In A Mississippi Minute with Steve Azar SuperTalk Mississippi

r. Grace is currently serving as the Co-Director of the Graduate Center for the Study of Early Learning, and the Early Childhood Education Program Specialist with North Mississippi Education Consortium. Her forty-year career in early childhood education has taken her from the classroom as a first-grade teacher in rural Arkansas and Cleveland, Mississippi to the university classroom. After obtaining her Doctorate of Education at the University of Mississippi, she has served as a faculty member at Mississippi Valley State University, University of Southern Mississippi, and Mississippi State University. She has served as the early childhood coordinator at the Mississippi Department of Education, the founding director of the Family Resource Center in Tupelo, Mississippi, and as a consultant to Lift Head Start. Dr. Grace is the founding director of the Early Childhood Institute at Mississippi State University serving as the director for eleven years. She held the rank of full professor in the College of Education when she departed to serve as the national early childhood policy director for the Children’s Defense Fund in Washington, DC. Prior to accepting the position at UM, Dr. Grace served as the program director of the Gilmore Early Learning Initiative, one of the first state-funded pre-kindergarten program, for three years.

The co-author of three books and numerous research articles, Dr. Grace is considered a national expert on the education of young children living in rural areas. A former past president of the Mississippi Early Childhood Association, she has won numerous awards recognizing her leadership in education in the State.

Vickery began his business career in the automotive dealership business in Houston, MS. He eventually relocated to Greenville where he owned and operated the Kossman-Vickery Rambler Lincoln dealership for many years and then Vickery Chevrolet for almost 30 years.

Jim “Moose” Brown is a Grammy winner, top studio musician, producer & hit songwriter. He has worked with Bob Seger, Shenandoah, Reba McEntire, Aaron Lewis, Willie Nelson, Montgomery Gentry, Cypress Spring, Alison Krauss, Kid Rock, Mark Chestnutt, Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton, Luke Bryan, Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, Donny and Marie Osmond, Blake Shelton, Jimmy Buffet, Justin McBride, Luke Bryan, and many other greats.

Tim Fox earned four letters at Ohio State and was named All-American as a senior in 1975, helping the Buckeyes go 40-5-1 and play in four consecutive Rose Bowl games. He was co-captain of the Buckeyes with the college’s only two-time Heisman winner – Archie Griffin.
Fox would later be drafted in the first round by the New England Patriots in 1976, making the All-Rookie team that fall and the Pro Bowl in 1980.
He played in 91 consecutive games over six seasons for New England, then played six more years for the San Diego Chargers and Los Angeles Rams.

Shawn Drover, the longest-serving drummer for thrash metal band Megadeth, was born in Montreal, Canada. Prior to Megadeth, Drover founded the power metal band Eidolon with his brother, Glen Drover.

Drover joined Megadeth in 2004, replacing Nick Menza, and left in 2014 to pursue his own musical interests. Guitarist Chris Broderick also left at that time, and together the two formed the metal supergroup Act Of Defiance, which is still active.

Up & coming Austin-based singer-songwriter Nick Taylor