Alumni honored by ag department

Five Mississippi State alumni have been honored by the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce with staff awards for service with the department's Bureau of Plant Industry.

They are Carl Jones ('70) of Grenada, Harry Ballard ('73) of Starkville, Patti Drapala ('78, '83, M.P.P.A. '85) of Starkville, Bruce Jackson ('73) of Decatur, and Charles Wilson ('79) of Hattiesburg.

The awards were presented by bureau director Robert McCarty last summer at BPI headquarters on the Mississippi State campus.

Jones received the Employee of the Year Award for his 26 years of work as a district inspector and for his service to the state's sweet potato industry.

Ballard, Drapala, and Jackson received an Outstanding Service Award for their contributions to the methyl parathion misuse investigation in the state. Jackson and Wilson were honored with a Personal Initiative Award for conducting the misuse investigation.

"On behalf of the department, I want to extend congratulations to our award winners," said State Agriculture Commissioner Lester Spell. "I am proud to have such a dedicated group working for the department."

Ballard, Jackson, and Wilson are district inspectors. Drapala is the bureau's public relations director.