Contact: Addie Mayfield
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥敶笙驛PP 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 and 1973 master鈥檚 degrees in agriculture, Chattanooga. Tennessee; Andrew Frank, a 1991 business administration graduate, Kosciusko; Theressia McAlpin, a two-time graduate, holding 1977 bachelor鈥檚 and 1998 master鈥檚 degrees in special education, Pearl; and Kirk Shaw, a 1965 mathematics graduate, Daphne, Alabama.
The association also annually honors the university鈥檚 outstanding young alumnus or alumna. This year鈥檚 award recipient is Taylor Pettway, a 2015 business administration graduate from Mobile, Alabama.
The Leadership Conference emphasized the university鈥檚 tagline 鈥淭aking Care of What Matters.鈥 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鈥檚 strategic plan and Transforming MSU, a blueprint that boldly re-envisions the university鈥檚 role and impact in solving some of the world鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 more than 155,000 living alumni and currently includes more than 100 chapters and clubs. For more information, visit .
Editor鈥檚 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鈥擝irmingham, Huntsville-Decatur, and Mobile; Colorado鈥擱ocky Mountain (Denver); District of Columbia鈥擶ashington D.C.; Florida鈥擭ortheast Florida (Jacksonville), Northwest Florida (Panhandle), Greater Orlando and Tampa; Georgia鈥擜tlanta; Louisiana鈥擝aton Rouge and Greater New Orleans; Illinois鈥擟hicago; New York鈥擭ew York; North Carolina鈥擟harlotte; Ohio鈥擟incinnati-Dayton; Tennessee鈥擥reater Chattanooga, Memphis and Nashville; Texas鈥擠allas, East Texas, Greater Fort Worth, Greater Houston, and South Texas (Austin and San Antonio).