Page 112 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2016

women taking the lead
Only County
in Mississippi:
Women leading Harrison County Board of Supervisors
story by Daisy Karam-Read photos courtesy of Connie Rockco, Angel Kibler-Middleton and Beverly Martin
s women all over the country are marking milestones and increasingly filling more political roles, Harrison County can be proud of the three women — Connie Rockco, Angel Kibler-Middleton, and Beverly Martin — who were elected to the
Board of Supervisors. The largest of the three coastal counties, Harrison County is the only county in Mississippi with a majority female board and is one of few in the nation. Supervisor boards have tremendous responsibilities as a ruling entity that administers the business transactions of county government.
Rockco,who represents district five, was the first woman elected to the board; served two terms as presi- dent of the Council of Governments; served as secretary and president of the Harrison County Utility Authority; and is now the first woman to serve as president of the Mississippi Association of Supervisors. She was the first female medic on the Mississippi Gulf Coast to work for Mobile Medic and was the first chairwoman for the local Go Red for Women campaign after recovering from a 90 percent blockage in her heart.
“My mother was one of 17 children and a sharecropper’s daughter,” Rockco said. “I graduated from a high school with 18 children in it. As women, we have great abilities that are needed in the workplace. Do not let the fact that you came from a small town or have a humble background hold you back. You have something to contribute and can be anything you want to be.”
112 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • September 2016 FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net