Distinguished Alumni

MR. BRIAN NEAL ATKINS, (BACHELOR OF Science in Agricultural Engineering Technology and Business 1995, and Master of Science in Agricultural Information Science 1997) has 25 years' experience in the agricultural industry. The Hamilton, Mississippi native has championed peanuts as a Midsouth agricultural commodity for 15 years, obtaining a $1 million grant in 2009 from the State of Mississippi Legislature to build infrastructure for the advancement of peanuts in the state. He also obtained an industry initiative package to locate a buying point in Arkansas and collaborated with Birdsong Peanuts to secure funds and tax incentives to build a new facility in Portia, Arkansas. As owner of the Mississippi Peanut Supply & Equipment Company, he manages 20 employees with $6 million of annual sales. He also owns Peanut Express Trucking Company. As buying point manager and procurement officer for Birdsong Peanuts for the last 15 years, Mr. Atkins oversees the purchase of more than 30,000 tons of peanuts at the Aberdeen Buying Point, managing seven full-time and 30 part-time employees. Prior to that, he spent 10 years as Lowndes County director for the MSU Extension Service.

He and his wife Misti have been married 24 years and have three daughters.