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Faith & Business Ethics Week Announces Speaker Lineup


Faith & Business Week keynote speaker William C. Rhodes III, chairman, president and CEO of AutoZone, Inc.

Mississippi College students strongly endorsed the Christian university’s initial Faith & Business Ethics Week in 2012, and they welcome another outstanding lineup of speakers.

The week was “an awesome opportunity where students can learn from business men and women who carry their beliefs into the workplace,” says Rebekah Way, an accounting major from Richland. Last year’s event, she said, “taught me a lot about how to keep Christ in the center of my life, especially at work.”

Sponsored by the Mississippi College School of Business, this year’s packed lineup of events will run from February 18-21.

Don Jordan, an MC School of Business graduate and co-founder of the Holiday Deli and Ham restaurants in the Memphis area, established the series to spotlight the responsibilities, opportunities and challenges facing Christian business leaders.

Papa Jordan’s talk in 2012 “really stuck out to me as a great representative of how to keep God No. 1 no matter what,” says Way, an MC senior and student worker in the university’s Office of Human Resources.

His company’s first franchise restaurant is the new Pimento’s Café at Mississippi College in the heart of Olde Towne Clinton.

During the first two days of the week, School of Business faculty will emphasize faith and ethics in their lectures, whether it’s in a management class or a human resources course.

William C. Rhodes III, chairman, president and chief executive of Memphis-based AutoZone, Inc., will deliver the keynote address Thursday February 21 at 11 a.m. in Anderson Hall. He was named president and CEO of the company in March 2005.

Rhodes and other executives will serve on a panel discussion in Anderson Hall moderated by School of Business Dean Marcelo Eduardo. It begins at noon that Thursday.

Others on the panel will include Stacy Davidson, managing partner of Dama Fiber, Frank Jemison, chairman and CEO of Jemison, Inc. and Kem Wilson, principal and executive vice president of Kemmons Wilson, Inc. He also serves as chairman of the board of the Wilson Hotel Management Co. Davidson has led successful companies in the cellular and oil and gas industries.

On February 20-21, executives and School of Business alumni will speak to classes in Self Hall.

The speakers will include Cliff Mitchell, general manager of Watson Quality Ford, Trey Jordan, owner and president of Holiday Deli & Ham Co., and Arthur Finkelberg, senior vice president and managing director of investments with Raymond James & Associates. Others include attorney Ben Sones, Sheldon Gooch, co-owner of Gooch Consulting and Event Services, Matt Thornton, president and CEO of Butler Snow Advisory Services, David Hederman, lead pastor of Grace City Church and Les Howell, vice president and chief engineer with Delta Industries.

For more information, contact Racquel Walker, marketing coordinator with the School of Business and assistant to the dean at 601.925.7749 or rwalker@mc.edu.