During Homecoming 2013, the Alumni Association is presenting the Hinds Community College Alumni Service Award to Howell “Hal” Gage – donor, Foundation board member and Hinds supporter.
The awards ceremony will take place at the Oct. 17 Alumni Recognition Dinner, held at Mayo Field House on the Raymond Campus. The reception begins at 4:30 p.m. and dinner is at 5 p.m.
Although he is not an alumnus of Hinds, Gage supports the college by raising thousands of dollars for scholarships so that deserving students can continue their education. He does this for one simple reason: He believes in Hinds.
“Hinds Community College serves the area of Mississippi where I grew up, and where I currently reside,” Gage said. “It’s important to me to help the college serve its mission as a member of this community.”
As a long-time member of the Vicksburg Medical Foundation Board of Trustees and a former Hinds Foundation Board member, Gage has played a key role in securing nearly $2 million for the college’s Foundation. In addition to providing hundreds of scholarships for students in the associate degree nursing program, this funding has provided quality training resources for nursing faculty members.
Gage is also chairman of RiverHills Bank and has secured gifts and sponsorships for annual golf tournaments, which ultimately benefit scholarship funds, for many years. Gage has served multiple terms on the Hinds Foundation Board and served as chairman in 2009. He was also appointed to the Mississippi State Board of Education in 2004 and currently serves as vice chairman. The Mississippi Board of Education is responsible for the appointment of the State Superintendent of Education, public education policies, overseeing the Mississippi Department of Education and the state’s public K-12 schools.
A Port Gibson native, Gage has his bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and his MBA from Harvard University. Additionally in his career, Gage has served as vice president of Port Gibson Bank, president of Merchants Bank and chairman of the Vicksburg Advisory Board for BancorpSouth, in addition to his current positions at RiverHills Bank.
Gage is married to Betsy Goodwin and the couple has three children, Nick, Maury and Rosanna.
For more information on the Alumnus of the Year award, or on homecoming festivities, contact Libby Posey in Advancement and Student Success at 601.857.3350.