He's a fan of locally made ice cream, tailgate gatherings and campus concerts. But, if asked what he appreciates most about Mississippi State, Sam Manning will say "the people."
The university's assistant property officer, he explains how "over the years, what's been most fun for me is getting to meet and talk with people. I've never met a stranger; I can laugh with anybody. When people call our department with a problem, I like being able to help them out."
Manning and Property Officer Sharon Hamlin are responsible for maintaining official inventory records for fixed assets owned by or under the control of MSU, the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, Forest and Wildlife Research Center, MSU Extension Service and Mississippi State Chemical Laboratory. Submitting monthly transaction reports for those assets to the state auditor's office is among their many duties.
"We have a little over 400 departments statewide and offices in every one of the state's 82 counties, so I get to meet some very interesting people," says Manning, a former vice-chair and chair of the campus Professional and Support Staff Advisory Council.
A self-proclaimed lifelong Bulldog, Manning takes pride at being the first in his family to graduate from the university. In addition to a bachelor's degree in business administration/management, he holds a master's in technology from the land-grant institution.
His wife Dawn also is an MSU graduate, with a bachelor's in animal and dairy science, master's in nutrition and doctorate of forest resources/wildlife and fisheries. They are the proud parents of Belle, an 8-year-old daughter.
The ability to work successfully with others who may have different takes on life from one's own is among the important life skills Manning says he hopes current students will develop during their time at MSU.
"Diversity is great here on campus," he observes. "There are so many people from different walks of life who are willing to help you. You've just got to ask."