The MSU Alumni Association welcomed its officers and directors for the national board for 2024-25 who began terms this July 1.

A woman with short hair smiles at the camera, standing in front of a wooden wall with a partial view of a logo.
Terri Russell
Smiling woman with short blonde hair wearing a red top and gold necklaces stands in front of a wooden wall with a partial university logo in the background.
Lynn Burwell
A man in a suit and tie stands in front of a university logo.
Riley Nelson
A man in a suit and striped tie is smiling in front of a logo backdrop with a maroon and white motif.
Patrick White

The association’s national officers continue in their roles for 2024-25. They are Terri Russell of Helena, Alabama, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in industrial engineering in 1984 and 1986, respectively, as president; Lynn Burwell of Gulfport, a 1980 Bachelor of Science in home economics and child development graduate, as vice president; and Riley Nelson of Vicksburg, a 1999 Bachelor of Accountancy and a 2001 Master of Taxation graduate, as treasurer. Patrick White of Spring, Texas, a 1990 Bachelor of Arts in communication graduate, continues as immediate past president.

The association also welcomed the following returning and new directors to its national board.

DIRECTORS RETURNING TO THE BOARD:

A person with glasses and braided hair smiles, standing in front of a university emblem on a wooden wall.

Janelle Finely Adams (B.A. communication, ’09) of Mobile, Alabama, returns to serve a second term as director for Alabama. Adams serves as a communications specialist for Outokumpu, a global stainless steel manufacturing company. A volunteer with the Mobile, Alabama Chapter since 2013, she led efforts as the student recruiting chair, assisted with the chapter’s annual Senior Bowl event, and has served in chapter leadership as both president and vice president. She was honored by the association as MSU’s Outstanding Young Alumna in 2017.

Portrait of a man in a suit, with short hair and neutral expression, set against a plain background.

Davis W. “Dave” Dickson, (B.B.A, ’87) continues his service on the board as Out-of-State Region 1 director. He is president and CEO of Union Bank and Trust Company in Monticello, Arkansas, where he resides. Dickson is active in the Southeast Arkansas Alumni Club and is a longtime Alumni Recruitment Network volunteer, encouraging students to attend MSU and hosting the annual Southeast Arkansas Send-off Party.

Smiling man in a suit with a light green tie against a gray background.

Nathan Cummins (B.Acc., ’02; M.Tax, ’03) of Clinton continues on the board as a director for Mississippi Central 3 Region. He serves as the attest partner, a Certified Fraud Examiner and a Certified Information Technology Professional with May & Company LLP. He is active with the Richard C. Adkerson School of Accountancy and the Warren County Alumni Chapter, and established the Cummins Family Endowed Scholarship at MSU to benefit accounting students.

Man in maroon blazer stands smiling in front of a university emblem on a wooden panel wall.

Bradley A. Garrison (B.S. landscape architecture, ’00) of Chandler, Arizona, continues on the national board as an at-large director. Professionally, Garrison serves as the divisional sports field category manager for Ewing Outdoor Supply. He previously served on the national board of directors as director for Texas. He has been a volunteer and served in various roles with the Nashville, Tennessee Alumni Chapter and the Kansas City Alumni Club, and is a past president of the Dallas, Texas Alumni Chapter.

DIRECTORS JOINING THE BOARD:

An older man with white hair wearing glasses, a dark suit jacket, and a white shirt, stands against a gray background.

Burton B. “B.B.” Hosch, Jr. (’70) of Starkville will join the board as the representative of the former national presidents. He is a retired bank executive who served as the Alumni Association’s national president in 1995. He retired after being on the Alumni Association’s national board for several years and is also a former officer and volunteer with the Lee County Chapter.

A woman with short blonde hair smiles while wearing glasses, a black top with large gray polka dots, and a necklace.

Belvia Giachelli (’80) of Blue Springs, will join the MSU Alumni Association board as director for Mississippi North 2 Region. She retired in 2016 after serving as an Extension agent for the Lee County Extension Service. She has been active with the Lee County and Union County chapters of the Alumni Association, conducting programs and raising funds for local chapter engagement and scholarships.

A person with long brown hair and a white blazer smiles in a professional headshot against a dark background.

Carson McFatridge of Searcy, Arkansas, joins the board as president of the MSU Student Association. She is a senior studying wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture and is a member of the Shackouls Honors College. Outside of her involvement with the Student Association, she is a member of Kappa Delta sorority and serves as an ambassador for the College of Forest Resources.

The alumni association was founded on June 17, 1885, by the first three graduating classes of then Mississippi Agricultural and Mechanical College. A full-service organization, the association now includes over 100 chapters and clubs. Mississippi State currently has more than 165,000 living alumni. For more information about the MSU Alumni Association, contact Executive Director Jeff Davis at 662.325.7000.

By Jeff Davis