William Magee Center

Kristy Bridgers has been happy to call the Oxford-University Community her home for many years. She first lived here from 1991-1995 as an Ole Miss student, earning her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. She then returned in 2005 and has lived here with her husband, David for 19 years. Kristy has two daughters, Alli and Sara Caroline, both Ole Miss graduates, and a son, Winn who is completing his studies at Austin Pea University. 

Kristy is the founder of Meal than a Meal, a non profit organization in Oxford that serves a hot meal every Tuesday night, and provides fellowship, tutoring, and toiletries to members of the O-U community. Kristy is deeply involved in the recovery community in Oxford. She is a member of Pinelake Church, and is also a yoga instructor at Baptiste Power Yoga and regularly uses yoga as means to reach and include others in the recovery community. She has a heart for walking along side students as they navigate college and the social pressures of it all, and is more than honored to be apart of the William Magee Center External Advisory Board. 

Bill Cook is a digital infrastructure entrepreneur and venture partner at Columbia Capital, and he serves as executive chairman of BandwidthIG, XenithIG, and Centra Digital. He is also a board member of Vivacity Infrastructure Group, TerraPact, and Vela Infrastructure. With over 35 years of experience designing, building, and operating networks, Bill is a proven leader with strategic vision. He remains committed to delivering results and creating value for investors, customers, and employees.

In 2012, Bill founded SummitIG and led the company’s unprecedented growth in Northern Virginia, the world’s largest data center market. He served as the company’s CEO until 2019. In 2021, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves appointed Bill to the Board of Directors of the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services. Also, in 2021, Bill was awarded the Distinguished American Award by the Ole Miss Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame. Bill received a BA from the University of Mississippi. He remains an active member of the National Eagle Scout Association.

McCall Dempsey (She/Her), founder of Southern Smash, is an eating disorder survivor and passionate recovery advocate. After a 15-year battle, McCall sought treatment in December 2010. Since then she has made eating disorder awareness and prevention her life’s work and passion. McCall travels the country, sharing her story of hope and healing with audiences everywhere. 

McCall has been featured in various national television, print and online publications, including Today Show, Women’s Health, Southern Living and Huffington Post. A Louisiana native, McCall now resides in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, with her husband, Jordan, and her two children, Manning and Marjorie. Both she and her husband are proud Ole Miss alumni and never miss an opportunity to cheer on the Rebs!

Mike Edmonds retired as Senior Vice President of Staff at Colorado College in spring 2023, following a 32-year career with the institution. He also served as CC’s Acting Co-President for the 2020-2021 academic year and as Dean of Students/Vice President for Student Affairs from 1991-2020. Dr. Edmonds is an executive in residence at CC’s Economics and Business Department where he teaches Business Communications. Highly engaged in community, he has served on more than 25 civic and nonprofit boards, committees, and commissions.

He holds a bachelor of arts, master’s, and doctorate from University of Mississippi, where he was inducted as a Hall of Fame graduate in 1984, and inducted into its School of Education Hall of Fame in 2019. He was also inducted into the National Speech and Debate Hall of Fame in 2019. He completed a post-graduate institute at Harvard University, and is a graduate of the Center for Creative Leadership.

Kent Magee is an advocate for recovery and the mother of William Magee. A graduate of the University of MS, Kent resides in Oxford with her husband, David, and worked to found the William Magee Center for AOD and Wellness Education at Ole Miss. After the tragic death by accidental overdose of their son, William, at age 23, Kent became committed to helping support individuals struggling with addiction or affected by the addiction of others in the community. She founded the first Yoga for 12 Step Recovery meeting in the state of MS in 2018, bringing a model that combines a 12 step meeting with a gentle yoga practice to help sustain recovery. Kent has taught yoga at Oxford Treatment Center and at a local yoga studio. Kent is active in the Oxford community, serving on boards of the University of MS Museum, Oxford University United Methodist Church, and spending time with her 5 grandchildren.

Cal Mayo, a Fellow and Regent in the American College of Trial Lawyers, has spent over 30 years in the courtroom advocating for his clients and has developed a reputation as a “go-to” lawyer in Mississippi. Over the course of his career, he has successfully represented clients in a wide range of litigated actions, including commercial, complex tort, products liability, employment, and intellectual property matters. He enjoys his “general surgeon” practice and the variety of challenges presented.

Cal founded Mayo Mallette with Pope Mallette in 2000 to create a law firm dedicated to efficiently and effectively serving the needs of its clients. As the firm has grown and expanded, Cal continues to focus his attention on his passion — trying cases to juries and judges. He is annually recognized for his work by Best Lawyers in America for Commercial Litigation and Bet-the-Company Litigation. 

Cal appreciates the opportunity to live in Oxford, one of America’s great college towns. He has served the University of Mississippi as a board member of the University of Mississippi Foundation and the Ole Miss Athletics Foundation, as a member of search committees for University executives, and as an adjunct professor in the law, accounting, and business schools. Three of his children are University graduates, and the fourth attended the University until his death on April 14, 2022. 

After graduating from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 2006, Matt joined the law firm of Tannehill & Carmean, PLLC, where he practiced for 16 years in real estate and other related matters, closing over 15,000 transactions during that time.  In November of 2013, Matt was voted one of Super Lawyer's Rising Stars of the Mid-South.​

While in law school, Matt clerked for two years with Hughes & Hitt, P.A., assisting with real estate loan closings. Matt also clerked with The Scruggs Law Firm, assisting with case research and drafting memorandums for mass tort litigation. In his last year of law school, Matt clerked for Lafayette County Chancellor Edwin H. Roberts, Jr.

Matt is a native of Florence, Alabama. As the youngest of five children who all attended the University of Mississippi, Matt served as Sergeant-At-Arms of the Associated Student Body Senate and was voted a Class Favorite his senior year at Ole Miss. He also served as President of Phi Delta Theta and was honored with the Arthur R. Priest Award for being the top Phi Delta Theta member in the nation.

Matt has two daughters, Nora Gray and Murphey Deems, and one son, Chancellor Colle.

Loren Monroe, a Principal at BGR Group, serves as a member of the firm’s Executive Board as well as one of the firm’s spokesmen. He co-chairs the firm’s bipartisan State & Local Advocacy Practice while lobbying on behalf of energy, health, financial services, technology and trade clients. Loren has more than 25 years of experience in Washington’s political, business and public policy arenas.

In his role, Loren helps clients at the state and federal levels achieve policy solutions and secure business opportunities in Washington and state capitals across the country through direct lobbying before Congress, governors, state legislators and attorneys general. He is skilled at helping clients align federal and state advocacy strategies as well as enlisting state and local leaders to support clients’ federal priorities. He also helps clients to obtain grants and appropriations from federal and state agencies. Due to the quality of service and results that are consistently delivered, Loren has represented many of his clients for more than 20 years. 

Loren frequently serves as the campaign manager for complex lobbying efforts that require coordinated state and federal outreach across multiple states and involving several lobbying and public relations firms. Highlights of his lobbying successes include securing federal permitting approval for the nation’s first large scale offshore wind project, Congressional appropriations for new research buildings on a university campus, legislation to carveout scrap recyclers from the Superfund program, state funding for digital skilling programs as well as discretionary economic development incentives by governors.

Zach Scruggs is the Executive Director of 2nd Chance MS. Zach attended Ole Miss, where he received both an undergraduate degree in Accounting (1996) and a Juris Doctor (2000) from the Law School. After an eight (8) year career in the legal profession, Zach worked in sustainable energy development in Florida and the Caribbean. In 2016, he moved back to Oxford to start 2nd Chance MS.

As Executive Director, Zach works closely with Mississippi’s Community Colleges and various civic and charitable organizations throughout the State to provide support and remove barriers for deserving lower income adult students working to get their High School Diploma and/or an employable skill certification. Under Zach’s leadership, 2nd Chance MS. has provided direct support to over 2200 adult students, helping 844 adults obtain their High School Equivalency, 607 adults obtain an employable workforce credential, and another 869 adults obtain career readiness credentials.

Zach and his wife Amy reside in Oxford, MS. They have 3 children: Jackson (21)- a Senior at Ole Miss; Augusta (20)- a Junior at Appalachian State University; and Ellie (16) – a Sophmore at Oxford High School.

Lauren Sisler is a national award-winning sports broadcaster who has been captivating audiences with her insightful coverage on ESPN since 2016. Not only is she a powerhouse in the broadcasting world, but she’s also the author of the compelling new book, 'Shatterproof.' As a sportscaster and former collegiate gymnast, Lauren is passionate about sports, but even more passionate about telling the stories of the coaches, athletes, and fans who make it more than a game. Lauren's life was not always marked by victories.

In 2003, as a freshman at Rutgers University, tragedy struck when she unexpectedly lost both parents within hours of each other to their hidden battle with prescription drug addiction. Through her grief, Lauren emerged from the shadows of shame and found renewed hope. “I carried that shame until I finally realized I wouldn’t let the pain I harbored define me, just like it didn’t define my parents.” Harnessing her pain as a catalyst for growth, Lauren embraced her story, transforming her anguish and heartbreak into a source of strength and healing. She now recognizes that living courageously and authentically can unlock remarkable potential, and she embodies this truth in every aspect of her life.

Through vibrant storytelling, Lauren connects deeply with her audience, motivating them to redefine their own stories to find peace and purpose. "Your story is significant. Learn to love it, then do something with it." Her message is clear: confront adversity with bravery, own your story, and let it propel you towards a future filled with greater meaning and fulfillment.