MR. CLEVELAND: Ned Mitchell has spent the better part of his life helping to improve Bolivar County’s educational and economic opportunities through his community involvement. Mitchell has also played a leading role in the development of Delta State University.

Ned Mitchell
One of Cleveland’s top businessmen is also one of its greatest supporters

by ALAN TAYLOR
DBJ Contributing Writer

To put it simply, Ned Mitchell loves Cleveland, and he has worked throughout his life to help improve his hometown. For proof, one need look no further than even a short list of the civic positions he has held, organizations in which he actively participates, and honors that have been bestowed on him. A long-established, very successful businessman, Mitchell has also given much time and effort for the betterment of Cleveland and other Delta towns, and the entire state.

Ned Mitchell is a past president of the Cleveland-Bolivar County Chamber of Commerce, the Bolivar County Industrial Foundation, the Cleveland Arts Council, and the Delta State Foundation. He helped start Cleveland’s Main Street program, served as chairman of Team Cleveland (as the program came to be known locally), and was later president of the Mississippi Main Street Association.

Delta State University, his alma mater, named him its “Distinguished Statesman of the Year” in 1993 and “Outstanding Alumnus of the Year” in 1998.

Mitchell’s vast civic work has been undertaken concurrent with a lifetime career in the insurance business. He was a leader for reform in Mississippi insurance law, and has served as president of the Independent Insurance Agents of Mississippi, and as a national director of the Independent Insurance Agents of America.

Comments Dr. Kent Wyatt, president emeritus of Delta State, “I’ve known Ned since he was growing up here in Cleveland. He’s an outstanding community leader, very active and interested in the community. He’s probably held every leadership role there is in Cleveland and Bolivar County. Ned is also an outstanding businessman—self-made, hardworking, and dedicated—who truly cares for his clients and employees. He has certainly given back to his alma mater and to his community.”

Adds Scott Luth, executive director of the Cleveland-Bolivar County Chamber of Commerce “Ned and his business partners have always been community leaders and supported a number of causes. He is also a sort of good county historian. Ned has an extensive photo collection on the area. He has participated in several books written about the Cleveland area, and served on a number of committees that have created historical and preservation groups.”

Dr. Bob Ragan, a lifelong friend states, “Ned just loves Cleveland, and is very enthusiastic about its future.”

Says Ed Kossman, “Ned’s like me — we just can’t say ‘no’ to civic projects. Assign him a job and he’ll get it done. He’s a real leader and team player, who puts his heart and his time into every project.”

Kossman adds that Mitchell’s work ethic and sense of commitment were instilled in him at an early age. “Ned came from hard-working parents, and is the oldest of five children. His father died when Ned was still quite young, and his mother — who was a teacher — made sure that all of her children got an education.

“One of his brothers is now a doctor in Jackson, another is an attorney, and one is in higher education. And his sister is quite an accomplished musician.”

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Ned Mitchell likes to tell people that he was born on the Delta State campus. “The Cleveland City Hospital where I was born is now Delta State’s nursing school,” he explains.

Mitchell graduated from Delta State with a Bachelor of Science degree and a teacher’s certificate in 1962. Soon after graduation, he married Bettye Branch, who today along with her other activities, is an officer in the Delta State Alumni Association. The couple has three daughters and three grandchildren.

After briefly teaching in Louisiana, Mitchell began his insurance career with Travelers Insurance Company. He has been in the profession ever since, and has bought and sold several agencies. Asked about changes he has seen in his 40-plus years as an insurance agent, Mitchell says: “In the late 1980’s I was chairman of a joint industry task force that was formed to make recommendations to the state legislature on ways to reform Mississippi insurance laws.

“The resulting bill, which went into effect in the late 80s, abolished the insurance commission, a politically-appointed body that approved rates and types of policies. There had been a very tight regulatory climate. By abolishing the commission and placing the authority in the hands of the state insurance commissioner, we were able to bring about greater competition and the availability of better coverages. Policies became less generic, as companies were able to offer specific enhancements to meet specific needs. This was a real ‘sea change’ for Mississippi.

“Now, things have changed again. Because of the litigation climate in the state, we had seen a loss of companies who were willing to write business here. But now they’re coming back, due largely to tort reform and the generally improving economy. The market has opened up more, and should continue to do so.

“I’m excited about the future of the insurance business as a whole, in the Delta and across the state. And I believe SouthGroup is a good thing for people in the region.”

SouthGroup Insurance Services, headquartered in Jackson, represents a major business move for Mitchell and other independent agents, who have merged to form an organization offering an expanded ranges of services in a number of Mississippi cities and towns.
“We had all known one another and worked together for many years as independent agencies,” Mitchell says. “We needed to find a way to merge our operations while retaining a local identity and local ownership. Over the years, many of us had ‘clustered’ our operations in order to increase our volume with the insurers; SouthGroup takes this a step further.

“Accounting, sales volume, and such go through SouthGroup, but we all still own our operations. It’s been very successful — we’re starting our third year of the full merger. We’ve been able to offer a lot of benefits to our customers, including more competitive rates and more insurance companies to do business with.”

• • •

Ned Mitchell first made a name for himself on the football field, recalls Ed Kossman. “He was quite an athlete in high school and college, and was part of a bowl-game winning Delta State team. He loves to show people photos and movies of this sports career. Ned is still quite an athlete, as a matter of fact — he runs every day and is an avid snow skier,” he says.

Recognized as one of the University’s most distinguished alumni, Mitchell remains very supportive of the school, working to help enhance its reputation — especially in athletics.

“Of my interests, I guess one that dominates is athletics. I want to see Delta State move to the absolute forefront in terms of facilities, and to elevate our teams in the public eye. As Ole Miss Chancellor Robert Khayat has said, athletics is the window through which the world looks at your university. So I hope to see us push Delta State athletics to a higher level, both for more public attention and to help develop tourism.

“I’m very involved with the Delta State Foundation,” he continues. “We’re in the middle of a fund-raising campaign of which I’m chairman. It runs through the end of the year, and I am pleased to say that we’re already near our revised goal of $35,000,000. The money we raise will go to many things, including athletic and other facilities, scholarships, and advertising for the university — to name just a few.”

Mitchell reports he is active in the efforts to develop the Delta Music Institute, for which the Delta State Foundation is also helping to raise money. “With the Music Institute, I believe we’ll bring in quite a few students from all over the South. There really won’t be another school like it in this part of the country.”

• • •

With all his interests and civic activities, though, perhaps Ned Mitchell’s real passion is downtown Cleveland. His commitment to helping revitalize the downtown district extends to his own business — his company headquarters is housed in one of the city’s old buildings, which Mitchell bought and extensively restored, taking care to retain its unique historic character.

Asked about Cleveland’s Main Street program, Mitchell comments, “To me, our downtown district is the epitome of how a Main Street downtown should look. We have a historic district with building owners who have really bought into the program. Team Cleveland is now pursuing a project focused on the corridor from downtown to the Delta State campus. We’re looking into ways to buy property and beautify South Court Street; there’s real potential to make that area something special.”

While not as actively involved as in past years, Mitchell is still on the Board of the Mississippi Main Street Association. He believes the organization has done more to revitalize the state’s economy and its small towns than any other group or initiative.

“There are over 40 towns participating now,” he points out. “Go into any one of them — especially if you remember what they looked like a few years ago—and you’ll see the positive influence of the Main Street program.”

• • •

Friends and business associates say the thing that Ned Mitchell is most proud of his family, but certainly pride in his community has also shaped his life. He remains focused on ways to improve the town and the lives of its citizens — Scott Luth says that Mitchell is currently helping with the effort to have Cleveland designated a Certified Retirement Community.

Asked what drives him to be not only a successful businessman but also a tireless community advocate, Ned Mitchell offers a simple response. “Many Southerners have a good ‘sense of place’. Cleveland has always let me feel that, and I want to help it continue to grow and be a great place for everyone.” DBJ