Terry elected MPA-MPS President
The publisher of the Daily Corinthian was elected president of the Mississippi Press Association and Mississippi Press Services for 2009-2010 during the organization’s 143rd Annual Convention in Biloxi.
Reece Terry accepted the gavel from outgoing president Randy Ponder, publisher of the Sea Coast Echo, who becomes immediate past president and chairman of the MPA Education Foundation.
Terry, who first joined the MPA Board in 2005, is also publisher of The Banner Independent, a weekly newspaper in Booneville. His experience in the newspaper industry includes advertising sales, production, systems management and sales management. Prior to his work in print journalism, Terry held positions as a production manager, chief engineer, operations manager and station manager in broadcasting.
He is an active member of the MPA advertising committee and most recently served as the 2009 convention chairman. He annually serves as a moderator for the MPA Silver Dollar Breakfast during the Mid-Winter Conference.
At home, Terry is a member of the Corinth-Alcorn County United Way board of directors and serves as fund drive chairman. He is a member of the Corinth Rotary Club and is an advisory board member for the Salvation Army. He also serves as a member of the Corinth Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Council.
Terry and his wife, Sharon, have two children, Chris, 17 and LeeAnn, 15.
In his acceptance speech during the President’s Banquet on the Gulf Coast, Terry reminded MPA members and guests that it is incumbent upon our industry to tell the public about our strengths during turbulent economic times.
“Nobody else will do it,” he said. “There is plenty of bad news for broadcasters, but you don’t hear talk from them about that. We have to do a better job talking about what our papers do for our communities.”
Also elected to leadership positions during the convention were Wyatt Emmerich of The Northside Sun, vice president for weeklies; Jimmy Clark of The Vicksburg Post, vice president for dailies; and James E. Prince III of The Neshoba Democrat, treasurer.
Elected to a three-year term on the board was Judith “Skippy” Haik of the Laurel Leader-Call. Haik returns to the board after serving an abbreviated term from 2007-2009 while serving as publisher of The Hattiesburg American.
Returning for the their second three-year terms on the board are David Hampton of The Clarion-Ledger, Clay McFerrin of The Sun-Sentinel and Rupert Howell of The Panolian.