Local real estate agent Randy Pope has been inducted into the prestigious Marquis Who’s Who, a biographical data registry that first began publishing in 1899.

In the registry, Pope is noted for his success and tenure in forestry and wildlife management; procurement and recreational land design and development; and real estate representation of buyers and sellers.

As founder of Mississippi Land and Lakes, Pope has established himself in the real estate and recreational land industry in the state. Known for its comprehensive recreational land design development and management, Mississippi Land and Lakes focuses on lodge and lake design, hunting, fishing and all other popular outdoor sports. In his role, Pope and his team are responsible for the procurement, design and oversight of projects from start to finish.

A Realtor, Pope also runs the land division for Hill Real Estate Group LLC., which is based in Meridian and is recognized as a leader among full-service real estate firms in the Mississippi Foothills Region.

Pope, a licensed real estate agent in Mississippi, earned his undergraduate degree in forestry and wildlife management from Mississippi State University. Before transitioning into real estate, he spent over four decades in land and timber acquisition, management and sales. After college, he spent five years as the Mississippi land and timber procurement manager for Mobil Oil Corporation. Pope subsequently founded his own land timber company in 1979, when the industry was expanding rapidly throughout the South. When the timber industry took a dramatic downturn in 2000 and the recreational land industry was exploding, Pope refocused his efforts on the recreational land business.

He launched Mississippi Land and Lakes in Meridian in 2004. After he developed his first recreational project, the Whippoorwill Lodge, Pope realized how difficult it would be for a landowner to successfully develop a trophy recreational property on their own and clearly understood how valuable the one-stop shop list of multiple services would be to American landowners and outdoor enthusiasts.

Active civically in the community, Pope invests time as a volunteer at area schools, providing landscaping and cleanup on their campuses. He is also involved with the National Wild Turkey Federation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving and enhancing the wild turkey and hunting lifestyle. He is active with Ducks Unlimited and Quail Unlimited and is a life member of the National Rifle Association and the prestigious Safari Club International.