Meridian businessman Eddie Kelly has a great appreciation for what is known as “The Struggle.”

From watching his parents raise nine children, Kelly learned a “stick-to-itiveness” that not only led to his being first among his siblings to graduate from both high school and college, but also shaped his impressive work ethic.

“I come from a close-knit home. We struggled from meal-to-meal, pretty much like everybody did back then,” said Kelly, a Gulfport native who is third among his brothers and sisters. “While both my parents were at home, my mom was pretty much the strong one in the family; she kind of led things. I took a lot of the things I do in life from my mom. My character was based on watching her trying to raise nine children as a young mother. There was never a time when we didn’t have something on the plate. Where she got it from I have no idea, because my dad didn’t make a lot of money and neither did she. But they were always able to take care of us.”

Also like his parents, Kelly puts others first. From mentoring a young student several years to seeing him graduate from high school to being a leader in the growth of his adopted home of Meridian, Kelly unselfishly sacrifices to benefit others.

“Eddie’s a prince of a man; he has a servant’s heart,” said Mark McDonald, Central Area president/national director of the Navy League of USA. “Whatever he does, he does it to his very best ability.

“He immerses himself — tries to learn everything about. And then he just goes out and outperforms everybody. He just has that kind of passion about the things he’s involved in and it resonates within the organization he’s involved with.”

Derron Radcliffe, box office manager of the MSU Riley Center, describes Kelly as “the epitome of a true leader.”

Eddie Kelly Chronicles

• Native of Gulfport

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in accounting from William Carey College (now University, Hattiesburg; MBA from Mercer University, Macon, Georgia.

• Career: Currently area division manager of Mississippi Power Company. U.S. Marine Corps veteran, having served active duty in Gulf War operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Honored with the Navy Commendation Medal for leadership under fire.

• Numerous community involvements, among them: serves on the executive committee of the East Mississippi Business Development Corporation; founded the Meridian Minority Business Alliance; board member of the Community Foundation of East Mississippi and Meridian Children’s Museum, as well as the MSU-Meridian Advisory Board; past board president of the Navy League’s Mississippi Council.

• A widower, Kelly is the father of two daughters, LaToya and Sheena, and has two grandchildren, Jada and Morgan.

“Mr. Kelly is a determined, motivated and a loyal individual who always puts others before him, all while demanding respect with just his presence and poise,” said Radcliffe, who serves on several boards and committees with Kelly.

“Eddie has a uniquely calm but forceful demeanor demands the attention and respect of everyone around him, because of that, he has become a true leader of our community. He works hard and gives back to our community unlike any other individual I have ever seen…Eddie is a man of true integrity and principal that I truly look up and I am proud to call him my friend.”

Because of these qualities — as well as many other attributes — Eddie Kelly is The Meridian Star’s Citizen of the Year for 2018.

“I am humbled. I never thought I would be nominated for something such as Citizen of the Year and I thank the person who nominated me,” Kelly said. “I’m proud of the honor, but that’s not why I’ve done what I have since I’ve been here. Still, it’s good to be recognized — especially unexpectedly.”

Sacrifices to success

After graduating from high school, Kelly joined the Marine Corps and served four years active duty. Afterward, the then-married father of one worked full-time and attended college at night.

“Those values I learned watching my mom guided me during that time,” he said. “I could have made an excuse and not worked full-time, not attend college and not finish that degree. But my wife and I talked and we decided the sacrifice of my time being away from the family — working during the day, attending school at night and on the weekends studying — was worth it. And it turned out to be a very good sacrifice.”

Kelly started with Mississippi Power Company working in the company’s warehouse while he continued his education at night.

“Most of the folks in that warehouse had been there 10 years or so; it was never my intention to stay there 10 years. I was trying to get my degree and move up,” he said.

By the time Kelly earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from William Carey University, he and his late wife, Faye, were the proud parents of two daughters. He spent the next 17 years on active reserve in the military and working various positions throughout Mississippi Power Company.

“One of my earlier managers always told me, ‘Eddie, it’s all about relationships; you’ve got to get to know people. A lot of times, it’s not what you know but who you know.’ He told me to keep that in mind in every opportunity I went for. He said, ‘You’ve got to get to know the person you work for before you go to work for them.’ And that’s what I’ve done throughout my career. If I wanted to work in a department, I would first find out as much as I could about that department and find out as much as I could about the people who worked there and the management.”

After working at several Mississippi Power locations throughout the state (including Meridian, where he served as customer service manager from 2002-2005) Kelly relocated to work for Georgia Power Company. While in Georgia, he also earned his his MBA from Mercer University.

“I moved around Georgia and made relationships at those power company locations,” he said. “I became a lobbyist at the public service commission for five years on behalf of Georgia Power. I also became an area manager in a part of Georgia where it had been said for many years an African American would not be successful and I was very successful.”

Although he achieved great success, Kelly’s ultimate goal was to return to his home state, specifically Meridian.

“Throughout the years, I’d told Anthony Wilson (current chairman, president and CEO of Mississippi Power), who at the time was executive vice president of Georgia Power, ‘Anthony, I want to go back to Meridian,’ and he’d say, ‘Eddie, if an opportunity comes up I’m going to support you.’”

In 2013, the opportunity came. And, as they say, “the rest is history.”

Longtime love for Meridian

During his first tenure in Meridian, Kelly set a goal to return to Mississippi Power’s Meridian office to work in his current post of area division manager. The second time around has met his expectations — and beyond.

“Working here in Meridian in this capacity has been one of the most rewarding parts of my career; I wouldn’t change anything about it,” he said.

The opportunity not only has proved rewarding to him, but also his coworkers.

“Eddie is an incredible leader for everyone on our Meridian team,” said Charlie Watson, line crew supervisor. “He challenges us to be effective employees, citizens, family members and leaders. Eddie understands that it takes all of us working together to provide outstanding service to our customers.”

And while pleased to have achieved his career goal, Kelly’s desire to return to Meridian was not only about securing a dream job.

Kelly quote

“I love Meridian; I tell people that and they think I’m nuts. I love the people and getting out and interacting with different people. Love the culture. I love the closeness of everything, how you can get to anywhere in 5 minutes. Growing up in flat country in Gulfport, I love Meridian’s topography. The old homes, the old quaint, Southern kind of feel to this town … I love it; it’s just a great place to live.” 

-Eddie Kelly

“I love Meridian; I tell people that and they think I’m nuts,” he said. “I love the people and getting out and interacting with different people. Love the culture. I love the closeness of everything, how you can get to anywhere in 5 minutes. Growing up in flat country in Gulfport, I love Meridian’s topography. The old homes, the old quaint, Southern kind of feel to this town … I love it; it’s just a great place to live.

“I love the Black History of this town, which I don’t think we’re taking advantage of. I love the Civil War History of this town. And I love the Civil Rights struggle of this town. Yes, there were some ugly things that happened in the past. But those things you learn from them, put them behind you and move forward.”

And to assist in Meridian’s movement from the struggle, Kelly is committed to helping in whatever capacity or opportunity presented.

“I try to put things in perspective because you just never know who else is out there struggling,” he said. “Whatever I can do to help one, I believe I’ve done my part.”

A longtime supporter of the United Way, Kelly served as a campaign chairman for Mississippi Power Company for Jackson and Harrison counties when he worked on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Kelly is also a major supporter of youth, having served as a Big Brother during his tenure on the Coast.

“I had a young man I worked with for three or four years,” he said. “Watching him grow up, working with his family and helping him graduate from high school was a big accomplishment I think. Any time I can impact a young person is always good for me.”

Since his return to Meridian, Kelly has become involved in numerous organizations and causes. Among his most proudest acts is the establishment of the Meridian Minority Business Alliance.

“It was one of those things that I spent time thinking about,” he said. “I approached Bill Hannah (president and CEO of the East Mississippi Business Development Corporation) to find out the number of local minority businesses and their participation in Meridian’s economic resurgence.”

Realizing the underrepresentation of Meridian’s minority businesses, Kelly and Hannah met with several minority business owners and leaders for several months to discuss the formation of an organization to offer networking opportunities and foster strong community partnerships. In 2016, the Minority Business Alliance was formed.

“We’ve got an opportunity right now for that sector of business to just take off and grow expeditiously — if we can just get them to participate in mainstream business,” he said. “We have the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Center, the Threefoot Building and other major projects happening around the city… Are they (minority businesses) in a position where they can participate in that economic resurgence? And if they’re not, that’s where an organization like the Minority Business Alliance can help. This organization has an opportunity for that sector of business to leave a lasting legacy on on this community and be part of Meridian’s growth.”

Minority businessman Thomas Parker said while the organization is still in its infant stages, the alliance is bridging the gap between the community’s minority and non-minority businesses.

“I feel it’s moving forward — not as fast we would like, but it most definitely has had an impact as far as being in the room with and being able to network with other people,” said Parker, who serves as president of the alliance. “If you use the organization and the information that’s being given, I see it bridging that gap at a much faster pace.”

Parker said he considers Kelly a positive role model as well as a great example of leadership — for everyone in the community.

“I respect his leadership, his passion, and his concern about other people and the well-being of the community and Meridian in general,” he said. “Through his involvement in many community organizations and causes, he demonstrates his concern for Meridian. Mr. Kelly is most definitely ideal, someone I aspire to be like. He’s sincere and genuine and he doesn’t make it about him … I’ve grown just being around him and appreciate everything he does.”

Meridian on the right track

For the naysayers and those who tend to speak unfavorably of Meridian, Kelly offers the following suggestion: Go live somewhere else.

“I implore you to go live somewhere else. You’ll find Meridian is not near as bad as other places,” he said. “Why should an outsider like me come here and love your hometown more than those born and raised here? Yes, we have some issues. But we shouldn’t be on Facebook and other social media sites berating our hometown. We need to be building it up and finding ways to help move this city forward.”

Kelly said he is excited most about Meridian’s possibility for growth.

“This city, in my mind, is just ready to explode. And why not be a part of that explosion?” he said. “We have Bill Hannah as the new EMBDC director and he is bringing a lot of energy to the economic side of it and I’m excited to be part of their board. I think that by the time he’s done, it will be something different. Meridian is poised to grow. Why not be a part of that growth?”