2024 HONOREES
October 31, 2024
Holmes is proud to acknowledge the 2024 recipients of these honors at 10:00 am in McDaniel Auditorium. Find the location at no. 15 on the campus map.
Carolyn Thomas
Alumnus of the Year
Holmes Community College will honor Carolyn Burrell Thomas of Goodman as the 2024 Alumna of the Year which is among one of the college’s highest alumni honors. Thomas has served on the Holmes Board of Trustees and Development Foundation.
Thomas was a high school graduate of Holmes Agricultural School and continued on to complete her AAS in general business in 1953.
After Holmes, her first job was working part time at Holmes County Bank. Her first full-time job was for a cotton buyer.
Thomas found her fit with the United States Postal Service. She served for 30 years, 14 of those years she served as postmaster in Goodman.
Since Thomas had three boys (George, Ronnie and Rickie), she started the Cub Scout group in Goodman and served as Den Mother for many years. She also visited most of the schools in Holmes County encouraging children to collect stamps, a Merit Badge requirement for the Boy Scouts. Stamp collecting is a popular hobby, enjoyed by millions throughout the world. Through this hobby the Boy Scouts experience history. Postage stamps are tiny windows that introduce the people of the world to a country’s leaders, customs, history, products and environment.
Among other civic activities, Thomas taught the Kindergarten Sunday school class at the Methodist Church in Goodman for 27 years, also serving as Chairman of the Board for the church. She was the Holmes County Cancer Crusade Chairman for many years and her dedication to volunteer work placed her on the State Board for that organization.
Thomas has been a lifelong resident of Goodman. She is preceded in death by her husband George Allen Thomas, Sr. and her son Ronald (Ronnie) Thomas. Her two living sons George and Rickie remain close to their mother. She is also surrounded by five grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.
Thomas’ hobbies include looking through old letters, receipts, deeds and pictures acquired through the years. Some date back to the 1800s. She has filled four albums for preservation for her family to treasure.
Dr. Autumn M. Barron
Young Alumnus of the Year
Dr. Autumn M. Barron (’15), native of Possumneck, will be recognized as the Young Alumna of the Year for Holmes Community College during the Homecoming festivities on Oct. 31.
Dr. Barron graduated from Kosciusko High School before coming to Holmes. While at Holmes, she excelled and was very involved, serving as a Holmes Ambassador, Dazzler and Mosaic member. In addition, she was voted Freshman homecoming Maid and was on the Spirit Team that helped with sports recruitment.
“I loved my time at Holmes,” Dr. Barron said.
After Holmes Dr. Barron attended the University of Mississippi where she earned a Bachelor of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Some of the awards and achievements received while attending Ole Miss were the Dean’s Honor Roll and Who’s Who. She was also involved with Alpha Kappa Alpha, Associated Student Body, the Black Student Union and served as a Football Recruiter at the University of Mississippi.
In 2023, Dr. Barron earned a Doctorate of Audiology from the University of Memphis. She was a recipient of the Marion Hammett Scholarship (2022), selected for the Student Advocate of the Year Award (2023) and co-author of “Audiologists’ attitudes and practice toward referring for psychosocial intervention with cochlear implant patients.”
Currently, Dr. Barron serves as a clinical audiologist at the Jackson Ear Clinic in Flowood. On a daily basis, she helps diagnose, manage and treat the hearing of her patients. Dr. Barron also counsels patients who are losing their hearing and advises on prevention loss programs along with assisting patients with the management of ring in their ear (tinnitum). The workforce training has provided Dr. Barron with an expertise in programing hearing aids, inserting ear implants and assessing listening devises.
Dr. Barron resides in Kosciusko with her husband, Kenneth Barron II who is also a Holmes alumnus. They have one child Kenneth Barron III (5).
Dr. Mack Woo
Distinguished Service Award
Holmes Community College will recognize Dr. Mack Woo as the Distinguished Service Award Recipient for 2024.
A native of Belzoni, Dr. Woo has been a friend of the college for many years. His devotion to Holmes is in memory of Dr. Dawn Ellison-Allen (HCC 1994). Her dedication to education and service inspired Dr. Woo to make a commitment to Holmes. Through his efforts to support the college, Holmes has been able to help many students with their educational dreams.
Dr. Woo earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Mississippi (1998) and then attended the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) for medical school. He completed medical school in 2005 and did his anesthesia residency from 2006-2010.
As an anesthesiologist in Jackson, Dr. Woo has been practicing for more than 10 years. He is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including UMMC, St. Dominic Hospital and Mississippi State Hospital.
Dr. Woo is currently in private practice at St. Dominic Hospital. He is married to fashion designer Samantha Woo and attends First Presbyterian Church in Jackson. They have two sons. Matthew attends First Presbyterian Day School and Samuel attends Jackson Prep.
Davis A. Richards, III
Veteran of the Year
Davis A. Richards III will be recognized for his service in the United State Navy Reserves at Holmes Community College homecoming on Oct. 31 in Goodman.
Richards graduated from Holmes in 1963 where he lettered in baseball.
After Holmes, he transferred to Mississippi State where he earned a B.S. in general business.
Later, Richards returned to school, earning a Master of Business Administration in 1975 and a Master of Hospital Administration in 1978 from Mississippi College.
Richards made his career in the medical field as a hospital administrator, mostly in the metro area of Jackson. He served as president and CEO of River Oaks Hospital in Flowood; prior to that he was vice president and COO at
River Oaks.
Richards’ other experience in administration includes CEO at Rankin Medical Center in Brandon, CEO at Madison County Medical Center, executive vice president of the Mississippi Hospital Association, assistant executive director of the Mississippi State Medical Association and associate administrator at Singing River Health System in Pascagoula.
As far as Richards’’ military experience, he has 24 years of military service training and is retired as a Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve. Among awards he received were the Navy Achievement Medal, the U.S. Air Force Commendation Medal, Nations Defense Service Medal and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal.
Now Richards is retired and lives in Starkville with his wife Mary Ann. Together they have three children (Anna, Janet and Eddie) and
five grandchildren.