Mississippi gubernatorial candidate Dave Dennis will speak at the Vicksburg Tea Party meeting Thursday night at 6:30 at Shoney’s restaurant on Pemberton Square Boulevard.

Dennis, a resident of Pass Christian, is president of Specialty Contractors & Associates of Gulfport. He has 34 years of experience in business ownership and management.

A native of Atmore, Ala., Dennis is a graduate of Auburn University, with a long history of civic and industry involvement, including a stint as finance chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party; 4th District finance chairman for Republican Sen. Thad Cochran; vice chairman of the Harrison County GOP; and the Southern Republican Leadership Conference’s national finance chairman.

He is currently chairman of Leadership Mississippi, a member of the executive committees of the Mississippi Economic Council and the Gulf Coast Business Council, and a member of the YMCA’s Coast Metro Board.