During my prior membership on several of the City’s Boards and committees, I became fascinated by the intricate workings of city government. The degree of expertise required (by the sum total of paid staff, elected officials, and volunteer constituents) to run a city like Ridgeland is simply enormous. When the opportunity arose to possibly represent such a wonderfully diverse part of our city, I threw my hat in the ring for the Ward 1 position.

A major goal during my first year in office has been to establish better lines of communication between the residents and businesses of Ward 1 and “City Hall”. Naturally, the Alderman should serve as the main conduit for this flow of information. Consequently, my initial year as Alderman has been devoted to strengthening old ties, and forging new ones toward that end.
You might say I “got my feet wet” shortly after taking office with the early stages of planning for the “Township at Highland Colony”. The community involvement during the advancement of final plans for this development was extraordinary. The whole experience hammered home to me just how crucial it is to inform and involve our citizens from the outset in projects of this magnitude. The entire experience was wonderfully rewarding, as I saw how elected officials and their constituents could work together, to achieve a product that is most beneficial to the city and its residents.

My vision for the future revolves around seeing Ridgeland grow at a pace consistent with “good” growth. We need to get it right the first time. It is much harder to undo mistakes than it is to plan and properly maximize our potential for greatness on the front end. With the opportunities inherent to our successful annexation bid, the next few years will be considered a crucial time-frame in the history of Ridgeland. I simply want to help our great community become unified in its main direction, while always maintaining the great diversity and charm that it now enjoys.

Education:
B.A. in Psychology, University of Mississippi (1968)
B.S. in Cytotechnology, School of Health Related Professions, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Magna Cum Laude (1991)

Experience:
Alderman, City of Ridgeland (2001 – Present)
Sign and Appeals Board, City of Ridgeland
Planning and Zoning Board, City of Ridgeland (Past President)
Chief Cytotechnologist, Department of Pathology, University of Mississippi Medical Center (1997 – 2002)
Instructor, School of Health Related Professions, Department of Cytotechnology, University of Mississippi Medical Center (1992 – Present)

Professional Memberships:
Mississippi Republican Party
Republican Elected Officials
American Society of Clinical Pathologists (Associate Member)
Mississippi Society of Cytopathology (Past President)

Honorary Memberships:
Alpha Eta Society (National Scholarship Society in Allied Health), University of Mississippi Medical Center Chapter (Past President)

Personal:
Married to Cynthia Brame Heard
Two grown children - Leigh Ann Roberts (Nashville) and Kenny Heard (Madison)
Member, First United Methodist Church of Ridgeland