The Ole Miss Alumni Association unveiled its 40 Under 40 Class for 2026. This program celebrates the personal, professional and philanthropic achievements of successful University of Mississippi graduates under the age of 40. Recipients will be recognized with a ceremony on March 27.
The 2026 group of young alumni includes a news anchor, boot company founder, mental health therapist, deputy assistant to the U.S. president and a private jet charter CEO.
“This year’s class of 40 Under 40 is outstanding, and we can’t wait to welcome them back to campus to honor their accomplishments,” said OMAA CEO Kirk Purdom (BA 93). “These talented individuals exemplify leadership in their industries and communities, and I am thrilled that we can showcase their achievements through this program of recognition.”
Nominations for 40 Under 40 were open from September to November, and hundreds of nominations were received for this year’s class. Honorees must be active members of the Alumni Association, have made a significant impact on their industry or field, have civic or professional achievements, aspire to uphold the core values of the UM Creed, have earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Mississippi and demonstrate a commitment to maintaining a lifelong relationship with the university and the OMAA.
“The Class of 2026 truly represents young alumni from Ole Miss with diverse careers in television, governmental affairs, health care and finance,” said Sunny Brown (BSFCS 09, MA 11), assistant director of Alumni Affairs who organized the awards. “It will be so special to award them in March and allow our current students to network with all that this class has to offer.”
Members of the 2026 class of 40 Under 40, including their degrees and graduation years from UM, are listed below. Read more about each inductee HERE.
- Valencia Alexander (BSME 15), of Olive Branch, senior continuous improvement engineer, Milwaukee Tool
- Autumn Barron (BS 17), of Kosciusko, clinical audilogist, MRG Exams and Jackson State University
- Benjamin Bowen (BBA 17), of Oxford, founder and CEO, Double B Boot Company
- Jasmine Carter (BA 10), of Brandon, regional vice president, Republic Finance
- Dillon Clark (BSPSC 12, PHMD 15), of New Albany, associate administrator, Baptist Memorial Hospital Union County
- Sonya Coleman (BS 09), of New Orleans, physician assistant, Ochsner Health
- Laurin Dixon (BSPSC 10, PHMD 13), of Collierville, Tennessee, vice president and chief of staff, Centene Management Company
- Norris EJ Edney III (BA 11, MA 13, EdD 19), of Nashville, associate dean of students, Vanderbilt University
- Donte Ferrell (BGS 17), of New Albany, social responsibility and engagement counselor, University of Mississippi
- Margaret Garth (BAEd 10, MEd 12), of Brooklyn, New York, English faculty, The Nightingale-Bamford School
- Samantha Porter Giunta (BAccy 08, MAccy 09), of Washington, D.C., CFO, The BlackChamber Group
- Caleb M. Herod (BA 12), of Chicago, director of income and assets, The Chicago Community Trust
- Mallie Imbler (BA 19), of Tupelo, project manager, CREATE Foundation/Toyota Mississippi’s Driving Possibilities
- Elizabeth Joseph (BA 10), of Washington, D.C., professional staff member, U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations
- Tyler Kidd (BSCVE 09, MSESC 11), of Pass Christian, vice president of operational excellence, Senior Aerospace Group
- Ashley Knight (BS 17), of Tupelo, functional consultant, Workday, Inc.
- Brooks Krouse (BAccy 18, MAccy 19), of Oxford, CFO, EquiPro Holdings, LLC
- Glenna Lusk (BBA 15, MCJ 17, JD 20), of Washington, D.C., attorney, Department of Defense
- Carlos Maury (BBA 11), of Oxford, principal IT solutions partner, Cotality, Inc.
- Haley Mays (BSES 13, DPT 17), of Madison, director of clinical operations/physical therapist, Performance Therapy
- Laney E. McNeer (BA 11), of Jackson, president and VP of sales, Verve Influence Partners/Kinbro, Inc.
- Alex Meyer (BBA 15), of Arlington, Virginia, deputy assistant to the U.S. president, director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs
- M. Craig Moffett (BS 11, BA 11, MS 12), of Mathiston, director/physician, North Mississippi Health Services
- Chandler Morgan (BA 17), of Jacksonville, Florida, news anchor, Cox Media Group-Action News Jax
- Briana A. O’Neil (BA 15), of Jackson, member/attorney, Watkins & Eager PLLC
- Paris Pope (BS 16), of Palm Beach, Florida, founder and CEO, FLY CLOUD 9
- Caleb Pracht (BA 18, JD 21), of Canton, director of strategic partnerships, Mississippi Department of Mental Health
- Martha Robertson (BBA 09), of Memphis, affiliate broker, Ware Jones Realtors
- Preethi Saint (BAccy 08, MAccy 09), of Charleston, South Carolina, CFO/vice president finance & business, The Citadel
- Christina M. Seanor (BA 11, JD 14), of Jackson, senior counsel, Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani
- Anish Sharma (BAccy 14, MAccy 15), of Athens, Georgia, assistant professor, University of Georgia
- LaShaunda Smith (BA 14), of Pearl, mental health therapist, Rankin County School District
- Casey Stafford (BA 12), of Alexandria, Virginia, assistant general counsel, The Heritage Foundation
- Scott Stewart (BAccy 09, MTAX 10), of Darien, Connecticut, international tax partner, Deloitte
- Courtney Still (BAccy 16, MAccy 17), of Memphis, vice president/financial controller, Bank3
- Arielle Hudson-Vinson (BAEd 20), of Decatur, Georgia, LDF Marshall-Motley Fellow/attorney, Southern Poverty Law Center
- Christopher Waldron (BSPSC 18, PHMD 21), of Meridian, pharmacy manager/district immunization & MTM lead, Walgreens
- Cory Washington (BS 12), of Chicago, senior head of schools, KIPP Chicago Public Schools
- McDaniel Wicker (BA 09), of Washington, D.C., senior vice president, Babel Street
- William E. Wildman III (BA 17, MA 20), of New Orleans, associate attorney, Baker Donelson