Community, business leaders join distinguished group

By MARY PEREZ/SUN HERALD

BILOXI — The Sun Herald’s Outstanding Community Leaders Class of 2010 and the Top 10 Business Leaders Under 40 named April 25, 2011, joined a distinguished list of honorees dating back to 2002.

John McFarland, marketing services director for Sun Herald Multimedia, said since the Class of 2002 was inducted into the Roland Weeks Hall of Fame, South Mississippi hasn’t run short of qualified candidates. Instead the judges had a difficult time choosing just 10 in each category.

Many of the men and women who were nominated and won the awards are graduates of leadership programs through the Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce and the Gulf Coast Business Council. All are on long lists of organizations that benefit from their time and talents.

“We have encouraged and developed leadership to the extent we never had before,” said former Sun Herald publisher Roland Weeks, for whom the award was named.

Bradley Rhines, vice president of marketing and casino operations at the IP Casino Resort in Biloxi, was one of the winners of the Top 10 Business Leaders Under 40.

Rhines said he was inspired by Weeks and encouraged by the recognition of leaders. He said he was considering keeping the award on his desk.

“This one’s important,” he said.

Their families, business associates and past winners gave them a standing ovation. Scott Walker, a 2007 “Under 40” winner, who was injured recently in an airplane accident, attended the breakfast at the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino with his father, William Walker, one of last year’s Community Leaders.

Biloxi attorney Ron Peresich was the keynote speaker at the leadership breakfast.

For the text of Peresich's speech, click here to download (PDF)