In June of 2004, Ms. McDowell was appointed Director of the South Mississippi Contract Procurement Center located in Biloxi, Mississippi. Included with her normal administrative duties as Director, she also does public speaking, workshops and seminars in the 15 southern counties in Mississippi.

Ms. McDowell’s most recent volunteer work includes: Habitat for Humanity of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, serving as Secretary on the Board of Directors; the Make-A-Wish Foundation as a Wish Granter to children with life threatening illnesses; and the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art.

Mr. Allen is a lifelong resident of Gulfport, MS. He graduated Gulfport East High School in 1970 and from Mississippi State University in 1974 with B.S. in marketing.

He is currently the President and CEO of Allen Beverages, Inc., a board member at Peoples Bank Holding Company a board member at The Peoples Bank and Treasurer at Harrison County Tourism Commission.

Mr. Armstrong was born & raised in Galveston, TX. He received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University in 1961 and his MBA from USM in 1974.  He was a long time employee of Mississippi Power Company and retired in 1994.

John Armstrong currently resides in Long Beach, MS with Ann, his wife of 40 years, and has 3 children & 4 grandchildren.  Mr. Armstrong has been active in Habitat for Humanity for 16 years.

Chris Estrade, Banking Officer and Branch Manager of Hancock Bank's D'Iberville Branch. Graduated with a bachelors degree in Business Administration from USM and graduated with a M.B.A. from William Carey University.

Mr. Estrade is active in Biloxi Bay Chamber of Commerce, MS Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce, Coast Young Professionals and is a USM Alumni Association Member. He's also a board member for both South Mississippi Junior Achievement and MSGC Habitat for Humanity. He lives in Diamondhead and attends Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church.

Nicole began volunteering with HFH of West Jackson County by designing the first website and assisting the volunteer coordinator at the job sites. In 2003 she was nominated to the HFH Jackson County Board (it was still HFHWJC at that time) and eventually became the Development Committee Chairperson. She currently serves on the Nominating Committee of HFHMGC.

Nicole has worked for Jackson County Supervisor Frank Leach since 2000 and was also part of the County Website Team who designed the County’s first official website. She is now the webmaster.

Edmond E. Hughes is Sector Vice President of Human Resources & Administration (HR&A) for Ship Systems. He is responsible for HR Strategy, Total Compensation, HR Information Systems, Ethics, Diversity & EEO, Employee and Labor Relations, Learning and Development and Talent Acquisition. He was named to this position in March 2006.

Edmond holds a Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry from Tougaloo College and an MBA from Indiana University.

His involvement with Habitat for Humanity began in 1997 when he established a brand new affiliate in his hometown of Paragould, Arkansas. In 2001, along with Bruce Duckett, he established another new affiliate in Jackson County, Mississippi. He served as president for the first three years of the affiliate, and stepped off the board in May of 2006 due to term limits. He was added to the Board of Directors for the newly-formed Mississippi Gulf Coast affiliate in 2007.

Mr Sturgeon is a graduate of the University of Arkansas.Al Sturgeon has been the preaching minister at the Ocean Springs Church of Christ since February 1999.

He and his wife, Jody, have 2 daughters Erica and Hillary.

Todd Trenchard is the Communications Director of Merchants & Marine Bank. He is also the Executive Director of the Bacot McCarty Foundation. Previously, he worked as the Development Director of the MS Gulf Coast Youth for Christ organization and served for years as the Community Relations Director of the Home of Grace.

For the past three years  he has served as President of the Gideon Ministry in Ocean Springs and is the President-Elect of the Pascagoula Rotary as well as a Pascagoula Kiwanis International member. He has been the Chairman of the Jolly McCarty Memorial for the past four years, was the chairman of this year's Boys & Girls Clubs Steak & Steak dinner, and was one of the founders and original Executive Board Members of Rebuild Jackson County.

Whitney National Bank, Gulfport, MS, - Area President

Coast Chamber of Commerce –Board of Directors & Executive Committee President - 2007

United Way –Board of Directors – 2003 Campaign Chair, 2004 President 2005 President

Boy Scouts of America – Advisory Board of Directors

Gulf Coast Business Council – Founding member

Gulf Coast Community Foundation – Board of Directors, Past Treasurer, President - 2007