Page 20 - South Mississippi Living - March, 2026

PEOPLE
For more than a century, Mardi Gras has arrived on the
Gulf Coast not simply as a celebration, but as a promise—one kept year after year by the Gulf Coast Carnival Association (GCCA) and a community that understands the power of tradition. Along the Coast, where history and hospitality intertwine, Carnival is not confifined to a single Mardi Gras parade route or one day on the calendar. It lives in preparation and pageantry, in legacy and leadership, and most visibly, in the royalty who step forward each year to carry the crown.
Leading the GCCA in its 118th year were the Sovereign Rulers of Carnival, King d’Iberville Brian Walker Sanderson and Queen Ixolib Sophie Jay Schloegel, whose reign honors a lineage more than a century in the making. As GCCA royalty, their roles extend beyond ceremony. They serve as stewards of a tradition deeply woven into the Coast’s cultural fabric—one that has endured through generations, weathered change, and remained a defifining symbol of community pride.
For Sanderson, this year’s reign is both an honor and
a reflflection of lifelong ties to the Coast. A graduate of Resurrection Catholic High School and the University of
The Gulf Coast Carnival Association
story by Cherie Ward photos by James Edward Bates
Mississippi, Sanderson’s professional life has been shaped
by leadership and service, from public policy work to civic involvement across the Coast. Yet amid the accolades and accomplishments, it is family and tradition that anchor his connection to the GCCA. This season, that legacy becomes tangible—his daughter serving as a Royal Page, his son as a Flag Bearer—underscoring the deeply personal nature of his role as King.
Schloegel’s story is equally rooted in continuity. A 2021 graduate of Gulfport High School and a 2025 graduate of
the University of Mississippi, Schloegel represents a new generation shaped by global perspective and local pride. Currently working in Washington, D.C., her journey has taken her far from the Coast, yet Carnival season has remained a constant thread. Her family’s ties to the GCCA span decades, with multiple generations having served as royalty and leaders within the organization. Her reign is not just a moment
of celebration—it is a continuation of a living family history.
20 | March 2026
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