C. Hoppy Allred
Hoppy Allred of Ocean Springs, Mississippi is the husband of Ellen Maier Allred. His parents are Chet and Jeanne Allred of Pascagoula, and his in-laws are Dr. Alice Louise Maier and the late Dr. Findlay Maier also of Pascagoula.
Hoppy graduated from Resurrection Catholic High School where he was two-time State Tennis Champion in singles and also honored to be named to the All-State Cross-Country running team. Upon graduation, he went on to play tennis for Spring Hill College before earning a bachelor’s degree in arts and sciences from the University of South Alabama and a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Mississippi State University.
Hoppy is the President of Allred Architectural Group located in Ocean Springs, Mississippi where he has worked for the past 25 years. He is proud to help carry on the legacy of the firm that his father Chet joined in 1966. He is a Past-President of the American Institute of Architects, Mississippi Gulf Coast Chapter and a member of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards. Hoppy has also served on the Board of the Walter Anderson Museum of Art, the Catholic Diocese of Biloxi Building Committee, and participated on the Mississippi Governor’s Commission on Recovery, Rebuilding and Renewal following Hurricane Katrina. He attends St. Alphonsus Catholic Church and is a member of the Ocean Springs Yacht Club.
In addition to traveling with his wife Ellen, Hoppy enjoys outdoor activities including long-distance running, cycling, and spending his down time on the water with family and friends.
John M. Boothby
John M. Boothby is the husband of Adrienne Boothby of Biloxi, Mississippi. He is the proud father of Johnathan, Alex, and Blake, and the beloved son of Anna Boothby of New York. His greatest joy is being the grandfather of his two granddaughters, Avery Marie and Ella Grace.
John graduated with a Regents Diploma of Advanced Designation from East Meadow High School in Long Island, New York. He went on to attend Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Perkinston Campus, and later earned his Ph.D. in BS from HKU. While at Perkinston, John led the golf team to its first-ever State Championship, beginning a dynasty of national titles.
In 2001, John turned a lifelong passion into reality by acquiring Southwind Golf Course, a venture that reflected both his dedication to golf and his desire to contribute meaningfully to the sport’s community.
Professionally, John is the President of Apple Construction in Gulfport, Mississippi, and the owner of Southern Civil Infrastructure. He has also served as the Keesler Honorary Training Wing Commander for six different leaders and continues to act as a legislative conduit to both federal and state legislators.
John is a member of the Associated General Contractors, the Knights of the Vine, and is also an ordained minister. His wide-ranging accomplishments in business, community service, and leadership are rivaled only by the pride he takes in his family.
Matthew Payne Grice
Matthew Payne Grice of Gulfport is the husband of Susan Keith Grice. They are the parents of Caroline Elizabeth, Andrew Graham and Bennett Payne Grice. His parents are Dr. and Mrs. Franklin Grice of Lake Junaluska, North Carolina.
Matthew is a graduate of East Forsyth High School in Kernersville, North Carolina. He attended the University of North Carolina, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. He graduated from the Kenan Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina in 2000, where he earned a Master of Accounting degree. He started his career in public accounting with KPMG and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant.
Matthew proudly works at Mississippi Power alongside many dedicated employees and he serves as Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer.
Matthew serves as a board member of the Mississippi Aquarium and the Gulf Coast Community Foundation and has previously served on the Vestry at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and as president of the boards of the Gulfport Chamber of Commerce and Lynn Meadows Discovery Center, and as a board member of Leadership Gulf Coast.
Matthew’s wife Susan served as a Maid to Queen Ixolib in 2000.
Richard E. Mattiace, Jr.
Richard E. Mattiace, Jr. of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, is the devoted husband of Lauren Ferguson Mattiace and the proud father of Anne Britton and William Mattiace. He is the son of Mr. Rickey Mattiace and Ms. Dianne Mattiace, both of Ocean Springs.
Richard is a graduate of Ocean Springs High School. He received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Insurance, Risk Management, and Financial Planning from Mississippi State University in 2009. During his time at Mississippi State, he was a member of the Kappa Alpha Order fraternity.
He is currently a producer and partner with The Insurance Center in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Actively engaged in his profession, Richard is a member of the Independent Agents of Mississippi, where he served as Young Agent Chair in 2014, at large board member from 2016-2022 and since 2024 has served on the executive committee of the board. In 2017 and 2018, he was the Mississippi representative for the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America’s “Trusted Choice Big I National Championship”, a national youth golf tournament. In 2018, he was presented with the Chairman’s Award for his involvement in Mississippi hosting the 2017 tournament.
Dedicated to his community, Richard is involved in several local organizations. He is a member and board member of Treasure Oaks Country Club, as well as a member of the Ocean Springs Yacht Club, the Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce, and the Home Builders Association of South Mississippi. He is a member of The Revelers.
He and his family are parishioners of St. Alphonsus Catholic Church. Richard has served as a GCCA court volunteer.
Charles Robert Ridgway V
Charles Robert Ridgway V of Ocean Springs is the husband of Brittany Carr Ridgway and the father of Catherine and Caroline Ridgway. His parents are Charles Robert Ridgway IV and Naomi Ridgway of Jackson, Mississippi.
Robert is a 2000 graduate of Jackson Academy, and he earned a Bachelor of Business in Management of Construction and Land Development from Mississippi State University in 2004. Following college at MSU, Robert began work at Yates Construction, where he has enjoyed his entire career and currently serves as the Vice President of Business Development, overseeing the company’s work acquisition efforts across the United States. He is a recipient of the “One Coast Top 10 Under 40” award, was named to Mississippi Business Journal’s “Top 50 Under 40” and is a Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow.
Robert is a graduate of Leadership Gulf Coast, Leadership Mississippi, and the Gulf Coast Business Council’s Master’s Program. He is the current chair of the 2026 American Heart Association Gulf Coast Heart Walk, past chair of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Heart Gala, and has served on the Heart Walk Executive Leadership Team. He is a former “Ambassador Family Honoree” for the Mississippi Gulf Coast March of Dimes and has served on the board of Leadership Gulf Coast, Pathways 2 Possibilities, and the United Way of South Mississippi.
Robert and his wife, Brittany, are also affiliated with The Revelers, Order of Mithras, and Les Masquees Mardi Gras organizations. He and his family are members of First Presbyterian Church of Ocean Springs and the Ocean Springs Yacht Club, and they reside in Ocean Springs.
Joshua C. Rimes
Joshua C. Rimes is the husband of Sarah Dees Rimes of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, and the proud father of their two children, Bennett and Lilly Chaffin Rimes. He is the son of Mr. Dwight Rimes and the late Mrs. Jerry Rimes, also of Ocean Springs.
Joshua is a graduate of Ocean Springs High School, where he was a member of the State Championship Tennis Teams in 1992 and 1994. He attended William Carey College, competing on its nationally ranked tennis team, and later earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Millsaps College in 2000. While at Millsaps, Joshua was named All-Conference Tennis in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference and was a member of the Kappa Alpha Order fraternity.
He is currently a Realtor with Rain Residential and Rain Travel Collection in Ocean Springs and serves as managing member of 1715 Vermont, LLC Real Estate Development. Joshua and his family are active members of First Presbyterian Church of Ocean Springs. He is also involved in the Biloxi–Ocean Springs Board of Realtors, National Association of Realtors, and the St. Patrick Catholic High School Gold Club.
His wife Sarah served as a flag bearer in 1992, a maid in 1999 and reigned as Queen Ixolib in 2002. His daughter Lilly Chaffin served as a flag bearer in 2024. His father-in-law, Dr. S. H. Dees, was a duke in 2001.
John Valletta
John Valletta of Ocean Springs is a devoted husband to Crystal Valletta and proud father of two daughters. Sophia is a freshman at Auburn University majoring in Graphic Design and Gabrielle is a freshman at St. Patrick Catholic High School in Biloxi, where she is a member of the Varsity Cheer Team. His parents, John and Michaela Valletta, reside in Bradenton, Florida.
With more than two decades of experience in the automotive industry, John is a respected business leader on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. He graduated from the University of North Texas in 1998 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and began his career at Publicis, an international advertising agency in Dallas, Texas. In 2006, he joined BMW of North America, a global leader in luxury and performance vehicles. By 2013, he became Co-Owner of BMW of the Permian Basin in Midland, Texas and later expanded his co-ownership to include Galleria BMW and Mandal Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in D’Iberville, Mississippi.
Under John’s leadership, Galleria BMW has consistently ranked among the best in the nation—earning the #1 BMW dealer ranking five times and receiving the prestigious BMW Center of Excellence Award for eight consecutive years. He currently serves on BMW’s National Product Committee, where he plays a key role in shaping future product decisions for BMW of North America.
Deeply committed to his community, John was recently recognized as an Honorary Commander for the U.S. Air Force 81st Training Wing at Keesler Air Force Base, a distinction awarded by the U.S. Department of Defense for outstanding community involvement. Since its opening in 2017, Galleria BMW has contributed more than $200,000 to Mississippi Gulf Coast organizations, including St. Alphonsus Catholic School, St. Patrick Catholic High School and Make-A-Wish Mississippi. John and his family attend First Presbyterian Church of Ocean Springs and in his free time, John enjoys fitness and fellowship as a member of Crooked Letter CrossFit in D’Iberville.
Derrel Thomas Wilson
Derrel Thomas Wilson is the husband of Mary Elizabeth Lanier Wilson of Gulfport, Mississippi. Together they are the proud parents of Addie Elizabeth, Derrel Thomas Jr., and Breton William Wilson. He is the son of James Derrel and Sally Francis Wilson of Gulfport, Mississippi.
Derrel is a graduate of Gulfport High School. He received a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Mississippi State University’s Bagley School of Engineering in 2002, a Master of Business Administration from William Carey University in 2012, and an Executive Leadership Certificate from Cornell University.
Derrel is a licensed Professional Engineer and currently serves as Senior Vice President of H2O Innovations Operations & Maintenance, LLC. He is also co-owner of Alpha-Lit Mississippi Gulf Coast, LLC, and holds a Class IV Wastewater Operator’s License.
He is an active member of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church of Gulfport, the Mississippi Rural Water Association, and the Mississippi Engineering Society. He also serves on the Gulfport School District’s Career & Technical Advisory Board and is a member of The Revelers mardi gras organization.
Derrel’s sister-in-law, Kimberely Nicole Rushton Wilson, reigned as Queen Ixolib in 2015.
