Distinguished Alumni

Ward F. Bloodworth (Bachelor of Science in Agronomy 1998 and Master of Science in Weed Science 2001) is the executive vice president of Helena Agri-Enterprises, LLC, headquartered in Collierville, Tennessee. Bloodworth has been with Helena for twenty years, starting in sales in 2003. He advanced throughout the years, serving in various management roles and as the national director of fertilizer before assuming his current position in 2021.

He is a member of the MSU Plant and Soil Sciences' Advisory Board, the Mississippi Agricultural Industry Council, the Agricultural Retailers Association, and The Fertilizer Institute. Bloodworth is a deacon and high school Sunday school teacher at Desoto Hills Baptist Church and serves on the board of trustees for Baptist Memorial Healthcare Corporation.

Bloodworth's interest in agriculture began early in life. His father owned and operated Panola Farmers Service in Batesville, which sold agricultural chemicals, fertilizer, seed, and application services to area growers. He developed a passion for the business and the relationships formed through agriculture, influenced by his dad. In 2021, he established the Kenneth D. Bloodworth Endowed Scholarship in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to honor his father.

Ward and his wife, Lauren, have three children and reside in Hernando, Mississippi. Their oldest will attend MSU in the fall of 2023.