Our Advisory Board

Wayne Boutwell, Chairman Emeritus of Advisory Board
Dr. Wayne Boutwell is a distinguished economist with more than 30 years of academic and business experience. During his career, Dr. Boutwell was an economist for the Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C., served as a senior aide to Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS), was President and CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives in Washington D.C, and served as President and CEO of Southern States Cooperatives, Inc. Following his retirement in 2002, Dr. Boutwell became a Partner in Palm Coast Construction, a family-based home construction company. Dr. Boutwell has led a U.S. Trade Mission to Africa and Policy Exchanges to Japan and South Korea, and he was a member of a U.S. Trade Mission to Mexico. He also was an industry advisor during the Uruguay Round of the GATT (WTO) Trade Negotiations. Dr. Boutwell has served on numerous boards and advisory councils, including CF Industries, Sun Trust Bank, Mid-Atlantic Board, Atlantic Rural Exposition, Inc., Mississippi State University Agri-business Institute, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business Council, University of Missouri Graduate Institute of Cooperative Education, Advisory Council on Revenue Estimates of the Commonwealth of Virginia and Advisory Committee for Nationwide Insurance. Dr. Boutwell has been the D.W. Brooks Distinguished Lecturer at the University of Georgia, the E.T. York Distinguished Lecturer at Auburn University, and the Owen Cooper Distinguished Lecturer at Mississippi State University. His awards include Alpha Zeta Centennial Honor Roll, CALS Alumni Fellow at Mississippi State University and Man of the Year in Agriculture presented by Progressive Farmer Magazine. Dr. Boutwell has a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from Mississippi State University, and a PhD in Agricultural Economics from Virginia Tech University.

Steve Duvernay
Steve Duvernay has more than 30 years of experience in providing advisory investment banking and banking consulting services to the real estate industry. He has been active in all phases of real estate development, including identifying market opportunities, feasibility studies, site acquisition, governmental approvals, wetlands permitting and financing. Mr. Duvernay formed his own firm, Now Realty Advisors, LLC, and provides consulting services in the Southern U.S. His practice focuses on residential subdivisions, apartments, office parks, retail complexes, hotels, and housing for the elderly. Earlier in his career, he worked for Mellon National Mortgage and Clover Construction. Mr. Duvernay has a Bachelor of Science degree in Management and Finance from the University of New Orleans.

Hon. James C. Simpson, Jr., Esquire
James C. Simpson, Jr. has more than 30 years of experience as a practicing attorney and served as a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives for 13 years. Mr. Simpson retired from the House in 2007 to return to practice law and is currently a Partner in the Montgomery Barnett Law Firm in New Orleans. Earlier in his career, Mr. Simpson worked as a trial attorney in the Anti-Trust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. He also served as Vice President of Land & Legal Affairs for Guaranty Exploration Corporation, an independent oil and gas exploration firm in New Orleans. Mr. Simpson received a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg and earned a law degree from the American University Law School in Washington, D.C. He currently serves as Board Attorney for the Long Beach School District, as Port Commission Attorney for the Long Beach Port Commission and as City Attorney for the City of Long Beach. He is also one of five Commissioners of the Mississippi State Port at Gulfport and was appointed by Governor Haley Barbour in 2008. Mr. Simpson is a member of The American Bar Association, Mississippi Bar Association, District of Columbia Bar, Harrison County Bar Association, and Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association.

William V. Lack, Jr., AIA
Bill Lack is one of Mississippi’s most respected architects, with 40 years of professional experience. After going into private practice in 1974, Mr. Lack has been associated with several firms as senior principal and Architect of Record for numerous projects throughout the United States. Projects include medical, educational, recreation, housing, commercial, hospitality, military and correctional facilities of all types. Mr. Lack is partner in SECON, LLC, (South Eastern General Contractors). He now serves as president of William V. Lack, Jr., Architect P.A. Mr. Lack is past president of the Mississippi Chapter of the American Institute of Architecture, and served on the Institute’s Board of Directors. He is a past member and president of the Mississippi State Board of Architecture and has served as design grader for the National Council of Architectural Registration Design Exams. He has received four Awards for Design Excellence from the American Institute of Architects (AIA), as well as a National Design Award from the United States Air Force. Mr. Lack received a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Tennessee and a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Technology from the University of Southern Mississippi.

Scott Drown
Scott Drown has more than 23 years of experience in residential and commercial real estate development. Mr. Drown is currently CEO of Scott Drown Contracting of Gulfport, Mississippi, which builds single-family homes, subdivisions and commercial buildings. Mr. Drown is also a Managing Partner in Brookfield Builders LLC, in Ocean Spring, Mississippi and Parkland Homes LLC, in Baton Rouge, and is a partner in SECON, LLC, (South Eastern General Contractors). Earlier in his career, Mr. Drown was President of Plantation Homes in Gulfport. He also worked for Lare Investments, Monarch Homes, First American Homes and Crescent Development Inc. Mr. Drown attended the University of Southern Mississippi. He has a Florida Certified Building Contractor's License, Mississippi Real Estate Sale License from the National Association of Realtors and a Mississippi Residential Contractor's License.

Front row: William Lack, Steve Duvernay,
Wayne Boutwell. Back row: Hon. James C. Simpson, Jr.
and Scott Drown