Mississippi News
USM: Joe Paul named next president
In swift decision, IHL names Joe Paul as USM’s next president
Joe Paul will serve as the next president of the University of Southern Mississippi, the Institutions of Higher Learning announced in a press release Monday. The Board of Trustees took the vote last week during executive session at a monthly board meeting that was held in Oxford instead of Jackson, where the board traditionally meets.
The swift decision – announced less than a month after trustees conducted listening sessions at USM’s campuses in Hattiesburg and Gulf Park – comes on the heels of criticism from rank-and-file faculty and staff about the lack of transparency in IHL’s presidential search process. It also follows weeks of national scrutiny toward USM for its involvement in Mississippi’s welfare scandal.
IHL contracted a headhunting firm, Academic Search, for $130,000 to aid in a presidential search that was scheduled to end in spring 2023, according to the contract inked on Sept. 21. Academic Search was hired to help the board select semi-finalists, conduct reference checks and provide guidance on conditions of employment for the next president.
IHL brought Paul out of retirement to serve as interim president at USM following the departure of Rodney Bennett, the university’s tenth president and the first African American to fill the role, earlier this year. A longtime administrator, Paul is well-known at USM, having served as vice president for student affairs, faculty in the College of Education and Psychology, and as a fundraiser for the USM Foundation.
Paul will initially serve as president for the next four years, according to his statement in IHL’s press release. IHL did not include his salary in the press release.
“I want to assure all that I will attack these next four years with the energy and urgency with which I have approached these first four months,” Paul said. “We will chase audacious goals with passion and persistence. Our Southern Miss grit will prevail.”
Tom Duff and Gee Ogletree, IHL board members and USM alumni who co-chaired the presidential search, both cited the community’s feedback at the listening sessions and in an online comment form as a factor in the decision, per IHL’s press release.
At a listening session that Mississippi Today attended in Hattiesburg, multiple people said they wanted Paul or someone like him to serve as president, including Chuck Scianna, a high-dollar donor to USM; Toby Barker, the mayor of Hattiesburg; and Denis Wiesenburg, the president of the faculty senate.
In his statement, Ogletree also noted his personal experience with Paul.
“I have known and witnessed Dr. Paul’s exceptional contributions to the University for over four decades,” Ogletree said. “I recognize Dr. Paul’s energy, relationships, affection and years of service to Southern Miss have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is the right person to guide the University into its next chapter of leadership and excellence in teaching, service and research in the state and nation.”
In turn, Paul said in the press release that he was honored to accept the position and grateful to Ogletree and Duff.
“These two Southern Miss alumni have displayed courage, conviction and integrity through this process,” Paul said. “They love Southern Miss as I do, and they share a vision of the potential this institution has to positively impact our region, state and beyond.”
Paul is the first president that IHL has hired since the board earlier this year approved a series of changes to make its executive search process more confidential. In April, the board voted to make it so search committee members are anonymous, even to each other, and to decrease the role that campus advisory groups play in selecting the president.
In a special-called meeting at the end of September, trustees voted to roll back the change that made the committee confidential so they could announce members at the listening sessions on Oct. 3 and Oct. 4.
But the changes that reduced the advisory group’s role in the process remained. Members of the committee – which was stacked with politically connected alumni, major donors and high-level administrators – were not allowed to know the names of potential candidates. The committee did not include any rank-and-file faculty or staff.
Faculty and staff hope that Paul will approach the role of president in a collaborative manner, a desire that Paul nodded to in the press release.
“I am also deeply committed to creating an unapparelled (sic) student life and leadership experience,” he said. “A spirit of shared governance will be front and center for me.”
A formal announcement will be held on Thursday, Oct. 27 at 3 p.m. in the Thad Cochran Center Ballroom in Hattiesburg.
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Mississippi News
Dollar General vehicle theft leads to two arrests in Tupelo
SUMMARY: In Tupelo, Mississippi, 19-year-old Joshua James and a juvenile face charges related to a police pursuit and the theft of a police car. James is charged with Directing a Felony to Be Committed by a Person Under Seventeen, Grand Larceny, and Felony Fleeing, with a bond set at $100,000. The incident began on November 1 when police responded to a report of a stolen vehicle. After a chase that ended when the stolen truck crashed south of Verona, James was apprehended, while his juvenile passenger fled in a police car, which was later found wrecked. The juvenile’s case will be handled in Youth Court.
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The post Dollar General vehicle theft leads to two arrests in Tupelo appeared first on www.wcbi.com
Mississippi News
Lowndes Co. Supervisors talk storm safety for certain areas
SUMMARY: The Lowndes County Board of Supervisors has secured funding to construct storm shelters in Crawford, Artesia, and Plum Grove, areas lacking local shelter during severe weather. Each community will receive four FEMA-funded shelters, accommodating up to 20 people each, on government property at a total cost of $103,692, with FEMA contributing $93,000. The supervisors anticipate these shelters will significantly enhance safety for residents during storms. Vice President Jeff Smith highlighted their importance, expressing relief for community members who have long awaited a secure refuge. While installation timelines remain unclear, the project is expected to proceed soon.
The post Lowndes Co. Supervisors talk storm safety for certain areas appeared first on www.wcbi.com
Mississippi News
News anchor dropped after social media post telling Trump-haters supporting Harris: ‘Stay home, don’t vote’
SUMMARY: David “Dave” Elliott, a local news anchor for WLOX in Biloxi for nearly 40 years, was fired after expressing political views on social media. He revealed on Facebook that his termination was due to his political opinions, specifically mentioning a video where he advised people not to vote out of hatred for Donald Trump. Elliott characterized his social media posts as satire, distinguishing them from his professional work. He noted that the discussion with his station’s general manager about his dismissal was brief, and the topic of social media was raised. WLOX’s management declined to comment on the matter.
The post News anchor dropped after social media post telling Trump-haters supporting Harris: ‘Stay home, don’t vote’ appeared first on www.foxnews.com
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