FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 6, 2007

Mississippi Governor's School speakers series open to the public

COLUMBUS, Miss.-- The Mississippi Governor’s School (MGS) invites the
general public to attend the 2007 Distinguished Speakers Series to be
held on the campus of Mississippi University for Women June 5-16.

This year’s theme, “The Power of Leadership: Making an Impact in
Your Community,” and the Distinguished Speakers Series features
Mississippians who are contributing in a meaningful way to the state
through service, leadership, and/or achievement. The 2007 series
features five outstanding individuals whose accomplishments, service and
leadership continue to positively impact the state and nation.

June 5, the featured speakers are Liza Cirlot Looser and Rick Looser.
Liza Looser, who graduated from MUW in 1980, is the founder and CEO of
The Cirlot Agency, an advertising firm she created “to make companies
more successful.” Rick Looser is the creative force behind the
Mississippi Believe It! campaign and is dedicated to reshaping the
national perception of Mississippi through innovative advertising.

June 7, Judge Robert Gibbs will speak on the power of leadership
through service. In addition to leading a distinguished legal and
judicial career, Gibbs has received multiple awards and citations for
outstanding service and volunteerism.

June 11, Jill Rigby, a 1978 graduate of MUW, will share her thoughts on
“Leading from the Heart.” Rigby is the founder of Manners of the
Heart Community Fund, a non-profit organization working to bring a
return of respect and civility to society and has appeared on more than
100 radio/television interviews ranging from the CBS Early Show to Glenn
Beck on CNN Headline News.

The 2007 Distinguished Speakers Series concludes on June 16, with a
presentation by Thomas Hamill, the truck convoy commander who was
captured delivering fuel to the U.S. armed forces in Iraq and held
hostage for 24 days before making a miraculous escape. Five of Hamill's
associates were killed in the attack. Hamill co-authored the story of
his ordeal, “Escape in Iraq.”

All presentations will be held in Nissan Auditorium in Parkinson Hall
on the MUW campus and will begin at 6:30 p.m. There is no charge to
attend.

The Mississippi Governor’s School is a residential honors program
established in 1981 by Governor William F. Winter and the faculty and
administration at MUW. MGS is designed to provide academic, creative and leadership experiences for a limited number of rising high school
juniors and seniors who have demonstrated exceptional ability and
achievement in academics and community involvement and who show high
intellectual, creative and leadership potential.

Each summer, MGS brings together high potential learners from across
the state of Mississippi for a three-week residential collegiate
experience that blends cultural, academic, social and recreational
components into a rich and natural learning environment. The community
of interaction created by the MGS program inspires the love of learning,
discovery of self and the desire to use gifts and talents to improve
society.

Since its establishment, MGS has provided approximately 3,500 students
from across the state of Mississippi with a high quality educational
experience that has challenged them to grow as individuals. MGS is
funded by the Mississippi Legislature, and there is no charge to
attend.

The 2007 session will be held June 3-22. For more information, please
call (662) 241-6096.