This essay is part of an ongoing Mississippi Today Ideas series showcasing first-person perspectives of former Mississippi governors. We asked them to write about their successes while in office and perhaps what they wished had gone a little differently during their tenure.
Reflecting on the years I wore the title of governor, I’m struck by more than what was accomplished. Who contributed to getting it done mattered, too.
Sure, my name was on the ballot. I took the oath of office, swearing to faithfully support the constitutions of this country and this state, to obey the laws of both and discharge the duties of the office.
Only days before taking that oath, I called the state Senate to order as the outgoing lieutenant governor while the House of Representatives took an historic vote to uphold the popular vote from November 1999, in essence, “electing” me to the office of governor. A now repealed archaic and racist provision of the state Constitution required the House to select the governor if no candidate obtained a majority of the popular vote and won a majority of the 122 House districts.
Waiting in the wings as the House voted were a small number of individuals committed to working the many hours it would take over the next seven days to get ready for my inauguration. This was not something I could do alone.
I think about Melody Maxey who headed a team to put together the inauguration itself. They designed and delivered everything associated with the day’s events from early morning gatherings to the swearing in to the grand ball that evening.
Intentionally, we celebrated more than my win. We celebrated who we are as Mississippians, our contributions to this country and the world. We celebrated what it could mean to improve the quality of life for every single person who would call Mississippi home for generations to come.
Donna (Addkison) Simmons headed a separate team tasked with creating a smooth transition into the office – making sure the necessary staff and the most necessary “cabinet level” officials were in place and the outline of a legislative agenda for a session already underway had been built.
This team ensured that the fledgling staff, the newly appointed department heads, and I would know where the previous governor and staff paused office operations, what was most pressing by department and where my/our attention needed to be focused during the early days of the administration. In addition we needed to handle a variety of tasks and challenges as they arose moment by moment.
In short we had seven days, not the customary 60, to transition into office, to produce an inauguration worthy of the office and the people of this state and to come up to speed on the innumerable things necessary for discharging the duties of the office.
None of which I could do alone.
Add to that making good on my commitments to creating greater public access to me and to the staff, expanding economic opportunity and financial sustainability, opening up health insurance coverage to as many children as possible and moving Mississippi’s public schools to new heights through internet access, technology in the classroom and modernizing facilities while lifting teachers up as professionals deserving of professional compensation.
Again, not something I could do alone.
Qualified individuals, possessing the courage and commitment to doing their best in service to their neighbors from the Gulf Coast to the Tennessee border, had to say yes.
Yes to serving on the 7-day transition team or the seemingly impossible inaugural team.
Yes to working on the governor’s staff.
Yes to heading major departments with life-impacting responsibilities.
Yes to accepting appointments to various boards and commissions, many with terms that would last well beyond my time in office.
Real live human beings with names, faces and families they love and who love them are the “bureaucrats” and “politicos” who said yes. Real people made real sacrifices pulling off an historic seven-day transition, serving a limited number of years leading a department or as a board/commission members or dedicating their entire careers to providing necessary and often overlooked public services.
In 2000 and beyond, men and women from across the state embraced the vision of a better day, one made possible through “Unprecedented Goals” and the realization of “Unparalleled Progress.” As a team, we brought this vision into being.
Who were a few of these courageous and dedicated men and women?
- Armerita Tell and Michael Bentley reimagining one-on-one service to Mississippians and outreach statewide.
- Michael Boyd and Kelly Riley making recommendations after digging into the details of policy topics, finding best practices and exploring other states’ experiences.
- Peyton Prospere providing legal counsel and going beyond to share his expertise in so many areas.
- David Huggins leading the state’s public safety efforts along with L.M. Claiborne, the first African-American colonel of the Mississippi Highway Patrol.
- Robert Latham expanding our ability to alert residents to hazardous weather and to respond in the aftermath.
- James Lipscomb III leading Mississippi’s National Guard offering the leadership necessary to grow the ranks of Guard members.
- Marilyn Starks bringing her Corrections experience to the State Parole Board.
- Virginia Newton serving with integrity a 12-year term on the IHL Board.
- Len Blackwell chairing the Gaming Commission.
- Toni Cooley representing the First Supreme Court District on the board of the Mississippi Home Corporation.
- Every Mississippian who said yes to serving on the State Flag Advisory Commission or the Computer Technology Task Force.
I’m told it’s dangerous to start listing individuals, knowing that all can’t be named and might be offended by the omission. I hope those not named here will forgive me, knowing their service and contributions are in no way diminished.
It’s important to be aware of some so perhaps we can better appreciate the simple reality of a government that is of the people, by the people and for the people.
One person (singular) may wear the title of an office, but people (plural) work together in service to the whole of the state or nation.
I honored my own commitment to build a staff and a cabinet of talented individuals who were themselves a reflection of the state and the people more broadly. Together, we expanded that commitment to truly reflecting the state, regionally and demographically, through hundreds of appointments of highly qualified individuals to boards and commissions.
After all, it is people (plural) who make, interpret and carry out policy. Only people (plural) dedicated to something bigger than themselves can truly breathe life into slogans like “Unprecedented Goals, Unparalleled Progress.”
Only people working together, with a shared interest in what can make positive differences for the greatest number of people, can deliver on promises of more and better employment opportunities, higher quality schools in every community, safe water to drink and roads to travel.
We may disagree on matters of policy and policy preferences may change over time. Even so, I remain convinced that the group of individuals who came together as a team during my term in office made a difference. Their presence mattered. Their work mattered then and now.
Who a leader surrounds himself with makes all the difference, now and for generations to come.
Ronnie Musgrove served as governor from 2000 until 2004. Before then, he served as lieutenant governor and as a member of the state Senate. A Panola County native, Musgrove lives in Oxford with his 9-year-old son. He also practices law and is involved in various other business ventures. Musgrove also has three grown children.
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