Proposed New Member Announcement:
Christopher F. “Chris“ Brantley has been proposed for membership in the Rotary Club of North Jackson by his father, Chris Brantley and is sponsored by Past President Kevin Russell.
Chris is a Trust Officer at Trustmark National Bank and currently serves as Vice President/ President-Elect of the Estate Planning Council of Mississippi. Chris is a Jackson native and attended the University of Mississippi, earning a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. He is married. He and his wife, Reynolds, have one son, George, and live in Northeast Jackson. This is the 2nd publication of this proposed new member.
Prayer.Having found our way to this familiar place, O God, and to the familiar format or the fellowship we cherish, we are grateful that amid change and uncertainty in life, there is also a comforting sameness about much in human experience. For that we give thanks.
Strengthen us for service by food now provided. Enrich our togetherness by reminders of our mutual identity and responsibility as servants in the world. In the name of the greatest Servant of all. Amen.
At the March 5, 2019, meeting of the Rotary Club of North Jackson, Club Executive Secretary-Treasurer Don Roberts announced that the Club's Board of Directors has established the "Joe Harris Service Above Self Award" in honor of Long-time club member Joe Harris who joined the club in its charter year of 1971 and has achieved perfect attendance for those 47 years, including serving as President of the Club for the 1977-1978 Rotary Year. Additionally, he has served as Chair of the Club's Foundation Committee for 35 years during which period Club members contributed more than $550,000 to the Rotary Foundation. Mr. Harris, himself achieved multiple recognitions as a Benefactor, Multiple Paul Harris Fellow, and Major Donor to the Foundation. The purpose of the award is to recognize Mr. Harris' contributions and service and to motivate and encourage Club members to serve the community, the Club, and the Foundation. The minimum criterion for receiving the award is to achieve status as a Paul Harris Fellow Sustaining Member.
The Club is delighted to establish this award and to recognize the contributions Mr. Harris has made to Rotary and the community. We thank him for his many years of faithful service!
The Rotary Club of North Jackson joined with the Rotary Club of Jackson and the Mississippi College Rotaract Club to pack 30,000 meals for the Rise Against Hunger organization to provide healthy nutritious meals for malnourished people in the United States and around the world. The clubs have done this together for several years. The meals contain multivitamins, vegetables, soy and rice which the recipients prepare by boiling.
Rise Against Hunger is driven by the vision of a world without hunger. Its mission is to end hunger in our lifetime by providing food and life-changing aid to the world’s most vulnerable and creating a global commitment to mobilize the necessary resources.
In 1998, envisioning a world without hunger, Ray Buchanan — a United Methodist minister — founded Stop Hunger Now. In 2017, Stop Hunger Now rebranded to become Rise Against Hunger. After enlisting as a U.S. Marine during the Vietnam War, Ray Buchanan quickly recognized that accomplishing a mission required “commitment to something larger than yourself.”
Driving Rise Against Hunger’s work is the recognition that ending hunger is more than just feeding people, which led Rise Against Hunger to focus its feeding programs in areas where we can have a real impact and expand its hunger-fighting programs beyond meal packaging and distribution.
Rise Against Hunger's approach to ending hunger centers on mobilizing a global network of hunger champions. Rise Against Hunger meal packaging volunteers produce millions of nutritious meals annually that are then distributed to partners in countries around the world. Those partners are best able to address the causes and effects of hunger based on their local presence and expertise. Through thorough monitoring and evaluation process, the organization ensures the meals distributed by those partners are used as a tool to change lives by promoting education, improving students’ health and nutrition, addressing gender inequalities, stimulating economic growth and fighting child labor.
Another core focus of Rise Against Hunger is responding to crises–both natural and man-made. From droughts to floods, in conflict zones and transitioning political situations, food is often the most immediate need. When everyday access to food, wages, and market systems are destroyed in the wake of emergencies, Rise Against Hunger works through a network of in-country partners to address these needs. It strives to ensure aid is efficiently and effectively deployed to and received by communities when it is needed most.
The third approach to eradicating hunger centers around grassroots community empowerment. Rise Against Hunger bolsters agricultural production and incomes through programs promoting improved agricultural methods, business skills, and market access. With training and access to quality seeds and fertilizers, farmers can increase production and harvest a variety of nutritious crops. By supporting the establishment of fish and livestock production, we also provide pathways to diversifying diets and improving nutritional outcomes.
The following photos are from the event. More photos may be seen on the Rotary Club of North Jackson's web page.
Keith Key, P>E., Photo Voltaic Sales and Design, Mississippi Solar LLC spoke to the Rotary Club of North Jackson at the club's February 5, 2019 meeting. He described the progress that has been made in reducing the cost of photovoltaic cell systems and the economics of using these systems with the rebates and tax credits that are available to purchasers of them. plus the ability to sell electricity back to the electrical energy suppliers when the PV systems are generating more electrical power than the owner is consuming. Per Mr. Key, the simple payback on the system investment is slightly more than 8 years and the ROI is 11.4%. We thank Mr. Key for his presentation and for his work in improving the use of this technology. He (right) is shown in the following photo with club Vice President Greg Campbell.
Nancy Suzonne “Suzy” Tubb was inducted into the Rotary Club of North Jackson at the Club’s February 26, 2019, meeting. Ms. Tubb is Tax Director at BKD LLP, CPAs and Advisors, in Jackson. She and her husband, Zach, are the parents of twin sons and live in Flowood. She is a graduate of the University of MIssissippi with Bachelor and Masters degrees in Accountancy from the University of MIssissippi and is a CPA. She (center) is shown with her proposer Jon Turner and her sponsor Past President Ann Somers in the following photo. We welcome her to our club!
Chris Harris, Director of Communications, Media & Broadcasting for the Mississippi Braves spoke to the Rotary Club of North Jackson at the club’s February 26, 2019 meeting. He was accompanied by Tim Mueller, the club’s Assistant General Manager and Director of Sales.
Chris enters his 11th season in minor league baseball and second with the Mississippi Braves as Director of Communications and radio "Voice of the M-Braves".
The two-time Southern League Broadcaster of the Year (2013 and 2017) served the past three years as the Director of Media Relations and Broadcasting for the Southern League's Biloxi Shuckers. Before moving to Biloxi in 2015, Harris served as Manager of Media Relations and Broadcasting and eventually Vice President of Communications for the Jackson Generals in Jackson, TN from 2009-2014, earning his first Southern League Broadcaster of the Year award in 2013.
Harris led the public relations efforts for Biloxi's move into MGM Park after a 54-game road trip in 2015 and oversaw the national coverage of the historical beginning of the franchise. Harris was once again recognized by the league in 2017, being awarded the Southern League Broadcaster of the Year award for the second time.
In his talk, Harris said that the Mississippi Braves team is the Atlanta Braves AA affiliate, that the club is owned and operated by the Atlanta Braves, and that it plays in the Southern League with teams from throughout the Southeast. Other Braves affiliates range from the Rookie League to the AAA where the Gwinnett Stripers compete. He stated that opening day is April 10 and that the MS Braves want to be viewed as family entertainment. Trustmark Park, where the Braves play, will have its 15th season in 2019 and is very well designed and built. It has a capacity of about 8,500 and expects to welcome its 3 millionth guest this season. To permit play except during rain, the field has 8,000 ft. of drainage pipe.
Mr. Harris discussed notable MS Braves alumni and the promotion and special events for the season. The “takeaway” from his speech is the family orientation os Central MIssissippi’s team. Y’all come!
We thank Messrs Harris and Meuller for coming to our meeting and invite them to return. Mr. Mueller, a longtime Rotarian, is invited to consider moving his membership to our club. Mr. Mueller(second from left) and Mr. Harris (second from right) are shown in the following photo withClub Director Lori Greer (left) and Club President Anna Powers (right)following Mr. Harris’ presentation.
At the February 19th club meeting, Foundation Chairman Suman Das made presentations to Past Presidents Witt Riffin and Mike Dawkins.
Mike Dawkins was recognized as a Benefactor of The Rotary Foundation. The Club made a $ 1,000 contribution to The Rotary Foundation. The Club made the contribution to recognize Dawkins his service to the Club in the 2013-2014 Rotary Year as Club President. The Club has made a practice of recognizing Past Presidents as Benefactors for their service as President and continued membership and service to our Club beyond their term as President. The Club’s contribution resulting in Dawkins being named a Benefactor was directed to the Foundation’s Endowment Fund (formerly called the Permanent Fund). Contributions to the Endowment Fund are invested and managed and, then only the earnings of the Endowment are spent.
Witt Ruffin was recognized and was named a Paul Harris Fellow (PHF) for both the 2nd and 3rd time simultaneously! Ruffin’s 2nd PHF was attributable to a $ 1,000 contribution to The Rotary Foundation’s Annual fund made by Past District Governor Bill Walker of Columbus. Walker made a contribution to honor Witt’s service to the District as North Jackson’s Club President during his term as District Governor. Witt was presented his 3rd Paul Harris Fellow by the Club in recognition of his outstanding service to our Club during his 2017-2018 Rotary Presidential Year.
Witt (left) and Mike (right) are shown in the following photo with Club Foundation Director Suman Das (center), who presented the awards to them. We congratulate them on their recognition and thank them for their support of the Rotary Foundation.
Sitaniel Wimbley, program director of NAMI (The National Alliance On Mental Illness) of Mississippi spoke to the Rotary Club of North Jackson at its February 19th, 2019 meeting. Wimbley informed members and guests of what NAMI Mississippi does to help identify, educate and support those with mental illness. NAMI's mission is dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with mental illness and of their families through support, education, and advocacy. Shown (from left) club member Lori Greer, who introduced Ms. Wimberley; Wimbley and Club President Anna Powers. We thank Ms. Wimberley for her presentation and for her service to the citizens of Mississippi.
