Leland R. Speed was the Chairman of EastGroup Properties, a real estate investment trust, specializing in the development, ownership and operation of industrial properties, and Chairman of Parkway Properties, a REIT specializing in the ownership and operation of office buildings in the Sun Belt and Chicago. He also served as Chairman of Delta Industries. Born in Jackson, Mississippi, Speed graduated from the Jackson public school system, received his Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Management from Georgia Tech, and was awarded the MBA Degree from Harvard Business School.

Walter Becker Jr., CCIM, of Madison, Mississippi, has been the owner of Commercial Real Estate Services since 1985, and specializes in commercial and industrial properties throughout Mississippi. He was designated as a CCIM in 1982.

BankPlus was founded in 1909 as Citizens Bank & Trust Company (CB&T) in Belzoni, Mississippi. CB&T grew to include locations in central Mississippi and the Delta and was renamed BankPlus in 1994. BankPlus now has over $2 billion in total assets and 60 offices in 33 Mississippi communities and has been the leading sponsor of the Mississippi CCIM Chapter for over 10 years.