1994

Republican Party), is regarded as something of a whiz kid by Fordice, ~or whom he worked as a money raiser m the 1991 gubernatorial campaign. PEER found the ex-Alabaman doesn't have 10 years experience in public administration, management, fmance or accounting, which the Ia\\. requires for a person with a bachelor's degree (his is from Univ. of Alabama with_ a major in transportation) to qualify for the DHS directorship. In fact, PEER gave him only 5 'l1 years of applicable experience (in– cluding almost four years as a stockbroker) since his I983 college gr~duation. It tossed out 2 !12 year~> he claimed for political campaign work in Alaba~a and I !12 years in Mississippi. Iromcally, the state Personnel Board, whose vrce-chairman and key me~ber is Billy Powell, of Brandon, chaml?an of the Mississippi Republican Party, did an evaluation of P~ips' work experience and came up wrtb a total of 129 months (a little over ~0 years). It used not only his political JObs, but also credited him with addi– tional months based on his un– documemed claim that he had work– ed 60 hours a week in the Fordice cam– paign, and overtime in his other jobs. Instances of his doubtful veracity popped up in Phillips' background. For one, in his job application with the Personnel Board, he stated that he had a _college major in "finance," whereas hrs official college transcript shows hts major as "transportation." He had certified to the PEER staff that he was registered to vote in Madison Cou~ty (MS) on Sept. 1, 1992. However, the voter rolls in Madison County as of Jan. 6, 1994 showed no record of his registration. Only after it was pointed out to him on Jan. 24 that he failed to file a state– ment of economic interests with the state Ethics Commission did he frle. State ethics law required him to file wit~i!:lO days after his appointment

Leadership Class Students... These Newton c. residents are members of tbe county's second Leadership class. The: (front, from left) Odessia Walker, Bruce Ware a nd Teresa Buntyn cond row, from left) Ben Wells, Melissa Thrash and Mar} Boulton. row, from left) Kenneth Slaughter, Ricky Harrison , Myrtle Burto1 Doug Smitb. (fourth row, from left) James Graham and Patty Gra (top row, from left) Chris Harris, Noel Palmer and Calvin Hegv

APPEARED IN:

CARTHAGINIAN NESHOBA DEMOCRAT NEWTON RECORD CLARION-LEDGER

SCOTT COUNTY TIMES UNION APPEAL / WINSTON COUNTY JOURNAL MERIDIAN STAR