This past spring, Mississippi State University saw the retirement of one of its own as Jimmy Abraham stepped down from his position of executive director of the Alumni Association. Currently, the search for a replacement  nears an end as the committee choses between two candidates to fill this position.
The nationwide search, which began in June, has lasted three months as the committee has sifted through resumes, conducted interviews and reference checks and made critical decisions to get where it is now. 
Bill Kibler, vice president of Student Affairs, serves as the chair on the committee. He said initially there were about 30 applicants, and they were narrowed down through a strategic process in which every applicant was treated equally.
“We were certainly looking for leadership ability, especially within the context of volunteer-driven organizations. We are also looking for financial skills, not only in meeting a budget, but also entrepreneurial skills,” Kibler said. “It was a plus to have higher-education alumni association experience either from a staff perspective or from voluntary leadership roles.”
This past week, both came to campus for public sessions, which were held in the Hunter Henry Center. 
According to Stephen F. Austin University’s website, Davis is currently the executive director of Alumni Affairs for Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. 
He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Stephen F. Austin State University and a master’s of business administration in management from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He currently lives in Nacogdoches with his wife and their two daughters.
According to the Mississippi Economic Council’s website, Waller is currently the senior vice president of Public Affairs at the Mississippi Economic Council and the State Chamber of Commerce. He is a graduate of Mississippi State University and has also completed a four-year nonprofit leadership training program conducted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce called the Institute for Organization Management. He and his wife reside in Madison, Miss., and have one son who is currently a student at MSU. 
Kibler said this would be the last step of the process if the university decides to hire one of these two candidates. However, he said there is a possibility that neither of them will be hired, and the process will  start over.  
“The university’s hands are not tied if they decide to extend the search further or open it up again. However, a decision about these two finalists should be made fairly soon,” Kibler said. 
 
The committee has narrowed the candidates down to two, Jeff H. Davis and John “Scott” Waller.