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Biography

I was born October 10, 1958 in Mobile Alabama. Our family, including my older sister Cindy, moved to Hattiesburg when I was the age of two.

We moved back to the Oak Grove community when I was 4 years old, to the childhood home of my father and present home of Thomley's Santa Forest located at 50 Hegwood Road (District 3) for the past 40 years.

At the age of 12 I was baptized at Calvary Baptist Church just down the road from where I lived. Across the street from the church is where my Grandparents (Thomleys) lived. They were farmers all of their lives and also were custodians at the church for most of my youth.

I grew up riding the mostly gravel roads of Lamar County in my dad’s dark green 1954 Chevrolet pick-up truck and on my motorcycle. Back then having a license to drive, especially outside the city of Hattiesburg, did not seem to be much of an issue. I remember many times driving on the old gravel washboard roads to haul our garbage out past Richburg Road to the dump .

I attended school at Oak Grove for 12 years. Back then all of Oak Grove school consisted of just three or four building located where the middle school is now. All 12 grades were in a couple of buildings. When I was in the 5th grade, I had a choice if I wanted my mother’s mom (Mary Foy) and my granny as my teacher, I said yes. When I was in the 6th grade my granny also taught me Mississippi history. That was really special. My granny Thomley also worked in the lunch room and made the best lunch rolls ever.

Other teachers I remember are Mrs. Salters (2nd grade), Mrs. Sistrunk (8th grade English), Mrs. Lott (Library and Study Hall), Mrs. Smalley (6th grade) and of course Carolyn Lott, (Adams) then councilor and Beta Club representative.

My education includes:

  • Graduated from Oak Grove High School in 1976
  • Graduated as a member of the Beta Club
  • One of the Permanent Team Captains of the 1976 Oak Grove Warrior Class A State Championship Team
  • Played my first year of college baseball at Pearl River Junior College.
  • Signed a scholarship to pitch for William Carey College
  • Graduated from William Carey College in 1980 with a major in Business and a minor in Accounting.
In 1980 I married Jane Elizabeth Duff from Columbia, MS. We have three children: Jeremy, 25, Amanda, 20, and Michael, 10. I lived in Columbia for about 12 years while working in the family business "Southern Tire Mart". At the time was a small business with sales of about 3 million a year. With the involvement of all family members the business grew to over 145 million in sales at which time it was sold in 1997.

We immediately moved back to Lamar County where we presently live at 219 W. Canebrake Blvd. My wife and I desired the best for our children and felt Lamar County was the place to be. Logistically the move also placed us directly between both sets of grandparents and we feel their influence over our kids is priceless!!!

At present I work at New York Life Insurance selling Life and Health products to individuals as well as company benefits. Again I feel a service to those I have come in contact with and continue to feel that I provide a valued service to the community.

It is my desire to continue in service to the community by representing my fellow Lamar County citizens as Supervisor of District 4. I feel I have much to offer from my vast experiences with business, youth programs, family, and church leadership.

Family:
Our family has been a part of Lamar County for many years. For the past 40 years, we've operated Thomley's Santa Forest Christmas Tree Farm.

As a part of Southern Tire Mart from 1981-1998, I was in sales for the first three years then managed the retreading operation of the tire company. Southern Tire started with one plant in Columbia, MS then grew to 18 retread facilities in MS, AL, LA, TN and TX.

family

family

Serving your fellow man is the most rewarding of all activities.

katrina

I truly believe serving your fellow man is the most rewarding of all activities. Following the example of Christ is always the best road to travel.

Community Involvement:
For the past 22 years I have been involved with the youth program at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I have served in many callings but, all have been very much connected to the youth and the Boy Scouts of America.

I served more than two years as the Scoutmaster of Troop 124 in Oak Grove and have about 16 active scouts. My positions in church service have kept me involved with this community and very much prepared me for a quartermaster type of roll after hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Our church sent in truckloads of supplies including food, water, generators, gas, cots, sleeping bags, tents, 5000 tarps with roofing supplies, as well as over 2200 hundred volunteers from the southern states to help bring the devastated area relief.

I feel my involvement helping to organize this tremendous relief effort really helped me develop a renewed passion for Lamar County and the surrounding area.