OUTLOOK: Miss Mississippi Hostesses proud to serve delegates

Published 4:00 am Sunday, May 28, 2023

Before the first Miss Mississippi delegate steps foot in Vicksburg for the competition, a group of women has already begun preparing for their arrival.

The Miss Mississippi hostesses have gathered for instructions on their duties and charted out the plan of how to carry them through. These duties during the week of the competition will include transporting delegates to and from all their scheduled events, preparing snacks for them and doing just about everything a mom would do, hostess chairman Mary Beth Grogan White said.

When the first Miss Mississippi Pageant was held in Vicksburg in 1958, the Vicksburg Junior Chamber of Commerce or Jaycees were the first to hold the contract for the Miss Mississippi Competition. And it was their wives, the Jaycettes, who volunteered their time as Miss Mississippi hostesses.

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There is no longer a Jaycee or Jaycette program in Vicksburg, therefore hostesses are comprised of local women interested in volunteering with the Miss Mississippi Corporation — the entity that now holds the contract for the Miss Mississippi Competition.

This year, the Miss Mississippi hostesses will be at the service of 38 delegates for whom they will chaperone and chauffeur to rehearsals. They will also get them to autograph signings, the Rotary Club meeting and most importantly, to the Vicksburg Convention Center, where the competition will take place.

Hostesses for the 2023 Miss Mississippi Competition are:

Hostess Director: Mary Beth Grogan-White

Hostess Assistant Director: Jeanine Hanks

Hostesses: Lynn Baker; Marla Bonelli; Carole Campbell; Cissy Carter; Michelle Coccaro; Lori Fagan; Lana Fuller; Lynn Swett Gerhardt; Torri Ghrigsby; Amy Jackson; Dinnie Johnston; Karla McHan; Marlene McLaurin; Rhonda Minor; Cyndee Nash; Stephanie Stirgus; Johnna Riddick and Laura Winkler

Floaters: Nancy Ballard; Nancy Bell; Carol Duncan; Madge Finney; Billye Jones; Ann Morris and Carole Simpson

The 2023 Miss Mississippi Competition will kick off at 7 p.m. Monday, June 4 with the Miss Mississippi parade held along Washington Street. Preliminary competitions will get underway beginning at 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 7 and run through June 9. The final night of the competition will begin at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 10. All competitions are at the Vicksburg Convention Center, 1600 Dr. Briggs Hopson Blvd. For information on becoming a Miss Mississippi hostess or for tickets to the competition, call 601-638-6746 or visit www.miss-mississippi.com.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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