Mr. Gary Blair graduated from Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Science (1981) degree in Agribusiness and Business Administration. Upon leaving MSU, he joined the Federal Land Bank of South Mississippi where he now is Senior Vice President. Mr. Blair has served as President of the Mississippi Chapter of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers and continues to serve this organization as it educates rural appraisers. His banking and professional success reflects an active leadership that is characteristic of Mr. Blair, not only in his chosen career of banking, but also in his service to his community and especially to Mississippi State University.

Mr. Blair has served on the National Alumni Board of the Mississippi State University Alumni Association since 1995 and served as President in 2003-2004. He was also College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Alumni President in 1998.

William T. "Bill" Hawks, the first person in his family to earn a college degree, says his business training in economics at Mississippi State University and his network of friends and associates have given him the most experience and guidance in his farming career. This many-times-honored farmer received his bachelor's and master's degrees in agricultural economics from Mississippi State in 1968 and 1970, respectively. When named the 1995 CALS Alumni Fellow, Hawks was managing partner of Hawks Farming, a 14,000 acre operation in Hernando, MS. He won a special election in December 1995 to represent District I (DeSoto County) in the Mississippi House of Representatives.