Scotty Elliott with his "Top 40 Under 40" plaque received Thursday at the MBJ luncheon in Jackson.

    JACKSON – Scotty Elliott, president and chief executive officer of One Life America Insurance Company, was among young business leaders from across the state honored Thursday at the Mississippi Business Journal’s “Top 40 Under 40” awards luncheon.

    The event was held at the Mississippi Trade Mart and hosted by Alan Turner, publisher of the Mississippi Business Journal (MBJ). Elliott, 31, was one of the 40 business leaders selected for the prestigious award among what MBJ Advertising Director Tami Jones characterized as “tons of nominations from all over the state.”

    “All of you should be very proud of your selection for this honor,” Jones said. “It was very challenging for the selection committee to narrow the list of nominees down to the 40 winners because there were so many impressive candidates.”

    Elliott is responsible for the day-to-day operations of One Life, which has its corporate headquarters in Meridian but also has satellite offices in Lakeland, Fla.; Metter Ga.; Stockbridge, Ga.; and Stonewall, Miss. One Life currently employs approximately 150 individuals with some 100 of those working in the Meridian and Stonewall offices. Additionally, One Life is affiliated with over 1,000 contracted agents across the nation.

    “I am very humbled to have been included among these outstanding business leaders,” Elliott said. “Without question, I owe this honor to Ken and Wade Parker (One Life ownership team), who provided me with the opportunity to become associated with One Life America. They have supported me at every turn as I have grown in the insurance industry.”

    A Life Management Institute Fellow (FLMI), Elliott is an honor graduate of West Lauderdale High school. He went on to earn an Associate in Arts Degree with highest honors from Meridian Community College, followed by baccalaureate and master’s degrees from Mississippi College with highest honors in accounting and business, respectively.

    He was inducted into the Mississippi College Hall of Fame in 2005, having excelled in both the classroom and athletic arena. Elliott was the starting quarterback at Mississippi College for two years, earning All-Conference and team MVP honors as well as being elected team captain. He was also named “Player with the Greatest Christian Influence.”

    In his role at One Life America, Elliott spearheaded a rebranding initiative, moving the company from Parker & Associates to One Life. Besides the company name change, the rebranding effort involved a logo change, website revamping, and marketing materials overhaul. He also piloted a restructuring of One Life’s corporate governance model to accommodate the consolidation of multiple marketing companies into the One Life brand. As a result, One Life has enjoyed greater operational efficiencies and a major cost savings.

    Most recently, Elliott launched a new component of One Life to include a financial services division. As such, One Life is now marketing investment products as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and retirement planning vehicles.

    Elliott is a member of the Meridian Rotary Club and the 2012-13 Leadership Lauderdale class. He is also a Sunday School teacher at Westwood Baptist Church in Meridian and has served on the District 5 Fellowship of Christian Athletes board of directors.