From its first meetings in 1948 until today, the elected leaders of MEC have included Mississippi’s recognized executives in industry, banking and finance, the legal profession, wholesale and retail, insurance, agriculture, and education.

The following have served as chairmen of the Mississippi Economic Council:

( * Deceased)

*  1949-50   Edmund Taylor, Greenville 
The Goyer Company

*  1950-51   A. F. Chisholm, Laurel 
First National Bank

*  1951-52   Frank Everett, Jr., Vicksburg 
Brunini, Everett, Beanland & Wheeless

*   1952-53   Otho R. Smith, Meridian 
F. W. Williams State Agency

*  1953-54   Harvey Lee Morrison, Okolona 
Attorney at Law

*  1954-55   James Hand, Jr., Rolling Fork 
Delta Implement Company

*  1955-56   Gerard Brandon, Natchez 
Brandon, Brandon Hornsby & Handy

*  1956-57   Fred B. Smith, Ripley 
Attorney at Law

*   1957-58   J. D. Wise, Hazlehurst 
Wise Motor Company

*   1958-59   Russ M. Johnson, Jackson 
Deposit Guaranty National Bank

*  1959-60   Morris Lewis, Jr., Indianola 
The Lewis Grocer Company

*  1960-61   Bruce C. Aultman, Hattiesburg 
Simrall, Aultman & Pope

*  1961-62   Charles D. Fair, Louisville 
Attorney at Law

*  1962-63   Vaughan Watkins, Jackson 
Watkins Ludlam & Stennis

1963-64   Jack Reed, Sr., Tupelo 
R. W. Reed Company

*  1964-65   Balmer Hill, Jr., Natchez
Armstrong Rubber Company

*   1965-66   Tally D. Riddell, Quitman 
Riddell and Dabbs

*    1966-67   Owen Cooper, Yazoo City
Mississippi Chemical Corporation

*  1967-68   Leslie Darden, New Albany 
Smallwood, Summers, Carter & Trout, P.A.

*    1968-69   Leo W. Seal, Jr., Gulfport 
Hancock Bank

*  1969-70   William Henry Harris, West Point 
Daily Times Leader

1970-71   Taylor Webb, Leland 
Webb and Webb

1971-72   Joseph Dale, Prentiss 
Dale and Clark

*    1972-73   William A. Crabill, Marks 
Self and Company

*   1973-74   J. C. Redd, Jackson 
JCR Enterprises, Inc.

1974-75  Joe F. Tatum, Hattiesburg
Willmut Gas and Oil Company

*   1975-76   Walter L. Ellis, III, Kosciusko 
LuVel Dairy Products, Inc.

1976-77  Dewey H. Lane, M.D., Pascagoula 
Surgical Associates, P.A.

*    1977-78   Howard Lewis, Greenwood
Henderson and Baird Hardware Co.

*    1978-79   G. B. Beard, Jackson
Consulting Engineer

1979-80   Benton E. Cain, Jackson
Cain Lithographers, Inc.

1980-81   Lewis F. Mallory, Jr., Starkville
National Bank of Commerce of Mississippi

*   1981-82   W. W. Gresham, Jr., Indianola 
Gresham Petroleum Company

1982-83   Aubrey K. Lucas, Hattiesburg 
University of Southern Mississippi

*    1983-84   Charles Sewell, Jackson 
Deposit Guaranty Mortgage Company

1984-85   Lewis Whitfield, Tupelo 
Deposit Guaranty National Bank

1985-86  J. Marlin Ivey, Kosciusko 
Ivey’s, Inc.

*   1986-87   Alan Barton, Gulfport 
Mississippi Power Company

1987-88   Kenneth E. Milam, Jackson 
Watkins & Eager

*   1988-89   William E. McClure, Columbus
McClure Furniture Company

1989-90   Gene A. Triggs, Yazoo City 
Mississippi Chemical Corporation

*   1990-91  Alvis Hunt, Jackson 
Trustmark National Bank

1991-92   Kenneth Williams, Corinth 
Coca-Cola/Refreshments, Inc.

1992-93  J. Kelley Williams, Jackson 
First Mississippi Corporation

1993-94   William D. Sones, Brookhaven 
State Bank & Trust Company

1994-95   Aubrey B. Patterson, Tupelo 
Bank of Mississippi

1995-96   Stephen T. McMahon, Jackson 
Time Warner Cable

1996-97  W. C. Shoemaker, Kosciusko 
W. C. Shoemaker, Inc.

1997-98   John R. McCarty, Jackson
McCarty Enterprises, LLC

1998-99   Dexter Barr, Jackson 
Trustmark National Bank

1999-00  Don Kilgore, Philadelphia
Alford, Thomas & Kilgore

2000-01 Dwight Evans, Gulfport
Mississippi Power Company

2001-02  Reuben V. Anderson, Jackson
Phelps Dunbar LLP

2002-03  William G. Yates, Jr., Philadelphia
W. G. Yates & Sons Construction Company, Inc.

2003-04  Richard Hickson, Jackson
Trustmark Corporation

2004-05 John M. McCullouch, Jackson
BellSouth, Mississippi Operations

2005-06 James Threadgill, Tupelo
BancorpSouth 

2006-07 Thomas Gresham
Double Quick, Inc.

2007-08 Carolyn Shanks
Entergy Mississippi

2008-09 Anthony Topazi
Mississippi Power Company

2009-10 Mayo Flynt
AT&T Mississippi

2010-2011 Jack Reed, Jr.
Mayor, City of Tupelo