Contact: Sammy McDavid
STARKVILLE, Miss.--A contribution by the outgoing leader of the Mississippi Manufacturers Association is the latest gift for faculty awards in Mississippi State's College of Business.
George M. Taylor of Tupelo, who served as MMA's 2007-08 chairman, recently designated $10,000 to support the college's Notable Scholars Fund. A 1962 MSU accounting and U.S. Air Force ROTC graduate, he is vice president of finance for Tupelo-based Reed Manufacturing Co., a producer of clothing for men and boys.
Taylor, who joined the company in 1979, has served on MMA's board of directors since 2003. The gift is a special acknowledgement of his dedicated leadership and service.
Since 1998, MMA has presented outgoing chairpersons with the award to benefit an educational institution selected by the honoree. "The Chairman's Award represents MMA's commitment to education in Mississippi," explained Jay C. Moon, association president and chief executive officer.
"We recognize that a well-educated, well-trained work force is the key to bringing industry to the state and remaining competitive in our global economy," Moon said. "We hope this gift to Mississippi State's business college Notable Scholars Fund will enable the university to recruit, reward and retain faculty members who will lead students to further their education and embody these goals."
Mississippi State's business college is one of the oldest in the Southeast. Funds for faculty recruitment and retention are currently among the academic unit's key initiatives.
"The Notable Scholars Faculty Fund addresses the most immediate need of our college," said Dean Lynne Richardson. "We are extremely grateful for George Taylor's gift and the part MMA plays with this award."
Taylor's gift qualifies for matching funds through a challenge initiative set in motion by a fellow MSU accounting alumnus. Donors who support the Notable Scholars Faculty Fund will have their gifts matched by Richard C. Adkerson.
Adkerson is president and chief executive officer of Phoenix, Ariz.-based Freeport-McMoran Copper and Gold, the world's largest publicly traded copper company. He also is president of the MSU Foundation and a member of the business college advisory board.
In 2007, Adkerson created a major endowment for the college's accounting school, which subsequently was named in his honor by the state College Board.
"The MSU College of Business has enjoyed a long history of beneficial relationships among its alumni and organizations throughout the state, such as MMA," Dean Richardson said.
The Mississippi Manufacturers Association has worked for more than a half century to support efforts by its membership to produce high-quality goods and services. It also seeks to identify, disseminate and utilize information at local, state and national levels that promotes a strong manufacturing environment throughout Mississippi.
For more information about the Adkerson Matching Gift Initiative in the College of Business, contact development director Jack McCarty at 662-325-9580 or jrm36@msstate.edu.
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To learn more about MMA and manufacturing in Mississippi, visit www.mma-web.org.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.