Derek Hopson, Jr. – Chair
Derek Hopson, Jr. is an attorney at Hopson Law Group from Clarksdale. Hopson said he was thrilled to join the Higher Purpose Co Board. “I’ve been following the work of Higher Purpose Co since the beginning. Seeing all of the opportunities they have brought to Clarksdale and all across Mississippi has been exciting to see, and I am proud of all the hard work the organization is doing when it comes to helping entrepreneurs build their businesses and teaching them about ownership and community wealth. HPC is really setting the tone of what true leadership is for future generations in Mississippi.”
Dr. Temika Simmons – Vice Chair
Dr. Temika Simmons serves as the Director of the Local Government Leadership Institute at Delta State University. Simmons said, “What I like most about being on the board is seeing our programming on the ground and the impact we have been able to make not just in the Mississippi Delta, but across the state as it relates to Black entrepreneurship. Just seeing Higher Purpose positioning to be a leading voice for Black entrepreneurship in Mississippi has been phenomenal.”
Mara Scott-Campbell – Secretary
Mara Scott-Campbell is from Greenville. Scott is a graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana and currently serves as the Marketing and Public Relations Specialist for Western Line School District in Avon, MS. Mara’s goal as an HPC board member is to learn and be involved as much as she can. “The focus that Higher Purpose Co has on our community, the Black community, business owners, Black women, is just empowering, and it was motivation for me to want to do more in my community and within my state.”
Monica Coleman – Treasurer
Monica Coleman is a licensed counselor in Mississippi. Coleman said she is looking forward to the growth of the Higher Purpose Membership this year because “it is a great resource and community for Black entrepreneurs across the state to connect to resources to grow and sustain their businesses.” She added, “Being a Higher Purpose Co board member is a position I am very grateful to hold as I believe this organization is doing great work in steadily increasing its capacity to reach its goals.”
Dr. Sondra Collins – Board Member
Sondra Collins is from Clarksdale. Collins is a Senior Economist for the Mississippi Institute of Higher Learning. Collins said she is looking forward to another successful year of HPC and is really excited about the Higher Purpose Business Membership and how it is going to help many business owners. “Higher Purpose Co’s mission of really claiming ownership of the culture and place, and also creating businesses in ways for people to make money and take care of their families means a great deal to me, and I love to see that happening in Clarksdale and all over the state.”
Pam Hadley – Board Member
Pam Hadley is the first Vice President/Community Outreach and Mortgage Resource Officer of Renasant Bank in Tupelo, Mississippi. Hadley said she looks forward to a continued board tenure, serving as a positive source of support, a resource for information, and a front-row witness to HPC’s continual upward momentum in building family and community wealth for residents of Mississippi. “It’s incredible to see what Tim and his staff are accomplishing from a front-row view. HPC is a catalyst for positive change, and the HPC board understands the necessity of that change.”
Jacqueline Johnson – Board Member
Jacqueline Johnson is a Private Attorney from Clarksdale. Johnson said, “It’s so beautiful and so exciting to be a part of Higher Purpose Co. I am delighted to know that I am part of an organization that actively helps close the racial wealth gap and also empowers entrepreneurship in a meaningful way. Those entrepreneurs will potentially create new jobs and new opportunities in their own communities, thus generating a cycle of positive economic growth and a decline in poverty.”
Rosie Brown – Board Member
Rosie Brown is a lifelong educator from Quitman. Brown said she hopes to use her experiences as an educator and community advocate to advise the HPC team in a way that helps the organization grow. “One extremely important factor at Higher Purpose Co is ownership. HPC is working to ensure young Black men and women have some ownership in their communities, and I think this is a great way to make the next generation amazing.”
