Contact: Walt Harrington

STARKVILLE, Miss.—The MSU Alumni Association is welcoming a new slate of officers for two-year terms for fiscal years 2019-2021. Officially taking office July 1 were Sherri Carr Bevis of Gulfport, president; Patrick White of Spring, Texas, vice president; and Jerry L. Toney of Starkville, treasurer. Brad M. Reeves of Jackson remains with the board as immediate former national president. The group was elected this spring at the association’s annual business meeting.

“These new national leaders will continue a longstanding tradition of tirelessly leading our association, involving even more alumni and friends in our offerings and promoting Mississippi State around the world,” said Jeff Davis, the association’s executive director. “At this juncture, our association continues its growth, particularly in the number of active alumni of Mississippi State, which stands at some 46,774.”  

Bevis assumes the presidency following a two-year term as association vice president. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in communication from MSU in 1986 and currently serves the Mississippi Secretary of State’s office as Assistant Secretary of State for External Marketing. She has been president of the Hancock County alumni chapter, treasurer of the Washington, D.C., alumni chapter, and served the association’s national board as South 3 Region director.

White is a 1990 Bachelor of Arts in communication graduate. He is an account executive with LSI industries. Most recently, White served the association’s national board as Out-of-State Region 1 director. He remains active with the Houston, Texas, alumni chapter, where he earlier served as president and was instrumental in bringing MSU license plates to the state of Texas. In particular, he continues his work to strengthen student recruitment efforts.

Toney is a 1996 graduate with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in real estate and mortgage finance. He is president of Cadence Bank for Mississippi and a senior financial adviser for the bank’s investment services division. A former MSU Alumni Association national president, his service on the national board spans 16 years. He also has served as president of the Oktibbeha County alumni chapter.

As immediate past president, Reeves assumes the office following a two-year term as president. He has held a national board seat since 2010. Reeves graduated from MSU in 2002 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in management of construction and land development, and later earned a law degree at the University of Mississippi. He is a partner at the law firm of Randall, Segrest, Weeks and Reeves PLLC. He remains active with the Central Mississippi alumni chapter, where he has served as president, among other roles.

Along with incoming officers, the association welcomes two new directors for its national board.

Bradley A. Garrison of Hartley, Texas, a 2000 landscape management graduate, joins the national board as director for the state of Texas. He has been a volunteer and served in various roles with the Nashville, Tennessee, alumni chapter, the Kansas City Alumni Club, and has been president of the Dallas, Texas, alumni chapter. Professionally, Garrison serves as director of special projects for AgriVision Farm Management.

Also incoming is Matt Matthews of Starkville, a 2008 bachelor’s in banking and finance and 2009 MBA graduate, as director for Mississippi North 3 Region. He has been a volunteer in the Oktibbeha County alumni chapter and served in various leadership roles, including president and vice president. He utilizes his MSU degrees as vice president of Cadence Bank in Starkville. 

The alumni association was founded June 17, 1885, by the first three graduating classes of then Mississippi Agricultural and Mechanical College. A full-service organization, the association now includes more than 100 chapters and clubs. Mississippi State currently has more than 145,000 living alumni.

For more information about the MSU Alumni Association, contact Davis at 662-325-7000 or jdavis@alumni.msstate.edu.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.