WHAT: Ricky Mathews, president and publisher of The Sun Herald, is hosting a luncheon with legislators, business leaders, members of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, university leaders and the Commissioner of Higher Education to discuss Partnering for the Future: IHL Today. The event is sponsored by BancorpSouth, and The University of Southern Mississippi is serving as university host. This is the fifth of 12 regional luncheons across the state promoting Mississippi's system of higher education.

WHEN: Tuesday, October 3, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

WHERE: Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino, 850 Bayview Avenue, Biloxi, MS.

WHY: To spread the message of the importance of higher education to Mississippi and her citizens.

BACKGROUND: Under the leadership of the Board of Trustees, IHL governs the public universities in Mississippi, including Alcorn State University; Delta State University; Jackson State University; Mississippi State University including the Mississippi State University Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine; Mississippi University for Women; Mississippi Valley State University; the University of Mississippi including the University of Mississippi Medical Center; and the University of Southern Mississippi.

###