s most critical challenges, including those close to home.
The Alumni Association staff shared updates on programs and activities and highlighted important ways for volunteers to advance the organization’s mission and inspire support through meaningful engagement and outreach events. Conference participants also had a chance to hear and learn about successful chapter programs and practices from peer members.
The MSU Alumni Association was founded in 1885 by the first three graduating classes of then Mississippi Agricultural and Mechanical College. The full-service organization aims to serve the university’s more than 155,000 living alumni and currently includes more than 100 chapters and clubs. For more information, visit www.alumni.msstate.edu.
Editor’s Note:
In-state chapters honored include: Adams-Franklin-Wilkinson; Alcorn County; Attala County; Central Mississippi; Clarke County; Clay County; DeSoto County; Lauderdale County; Lawrence-Jefferson Davis; Leake County; Lee County; Leflore-Carroll; Lincoln-Copiah; Lowndes County; Mississippi Gulf Coast; Newton County; Oktibbeha County; Panola-Tallahatchie; Pine Belt; Sharkey-Issaquena; Southwest Mississippi; Tate-Tunica; Tippah County; Union County; Warren County; Washington County.
Out-of-state chapters honored include (by state): Alabama—Birmingham, Huntsville-Decatur, and Mobile; Colorado—Rocky Mountain (Denver); District of Columbia—Washington D.C.; Florida—Northeast Florida (Jacksonville), Northwest Florida (Panhandle), Greater Orlando and Tampa; Georgia—Atlanta; Louisiana—Baton Rouge and Greater New Orleans; Illinois—Chicago; New York—New York; North Carolina—Charlotte; Ohio—Cincinnati-Dayton; Tennessee—Greater Chattanooga, Memphis and Nashville; Texas—Dallas, East Texas, Greater Fort Worth, Greater Houston, and South Texas (Austin and San Antonio).