Contact: Addie Mayfield
STARKVILLE, Miss.—The Mississippi State University Foundation is announcing its 2024 leaders and incoming members for the board of directors which guides the fundraising arm of the land-grant institution.
Incoming officers with new one-year terms which began this month include three alumni: Anthony L. Wilson of Gulfport as chair; Rodger L. Johnson of Atlanta, Georgia, as vice chair; and Paul J. Karre of Pawleys Island, South Carolina, as treasurer.
Wilson, who is entering his third term as board chair, previously served as vice chair for three terms. The D’Iberville native earned an electrical engineering degree from MSU in 1987, and also holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Southern Mississippi. He currently serves as chairman, president and CEO of Mississippi Power Company. Prior to his current role, he served as executive vice president of customer service and operations for Georgia Power.
Johnson is a 1971 civil engineering graduate of MSU. He also earned an MBA from Georgia State University in 1982. A native of Greenwood, he currently serves as president and CEO of JKC Holdings, Inc.
Karre is the retired senior vice president of human resources and communications at International Paper. He earned a bachelor’s degree in management from MSU in 1974. The Natchez native is a current member and past president of the executive advisory board for the College of Business.
Rounding out the remaining board officers are MSU personnel. John P. Rush, vice president for development and alumni, is the board’s president and CEO; Janet H. Carraway, executive director of finance, is chief financial officer; and Jack McCarty, executive director of development, serves as board secretary. All are MSU graduates.
New members beginning inaugural terms are:
—Jeffrey Clark of Madison. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business from MSU in 1992 and is the current president and CEO of Keystone Specialty Pharmacy.
—Kenneth B. “Ken” Robinson of Boca Raton, Florida. A 1977 banking and finance graduate of MSU, Robinson is the retired vice president for global diversity and inclusion at Procter and Gamble.
—Terri Russell of Helena, Alabama. A two-time industrial engineering graduate of MSU, holding a 1984 bachelor’s degree and 1986 master’s degree, she serves as a principal member of technical staff at AT&T Labs, Inc. At MSU, she also leads the National Alumni Association board of directors as president.
Eight members who have previously served are returning to the board in new terms. They are:
—Frederick V. “Fred” Buie of Slidell, Louisiana. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in industrial engineering from MSU in 1978 and 1991, respectively. He is the retired president and CEO of Keystone Electrical Manufacturing Company.
—Randy J. Cleveland of Fort Worth, Texas. A 1983 petroleum engineering graduate, he is the retired vice president of Americas for ExxonMobil Production Company.
—John D. Davis IV of Flowood. He is a 1988 biological engineering and pre-medicine graduate of Mississippi State, who later received an M.D. from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in 1992. He is a founding partner and neurosurgeon for NewSouth NeuroSpine.
—W. G. “Mickey” Holliman Jr. of Belden. A 1960 industrial management graduate, Holliman is the retired chairman and CEO of Furniture Brands International. He also holds a 2017 honorary Doctor of Science from MSU.
—William A. “Lex” Taylor III of Louisville. A 1977 business administration graduate, he is chairman and CEO of The Taylor Group, Inc. and president of Taylor Machine Works, Inc.
—ZonaDale L. Taylor of Collierville, Tennessee. She completed postgraduate work at Mississippi State before joining the faculty as an assistant professor in the home economics department. She retired from GlaxcoSmith-Kline Healthcare as manager of consumer and public affairs.
—Douglas T. “Doug” Terreson of Point Clear, Alabama. A 1984 petroleum engineering graduate, he is the retired head of global energy for Evercore ISI.
—Turner Wingo of Starkville. A 1967 business graduate of MSU, Wingo is a retired real estate developer and the former owner of Sherry’s Hallmark.
Chartered in 1962, the MSU Foundation administers most of the campus-based fundraising activities and endowment funds. More information is available at www.msufoundation.com and @MSU_Foundation.