What are your hobbies?
I like to travel, shop, enjoy nature, and take in a good movie. Romantic comedies and "Tuner Classic Movies" are at the top of my list. Some of my favorite classic movies include "A Roman Holiday," "The Seven Year Itch," and "Carmen Jones." I also enjoy a good old-fashioned barbeque with family and friends and going to the Ross Barnett Reservoir! Did I say shopping? :-)

What makes you special and unique?
One thing that makes me special is the fact that I’m a “big sister” to two younger sisters and one younger brother. Being the firstborn gives me a unique perspective on life, maturity, and responsibility.

What is the best advice you have ever received?
The best advice I’ve ever received is to "…work not unto man, but unto the Lord." To me, this means to do your best at every single thing that you do – including being a friend, an employee, a sister, a listener, a teacher. In many ways, if you follow this principle you become the best (or an indispensable) friend, employee, student, or teacher. You can’t be replaced and you’ve left your distinguished mark.

Name one thing you cannot live without.
I literally cannot live without the love and support of friends and family. No one is independent and humans don’t thrive in isolation. I owe so much of my achievement to the support team of close loved ones that help me and encourage me through the “ups and downs” (and boy, are there some downs. I plainly cannot live without the help of others.

What is the most valuable lesson you ever learned?
The most valuable lesson I’ve ever learned is to: ask for help. Humility involves being able to accept a reaching hand that’s trying to offer assistance. Although I’ve always been very independent, I’ve now learned to graciously accept a helping hand.

Who is your most valued role model and why?
My most valued role models are my mother and grandmother. They are true reflections of love, grace, beauty, hard work, intellect, sacrifice, and faith. In fact, the success of their children is a testament to their integrity and virtue.

What was your most unexpected moment?
My most unexpected moment was reading an acceptance letter from Harvard Medical School’s Health Policy Summer Program. I was both thrilled and anxious to be able to study and one of the nation’s finest institutions, work in a field that I’m passionate about, and “survive” on my own in a city over 1,300 miles away from home. By the way, everyone in Boston loved my Southern accent!

What is your workout routine?
Before heading to the office, I like to start the day with either a brisk walk outside in the morning air or relaxing Tai Chi. I love my membership at the YMCA. There, I use cardio equipment and attend a fabulous water-aerobics class. I also use resistance (weight) training which is great for toning muscles (and preventing osteoporosis).

What has been your biggest accomplishment to date?
My biggest accomplishment to date involves being a good role model for my two sisters, Regina and Briana. I went to college at 16 and earned my Master’s degree by 22. My sisters have seen this example and are also top scholars, athletes, and leaders at their schools.

What is the best compliment you have ever received?
The best compliment I have ever received was from one of our distinguished Board Members. While having lunch with a friend in downtown Jackson I spoke him. He stood up, firmly shook my hand, and said, "Tiffiney, you are such a joy to work with and a pleasant person to be around. Your smile and pleasant demeanor light up the room." Both the board member and my CEO make me feel valued in the workplace and remind me that I’m making a difference.

What is your secret wish?
My secret wish is to learn to swim! I’ve tried both group and private lessons and haven’t been able to get comfortable with several hundred gallons of water. Ironically, I love to relax in a bubble bath.

What was your most embarrassing moment?
The only thing that comes to mind is the time I walked into the men’s bathroom at Bonsai (they’ve got the best hibachi chefs) which was about 2 months ago. Unfortunately, I think the poor guy walking out the door was more horrified than I was!

What is your biggest guilty pleasure?
My biggest guilty pleasure is savoring a Hershey’s Cookies-N-Cream white chocolate bar. They melt in your mouth!

What is your favorite movie and why?
All of friends can attest that I am not good at picking ONE favorite. The contemporary movies that top my favorites list are: My Best Friend’s Wedding (Julia Roberts), Divine Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood (Ashley Judd), Toy Story (Tom Hanks), and The Incredibles. I love movies that stir my emotions and all of these favorites either make me laugh, cry, or both. Toy Story would have to be #1 because of "Woody’s" emphatic "You-Are-A-Toy!" monologue (hilarious).

What is your favorite color and why?
Funny story: Ever since elementary school I’ve not been able to decide on ONE favorite – I just can’t decide. :-) I have top three favorites in almost every category (movie, food, color etc). My favorite COLORS are royal purple, apple green, and navy blue. Apple green is one of my sorority colors and can be paired with black, chocolate, cream, or any color and still look great. When decorating, it makes you happy and think positively. Royal purple is deep and vibrant and complements my tone. Finally, I can’t have enough navy blue in my wardrobe. It has a very crisp look.

What do you like to do for fun... relaxation... recreation?
I love to relax after I’ve cleaned my room. On a Saturday morning, I like to open my windows to catch some natural light, light a few scented candles, and thumb through a good fashion magazine.

What would be your dream vacation or destination?
My dream destination would be the Country of Zambia. Raymond Changwe, a family friend from Lusaka, Zambia, tells stories of the wildlife, the savanna, and Victoria Falls. I would love to travel there, take tons of photos, try the cultural cuisine, and take plenty of sunscreen (of course).

What do you like best about your hometown?
I love that my hometown is one of the major business and industry hubs in the State of Mississippi. As the Capitol City, Jackson has cultural, entertainment, and recreational amenities as well as great commercial retail districts, institutions of higher learning and business centers – the best of both worlds.

What do you like best about the state of Mississippi, besides our food & hospitality?
Mississippi is a great state to raise a family. To be practical, the cost of living makes dreams of homeownership and providing a comfortable lifestyle for children a reality. And, to be honest, I like that our climate doesn't frighten me (unlike California's earthquakes, snowstorms in the MidWest, frequent tornados in Oklahoma, and hurricanes in Florida). Mississippi is just right.

What's in your CD player or on your iPod right now?
CeCe Winan's latest CD is in my CD player.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?
In ten years, I will have earned my JD/PhD from Harvard Law School and the Kennedy School of Government. My husband and I will have returned to Mississippi and I will be working in economic and community development, policy, and health disparities research.

Who am I?
My passion is to truly make an impact and to leave my distinct mark on my community and on the world. Thinking back, I’ve always been a “social activist” if you will. As a 16 year-old freshman at Tougaloo College I spearheaded the CC2005 (Coalition for the Class of 2005). The purpose of the group was to discuss social issues, their causes, and possible solutions. Here’s an even greater testament to my lifelong concern for societal ills and other injustices: When I was in elementary school my best friend, Nina Brunner, and I were discussing a disturbing and violent news story that had gripped the community. It was the buzz of Mrs. Johnson’s 5th grade class. After she and I grumbled about crime in our city and in our schools, violence, and depressing news stories, I suggested that we form an organization that addressed them. Now, we were 5th graders at the time, but boy were we serious. We even created membership applications for “The Org.” The funny thing is, they were hand-written – as Nina and I were not yet skilled with word processing (this was 1994).

Today, I have the same fervor for alleviating societal ills, combating poverty (especially its root causes), and opening doors for opportunity. It’s no surprise that my health disparities research led me to a passion for economic development. And, it’s no surprise that I’m using my skills in grant-writing to make a difference in my community.

Tell us about your occupational experience.
Currently, I am a grant-writer for a non-profit community-based organization. In December 2006, I earned the Master’s Degree in Economic Development and have plans to pursue the JD/PhD in Health Policy with a focus in Political Analysis. I was also a member of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Rural People Rural Policy Initiative – a cohort of policy advocates and grassroots organizations - which afforded me the opportunity to (1) critically evaluate policy and (2) compose action plans for positive social change and policy change that affect education, health, and economic development.

From 1999 to 2005, I participated in the Jackson Heart Study in various capacities - - from a high school SLAM student to Jackson Heart Study Scholar. All of my experiences with the JHS Undergraduate Training Center exposed me to the interdisciplinary field of public health, and over the years my concern evolved and became more complex. The JHS opened doors for internships and professional mentoring that helped cultivate and refine my career interests. I developed as a student and as a professional into a more socially-aware citizen. Through my summer experiences at Jackson State University, the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health, the University of Iowa College of Law, and Harvard Medical School, I developed an acute vision for health disparities in the context of socioeconomic status (SES) and social justice. My participation in the Jackson Heart Study ignited my passion for public health in the context health disparities and alleviating societal ills – through the conduit of policy and economic development – that contribute to their cause.

Tell us about your platform.
In America, we value “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” However, life is not full (it’s not a life at all) without the ability to read. Childhood illiteracy has a momentous impact on an individual’s education, career, and income trajectory, adolescent incarceration rates, and an overall impact on Economic Development in the State of Mississippi. Illiteracy costs the United States more than $225 billion a year in lost productivity. How much more does it cost Mississippi?

Reading is a vital component to the entire educational process and to life-long personal achievement. This critical skill affects all other subject areas including mathematics, science, chemistry, history, and more. According to the Voyager Expanded learning 80-90% of children in public schools who are unable to read by the end of the first grade will never learn to read. If reading is the primary precursor to educational attainment and employment, who will take care of these students once they become adults? Have families? Voyager Expanded learning also reports that: (a) 75% of unemployed adults are illiterate; 75% of school dropouts are illiterate; and (c) 86% of unwed teenage mothers are illiterate. In essence, illiteracy puts a financial burden on the criminal justice system, the social welfare system, and our economy as a whole. In short, illiteracy affects all of us.

I would like to foster programs that offer reading & writing enrichment services in an effort to propel students not only in preparation for the upcoming school term, but also for life-long learning. The goal my platform is to raise awareness about and promote solutions for this silent epidemic. My vision is to see Mississippi students excelling in all subject areas, graduating from high school, attending college, and becoming successful, self sufficient adults – because they have the foundation of true literacy.