Special Luncheon at Sylvarena Featured Speaker Andy Gipson

Special to Wesson News

Mississippi Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner Andy Gipson is running for Governor of the state, but that isn’t why he spoke on March 25 at Sylvarena Baptist Church.

Sylvarena invited senior citizens who are part of churches in the Copiah County Baptist Association to a special luncheon from 11:30 to 1 p.m. then, and the event planners zeroed in on Gipson to speak not so much for his political credentials, but because he is a pastor.

The 49-year old eighth Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce will no doubt talk about his vision for the state as its chief executive, but the Sylvarena Church luncheon expects the farmer, lawyer and minister to draw on his experience to light a spiritual fire among attendees.

Gipson has owned and managed a cattle operation in Simpson County for over 30 years and a tree farm over 20 years.  He is an ordained Baptist minister, having served as a pastor and evangelist.  Gipson and his family opened the Hilltop Memorial Children’s Ranch, a faith-based outreach for children built by his late father on the family farm. Gipson also serves as an advocate for Mississippians suffering from traumatic brain injury, depression and mental illness, and their families.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving named him Legislator of the Year in 2014, 2015 and 2016. In 2014, Pro-Life Mississippi named him Pro-Life Legislator of the Year. The National Rifle Association bestowed its Defender of Freedom Award on Gipson in 2013. That same year, the Central Mississippi Friends of NRA selected him for the Kirk Fordice Freedom Award, named after the former governor.

Gipson received a bachelor of arts in political science in 1999 from Mississippi College and a juris doctorate from Mississippi College School of Law in 2002, graduating first in his class of 113 students. He was active in the Christian Law Students Association and was editor-in-chief of the Mississippi College Law Review.  He has been in private law practice since 2002.

Prior to his service as Commissioner, Gipson served in the Mississippi House of Representative for ten years (District 77: Simpson and Rankin counties), first elected to public service in 2007.

As Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce since April 2, 2018, he launched the Genuine MS (genuinems.com) branding initiative to increase public awareness of Mississippi’s farm, food, crafted and fabricated products to increase sales and market opportunity for Mississippi producers, established a “County Correspondents” program in every county to provide local farmers with information from Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce and to hear directly from them on local issues, and started the Agricultural Workforce Development initiative, which includes internships through the department, to connect future leaders to careers in agriculture.  Gipson has also led the way on truth in labeling laws for meat products to ban “fake meat” and prevent consumer confusion from the entry of plant-based and cell-cultured foods.  He has introduced regulatory reforms to increase opportunities for small farmers, mobile vendors and roadside produce stands.

Gipson and his wife, Leslie, have been married since 2001. They have four children — Joseph, Benjamin, Abigail and Sarah. They reside on their small working farm in Simpson County.