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JUNE 2021

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WOMEN MAKING AN IMPACT

contents

8 5 BE THE CHANGE

Local volunteering opportunities

8 CHATAURA SANDERS

19 DR. AVIS SPARKS

Inspires others with her book, Healing The Body Of Christ

20 DOUBLE BURDEN SYNDROME

Encourages Laurel's youth

Solutions for the overwhelmed

10 RECIPE

Baked Peppers with rice stuffing

12 KELLY ANDREWS

Wants patients to know they're not alone

14 LAUREL'S LEADING LADIES Leave a lasting legacy

23 FLAT FEET

Are they cause for concern?

26 SANDY HOLIFIELD

Retires after 31 years as EDA 17-state regional director

28 WYTH COLLINS

Shares her courageous journey with cancer

16 NIKKI GARCIA

Serves donuts with a smile

Find Your Perfect

ENGAGEMENT RING

is a division of Buckley Newspapers, Inc. publisher

Ronnie Buckley

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Betty Busby | Linda Cranford | Ellen Paul

contributing writers and photographers James Pugh | Linda Cranford | Kevan Lindsey

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Stephanie White | Candice Pittman | Jennifer Clark The information contained in Women Making An Impact is intended for educational and informative purposes only. A reader should never substitute information contained in Women Making An Impact for the advice of a professional. Buckley Newspapers, Inc., the publishers of Women Making An Impact, do not endorse or promote any of the products or services described in the pages of this magazine nor do they verify the accuracy of any claims made in the editorial or advertisements.

Story ideas? Contact Stephanie White at stephanie@laurelimpact.com

Find us online! www.impact601.com/magazines

BE THE

HANGE

VOLUNTEER Volunteering can be a great way for families to spend time together and give back to the community, all the while affording families a chance to reap the many rewards of volunteering.

The following are a handful of potential volunteering opportunities that families can consider:

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Many national and local organizations aim to combat litter via large group cleanup days. These efforts welcome volunteers of all ages, making them ideal ways for families to give back together. But one does not need to wait for a big group cleanup day to make a difference. One family spending a few hours picking up trash at a local park can make a huge difference – and be the spark that initiates others to do the same!

Contact a local homeless shelter to learn about specific volunteering opportunities, which may involve preparing and serving meals; tutoring homeless men, women and children; and involvement in other services shelters offer. Cleaning out old toys, clothes, etc and donating them to a homeless shelter is another great way to give back without sacrificing anything but a little time.

Clothing drives not only benefit the homeless, but they also help people who simply don’t have the means to purchase new clothing. Families can donate their own slightly used clothing to nearby goodwill organizations and organize clothing drives through their schools and places of employment. Encourage neighbors to follow suit and donate their own slightly used items.

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C OV E R S TO RY

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Chataura Sanders PAVES THE WAY FOR LAUREL'S YOUTH

BY CHARLOTTE GRAHAM

s a child growing up in Laurel, 34-year-old Chataura Harper Sanders dreamed of becoming a singer and performing on stages across the country. But like most people, her childhood plans did not turn out as planned. While singing is something Sanders still loves and enjoys, her passion for making a difference in the lives of others led her down a different path. The 2005 Laurel High School graduate attended the University of Southern Mississippi, where she received a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications and a minor in dance in 2010. It was Sanders' love of performing arts that resulted in her first job choice. She applied for a teaching position with the Laurel School District, where she taught sixth through eighth-grade students and served as coach of the high school band's dance team, the Golden Girls. Sanders also started the school's show choir, "Insync." The energetic and ambitious young woman has accomplished much from childhood to adulthood as an elementary student. She was a member of the Nora Davis cheerleading squad and participated in numerous talent competitions. Additionally, she was a member of the Jones College Touch of Gold Dancers and the University of Southern Mississippi's nationally known Dixie Darling dance team. In 2010 she competed in and won the Miss Jones County pageant.

WOMEN MAKING AN IMPACT

She went on to compete in the Miss Mississippi pageant, where she received the non-finalist talent award. Sanders has also been actively involved in her community. She was a member of the YWCA Board, a member of Leadership Jones County, and a singer, actress, and dance coordinator for the Laurel Little Theater. Sanders has been singing and dancing for as long as she can remember. Her mother first enrolled her in dance class when she was four years old. At age 10, the director of the National Dance Institute in New York saw her perform at the University of Southern Mississippi and offered her a dance scholarship. "That was an exciting time for me," said Sanders. "The community was very supportive and pulled together to help me and my mom go to New York for a month. It was interesting and far different from anything I have ever experienced." Sanders had to adjust to the heavy traffic and walking to class on the busy streets of New York. Seeing homeless people on the streets for the first time was quite an eyeopening experience for the youngster. "I was staring at them as we walked by, and my mom told me not to stare," said Sanders. "She explained who they were and that they were living on the streets because they did not have a home or a place to stay. That was sad to me. I wanted to do something to help them."

The desire to help people remained with Sanders throughout high school up until today. In high school, she became involved with the Young Democrats (organization) and became actively involved in other community and civic organizations. The divorced mother of three – Cailyn, 8; Chrisley, 6; and Collin, 3 – is currently employed as an admission counselor for Jones College in Ellisville. “I enjoy my job because I get to help high school and incoming college students,” Sanders said with enthusiasm. “I am connecting students to their future by giving them information about what they should major in and what career choices to make based on their interests. “It’s rewarding to me to see their expressions when we come up with a plan that they are excited about,” added Sanders. “It’s even more rewarding when they follow through and are successful.” Sanders recalls her mother telling her about the joy she felt when her students expressed enthusiasm about learning. When she thinks about it, the conversations she had with her mother while growing up perhaps led to her decision to choose teaching as her first professional occupation. “My mom was a teacher,” said Sanders. “She told me about the joy of teaching and seeing the reactions of her students in class. It’s rewarding when you see them grasping what you are teaching.”

Sanders recalled the first time she noticed how passionate her mom was about teaching and what she was doing to make a difference in the lives of her students. Sanders' mother, Carolyn Dobbins Harper, taught school in Ann Arbor, Michigan, for two years and 28 years at schools in Mississippi. Her last 14 years of teaching were at Laurel High School. “My mom was passionate about teaching,” noted Sanders. “She taught her students more than what was in the textbooks. She taught them about life and the many opportunities that were out there waiting for them.” Sanders added that Harper also taught her children to strive to be the best that they could be. She introduced them to politics and community service at an early age. Her two older brothers, Stacy and Travares Comegys were both elected to political offices in Jones County.Additionally, Sanders once served as chief communications officer for the Jones County Board of Supervisors. “Mom started the Young Democrats (organization) at Laurel High School,” explained Sanders. “She taught us all about politics and the importance of voting.” Harper said she wanted her children and others to realize the importance of exercising their rights. "While teaching at Laurel High School, I noticed there was a teenage Republican group, but not a Young Democrat chapter, she said. "I looked in the yearbooks, no Democrats." Harper then went to then-principal Ronnie Jones and ask about starting the Young Democrats. Jones gave his approval. Ricky Cole, who served as president of the Young Democrats at Mississippi State University in 1985 and chairman of the Mississippi Democratic Party from 2001 to 2004, attended the first meeting, and the group was organized.

{

Continued on page 10

1. 2010 Miss Jones County 2. One of the 9 trophies that Chataura won from the Dr. Martin L. King talent shows in Laurel 3. Performing in the Miss Mississippi Pageant 4. Nora Davis Cheerleader 5. Dixie Darlings Dance Team at USM 6. Chataura and her mom 7. USM Graduation WOMEN MAKING AN IMPACT

Sanders continued from page 9

{

"It was important that students understood government, the branches of government, and their function," explained Harper. "It was important that students understood the importance of registering to vote and voting in all elections. We campaigned for many candidates." Sanders was too young to campaign for political office herself, so Sanders found another platform to campaign for causes that were close to her heart. She competed in the Miss Jones County pageant and campaigned to bring awareness to the problem of youth obesity. Bishop W. E. Bridges, Sanders' pastor at Hosanna Missionary Baptist Church in Ellisville, said Harper continues to be an advocate for the youth. Bridges described Harper as a woman of tremendous character and grit. "As a single mother, she has done a remarkable job with her children," said the minister. "I see her working with the young girls at the church and teaching them how to conduct themselves concerning life." Bridges added that despite life's circumstances, some that did not turn out as she had hoped, she remained strong and focused. "Chataura is a young woman of wonderful character," said Bridges. "She is a member of the church choir, and she always takes time to talk to young girls about getting on the right path and following God's direction."

The minister also stated that Sanders also talks to youth at the church about education and what they plan to major in when they attend college. It is something Bridges said Sanders is deeply passionate about. “She is genuinely a good person,” he said. Sanders describes herself as a people person, one who trusts and believes in God. “It’s been challenging being a mother of three young children and working full-time,” Sanders stated. “God has given me the strength to endure. "I have discovered that the more kids you have, the stronger your prayer life gets," Sanders said amidst laughter. "Some days are tough." Sanders can rest assured that she has at least one cheerleader in her corner to provide encouragement and motivation. Her mother stated: “I am truly blessed to have a talented daughter like Chataura. She is an asset to her family, church, and community. I am excited to see the blessings God has for her.” Sanders’ father, Jimmie Harper, is deceased. Although Sanders considers herself blessed to accomplish what she has in life, she said she would not be satisfied until she fulfills her lifelong dream. "My dream is to perform with a live band," said Sanders. "I don't care when or where. I want to do it." And chances are Sanders will do it.

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Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the chicken, pork and ham or bacon until colored on all sides. Take the pan off the heat and reserve. Meanwhile, cook the rice in plenty of boiling salted water until done — usually about 15 minutes, but follow the instructions on the package. Drain and reserve the rice. Add the garlic, chopped tomatoes, green bell pepper, corn kernels, paprika, saffron, salt and pepper, and parsley to the pan containing the meat. Let the sauce simmer and reduce the volume of liquid by about half. Stir the rice into the sauce. Oil a deep ovenproof dish big enough to take all the peppers. Cut off “lids” at the stalk ends of the peppers and remove the seeds. Stuff them with the meat and rice mixture and replace the lids. Tuck the peppers into the dish, cover with foil, and bake at 325 F for 11⁄4 hours.

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Every person has something that drives them each day to make an impact. For Kelly Andrews, there are a few things that do that, but the most important thing for the Arkansas, now Laurel, native is to make sure victims who are involved in accidents are not alone. That passion drives her each day, and because of that, she has made a difference in countless lives in Jones County and surrounding areas serving with the Sharon Volunteer Fire Department. “I’m originally from Arkansas,” said Andrews. ”I lived there for 23 years. At 18, I was able to start at the volunteer fire department in Helena, Arkansas. I started with them, running calls and things like that. They have paid volunteer firefighters, so we were jumping on calls all the time, even whenever I was finishing my senior year of high school and taking two loads of classes to the college I planned to attend. I worked a part-time job too, so everything started up there in Arkansas.” “I moved to Mississippi in 2008, well, Laurel in 2008. Around 2014 I became involved with the EMR side of things because in February of 2014 my mother was in a horrible car accident [in Friars Point, Mississippi]. She was considered a traumatic brain injury patient. She laid in a field for 54 minutes by herself with no help. When an ambulance did show up 57 minutes later, we found out the station was seven miles down the road,” continued Andrews. 12

WOMEN MAKING AN IMPACT

Andrews proceeded to show her servant’s heart, caring for her mother who was told she had little hope of leading her previous life as an educator. “From then on, I stayed with my mom for over three months as she was admitted to the trauma center in Memphis, Tennessee. She ended up being transferred to Forrest General. They were ranked in the top four percent in the nation for rehab services. Within three weeks they taught her how to eat, drink, walk, and talk. It was like a newborn baby learning these things. At that time, she had been a college instructor. She had taught that morning and had gone to get something to eat when someone hit her. She was ejected from the vehicle, nearly 25 feet. They told me that she would be a vegetable on day three, but I told them they did not know her. I nursed her and did everything I could do.” Her mother not only recovered from the incident but has gone on to continue her career according to Andrews. “Just this year marked her 45th year of teaching and she plans for year 46 in the upcoming semester.” Watching her mother drove Andrews more into the medical side of the volunteer fire department life, and she has again excelled at it, being there for people in their most chaotic moments. “Because of that, I became much more involved on the medical side of the first responder profession. I saw first-hand what things were like on the other side as a family

member and patient. I want to be able to get the victim stabilized if it is a car accident, or whatever it may be,” stated Andrews. “I want to be able to help whether it is giving them CPR or putting a band-aid on their knee. Whatever it may be until the ambulance arrives. I want to be able to hold their hand and tell them it is going to be okay, even when it may not be okay. I don’t want them to feel alone, because I know my mom was alone.” Not only has Andrews assisted people in trauma-related accidents, but she formed what is now known as, “Shop with a Firefighter” which has been successful over the past five years. “The next year [2015], I was swinging on my front porch swing and thought how cool it would be to do a shop with a firefighter event. Jones County does a shop with a cop event, and it is fantastic. I made a few phone calls and got everything squared away, and this past year marked the fifth year we’ve done the event with Sharon Volunteer Fire Department. We’ve already started working towards a goal of taking 25 kids. We are already halfway to our financial goal of taking all 25. Last year, we were able to take just over 20 kids, so this could be the largest event. I would take all of Jones County if I could, but there are only so many volunteers.” She went on to explain what drove her to do the event and how the department finds children who are in need. “We work with the counselors at the

Andrews' passion as volunteer first responder leads females forward. schools, and they lead us to families who have a hard time, like if their home burned down, or they’ve had a loss in the family that affected their home life. We just had a raffle that went well, and now we are working on a fleamarket, mini-fair food event at a church in Sharon for the first weekend in October.” “My daughter was in the Jones County School District, and when I volunteered to chaperone and things like that, I was able to see first-hand some of the kids and their situations. Some even wanted to talk, because they didn’t have anyone to talk to. I would listen to their stories, then go to calls, and it broke my heart. We often don’t know how less fortunate some kids in Jones County are until you see it first hand. I wanted to do what I could do as a first responder to get people involved. Not one single person in our department doesn’t support shop with a

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Leading Ladies event a success; The first annual Leading Ladies event was held Thursday evening and much fun was had, with NFL referee Sarah Thomas leading the way as the featured guest speaker. “This is so exciting to be here tonight at this event,” said Miranda Beard, who was honored as the special emcee of the night. Several ladies were honored throughout the evening, with Thomas speaking, while Lisa Cochran and Dr. Patricia Tibbs also spoke during the event. “I’ve been a hairdresser for 39 years, so I don’t look at myself as a trailblazer, but from a very young age I saw how creativity can shape a woman,” said Cochran during her time speaking. 1.

Cochran shared the purpose of Dwell, which provides transitional housing for women coming in recovery, free from incarceration, domestic abuse, or divorce. “Dwell partners to develop independent life skills based on Biblical principles necessary to sustain a lifestyle of recovery to include safe, secure permanent housing placement and future progress in life,” according to the official website. “It started in 2004 with a vision,” said Cochran. “Sometimes, when the Lord gives you an idea, he may not bring it to fruition right then. It may take time so He can develop you, and give you that skillset to succeed.” Dr. Tibbs also spoke at the event and encouraged others with her story. “We put barriers on ourselves, on our daughters, and people on what they can and can’t do. For many years, women have

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had a lot of barriers, and this is not to say men should have barriers, because I want my son to be successful, but I also want my three daughters to do whatever the Lord put them on this earth to do. That will be an amazing thing to see,” said Dr.Tibbs. “I love being a part of firsts, so I want to thank Nichole [Kelly] for letting me be a part of this first,” said Thomas as she took the stage of the event. “I want to tell everyone that whatever it took to start this organization and event, don’t stop. Don’t let it end. Continue what you’re doing,” added Thomas. Thomas is a Pascagoula native and broke barriers in 2015 when she became the second woman to officiate an NFL game and the first to do so for a full season. She also officiated Super Bowl LV in Tampa in 2020. Her jersey, hat, whistle, and flag from the game are currently displayed in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Sarah Thomas shares her story

“So many people think that when the NFL hired me that’s when Sarah Thomas arrived. I am just like you here in Laurel, Mississippi. I’m a hard-working mother who doesn’t want a handout,” continued Thomas. “I’m from Mississippi and I love it here.” “I was the first girl to play in the Pascagoula City League [basketball team] because they didn’t have a girl’s league,” said Thomas about her time growing up in Pascagoula.“I played in City League, high school, college, and after college, I played in a church league.” “In 2015, I got hired by the NFL full-time. It’s hard to believe I’ve already finished my sixth season and we are already preparing for our seventh. My sixth season started crazy due to COVID, but it is hard to believe the bowtie ended with the Super Bowl. It was amazing. It was another game for me, but at the end of the game, I was able to take it in. It was the first time all three of my kids were at the game together with me,” said Thomas. “I pray for the day that young girls don’t even have to ask ‘can girls do that’ because they know it’s already been done,” said Thomas as she concluded. 6.

1. Nichole Kelly and Sheila Lyon Hennis introduce themselves and discuss who will be speaking. 2. Sarah Thomas, a Mississippi native, spoke to ladies about her upbringing and how she became the NFL's first female referee. 3. Dr. Patricia Tibbs spoke to the crowd, encouraging young women to achieve their goals. 4. Lisa Cochran speaks during the Leading Ladies of Laurel event. 5. Robin Robinson, representing District 88 of the House of Representatives was recognized at the first annual event. 6. Sierra Sky Davis leads the crowd in the singing of the National Anthem.

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onuts with a smile. – it's a heavenly combination at Garcia Donuts. Nikki Garica wasn’t born into the business — like her husband Michael Garcia was — she married into it. "Michael's dad came here from Nicaragua when he was 17," said Nikki. "He went to college and built the American dream. He started this business; of course, it was Shipley's at the time.Years later, Michael came along and took over the business. I guess you could say he was born into it. “He came to work every day with his mom. Every year of his life, he was working at the donut shop. When he became our daughter's age, around 12 or so, he was pretty much a full-time employee when he was not at school. When he graduated high school, this was his career. He didn't do college. He continued to work here after high school, so it was his life after that.” When Nikki and Michael married years later, Michael’s life quickly became her life. As Nikki says, the choice to join her husband’s business, an established mom-and-pop business, was one she felt led to and not pressured. “When we got married, and I had a job outside [of the business] and somewhere along the way, in so many words, he said, you know this mom-and-pop business is missing a part of that,” said Nikki. “It was in my heart too. I already felt led to come here.” At the time, the Garcia family business was a franchise restaurant of Shipley Donuts, that first opened in 1965. In 2018, Nikki and Michael took a giant leap of faith and reopened as an independent restaurant named Garcia Donuts. Even before the transition, the family’s business reflected that of a mom-and-pop establishment. “We always operated as a momand-pop,” said Nikki. “Even though we had a name that you could find in another state, or, in various locations, we always operated independently.” Nikki says the transition came after much prayer and consideration. "When we felt like we didn't have that individuality that we once had, and when Shipley's started trying — and

WOMEN MAKING AN IMPACT

understandably so — to streamline things and make everybody look just alike, that was when we knew it was time to break away," said Garcia. "It was the scariest decision we've ever made business-wise. It was met with lots of prayers. Together, we embarked on the journey that would lead to Garcia Donuts. "There was a comfortability in knowing that God was going to bless us. We knew God would lead us through it and that He was going to take care of us. He absolutely did.” Nikki recalls the first day under the new name. “The first day our sign changed out front, and the word got out on social media, we couldn't keep the line down,” said Nikki. “The line flowed out onto 16th Avenue. It stayed that way for weeks. “Laurel loves mom-and-pop businesses. They've responded very well to the transition.”

Nikki’s approach to business — and life in general — is deeply rooted in her Christian faith. "Our take in every aspect of life is to treat people like family," said Nikki. "Our customers are like family. It's a blessing when you get to know someone to the point that you can pray for them and care about whatever they're going through. There's a blessing in that, and we've seen it unfold. To love people and care about what's going on in their life – we approach every aspect of our life like that." Her approach is an example to the community and Nikki and Michael’s four children — all girls.

"Our kids work here too," said Nikki. "We have four girls, ages 12, 11, 9, and 7. When we're here, they're here – if they're not in school. They're active in sports and things of the sort. We're always on the go, but when we're not, we're here together." "All great things come from a good work ethic and a good attitude. We want our girls to have both of those. We want them to love God, and we want them to work hard. We want them to have a good attitude and be grateful for everything.

Every day that you wake up, and you're able to put your feet on the floor and go work is a blessing. While the donut/restaurant has done exceptionally well since the transition, Nikki says there have been trying times, namely dealing with COVID-19. “There was a fear that we wouldn't be able to keep our employees working,” said Nikki. “We have folks that depend on this paycheck for their family, and so we were in constant prayer about that.We feared that we were not going to be able to take care of our employees, but the entire time our business stayed strong.We kept our drive-thru open, and customers, without complaint, waited in long lines. “Now post-COVID, it has been an issue in trying to find additional help. But we have the most fantastic core staff that have stepped up to the plate, and they're getting the job done.”

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aurel resident Dr. Avis Sparks, founder of A. Spark Ministries LLC, released her first book two years ago after much prayer and contemplation. The book, “Healing the Body of Christ: Embracing Abundant Life,” is released by Trilogy Christian Publishing, a subsidiary company of the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) of Santa Ana, CA. “Healing the Body of Christ” takes readers on a journey of knowledge, deliverance, healing, and growth. Dr. Sparks diligently references and explains the Word of God to help guide the reader towards maturity and wholeness in Christ, discusses hindrances to receiving deliverance and walking in the character of God, and addresses the church’s brokenness and details the cure and treatment God readily provides. Having spent most of her higher learning experiences in the sciences, Dr. Sparks loves to research and find answers to problems humanity faces. She truly believes that the Word of God and God’s love addresses them all. After hours of meditation and study, Dr. Sparks penned powerful words of inspiration to the people of God.

“As a child, I loved story time with my mother,” said Dr. Sparks. “I enjoyed listening and imagining the Bible stories that my mother told so animatedly.” The story of Daniel in the lion's den and David and Goliath excited her the most. She could feel the boldness and faith that the characters had in God and wanted the same relationship with Him. Her love for a good story soon transformed into a passion for the Word of God, and as she grew, she began to understand the love that God had for her. Dr. Sparks said her mother, Dr. Brenda Simms, encouraged her to study God's Word at a young age and know it for herself. During her efforts, she grew in faith, and her desire to share God's love and Word with others blossomed. Her shyness kept her from starting many conversations, but her passion drove her to write personal letters instead. Her writing progressed to journaling and writing sermonettes, poetry, inspirational devotionals, and books. Dr. Sparks spent most of her higher learning experience in the sciences. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Tougaloo College and a Ph.D.

in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. While working on her post-doctoral training at the Children’s Hospital of New Orleans, Dr. Sparks had a dream of sitting in an elementary class with her niece and nephews and being told that all her degrees meant nothing because she had not passed kindergarten. “All the hard work I had done and the time I had invested amounted to nothing because I had yet to master elementary principles,” she said. “Once I awoke, I awed at how deceptive progressing forward in life could be. “Progress and achievements are significant; however, God holds mastering the elementary principles of love, faith, and hope,” she explained. “The elementary principals are vital and fundamental to learn, yet life has a way of trying to steal them away.” This dream renewed Dr. Sparks’ focus on her passion - the sharing of knowledge. After finishing she had the opportunity to stay home with her two children and dedicate time to studying the Word of God, and finally write the books she felt inspired to share. She truly believes that the Word of God and His love addresses all the issues of humanity, and she wants to share the truths she has learned with others. Dr. Sparks is the founder of A Spark Ministries, LLC, a web-based ministry that provides devotionals and other encouraging and enlightening material for the believer and the curious. She is a wife, mother, and a budding author, teacher, and speaker. Dr. Avis Sparks and her husband, Dr. Kendrick Sparks - a physician at South Central Regional Medical Center - live in Laurel with their two children. Copies of Healing the Body of Christ: Embracing Abundant Life are currently available at Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com, Books-A-Million, and IndieBound.

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WOMEN MAKING AN IMPACT

From Administrative Assistant to 17-State Regional Director by Linda Cranford

n 1990, when Sandy Holifield first started with the Economic Development Authority of Jones County, there were very few women involved with EDA across the country. “There were more (women) on the community development/chamber side, but not that many on the economic development side,” explained Holifield, who recently retired from the EDA of Jones County after 31 years of service. “Going to our statewide meetings through the years, you could see the evolution happen. It was so exciting to see women coming into the profession.” She added that the age component started to happen, and you could see the younger female faces starting to come in, and they were coming in on the economic development side. In 1990, Holifield was a stay-at-home mom when a friend told her about a position available at the EDA of Jones County for an administrative assistant. Holifield interviewed with EDA President Mitch Stennett and was offered the job. After approximately a year and a half, Holifield was named interim Chamber Director and then Chamber Director.

WOMEN MAKING AN IMPACT

“I told Mitch (Stennett) I wasn’t sure I was ready, but he said I was,” exclaimed Holifield. So began thirty-one years of on-thejob training, promotions, and experiences Holifield never thought possible when she decided to enter the workforce after being a stay-at-home mom. Over the years, she has served as Tech Park Coordinator, Economic Development Director, Vice President, and Leadership Development Workforce Training Existing Industry Director. “Other than bookkeeping, I’ve done it all,” exclaimed Holifield. In 2014, Holifield was elected SEDC (Southern Economic Development Council) Mississippi State Director and then 17-state Southern Regional Director. As Southern Regional Director and member of the SEDC Executive Committee, this put Jones County in the national spotlight in the Economic Development profession. The impact Holifield has made on our community over the past thirtyone years will be felt for several years to come. Those who went through the Leadership Jones County and Future Leaders programs will remember the contributions she made to their experience. When asked to define the role of the EDA in the community, Holifield responded saying, “Bob Geddis told me one time, you know the chamber does tea and cookies, and the economic development gives them the money to buy it.” Once again, she broke out into

that laughter of hers that will be missed by all. “That’s pretty much what happens. The economic development does more community base building of the economy, supporting business, industry, and jobs, and building the citizens to support themselves and their families. The goal has always been for the children to go to school, come back home, have a job, and continue to grow the community. We’re fortunate that so many of our businesses and industries are locally owned and that they will stay. We have a good history of business and industry in Jones County. That Free State of Jones and entrepreneurial spirit is real. It’s not just something that was put on a movie screen. It’s been fun to see our businesses thrive the way they have. As diverse as they are, when one would go down, the others would pick up. I think that is why we’ve thrived during a lot of those times when the country was seeing bad times.” Holifield was an influential part of the EDA team that brought GE Aviation to Jones County. When a manufacturer or company is interested in bringing their operation to an area, secrecy is always a significant part of the process. Most often, even the EDA staff doesn’t know who they are dealing with. Prior to their visit, the interested party will contact the Mississippi Development Authority and request more information. The MDA will then send RFIs (Request for Information) to the EDA of Jones County. The EDA team will spend hours,

months, and even years providing the requested information. When GE Aviation was looking at the site in the Tech Park, Mississippi Power had launched their project-ready initiatives across the state. Jones County was the first to partner with Mississippi Power to make the Tech Park a certified shovel-ready project site. To be a shovelready project required utilities to be in place and all types of certifications to be obtained, including environmental certifications from the EPA. “The EPA would check the sites for endangered species like the gopher tortoise or Indian artifacts,” exclaimed Holifield. “It would take months to get the clearance from the EPA to do anything.” Holifield said it was a team of women working together plus Stennett that made the project work, and GE Aviation choose Jones County. “Stacy Lester was from the state MDA, Jena Lentz was with Mississippi Power, Marlo Dorsey was the EDA Chair, and I think Linda Gavin was Vice-Chair,” said Holifield. “Then there was Mitch,” added Holifield, laughing. “It was fun. It was

hard. And it was fun. We had to keep it a secret from everyone, including the office staff, for several weeks.” Holifield said they could work for four or five years with an interested company, but with GE Aviation, it was quick – only two years. Holifield believes the future with the next generation will do business differently from what we see presently. “It’s time to go,” exclaimed Holifield. “It’s time to let the younger folks step in and step up. With the next generation, there is a whole new way of getting the job done. "

I’ve loved every aspect of my time at EDA and the friendships I have made. I appreciate the time and talents the volunteers tirelessly give to the organization. It is what makes EDA successful.”

In 2018, Holifield was awarded Honorary Life Member of the Southern Economic Development Council. She is pictured here (seated center) with members of the economic development professionals from 17 southeastern states in the U.S., former Jones County EDA President Mitch Stennett standing first on the left and her husband Lewis standing next to Stennett. Photo submitted

WOMEN MAKING AN IMPACT

Wyth Collins’

COURAGEOUS JOURNEY BY LINDA CRANFORD

wo years ago, Wyth Collins accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. Little did she know at the time what was in store for her and how much her faith and friends would play an essential role in her journey through life. Shortly after Collins was saved, she began teaching third and fourth graders at her church, Journey Church. Since she was saved at an older age, she said it is important to teach children about scriptures to help them make more God-like decisions. Collins is married to Michael Collins, a nurse practitioner at East Jones Family Medicine in Sandersville. Together they have three children, Eli (17), Elizabeth (9), and Casey (3). Recently Collins was diagnosed with lymphoma cancer and is now traveling back and forth from UAB in Alabama to receive chemotherapy. “Other than shocking, it has been overwhelming with all of the community support,” exclaimed Collins about learning she had cancer. “I was in the hospital for five weeks between South Central and UAB before we found out.

WOMEN MAKING AN IMPACT

We have three kids. Everybody just picked up and did with the kids, visited at the hospital when they could, brought meals, and have been so supportive. It’s overwhelming to see what a community we live in and how kind people are, and how much they want to do and help their neighbors.” For the past thirteen years, Collins has been serving the community and making sure her neighbors were adequately cared for by serving as the Director of Emergency Services and Disaster Planning at South Central Regional Medical Center. Sherry Brewer, Vice President of Emergency Services at SCRMC, said this about Collins, “She is a Nationally Registered Emergency Medical TechnicianParamedic (NREMT-P). She continuously showed up to work with a positive outlook despite being sick. Wyth devotes herself to many roles within the EMServ division. This includes: daily operations at the hospital, front-line assistance with EMServ, assisted with COVID vaccine administration, assisted first responders during tornado relief in the community, and countless community outreach opportunities during COVID. For instance, Wyth helped an elderly husband communicate with his wife through FaceTime, who was an inpatient for an extended period of time. Wyth works to improve the quality of care to our community. She is an active member of the Jones County Health Care Coalition, serves on various committees throughout SCRMC and state-level EMS groups. Wyth played an important role in developing the SCRMC Stroke Standard of Care for emergency response.

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To summarize Wyth’s dedication to South Central Regional Medical Center, she is a forward thinker, a problem solver, motivator, leader, and compassionate. She is committed to her community and her staff. Collins is very involved in the community as well, volunteering and participating in events such as Relay for Life, March of Dimes, and the American Heart Association. “There is one word that describes Wyth, and that is ‘selfless,’” exclaimed her best friend Day Gibbes. Gibbes described her first time meeting Collins was at SCRMC, where they both work and have children the same age. Walking down the hall one day, Collins stopped Gibbes and offered Gibbes some of her daughter’s clothes that she had outgrown for her daughter. “A totally selfless act,” exclaimed Gibbes. “That’s how we met. Our daughters, who are both nine years old now, are best buddies.” “Wyth is such an inspiration,” said Gibbes. “She has not wavered at all during this. She always says whatever God’s will is, I’m okay with that. That is such a testimony to me and so many others.” In talking about the beginning of her journey to fight cancer, Collins said, “I can’t speak enough about all the love we’ve received from all the healthcare providers. They’ve all gone out of the way to make sure that we were ahead of the curve.” Collins explained that they were fortunate to have found the cancer early. She noticed a bruising under her arm that had suddenly appeared without reason. She went to her primary physician, and blood tests were performed. The blood test

courageous

showed an abnormality, and further tests were conducted, including a bone marrow biopsy before the diagnosis was made. Her cancer is an aggressive cancer needing an aggressive treatment. She will spend approximately 21 days total at UAB and receive four treatments with short breaks between treatments. The treatments alternate between short and long days. The short days have her taking chemo five days straight and then waiting for her white blood cell count to rise before she is allowed to come home for a few days. The long-day treatment has her taking chemo for ten days straight and waiting again for her white blood cell count to rise to a safe point for her to return home. Throughout this time, she must limit her exposure to others because of her autoimmune system being compromised. When this article was written, Collins was on her way to UAB for her second treatment, a short (5-day) treatment. “The number of people praying is well past a hundred, and we can feel the prayers,” stated Collins. “We’ve been able to see some true miracles in the blood work even after the first treatment.” “This journey that we are on would be extremely difficult without our faith,” said Collins. “I’m not sure we would be so lifted up as we have been without our faith. I think very few people live in our area that hasn’t done something for us, either prayed for us, brought a meal, or kept one of our kids. People we don’t even know tell us they’re praying for me.”

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