Leadership

Society Board of Directors

Paula Nielsen, CFA

President, CFA Society Mississippi Board
Investments Director, Southern Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company

Paula Nielsen, CFA, is an investments director at Southern Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company. In this role, Paula manages the company’s equity portfolios, provides input to the Investment Committee regarding investment strategy and current market environment, and helps evaluate external managers for the company’s pension fund among other responsibilities. Prior to her current position, Paula was the Chief Investment Officer at the Office of the State Treasurer, where she managed the state’s General Fund, and she also worked as a Portfolio Manager at the Public Employees’ Retirement System of Mississippi (PERS), overseeing the domestic and more recently international equity managers that made up the state’s pension fund. Paula holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance and a Master in Business Administration with a focus in finance, both from Mississippi College. She is a Guatemala native, relocated to the US more than 10 years ago, and currently resides in Brookhaven, Mississippi, with her husband, Charles, and son, Michael.

Stephen Griner, CFA

Vice President / Program & Events Chair, CFA Society Mississippi Board
Managing Director and Founding Partner, MAG CAP

Stephen has been serving the financial needs of individual and institutional investors, retirees, and business owners since beginning his career as a financial advisor 2001. As a CFA charter holder, Stephen’s specialty at MAG CAP lies in discretionary asset management for individuals and institutions. He also provides a range of other products and services for clients including business retirement plans, individual retirement planning, 401(k) rollovers, estate planning, and digital asset investing through MAG CAP. Stephen is a native of Columbia, Mississippi, and graduated with honors from the University of Mississippi with a Bachelor of Accountancy and an MBA with a concentration in finance. Stephen is married with two children (and their chocolate labradoodle). He is a member of Grace Chapel Presbyterian Church in Madison.

Ryder Taff, CFA, CIPM

Secretary, CFA Society Mississippi Board
Advisor and Owner, New Perspectives Inc.

Ryder Taff is an advisor and owner at New Perspectives, Inc. where he has worked since 2011. He graduated from the University of Bristol with a B.S. in Mathematics and Philosophy. He became a CFA charterholder in January 2015 and completed the Certificate of Investment Performance Measurement (CIPM) Program in December 2015. Along with his advisory partner, Nancy Anderson, PhD., CFA, Ryder hosts Mississippi Public Broadcast's Money Talks radio program. In addition to his role with the CFA Society Mississippi Board, he is also a board member for the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science Foundation. Ryder lives with his wife, Blair, and their daughter and son in his hometown of Jackson, Mississippi.

Andrew Hoeniges, CFA 

Treasurer, CFA Society Mississippi Board
First Vice President and Wealth Strategist, BankPlus

Andrew is a graduate of Mississippi State University with a degree in Banking and Finance. He earned his master’s degree in business administration from the University of Southern Mississippi. Andrew has nearly 20 years of experience in investment management serving both personal and institutional clients. He has earned the privilege to use the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation and is a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Mississippi.

Jonathan Pace, CFA

Membership Chair, CFA Society Mississippi Board
Vice President (Securities Mgmt.), Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Co.

Jonathan currently serves as vice president (securities management) at Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company (SFBLI). Prior to working at SFBLI, he was vice president and portfolio manager at BankPlus Wealth Management. Jonathan received a bachelor's degree in finance from Mississippi State University and a Master of Business Administration in Accounting and Finance from Millsaps College. Jonathan and his family live in Madison, Mississippi.

Walter P. Neely, CFA, PhD

Candidate Preparation/Scholarship Chair, CFA Society Mississippi Board
Emeritus Professor of Finance, Millsaps College (Else School of Management)

Walter Neely, of Jackson, serves as Emeritus Professor of Finance at Millsaps College's Else School of Management. In addition to his role in prepping candidates and serving as Scholarship Chair for CFA Society Mississippi, Walter also serves as chair of the Bower Foundation's Finance Committee and serves on the Junior League of Jackson's Keystone Investment Committee. He is a former president of the board of directors for the Mississippi Museum of Art Foundation, Inc., and one of the founding members and past presidents of CFA Society Mississippi. He received his bachelor's and master's degrees in business administration from Mississippi State University, and his doctorate in finance from the University of Georgia. Walter has been active in community organizations, serving as Midtown Finance Committee chair, Mississippi Food Network chairman, and treasurer of St. Andrew's Episcopal School. He and his wife, Frances Jean, reside in Jackson, Mississippi, and are the parents to three children and grandparents to eight grandchildren.

Spencer Pipitone, CFA

Forecast Dinner Chair, CFA Society Mississippi Board
Vice President and Wealth Strategist (Wealth Management Group), BankPlus 

A native of Brandon, Spencer is a graduate of both Mississippi State University and Millsaps College where he earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in business administration, focusing on finance, marketing, and economics. Spencer has more than 10 years of banking, financial analysis, and investment management experience. He is a CFA charterholder and a member of the CFA Institute and CFA Society of Mississippi. In the community, he is involved with the Phoenix Club of Jackson, Mississippi Children’s Museum Partners, Treasurer for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Mississippi, and a board member of the Mississippi Early Learning Alliance. Spencer lives in Madison, MS with his wife, Rachel, and daughter, Layla.

Jerry Hoeniges, CFA

Sponsorship Chair, CFA Society Mississippi Board

Senior Vice President, Director of Trust Investments, Cadence Bank

Jerry Hoeniges, CFA, is a Senior Vice President and the Director of Trust Investments for Cadence Asset Management and Trust. He is responsible for the daily oversight of discretionary portfolio management for Cadence’s 11 million dollar Asset Management Trust division and leads the 16-member investment team. Jerry received both his MBA and bachelor degrees from the University of Southern Mississippi; additionally, he has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. With over 25 years of investment experience, he has expertise in individual equity and bond investment management, investment manager research, and tactical asset allocation. Jerry served in the United States Marine Corps during Desert Shield/Desert Storm and reached the rank of Staff Sergeant during his time in service. He has also served as a past president on the Society's board in addition to serving in other capacities on the Board of Directors for multiple years.

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Ken Qiu, CFA, CPA

University Relations Chair, CFA Society Mississippi Board

Assistant Professor of Finance, Millsaps College

Ken is an assistant professor of finance at Millsaps College where he teaches various finance courses and directs the student-managed fund. Additionally, he serves as the principal contact for the CFA affiliate program and the faculty advisor for the Millsaps College team and the CFA Research Challenge and the CFA Society of Mississippi's Annual Ethics Challenge. He has been a member of our Society for 7 years.

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Josh Norris, CFA, CPA, CFP

Society Board Member, CFA Society Mississippi Board

Founder, LeFleur Financial

Josh is the founder of LeFleur Financial, a fiduciary advisory firm, where he has been advising clients for over a decade in the Jackson metro. He graduated with magna cum laude honors from the University of Mississippi and has been awarded the "Top 50 Under 40 (2019)" and "Top Entrepreneurs (2019)" by Mississippi Business Journal. He has been a member of our Society for nearly 5 years.

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Society Staff

Mary Margaret Pritchard

Society Administrator, CFA Society Mississippi

In her role as society administrator for CFA Society Mississippi, Mary Margaret works closely with the Society board to coordinate regular events, serve as board administrator, and help to guide the board through CFA Institute reporting and growth requirements. She also handles and maintains email correspondence on behalf of the Society, all Society social media channels, the Society's website, and event management for the Society. These communications generally relate to society membership and renewal, luncheons, networking events, and the Annual Forecast Dinner and registrations. She lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with her husband and three children.

Past Society Presidents
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Walter P. Neely, CFA  |  1984-86, 1990-91

Charles N. Dennis, CFA  |  1986-1987

William A. Whitney, CFA  |  1987-1988

Charles D. Wilkinson, CFA  |  1988-1989

Julia P. Ogden, CFA  |  1989-1990

Douglas Sevier Folk, CFA  |  1991-1992

Patrick W. Farnsley, CFA  |  1992-1994

Judith B. Howard  |  1994-1995

Robert R. Burke, CFA  |  1995-1996

W. Bruce Trusty  |  1996-1997

F. Joseph Rein Jr.  |  1997-1998

Tom Bertaut   |  1998-1999

Douglas H. Ralston, CFA  |  1999-2000

Nancy L. Anderson, CFA  |  2000-2001

Zachariah L. Wasson, CFA  |  2001-2002

J. David Coker, CFA  |  2002-2003

James S. Clark, CFA  |  2003-2004

Arthur Finkelberg, CFA  |  2004-2005

Tony D. Edwards, CFA  |  2005-2006

Roger E. Muns, CFA  |  2006-2007

Lenard Alan Smith, CFA  |  2007-2008

Heath R. Jordan, CFA  |  2008-2009

Eugene Richard Morse, CFA  |  2009-2011

Warwick Alley  |  2011-2013 

Jerry Hoeniges, CFA  |  2013-2015

Frank Smith, III, CFA  |  2015 - 2017

Steven Langley, CFA  |  2017-2019

Thomas Arthur, CFA   |  2019-2021

Ryder Taff, CFA  |  2021-2023

Paula Nielsen, CFA  |  2023-2025