Page 103 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2026

presented by South Mississippi Living magazine
HEWES AGENCY/HEWES REALTY
Paula Hewes, owner of Hewes Agency, says she likes work,
so the agency counts as a hobby. However, she has proven
her mettle in this generational business, which provided an
opportunity to apply her skills as a bookkeeper and manager
and still balance the demands of raising children.
“With Billy being off to the Senate in Jackson or consumed
by mayoral duties in Gulfport, it was important to learn the
business and help build our livelihood,” she says. “As our
children grew older, this involvement grew into a leadership
role in the firm, resulting in not only becoming licensed
in insurance and real estate, but assuming ownership of
insurance operations in 2013.”
There are some new things going on this year as the 47
year-old agency is engaged in a total restructuring of the
businesses, which includes rebranding, an expansion and
remodeling of office space, the hiring of new personnel,
implementation of new technologies, and updating
operational policies.
“Working with people to find solutions to their needs is
what I like best. I have always been a people person and
enjoy the process of building relationships,” Hewes
affirmed. “That process has helped establish my own
credibility as a woman in a business originally started by my
husband and father-in-law. It has taken time and patience,
but my ownership in the firm and establishment as a
professional is now recognized and appreciated.”
Being a strong woman is not foreign to Hewes whose
mother led by example. “The example of my mother has
had the biggest impact on my life and career. Despite being
blind, she successfully raised eight children and never let
that disability define or limit her,” she recalls.
Hewes feels blessed to have been married for 41 years in a
partnership that has yielded four amazing children who
are charting their own paths, and providing grandchildren
in the process. The couple has three grandchildren with the
fourth on the way.
Community involvement includes membership in the Gulf
Coast Chamber of Commerce and Gulf Coast Business
Council. She and her husband support Feed My Sheep, St.
Vincent de Paul, and Make-a Wish. The church family at St.
John the Evangelist, their supper club, St. Vincent de Paul, Pro
Life, and Extra Table are close to her heart.
Standing Left to Right: Billy Hewes, Paula Hewes, Laurya Kearn,
Janette Mederos, Erin Brown, Amanda Rawlins and Roberta Carlisle
HEWES AGENCY/HEWES REALTY
P.O. Box 2387, Gulfport
228.832.6731/228.832.6262
www.hewesagency.com
paula@hewesagency.com
Facebook @HewesAgency
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living | www.smliving.net September 2026 | 103