Margaret Pryor Barker

Margaret Pryor Barker, a Tupelo, Mississippi, native, who lives in Nashville, Tennessee, is a graduate of the University of Mississippi’s School of Business Administration.

As a member of the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy, Margaret serves on the Rose Society’s Member Development  as Co-Chair, PULSE Chairman and Co-Chair of our 20th Celebration held in February 2020. John and Margaret established the Margaret Pryor Barker OMWC Scholarship Endowment. Margaret is also a member of the Vaught Society and a lifetime member of the Ole Miss Alumni Association.

She and her husband are the owners of Two Rivers Ford in Nashville/Mt Juliet, Tennessee, and Margaret previously worked in the marketing department of Word Records.

Her many previous civic and community involvement activities include serving two terms as a board member for the Susan G. Komen Foundation of Greater Nashville-Central Tennessee, two terms as a board member of the Friends of the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and as chair of the Harding Academy Auxiliary Board. She is an active member of Saint Georges Church.

Margaret and her husband, John, are the parents of a son, Matthew, who graduated from Ole Miss in 2018, and a daughter, Anna Caroline, who graduated 2021 from Ole Miss and is presently in graduate school  at the University. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, yoga, spending time with family and friends and volunteering in her community.

Mary Susan Gallien Clinton

Mary Susan Gallien Clinton, immediate-past chair of the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy, majored in journalism at the University of Mississippi. She now chairs the OMWC Philanthropic Programming and Leadership Committee.

A Savannah, Tennessee, native, Mary Susan began her career as a stockbroker with Morgan Keegan in Memphis, Tennessee, before founding Gallien Global Vision, an international wildlife documentary company in 1992. She is also the founder of the medical skincare line Renaitre.

She was named Gulfshore Life’s Woman of the Year in 2002 and Southwest Florida’s Community All-Star in 2006.

Her civic participation includes service on the Insouth Bank Board of Directors, the National Domestic Violence Hotline (as former vice chair, past board of directors and past executive board), OMWC Legacy Award chair for 2016, Gulfshore Life magazine’s community advisory board, Community School of Naples Angel Ball past chair, Boys and Girls Club of Collier County former board member and the Greater Naples Area Delta Gamma Alumnae Chapter as the former vice president of membership and current vice president of programming. She serves on the board of The Shelter for Abused Women and Children in Naples, Florida.

Mary Susan’s additional service work includes participation on the Alpha Psi of Delta Gamma Capital House campaign, DAR-Daughters of the American Revolution – Colonel Joseph Hardin Chapter, Alpha Psi of Delta Gamma as a membership adviser, Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples Capital Campaign board, Naples Children and Education Foundation, and a Naples Winter Wine Festival founding trustee, serving two executive board terms.

She and her husband, J.D., have two sons: John Denver Clinton II, CPA, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Mississippi Patterson School of Accountancy in 2017 and 2018, respectively, is a vice president with Insouth Bank in Memphis. Their younger son, Russell Hurst Clinton, a 2020 graduate of Vanderbilt University with a major in economics and a minor in computer science, resides in New York City. He is an associate consultant with CAPCO, New York.

Jane Thomas Chapman

Jane Thomas Chapman, of Oxford, Mississippi, earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, featuring a major in marketing, at the University of Mississippi.

Her current community and professional activities include serving as a member of the Ole Miss Alumni Board and a member of the Oxford-University United Methodist Church.

Among her many previous community and profession activities, she served as a member of the University of Mississippi Foundation Board of Directors, the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts Board, the president for the Pillow Academy PTA and on the Pillow Academy Endowment Board. Jane is also a Life Member of the Greenwood Junior Auxiliary and a past board member of the Tri Delta House Corporation.

Ginger Clark

Ginger Clark, executive board member for the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy, has a Bachelor of Arts in Education degree in art, theater and speech from the University of Mississippi.

A resident of Birmingham, Alabama, most of Ginger’s energies are devoted to We Bees Working, which is her cultivated wildflower honey business. Her civic participation includes serving as an executive board member for the Junior League of Birmingham, and as a member of the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Independent Presbyterian Church Guild, Canterbury Club and the Triangle Garden Club.

Ginger’s previous community and professional activities include serving as Newsheet editor and assistant editor; being a school board member at the elementary, junior high and high school levels; participating in Radio Reading for the Blind; being a part of the Independent Presbyterian Church subcommittee and advent workshops; and being active in the Chi Omega Sorority. Ginger owned two businesses, g g Clark floral ad hoc and g g Clark jeweled finery.

She studied cooking in France and has donated many charity dinners. She was nominated for a national award by the Junior League of Birmingham magazine, served as chair for the Great Chefs in Birmingham to benefit the Birmingham Gardens and for the Einstein fundraiser for the McWane Learning Center in Birmingham.

Ginger partnered with Staglin Wines for a mental health fundraiser in Seattle, Washington, and she created a reference booklet, “Scholarships in a Nutshell” for Mountain Brook High School to assist students and parents in creating resumes and for scholarship research. Her work has been published in a variety of publications, including Flower Magazine, Southern Living Favorites, Southern Lady Magazine and Bon Appetit.

She and her husband, Charles Cleveland Clark, her college sweetheart, have been married for 50 years. They have three children, Lee Dicks, Ginger and Charlie, and six grandchildren, Sadie, Jake, Franny, Reese, Charles and Kitty.

Ginger enjoys gardening, bee keeping, sculpture, painting, French hand sewing and cooking. As she has noted about herself: “I’m a jack of all trades and a master of none!”

Pat McInnis Cooper

Pat McInnis Cooper, a resident of Bella Vista, Arkansas, has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Mississippi.

While she has spent much of her life as a volunteer, some of Pat’s past community and professional activities include working with the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation, the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute Foundation and the Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel Foundation. She is a member of Les Dames of Aspen, which supports the Santa Fe Ballet and scholarships in the Roaring Fork Valley, and the National Jazz Council.

Her previous community and professional activities focused on working with the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion Commission, The Nature Conservancy, Arkansas Field Office, Phillips Celebrity Classic and the Foundation for the Mid-South.

Pat has four children, Mary Virginia Reid, John Cooper III, Borum Cooper and Jamie Cooper. Her interests include skiing, needlepoint, and travel.

Susan Duncan

Jan Farrington

Jan Farrington, of Ridgeland, Mississippi, is a founding member and past chair of the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy. She has served as president of the Ole Miss Alumni Association and was the first woman to chair the University of Mississippi Foundation. She is on the Sally McDonald Barksdale Honors College Leadership Council and, along with her husband, Lawrence, has helped establish and build the Entrepreneur Program in the School of Business Administration. In 2001, she was inducted into the Alumni Hall of Fame and was awarded the Alumni Service Award in 2013.

Some of her current business and professional activities include serving on the board of directors of Anderson Regional Health System (Meridian) and mTrade Inc. (Oxford). She is a past president and current board member of Innovate Mississippi (Jackson) and is a co-founder, past executive director and board member of Medical Support & Develop Organization Inc. (Ridgeland). Jan currently serves as Secretary of the Mortar Board National Foundation.

Jan is on the Mortar Board National Foundation Board of Trustees and has previously served as president of the Delta Delta Delta National Foundation. She continues to be engaged in volunteer work for both of these organizations. Her leadership and fundraising roles with the American Heart Association spanned a 30-year period, and she was the recipient of the association’s President’s Award and Heart of Gold Award.

She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in secondary education from the University of Mississippi. She and Lawrence, have six children and 12 grandchildren.

 

Rose Jackson Flenorl

Rose Flenorl serves as Manager of Global Citizenship at FedEx Corporation, one of Fortune’s “World’s Most Admired Companies.”  As a visionary leader in the internationally recognized FedEx Global Citizenship group, Rose has been instrumental in the design and execution of the company’s major citizenship initiatives. Most recently, Rose led the team that designed and launched FedEx’s $5 million commitment to HBCUs. Rose also oversaw the launch of the company’s first ever E-Commerce Learning Lab for women and minority small business owners. She spearheaded the company’s influential MLK50 campaign that unites community organizations and team members in Memphis and beyond to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Rose oversees citizenship initiatives in the areas of Global Entrepreneurship, Sustainable Logistics, and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion including multi-million-dollar grants, events and employee engagement activities. Rose’s career spans 30 years and includes work in marketing, communications, and corporate social responsibility. Prior to joining FedEx, she held positions at International Paper and IBM.

Rose is an active community leader in Memphis and at the national level. She represents FedEx on the Conference Board Corporate Social Responsibility Council and the National Civil Rights Museum Board of Directors. Rose is a two-time recipient of FedEx Five Star Award, FedEx’s highest individual honor, and a two-time recipient of the Marketing and Communications Shining Star Award.

Her outstanding professional and philanthropic achievements have earned Rose numerous prestigious awards and honors including the Salvation Army Partner in Mission Award, the Memphis Grizzlies Community Hero Award, the Girl’s Inc. “She Knows Where She’s Going Award,” the Girls Scouts “One Smart Cookie” Award, The Tri-State Defender Women of Excellence Award, the Tennessee Women in NAACP Frances Dancy Hooks Award, the AKA Sorority South Eastern Region Vanessa Rogers Long Humanitarian Award, the National SCLC President’s Award and recognition as a Dress for Success Worldwide honoree.

Her educational background includes a B.A.Ed. degree in English and Journalism from the University of Mississippi. She was the first African American female to be inducted into the Ole Miss Student Hall of Fame and was chosen by Glamour Magazine as one of the top 10 college women in the United States. She was inducted into the Ole Miss Alumni Hall of Fame in 1998. She served as National President of the Ole Miss Alumni Association in 2008 and board chair of the University of Mississippi Foundation in 2015-16. She is also a charter member of the Ole Miss Women’s Council.

Rose continues to make an impact as a leader at her alma mater, where she was inducted into the Alumni Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2008, she served as president of the national Alumni Association and in 2015-16 she served as the board chair of the University of Mississippi Foundation. In 2016, Rose received the Ole Miss Athletics Nathaniel Northington Trailblazer Award and the Black Student Union Legacy Award.

She and her husband, Richard, have one daughter, Lillie Clarissa.

Kimberley Fritts

Kimberley Fritts is the founder and CEO of Cogent Strategies, a certified woman-owned, bipartisan government relations and strategic communications firm in Washington, D.C.

A veteran Republican political operative, Kimberley has served as a senior strategist and advisor to Florida’s Gov. Jeb Bush and U.S. Sen. Connie Mack and as the southeastern political director for the Republican National Committee. With more than two decades of successfully shaping political campaigns and public policy narratives, she has consistently been named to The Hill’s “Hired Guns” list of top Washington lobbyists.

Kimberley channels her sixth sense for policy, politics and personalities to develop creative solutions for political engagement that stay ahead of the trend lines in Washington. Always applying a “hands-on,” “no-stone-unturned” approach to executing client projects, she runs Cogent Strategies the same way, ensuring that Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, global corporations, nonprofits and trade associations alike receive the high-level, personal attention and insightful strategic guidance that will position them for success. Her business acumen has earned her a place on the Washington Business Journal’s “Women Who Mean Business” list.

A native Mississippian, Kimberly is an Ole Miss alumna and a member of the Alpha Psi Chapter of Delta Gamma. She earned a bachelor’s degree from George Washington University. Kimberly served as a gubernatorial appointee of the board of trustees for the Florida House, and as a board member for St. Patrick’s Episcopal Day School and the Prevent Cancer Foundation. She was also a member of the Junior League of Washington, D.C.

Kimberley and her husband, Francis “Marion” Turner IV, have a daughter, Margaret Malone Turner. Kimberley’s hobbies include cooking, reading, gardening and travel.

Elizabeth “Liza” Frugé

Elizabeth Mitchell “Liza” Frugé, originally from Tupelo, Mississippi, resides in Oxford, Mississippi. She earned Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of Mississippi. One of the newest members of the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy, Liza is a Realtor with John Welty Realty.

Her previous professional activities include serving as an attorney with the Mitchell-McNutt law firm, and a law clerk for District Judge Neal Biggers and Magistrate Judge Allan Alexander, as well as serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi. Recently Liza also taught pre-school at Discovery Day School at Oxford-University United Methodist Church.

Among her many community and philanthropic activities, she was the Oxford School District Parent Teacher Organization’s past president for Oxford Elementary School, Della Davidson Elementary School and Oxford Middle School. Liza also served on PTO boards in various positions at all Oxford public schools. Additionally, she has served on the Lafayette County Literacy Council and the board of directors of LovePacks focusing on the success and wellbeing of children in her community.

An alumna of the Alpha Mu Chapter of Kappa Delta, Liza served as the chapter advisory board president for eight years and a chapter advisor for two years.

Liza and her husband, Don, have four children, Don III, Rosie, Charlie and Guy, and two dogs that keep them on their toes and laughing often. In her free time, Liza enjoys walks with friends, reading and spending time at the lake.

Mary Ann Frugé

Mary Ann Frugé, of Oxford, Mississippi, has Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees from the University of Mississippi.

A former chair of the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy, Mary Ann has been a longtime volunteer for a wide variety of community organizations. She served on the University Museum and Historic Houses Friends of the Museum Board. Mary Ann is also involved in various ministries at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Oxford.

She served as the national president, vice president and secretary of Chi Omega Fraternity and a trustee of the Chi Omega Foundation. For her many years of service to Chi Omega, Mary Ann was presented with the Chi Omega President’s Award. She was also named as the Sorority Advisor of the Year at Ole Miss. Mary Ann was inducted into the UM Collegiate Hall of Fame in 1966.

She is a past president of the Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce and was honored as Oxford-Lafayette County Citizen of the Year in 1997.

Mary Ann and her husband, Don, have a son and four grandchildren. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, traveling and entertaining.

Roane Rayner Grantham

Roane Rayner Grantham, of Oxford, Mississippi, has a Bachelor of Accountancy degree from the University of Mississippi and a Master of Business Administration from Millsaps College.

She is the treasurer and board member of three Oxford nonprofits organizations, More Than A Meal, 21 United and Oxford High School Parent Teacher Organization. She is also a member of Oxford-University United Methodist Church where she serves on the Finance Committee and as a member of the Palmer Home Fundraising Committee.

Roane previously served as finance chair of Mistletoe Marketplace while an active member of the Junior League of Jackson, Mississippi, member of the Oxford University School Board of Directors, banker chair for the Arthritis Foundation’s silent auction, a member of the Oxford-University United Methodist Church Education Committee, treasurer of the Oxford Middle School PTA and Oxford High School Booster Club treasurer.

A Taylor Medalist in accountancy at UM, Roane was also a member of Phi Kappa Phi at Ole Miss.

She and her husband, Robert, have two children, Mary Morgan and Sharp. Roane enjoys traveling, exercising, teaching Pilates, reading and spending time with friends.

Mary Donnelly Haskell

Mary Donnelly Haskell, a former chair of the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy, has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Mississippi.

A singer, actress and recording artist, Mary is a partner and vocal artist for “My Songs,” which personalizes children’s music. She has performed with various symphonies and at churches across the country. Her recordings include “Inspired,” “Power of the Cross” and “Just in Time for Christmas.”

A featured actress in numerous television productions, Mary recently co-starred in the Emmy-nominated “These Old Bones,” one of eight episodes in the Netflix anthology series “Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings,” which is based on Parton’s songs.

Her current community and professional activities include serving as an elder with the First Presbyterian Church of Oxford, co-chair of the Mary K. Haskell Scholarship Foundation and as a member of the University of Mississippi Foundation Board of Directors. She is an active volunteer with More Than A Meal, the Food Pantry and Girl Scouts, Heart of the South “Women of Distinction Luncheon.”

Mary’s previous community and professional activities include serving on the Ole Miss Alumni Association Executive Board, co-chair of the Ole Miss “Momentum” capital campaign, Miss University and Miss Mississippi 1977, and board chair for the Celebrity Action Council, a volunteer group who serve the women’s outreach of the Los Angeles Mission.

Her special projects and accomplishments include performing at a variety of notable venues, including The Kennedy Center, The White House for President George W. Bush’s 2005 Inaugural Gala and with the Prague Symphony Orchestra.

She is married to Sam Haskell, her college sweetheart and fellow Ole Miss alum. Residents of Oxford, Mary and Sam have two children, Sam IV and Mary Lane, and three grandchildren, Samuel Bond Haskell V, James Donnelly Haskell and William Kirkpatrick Haskell.

Kathryn Healy Hester

Kathryn Healy Hester, a resident of Jackson, Mississippi, is a founding member and former chair of the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Mississippi and a Juris Doctor degree from the UM School of Law. Katie also studied at the University of Paris, commonly referred to as “the Sorbonne.”

An attorney with Jones Walker LLP in Jackson, she is a member of the sections of Gaming, Health, and Estates and Trust Law of the Mississippi Bar and the Litigation and Health Law sections of the American Bar Association. Katie is a regular lecturer and writer on gaming and property issues for continuing legal education and a bencher and past president of the Charles Clark American Inn of Court.

A Fellow of the Mississippi Bar Foundation and a former member of the Board of Bar Commissioners of the Mississippi Bar, she is a past president of the Mississippi Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and holds Martindale-Hubbell’s AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating.

Katie was appointed as Hinds County chancellor by the governor in 1989 and has taught pre-trial practices as an adjunct professor at the Mississippi College School of Law.

Her special projects and accomplishments include being listed in The Best Lawyers in America in the areas of land use and zoning, and litigation, serving as honorary French Consul for Mississippi and as a member of the board of directors of Leadership Mississippi – Mississippi Economic Council. Katie was named in 2007 as one of Mississippi’s 50 Leading Business Women by the Mississippi Business Journal and voted as Business Woman of the Year for 2008 by the Mississippi Business Journal.

Katie is also a former member of the Jackson City Planning and Zoning Board and a founding chair of the Greater Belhaven Neighborhood Foundation. She is a founder, current board member and past president of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum and a communicant of St. Andrews Episcopal Cathedral in Jackson.

Diane Triplett Holloway

Diane Triplett Holloway, a resident of Nashville, Tennessee, and Ridgeland, Mississippi, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in interior design from the University of Mississippi. She has served on the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy since July of 2020. She is a member of the Global Leadership Committee and The Rose Society.

Her recent professional activities include supporting her husband, J.L., in business, business entertaining and business travel. She is the former owner of Fridge’s Fine Gifts and practiced interior design in Memphis, Tennessee.

As the daughter of two longtime, dedicated supporters of the University, the now late Dr. and Mrs. Faser Triplett of Jackson, Mississippi, Diane has been a loyal and generous member of the Ole Miss family. She was a member of the University of Mississippi Foundation Board of Directors. Diane has also worked to support Kappa Delta at Ole Miss, including serving as rush chair.

Diane is active in several philanthropic organizations and efforts. In addition to her service on the Ole Miss Women’s Council, she serves on the board of directors of the Nashville Zoo, where she is a member of The Education Committee.  She is also a member of the American Red Cross’ Tiffany Circle and supports organizations including Children’s Hospital of Mississippi, Cheekwood Botanical Gardens, The Nashville Symphony, the Hope House in Ukraine, among others.

In addition to these roles, Diane participates in the efforts of the Holloway Foundation and the R. Faser Triplett Family Foundation as a member of each board.

The Holloways have hosted many fundraisers for various political leaders as well as for several nonprofits including the Mississippi Children’s Cancer Clinic, the Patron’s Party for the American Heart Association and the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Candlelighters.

Active in her church, Diane served on the Pastor Search Committee at Countrywoods Baptist Church. She also traveled on mission trips to Ukraine, Haiti, and Canada. One of her primary philanthropic passions is to help children in need and girls and women who have been neglected. She is now a member of Broadmoor Baptist Church in Madison, MS. When in Nashville, she attends Brentwood Baptist Church.

She and her husband enjoy being with their children and grandchildren, as well as other family members such as Diane’s four siblings and her many nieces and nephews. She enjoys playing tennis, traveling and water and snow skiing. She and J.L are learning now to play pickleball and they love riding bikes and attending Ole Miss sporting events.

Dr. Gloria D. Kellum

Gloria Dodwell Kellum, a founding member of the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy, is vice chancellor emerita for University Relations and professor emerita of Communication Sciences and Disorders for the University of Mississippi. She retired from Ole Miss in 2009 after 43 years of service.

She has a Bachelor of Science, Master of Science and Ph.D. in speech language pathology, all from Louisiana State University. Active in St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Oxford, Mississippi, since 1966, Gloria was a member of the CREATE Foundation Board of Directors and received the inaugural Jack Reed Community Leadership Award from CREATE.

For several years after retirement, she taught part-time in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and served as a resource development consultant for the University of Mississippi Foundation and the UM School of Applied Sciences. Gloria previously chaired the Commitment to Excellence Campaign (1998-2000) and the Momentum Campaign (2004-2008) with the UM Foundation.

A former member of the Oxford-Lafayette-University United Way Board of Directors, she was previously the vice president for academic affairs for the American Speech Language Hearing Association and was president of the Mississippi Speech and Hearing Association.

Gloria is the founding president of the Cotesworth Culture and Heritage Center Board of Directors in Carroll County, Mississippi, and advisor of fundraising to the Dodwell House in New Orleans, both of which are non-profit historical preservation efforts.

Her many honors include receiving the Elsie M. Hood Outstanding Teacher Award at UM in 1975, the Distinguished Alumni Award from the LSU Alumni Association in 2003 and the Honors of the American Speech Language Hearing Association in 2011. She also received the 2021 Honorary Alumni Award from the Ole Miss Alumni Association.

Gloria and her late husband, Jerry, are the parents of two daughters, Kate and Kelly, and three grandchildren. They raised Tennessee Walking Horses, which they cared for and rode with great pleasure, and they love the many Ole Miss cultural and sports activities.

Edith Kelly-Green

Edith Kelly-Green, the founding chair and a former treasurer of the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy, has a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from the University of Mississippi and a Master of Business Administration from Vanderbilt University.

An Oxford, Mississippi, native but now a resident of Memphis, Tennessee, she is a partner of the KGR Group. Edith retired from FedEx Express after having started her career in Memphis at Deloitte and Touche, then one of the “Big Eight” public accounting firms. She was the first Black professional employee at the firm and one of the first few women to be hired in the Memphis office.

In 1977, Edith started working for Federal Express Corp. as a senior accountant. During her almost 30-year tenure with the organization, she rose through the ranks, eventually becoming the first Black woman to attain officer status at FedEx.

She is a member of the Sanderson Farms Inc. Board of Directors in Laurel, Mississippi, and BULAB Holdings in Memphis. Edith previously served as a director of Paragon National Bank in Memphis and Applied Industrial Technologies Inc. in Cleveland, Ohio. She is a member of the Methodist LeBohneur Hospital System Board, Hattiloo Theatre and The Links Inc., Memphis Chapter.

Edith, a founding member of the Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis, was honored by the WFGM with the 2017 Legends in Philanthropy and Leadership Award. She is a former member of Memphis in May, Make a Wish Foundation, Memphis Zoo, Meritan Inc., the Ole Miss Alumni Association Executive Board and the University of Mississippi Foundation. She has also been inducted into the Ole Miss Alumni and Patterson School of Accountancy Halls of Fame.

The mother of three and grandmother of six, she has run a half marathon in all 50 states and on three continents (including Antarctica) and four full marathons.

Margaret Khayat

Martha Dunn Kirkley

Martha Dunn Kirkley, of Columbus, Mississippi, has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Mississippi and a Master of Arts degree in education from University of Redlands.

Retired, Martha is a former adolescent sexuality counselor and public health social worker in San Bernardino County, California. She is the former president of the Episcopal Church Women of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Columbus, a member of the Daughters of the King with St. Paul’s and a former senior warden of the church and past president of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church School Board.

Martha is president of the Golden Triangle Homeless Coalition, a lifetime member of the Junior Auxiliary of Columbus, where she previously served as president, a member of the Columbus Garden Club and a volunteer for Loaves & Fishes Soup Kitchen.

A former member of the Mississippi Children’s Museum Board of Directors in Jackson, she previously served on the University of Mississippi Alumni Board and the Heritage Academy School Board.

Patricia Povall Lewis

Patricia “Patty” Povall Lewis, a founding member of the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy, is a retired managing partner of the former Downtown Grill in Oxford. She has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Mississippi.

A member of the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts Advisory Board, Patty is also a member of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Oxford and serves on the Altar Guild. She is a former member of the Oxford School District Board of Trustees, the Oxford Tourism Council, the LOU Homes Board of Directors and the Mississippi Arts Commission. Patty was previous director of District Auditions for the Metropolitan Opera of North Mississippi.

She has participated in many community projects over the years to enhance the quality of life for all citizens, in addition to serving on numerous UM committees to advance the status of Ole Miss in Mississippi and across the nation. Additionally, Patty’s family has owned and operated the J.E. Neilson Company since 1964.

Patty and her husband, Will Lewis Jr., are the parents of three children – Goodloe Lewis, Lydia Lewis Myers and Amanda Lewis Hyneman – all of Oxford, and grandparents of five. She enjoys traveling and enriching the lives of her family.

 

Lisa Chow Mallory

Lisa Chow Mallory, who resides in Memphis, Tennessee, is originally from the Mississippi Delta, Clarksdale specifically. She has a Bachelor of Accountancy degree from the University of Mississippi Patterson School of Accountancy.

Responsible for investor relations at Gerber Taylor Capital Advisors in Memphis, Lisa is a certified public accountant. She has worked in public accounting and bank auditing in Memphis at a variety of firms and businesses, including Arthur Andersen, Deloitte and Touche and the National Bank of Commerce. She first became involved with the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy when she was the controller and then treasurer of the University of Mississippi Foundation.

Lisa’s current community and professional activities include serving on the executive committee of Porter-Leath’s Books from Birth Board of Directors and on the Donor Relations Committee for the Chi Omega Foundation. She and her husband, Hugh, are members at St. John’s Episcopal Church and are actively involved in Carnival Memphis.

Her previous activities include serving as treasurer for the OMWC and working with the Oxford-Lafayette Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Lafayette program as a graduate and chair of a steering committee project. While in Memphis, she has been an active participant in a variety of organizations such as the St. Mary’s Episcopal School Parent’s Association, Les Passees, Junior Achievement and Hands on Memphis, as well as assisted with special events for the Pink Palace Museum. For the Junior League of Memphis, Lisa has provided leadership on the Sustainer Council and in a number of appointed positions.

She is the proud parent of a daughter, Smith Elisabeth Mallory.

Susan Cumbest McCormick

Susan Cumbest McCormick, of Pascagoula, Mississippi, earned a Bachelor of Music Education from Mississippi University for Women and a Master of Music Education from the University of Mississippi.

At the University of Mississippi, she is a member of the Ole Miss Women’s Council and is presently assisting the Mentorship Committee. She has served as a two term Foundation Board Member and is a Lifetime member of the Ole Miss Alumni Foundation as well as a member of the Steering Committee of the Now and Ever Capitol Campaign.

After a 26-year career in public school music she has supported and been involved with local fund-raising efforts for La Point-Krebs House and Museum, CASA Mississippi, Jackson County Animal Shelter, Adrienne’s House, Our Daily Bread and Jackson County Genealogical and Historical Society.

At Eastlawn United Methodist Church she participates with the Chancel Choir, Handbell Choir, Mission Committee, as well as Administrative Board.  She and her husband, David, received the Legacy Award in 2017 for service and dedication to their church.

She and her husband have two children, Sarah Kathryn and Caroline, who are also graduates of the University of Mississippi.  For leisure activities Susan enjoys tennis, bridge, traveling, and reading as well as spending time with family and friends.

Karen Moore

Karen Bell Moore, a former chair of the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing and fashion design from the University of Mississippi. She resides in Nashville, Tennessee.

Karen has been president of Project Redesign in Nashville since 2008, a furniture source for low income housing. She is involved in several community and professional activities, including being a member of the Lockeland Springs Baptist Church. She is the upcoming Alumni President of the University of Mississippi In 2024. Karen also works to strengthen the Nashville community by serving on the board of the Frist Art Museum, co-chairing the executive committee for the Frist Gala – raising close to $1 million in funds each year. She is also active on the board of the Nashville Zoo, participating on the Board Nominating Committee. Karen was recognized as a leader in the nonprofit community at the Model Behavior benefit in September 2020.

Her previous community and professional activities include serving as the co-chair for the 2016 Centerstone’s Reclaiming Lives Luncheon, the Dede Wallace Center’s 50th Anniversary Celebration in 2009, the Frist Gala co-chair in 2008 and the Ensworth School Auction chair in 2006. Karen also chaired the Cumberland Feast supporting the Martha O’Bryan Center in 1999. Past Board member of the UM Foundation and the Gertrude Ford Center at Ole Miss. She and her husband Bruce, serve on the Steering Committee for the Now and Ever Campaign.

Karen has served as a Sunday School teacher and performed youth group work at the First Presbyterian Church and conducted a Bible study group for girls. Karen worked as a sales representative for the Robert J. Young Co. and was a marketing assistant for the Martha White division of the Beatrice Food Co.

She has been involved in numerous special projects, including assisting the Ole Miss Alumni Group of Middle Tennessee with its fundraisers: Mississippi at the Ryman that featured artists such as Amy Grant, Marty Stuart, Jimmy Weatherly, Rivers Rutherford and Bryan Kennedy; and the Mississippi Rocks the Ryman featuring “Two Doors Down”

Karen and her husband have hosted many Middle Tennessee Alumni events for Athletics, the UM Foundation and the Chancellor’s Office. She also assisted with the 10th anniversary celebration of the Ole Miss Women’s Council and worked on the UM Foundation concert that featured Vince Gill that raised funds for the Ford Center. She was honored with the Louise B. Katzman Volunteer of the Year Award in 2013. Most recently, she co-chaired the 20th anniversary of the Ole Miss Women’s Council February 2020. Partnering with Chancellor Emeritus, Karen and Robert started the RCK Lecture Series that brings speakers to campus to broaden students minds by hearing other experiences and opinions.  She chairs  the Global Leadership Circle, raising funds to allow students to study abroad or participate in internships, an arm of the RCK Lecture series.

 

She and her husband, Bruce, have been married for 39 years, and are the parents of three children – Tyler and his wife, Kathryn, and their grandson, Clarke,  Margaret Anne and her husband Michael and grandson, William, Mitchell and his wife, Summer. Karen enjoys circuit training, yoga, walking and spending time with her family and friends.

Pamela Dismukes Perkins

Pamela Dismukes “Pam” Perkins, of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, has a Bachelor of Science in business education degree from the University of Mississippi.

A retired legal assistant, she also worked as an administrative assistant and receptionist for Manpower. Pam volunteers for the American Heart Association and the Pascagoula River Audubon Center.

Her current community and professional activities include being a part of the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy’s Rose Society, the Jackson County Genealogical and Historical Society, Moss Point Celebrations Committee, Backpack Buddies of Moss Point, Moss Point Garden Club, Magnolia Garden Guild, Fortnightly Club and Singing River Chorale member.

Pam’s previous community and professional activities included participating in the Gulf Coast American Heart Association’s Circle of Red, serving as a trustee on the Moss Point School Board, and being a member of the Ole Miss Alumni Association Board of Directors, Boys & Girls Clubs of Jackson County Board and the Excel by 5 Coalition.

In 2016, she was the recipient of the Young Men’s Business Club of Moss Point’s Lifetime Community Service Award and the Delta Kappa Gamma, Alpha Xi Chapter’s Red Rose Award.

She and her husband, Weldon, have three children – Sarah and Matt Perkins, Darcy and Peter Ross, and Lindsey and Richard Perkins – and seven grandchildren. In addition to spending time with her family, Pam enjoys Ole Miss sports, traveling, music, handbells and theater. She loves plants and flowers and is a graduate of the first Master Floral Design program at the Mississippi State University Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi, Mississippi. Pam and Weldon are members of the choir for the First Baptist Church in Moss Point, Mississippi.

Lib Wight Quirk

Elizabeth Wight Quirk, of Atlanta, Georgia, has a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism from the University of Mississippi. Formerly a marketing representative at IBM Corp. in Atlanta, Lib worked on the Atlanta Area Ole Miss Sendoffs for seven years and also served as a member of the University of Mississippi Foundation.

Lib’s previous community and professional activities include board terms on the Paces Civic Association and the Egleston Children’s Hospital, as well as a member of the Junior League of Atlanta. In addition to coaching girls youth basketball for eight years, Lib co-founded and operated an annual Christmas fundraising event for homelessness and a local foundation for more than a decade.

She and her husband, Neal, have been married for 35 years and have four children – Neal, John, Joe and Elizabeth. She enjoys walking, tennis, sporting events and spending time with family and friends.

Elizabeth Johnson Randall

Elizabeth Johnson Randall, current chair of the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy, earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Business Administration at the University of Mississippi and executive education at New York University.

A resident of Oxford, Mississippi, Liz is president of Randall Commercial Group, LLC, a commercial real estate investment firm operating throughout the Southeast. She volunteers as the executive-in-residence at Insight Park at the University of Mississippi where she mentors emerging entrepreneurs. She is a fourth-generation Ole Miss graduate.

Her current philanthropic and professional activities include serving as: trustee for Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation; chair and co-founder of the St. Jude Taste of Oxford event; member of the North Mississippi advisory boards for Trustmark National Bank and First Commercial Bank; chair and co-founder for Palmer Home for Children Tailgate Benefit; and trustee for the Clint and Ellen Ann Johnson Foundation. She is a life member of Junior Auxiliary and serves as an advisor for Delta Gamma and a board member for Doors of Hope Transitional Ministry.

Her previous community and professional activities include having served as: past president of Ole Miss MBA Alumni Board; member of both the Ole Miss Business School Advisory Board and the Ole Miss Real Estate Board, and the Junior Auxiliary National Education Committee; and the co-founder and chair of Spark Symposium Leadership. She is a former member of the Boys & Girl’s Club Advisory Board and of the Economics Club of Memphis. She previously chaired the OMWC Legacy Award and the Pulse Leadership Conference.

Her many honors include being named among the Top 50 Leading Women in Business by the Mississippi Business Journal in 2014 and in the top 10 for 2017, the Outstanding Young Ole Miss MBA Alumnus in 2008 and the 2003 Swayze Scholar by the Mississippi Banker’s Association. Her St. Jude committee received a national award for Best Mission Integration in 2019 and was recognized as a top 10 fundraising event in the country for St. Jude.

She and her husband, Trace, have five young children – Pierce, Pherron, Augustus, Clinton and Bouler. Liz enjoys competing in runs, mentoring students and entrepreneurs and being involved with philanthropic endeavors, especially those aimed at improving the lives of children.

Mary Sharp Rayner

Mary Sharp Rayner, a former chair of the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in education from the University of Mississippi. A resident of Oxford, Mississippi, she taught high school in Jackson, Mississippi, and Memphis, Tennessee, and served as the office manager for her husband’s medical practice for more than 30 years.

Her current community and professional activities include providing leadership as a board member of the Lafayette Oxford Foundation for Tomorrow, the Ole Miss Alumni Association and the Ole Miss Athletic Foundation Board of Governors. Mary Sharp is also on the Oxford-University United Methodist Church Building Committee.

Among her many previous community and profession activities, she served as a national officer of Delta Delta Delta and as a member of the Oxford-Lafayette Chamber of Commerce Board, Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi Advisory Board, Oxford-University Bank Board and the University of Mississippi Foundation. Mary Sharp has been a part of numerous Oxford-University United Methodist Church committees and the United Way of Oxford-Lafayette County.

Mary Sharp was the president of the Ole Miss Alumni Association for 2002-2003. A founding member of the original Yoknapatawpha Arts Council and Oxford Little Theatre. Mary Sharp also was honored by the Rotary Club of Oxford as a Paul Harris Fellow in 2018.

She and her husband, Jim, have three children and four grandchildren. Mary Sharp enjoys volunteer activities, working with her church, golfing and spending time with her family.

Dr. Ethel Young Scurlock

Candie L. Simmons

Candie L. Simmons, a native of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in marketing and Master of Business Administration from the University of Mississippi. A longtime supporter of the University, she became a member of the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy in 2018.

The director of principal gifts and strategic planning for the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) in Jackson, Mississippi, now lives in Madison, Mississippi. Candie manages the major gift officers and strategic plan for the Office of Development. Her primary responsibility is to secure funds for the adult hospital. Prior to working for UMMC, Candie was a senior vice president, regional marketing director for Regions Financial Corporation for 15 years.

She was selected by the Mississippi Business Journal as a 2009 Top 40 Under 40 and 2013 Top 50 Leading Business Woman, where she placed in the top 10. She was selected as the 2017 Outstanding Young Alumna of the Year for Ole Miss and as a 2017 Woman Making a Difference in Madison County by the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Madison County Alumnae Chapter. Most recently, she was honored as a Woman of Excellence for the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi. Candie is active with the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.’s Beta Delta Omega Chapter, where she is the president.

Candie has completed three; three-year terms on the national board of the Ole Miss Alumni Association and as a member of the organization’s executive committee. She is a previous board member for the Girl Scouts of Greater Mississippi, Ole Miss Banking and Finance Advisory Board and the Ole Miss Athletics Committee.

Currently, Candie serves on the boards of First Commercial Bank, 2nd Chance Mississippi, Great City MS Foundation and the Ole Miss Fraternity and Sorority Life Advisory Council.

Betsy Collier Smith

Betsy Collier Smith, of Oxford, Mississippi, has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from the University of Mississippi. A member of the Oxford School District Board of Trustees, she owns and operates two McDonald’s restaurants in Oxford.

Deeply involved in her community, Betsy is a lifetime member of the Ole Miss Alumni Association and a member Lafayette-Oxford Foundation for Tomorrow Board, the Kappa Delta Sorority’s Chapter Advisory Board and the Oxford-University United Methodist Church.

She is a former member of the Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, the Oxford School District Foundation, the Ole Miss Alumni Association Board of Directors and the Ronald McDonald House of Memphis, Tennessee, Board of Directors.

As a strong supporter of public education, Betsy has served on the Good Food for Oxford Schools Advisory Board and as the PTA vice president and president at Bramlett Elementary School and the Parent-Teacher Organization vice president and president at Oxford Elementary School. She was named as Bramlett Elementary School’s Parent of the Year for 2012-2013 and 2013-2014, the Oxford Elementary School Parent of the Year for 2015-2016, and the Oxford School District Parent of the Year for 2013-2014.

Betsy’s many honors include receiving the Regional Profit Award for 2008, 2012 and 2014, the Regional Street-Fighter Award for 2015 in recognition of her community involvement, and the 2016 Employer Pinnacle Award for “Putting People at the Center of All You Do.”

She is the mother of three children, Sutherland, Anna Prescott and Collier. Betsy’s passions are identical to those of the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy – promoting scholarship, mentorship and philanthropy at Ole Miss and in the Oxford community.

Vicki L. Sneed

Vicki L. Sneed, a lifelong resident of Oxford, Mississippi, and the retired city president of Regions Bank in Oxford, earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Mississippi. She furthered her professional education by attending the School of Banking at Ole Miss, the School of Bank Marketing and Management at the University of Colorado, and the Tennessee School of Consumer Lending at Vanderbilt University. She is also a graduate of the George McLean Institute for the Development of Community Leaders.

She serves as a member of the board of directors of the Oxford-Lafayette County Economic Development Foundation and is a longtime member and lay liturgist of Oxford-University United Methodist Church. Vicki is president of Book Lovers of Oxford, federated 1934. Her recent board memberships include Oxford Medical Ministries Clinic, Girl Scouts Heart of the South and Mississippi Blood Services.

Vicki is past president of the Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club of Oxford. She is the recipient of the coveted Paul Harris Fellow designation through Rotary International. She founded the Oxford Business Women’s Initiative, a philanthropic arm of the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy. The Mississippi Business Journal named her one of Mississippi’s 50 Leading Business Women and she was named Oxford’s Woman of Distinction at the Girl Scouts Heart of the South’s inaugural event.

She and her husband, Harry, also an Ole Miss graduate, have three children and 12 grandchildren. Her hobbies include spending time with her grandchildren and attending their activities, entertaining friends, volunteering and reading.

Suzan Brown Thames

Suzan Thames, of Ridgeland, Mississippi, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in speech pathology and audiology from the University of Mississippi.  She earned a Masters degree in Communicative Disorders from Tulane University.

Suzan’s support of Mississippi’s sick and injured children began with the concept of building a separate clinic for children with cancer and blood disorders at UMMC.  Fund raising began, and in collaboration with the Junior League of Jackson and volunteers this clinic opened its doors in 1987.

Suzan served as the inaugural president and chairman of the board of Friends of Children’s Hospital, which supports pediatric services at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.  Fund raising for a new Children’s Hospital began and It is estimated that at least $20 million in charitable contributions to the Medical Center can be attributed to Friends of Children’s efforts during its first years of fund raising.  The new Batson Hospital for Children opened in 1997.

Suzan’s efforts at UMMC led to friends and family endowing the  Suzan Brown Thames Chair in Pediatrics  with  $2 million in contributions.This Chair is held by Dr. Mary Taylor, professor and chair of the Department of Pediatrics.

Suzan served as former Chairman of the Board of the University of Mississippi Foundation.  She is the current Chairman of the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy.  Suzan also serves on the boards of  directors of The School of Applied Sciences and the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.  She is a past member of the Ole Miss Alumni board of directors.

At the University of Mississippi Medical Center, she is the Chairman of the MIND Center (memory impairment and neurodegenerative dementia) advisory board.  She also serves on the Children’s Cancer Clinic Board.

In 2011, Suzan was chosen Volunteer Fundraiser of the Year by the National Philanthropy Association.  She received the Ole Miss Alumni Association Hall of Fame Alumni Service Award for 2015.

Suzan and her husband Tommy have three daughters and six marvelous grandchildren!  They are members of Northminster Baptist Church.

Julie Grimes Waldorf

Becky Jones West

The Hon. Patricia Wise

Honorary Member, Emily Boyce

Alliance Members

  • Nancy Harrelson Akin
  • Bridget Barnes
  • Kathryn Black*
  • Dr. Alice Clark*
  • Meredith Creekmore*
  • Dr. Faye Gilbert
  • Sandra Guest*
  • Buzzy Hederman Hussey*
  • Lynnette Johnson*
  • Lydia Jones
  • Tricia Thompson Lott*
  • Olivia Manning
  • Susan Martindale*
  • Rachel McPherson*
  • Molly Webb Meisenheimer
  • Celia Carter Muths
  • Beth Creekmore Pickering
  • Gail Pittman
  • Ellen Rolfes*
  • Golda M. Sharpe
  • Julia Thornton
  • Martha Dale Fritts

In Memorium

  • Sally McDonnell Barksdale*
  • Susan Barksdale Howorth
  • Patsy Bogen
  • Patricia Chadwick Lamar
  • Keith Dockery McLean*
  • Dr. Carolyn Ellis Staton*
  • Margaret Denton Khayat