Celebrating Statewide Leadership at the Old Capitol Inn
Twenty-five women from across Mississippi gathered in Jackson to receive recognition for their leadership, professional accomplishments, and community service. WLBT reported that the Mississippi Business Journal honored the group, whose titles include CEO, vice president and mayor, at an awards luncheon held at the Old Capitol Inn.
The path to the podium required clearing a wide field. Organizers narrowed the final roster from more than 200 nominations submitted by the September deadline. Publisher Scott Coopwood emphasized that selection criteria weighed heavily on civic contributions rather than profit margins alone.
“We’re saluting women around the state that not only done well in business or management… but also giving back to their community and volunteerism,” Coopwood said, as noted by WLBT.
Sarah Ozbun Balances Hotel Management with Motherhood
Among those recognized was Sarah Ozbun, CEO of Delta Lodging Group, who manages 13 hotels. Ozbun pointed to the daily realities of managing a large workforce while maintaining a household.
“And that’s really important to me as a leader is to demonstrate the balance between being a mom and contributing to our workforce and just taking a different approach to that balance because when you go home at the end of the day, your next job begins,” Ozbun told WLBT.
Other honorees tied their recognition directly to municipal resilience and public service. Oxford Mayor Robyn Tannehill described the honor against the backdrop of a punishing weather event that strained local infrastructure.
“The winter storm really just took our feet out from under us… more than 80,000 dump truck loads of debris were removed… but I stand here today so proud of how it brought our community together,” Tannehill said.
Suzy Hays Highlights Impact of Visible Female Leadership
For C Spire CEO Suzy Hays, the luncheon highlighted the broader cultural impact of visible female leadership across the state’s commercial and public sectors.
“I believe there are little girls and young women who are looking at us going, if she can be a CEO or a CFO or a mayor or create her own company, I can too. I think that’s pretty cool,” Hays said.
All 25 honorees are featured in the November edition of the Mississippi Business Journal.
