Kent Hawkins The Young Alumni Professional Achievement Award

Kent Hawkins, a native of Tate County, attended Magnolia Heights School, where he graduated with honors in 2006. The following semester he began at NWCC, majoring in radiology. Shortly after starting NW, his family members were involved in an automobile accident, and after seeing the nurses in the ER working, he decided to persue a career in nursing. He gradated from NWCC’s ADN program in the Fall of 2009. During nursing school he was employed as a nurse tech at Baptist DeSoto, and upon graduation transitioned into the role of a RN. During his time at DeSoto he had the privilege to work Med/Surg Bedside, ICU Bedside, become PICC certified placing IV lines throughout the hospital, worked as needed in the Bronch, TEE, IR, and Cath Lab, and later became an ICU Head Nurse, co-managing the Med/Surg and CVICU. During this time, he attended Baptist College of Health Sciences in Memphis and graduated with honors with a BSN.

He later returned to the University of Memphis and obtained his MSN, FNP in the summer of 2017. Before taking the board exam, he was able to return to NWCC, and served as an adjunct clinical instructor for the ADN program for two semesters. After successfully completing the AANP FNP board, he began his NP career in Robinsonville and Tunica working at a rural health, county owned clinic. In 2018, he started working at the Baddour Center in Senatobia, medically managing adults with developmental delays. Later that year, he returned to Senatobia full time and began practicing at Bagwell Medical Clinic. In 2022, he left Bagwell Medical and joined with Highland Hills in Senatobia to open Senatobia Medical Associates, a primary care/rural health clinic located within the hospital, where he currently practices.

Kent is currently an active member of AANP, the national nurse practitioner’s association, with whom he holds his accreditation to practice. He is also an active member of MANP, Mississippi’s only NP association. Since 2018, he has been an active leader in the northwest Mississippi area, cohosting dinners with the association and national pharmaceutical companies, which allows furthering education and networking for local NPs. He was nominated for the MANP Board of Directors in 2022, and was elected onto the board in July of 22 as a director at large. By sitting on the MANP board, he is able to assist in furthering the education of NPs, and expanding access to care for NP provided care across the state by arranging state wide continuing education conferences and attending meetings with local and state legislative leaders.

 

Ann Hannaford Lamar The Alumni Professional Achievement Award

Ann Hannaford Lamar was appointed to the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning by Governor Phil Bryant in February 2017 to represent the Third (Northern) Supreme Court District for a term to expire May 7, 2021.

Ms. Lamar joined the Mississippi Supreme Court on May 21, 2007, when Governor Haley Barbour appointed her upon Presiding Justice Kay B. Cobb's retirement. Elected in November 2008 to serve an eight-year term, beginning January 1, 2009, she was the third woman to serve on the Mississippi Supreme Court.

Prior to her Supreme Court appointment, Justice Lamar served as a Circuit Court Judge in the 17th Circuit Court District, encompassing Desoto, Tate, Panola, Yalobusha, and Tallahatchie counties.

Ms. Lamar served as District Attorney in the 17th district until her appointment to the circuit bench in November 2001. Upon graduation from law school in 1982, Ms. Lamar began practicing law with her husband in Senatobia at Lamar & Lamar, where she served for eight years before serving as an assistant district attorney for nine years.

Ms. Lamar earned her law degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law, after attending Northwest Mississippi Junior College and earning a Bachelor of Science degree in education from Delta State University in 1974.

Ms. Lamar is a member and past president of the William C. Keady American Inns of Court. Named Citizen of the Year by the Tate County Economic Development Foundation in 2010, she was inducted as a Fellow of the Mississippi Bar Foundation in 2011. She received the Mississippi Bar's Susie Blue Buchanan Award for commitment to the advancement of women in the field of law, the Outstanding Women Lawyer Award, presented by the Mississippi Women Lawyers Association, and the Chief Justice Award, presented by Chief Justice William L. Waller, Jr.

Active members of First Baptist Church in Senatobia, Ms. Lamar and her husband, John, are the proud parents of two adult children, Trey (and wife, Jill) and Vance (and wife, Emily), and have four grandchildren.

Larry Hall The Spirit of Northwest Award

Sixth-generation North Mississippian Larry Hall has dedicated his 50-year career to public service, family business and local agriculture.

For nearly three decades, Hall was the highest-ranking non-elected official in Marshall County, holding dual positions of County Administrator and Road Manager from 1993 to 2021. In that capacity, he made significant strides to improve infrastructure, advance economic development and enhance the quality of life and desirability of Marshall County. From keeping county roads and bridges operational to investing in workforce education and maintaining county buildings and grounds, Hall’s often behind-the-scenes contributions to Marshall County were many.

During his tenure with Marshall County, Hall was a founding board member and past president of the Mississippi Association of Road Managers and past board president of the Mississippi Association of County Administrators. He also served on the board of the Northeast Mississippi Community Service Board for a number of years.

Since retiring in 2021, Hall continues to manage the cattle operation he began at age 18. Prior to joining Marshall County, Hall was a founding member of his family’s construction company, Southern Equipment Services. Along with infrastructure and residential work, the business specialized in clean-up of train derailments.

A graduate of Ingomar High School (’68) and Northeast Mississippi Community College (’70), Hall holds a BBA degree from The University of Mississippi (’72). Born in Union County’s Ingomar community in 1950, he has been a Marshall County resident since 1972, when he married his wife of 48 years, the late Pam Cooper Hall (NWCC class of ’71). A lifelong Baptist, his faith has always been a guiding light in his life.

Northcentral Electric Cooperative Outstanding Corporation Award

Community is at the heart of virtually every decision at Northcentral Electric Cooperative. In fact, “concern for community” is one of seven guiding principles of all cooperatives. As a not-for-profit, member-owned co-op, Northcentral dedicates time, energy, and resources to building and strengthening the communities that they serve.

Volunteerism is encouraged and supported by providing every Northcentral employee with two days of paid time off to help worthy organizations during business hours. Executive leaders serve on numerous non-profit boards that enrich our communities.

Northcentral’s commitment to their communities was highlighted in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic with the establishment of their Community Care Fund in partnership with the Tennessee Valley Authority. Over the past two years, the two organizations contributed matching grants totaling $110,000 with another $30,000 from other nonprofits to assist with food insecurity, emergency aid, victims of domestic abuse, education, historic preservation, and the arts in DeSoto and Marshall Counties.

Another guiding cooperative principle is education and training. Northcentral was instrumental in helping Northwest Community College launch the Utility Line Worker Program by assisting with curriculum and outfitting a top-quality training facility in Olive Branch. In addition, they can be seen at area schools, career fairs, and community events teaching electrical safety and promoting careers in the utility industry.