Contact: Sammy McDavid
MMA chairman Roger Bland (l) with MSU business dean Sara Freedman and MMA President Jerry McBride.
A $10,000 gift to Mississippi State University by the Mississippi Manufacturers Association will support programs in the College of Business and Industry.
The MMA Chairman's Award is made annually by the association's elected leader to an educational institution or other organization. Roger Bland, executive vice president of Lane Furniture Industries in Tupelo and a 1978 MSU business graduate, currently holds the position.
"I selected Mississippi State and its business school because they are tremendous assets to the State of Mississippi and have an impact on our manufacturing industry," Bland said. "Through this award, the MMA will assist the college as it continues to build its outreach."
Business dean Sara Freedman said the funds will be spread among an array of priorities. "The MMA gift will benefit the overall advancement of the college, including program support, faculty and student awards, and general assistance to our mission," she added.
MSU's civil engineering department received the honor in 1999.
MMA president R.G. "Jerry" McBride said the association's board of directors established the award in 1998 "to recognize the service of the chairman, enhance the image of manufacturing in the state, and promote the ideals that MMA and its members represent."
Since 1951, the MMA has worked to advance and protect the interest of state manufacturers. More than 2,000 businesses are members.
For more information about the MMA gift, contact Amy Cagle of the MSU Foundation at (662) 325-1006.