Meet our Board
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Willie Abston
Mr. Abston is a graduate of the University of California in Los Angeles and the Mississippi College School of Law. He is the owner of Willie T. Abston, LLC law firm in Flowood. Abston is a member of the Mississippi Bar Association, Magnolia Bar Association, Hinds County Bar Association, National Bar Association and the American Bar Association. He is the past Chairperson of the Workers’ Compensation section for the Mississippi Bar Association and presently serves as a committee member on its Executive Board. He is an active member of the New Vision Fellowship Church in Brandon, Mississippi, where he serves as an Elder, Youth Director and on its Board of Directors. Willie and his wife, the former Dr. Carmen Martin, have two children.
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Baxter Burns
Mr. Burns is President of Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions, Inc. in Jackson, Mississippi. He is a graduate of Mississippi State University and Duke University in Durham, NC. He has been a member of Rankin First Economic Development Authority since 1991 and is currently serving as the Vice President for the Rankin First Board of Directors. Baxter and his wife, Wanda, are members of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Brandon and are the parents of three grown sons.
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Dr. Freda Bush
Dr. Bush is a partner in private practice with East Lakeland OB-GYN Associates in Jackson, Mississippi, and a Clinical Instructor in the Department of OB-GYN and Department of Family Medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. She is an author, highly sought-after speaker and has served as a lead panelist for several Town Hall meetings titled Teens, Involved Parents and Sex (T.I.P.S). She and her husband, Lee, have four children and seven grandchildren.
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Dr. Joe Edwards
Dr. Edwards is a practicing Pediatrician and partner in the Rankin Children’s Group. He is a graduate of Delta State University and the University of Mississippi School of Medicine. Joe and his wife, Gail, live in Rankin County with their four children and are active members of Crossgates Baptist Church.
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Dr. Chip Henderson
Dr. Henderson is the senior leader and primary teacher at Pinelake Church in Brandon, Mississippi. Under his leadership, the church has grown from 800 to over 6,000 weekly attendees and moved to a multi-site church model with four campuses. He is a graduate of Mississippi State University and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He is a member of the Board of Trustees for Women’s Hospital in Rankin County, as well as The Launch Network of Hiram, Georgia. Chip is married to Christy and they have three children, Rachel, McKenzie and Regan.
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Liza Cirlot Looser
Mrs. Looser is the founder and CEO of The Cirlot Agency in Jackson, Mississippi. She is a graduate of Mississippi University for Women and Harvard Business School. She has served as a board member on several boards, including the Mississippi University for Women Foundation, the Mississippi Chapter of the International Women’s Forum, Shepherd’s Staff Counseling Service, Better Business Bureau, Metro Jackson Economic Development Alliance and the American Advertising Federation. Liza is married to Rick Looser and is the mother of two children.
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Dr. Tom Meredith
Dr. Meredith began his career as a high school teacher and as a high school principal. He has served as the President of Western Kentucky University, Chancellor of the University of Alabama System, Chancellor of the University System of Georgia and as Commissioner of Higher Education for Mississippi’s public universities. He holds degrees from Kentucky Wesleyan College, Western Kentucky University and the University of Mississippi. He has also completed the Institute for Educational Management at Harvard University and the Oxford Roundtable on Higher Education at Oxford University. He and his wife, Susan, have two grown sons and four grandchildren.
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Greg Moore
Mr. Moore was born and reared in the Metro Jackson area and is a graduate of Mississippi State University. He currently serves as the President and CEO of Community Bank of Mississippi. He is a past member of the Board of Directors for the Mississippi Council on Economic Education and Sacred Heart League. He is the past President for the Madison County American Heart Association and currently serves on the board for Community Bank of Mississippi and Metropolitan YMCAs of Mississippi. Greg lives in Brandon with his wife, Cheryl, and their 17-year old twins, Gregory and Ann Merritt. They are members of Crossgates Baptist Church.
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Tim Sensing
Mr. Sensing is a graduate of the Mississippi College School of Law and an attorney at Watkins & Eager PLLC in Jackson, Mississippi, working in Medical Malpractice, Health Care, Tort and general litigation. He is involved in the Jackson Young Lawyers Association and the Capital Area Bar Association. Tim and his wife, Breanna, live in Rankin County with their four children. They attend Pinelake Church.
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Debra Watson
Mrs. Watson is the Chief Operating Officer at Miskelly Furniture. She is an active member of Pinelake Church and serves on various ministry teams. Debra is a native of Barberton, Ohio, and now lives in Flowood with her husband, Warner. They have two adult children, two grandsons and a granddaughter due to arrive in August.
Willie Abston
Mr. Abston is a graduate of the University of California in Los Angeles and the Mississippi College School of Law. He is the owner of Willie T. Abston, LLC law firm in Flowood. Abston is a member of the Mississippi Bar Association, Magnolia Bar Association, Hinds County Bar Association, National Bar Association and the American Bar Association. He is the past Chairperson of the Workers’ Compensation section for the Mississippi Bar Association and presently serves as a committee member on its Executive Board. He is an active member of the New Vision Fellowship Church in Brandon, Mississippi, where he serves as an Elder, Youth Director and on its Board of Directors. Willie and his wife, the former Dr. Carmen Martin, have two children.
Baxter Burns
Mr. Burns is President of Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions, Inc. in Jackson, Mississippi. He is a graduate of Mississippi State University and Duke University in Durham, NC. He has been a member of Rankin First Economic Development Authority since 1991 and is currently serving as the Vice President for the Rankin First Board of Directors. Baxter and his wife, Wanda, are members of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Brandon and are the parents of three grown sons.
Dr. Freda Bush
Dr. Bush is a partner in private practice with East Lakeland OB-GYN Associates in Jackson, Mississippi, and a Clinical Instructor in the Department of OB-GYN and Department of Family Medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. She is an author, highly sought-after speaker and has served as a lead panelist for several Town Hall meetings titled Teens, Involved Parents and Sex (T.I.P.S). She and her husband, Lee, have four children and seven grandchildren.
Dr. Joe Edwards
Dr. Edwards is a practicing Pediatrician and partner in the Rankin Children’s Group. He is a graduate of Delta State University and the University of Mississippi School of Medicine. Joe and his wife, Gail, live in Rankin County with their four children and are active members of Crossgates Baptist Church.
Dr. Chip Henderson
Dr. Henderson is the senior leader and primary teacher at Pinelake Church in Brandon, Mississippi. Under his leadership, the church has grown from 800 to over 6,000 weekly attendees and moved to a multi-site church model with four campuses. He is a graduate of Mississippi State University and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He is a member of the Board of Trustees for Women’s Hospital in Rankin County, as well as The Launch Network of Hiram, Georgia. Chip is married to Christy and they have three children, Rachel, McKenzie and Regan.
Liza Cirlot Looser
Mrs. Looser is the founder and CEO of The Cirlot Agency in Jackson, Mississippi. She is a graduate of Mississippi University for Women and Harvard Business School. She has served as a board member on several boards, including the Mississippi University for Women Foundation, the Mississippi Chapter of the International Women’s Forum, Shepherd’s Staff Counseling Service, Better Business Bureau, Metro Jackson Economic Development Alliance and the American Advertising Federation. Liza is married to Rick Looser and is the mother of two children.
Dr. Tom Meredith
Dr. Meredith began his career as a high school teacher and as a high school principal. He has served as the President of Western Kentucky University, Chancellor of the University of Alabama System, Chancellor of the University System of Georgia and as Commissioner of Higher Education for Mississippi’s public universities. He holds degrees from Kentucky Wesleyan College, Western Kentucky University and the University of Mississippi. He has also completed the Institute for Educational Management at Harvard University and the Oxford Roundtable on Higher Education at Oxford University. He and his wife, Susan, have two grown sons and four grandchildren.
Greg Moore
Mr. Moore was born and reared in the Metro Jackson area and is a graduate of Mississippi State University. He currently serves as the President and CEO of Community Bank of Mississippi. He is a past member of the Board of Directors for the Mississippi Council on Economic Education and Sacred Heart League. He is the past President for the Madison County American Heart Association and currently serves on the board for Community Bank of Mississippi and Metropolitan YMCAs of Mississippi. Greg lives in Brandon with his wife, Cheryl, and their 17-year old twins, Gregory and Ann Merritt. They are members of Crossgates Baptist Church.
Tim Sensing
Mr. Sensing is a graduate of the Mississippi College School of Law and an attorney at Watkins & Eager PLLC in Jackson, Mississippi, working in Medical Malpractice, Health Care, Tort and general litigation. He is involved in the Jackson Young Lawyers Association and the Capital Area Bar Association. Tim and his wife, Breanna, live in Rankin County with their four children. They attend Pinelake Church.
Debra Watson
Mrs. Watson is the Chief Operating Officer at Miskelly Furniture. She is an active member of Pinelake Church and serves on various ministry teams. Debra is a native of Barberton, Ohio, and now lives in Flowood with her husband, Warner. They have two adult children, two grandsons and a granddaughter due to arrive in August.