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Extension Matters

Volume 11 Number 3

Knowledge that’s Needed

Groups of people seated and standing in a conference room.

The 96th Annual Mississippi Assessors and Collectors Association Fall Conference hosted 185 people representing all 82 counties in Mississippi. All tax assessors/collectors in the state attended except those from Attala and Jones Counties. Organized by specialists from the Mississippi State University Extension Service, the conference was held in October 2025. 

MACA Fall Conference hosts educational programs, provides tech assistance to elected officials

Photos by Kevin Hudson

Mississippi’s tax assessors and collectors play a vital role in keeping counties running. They ensure fair property assessments, maintain accurate records, and collect taxes that support essential local services.

The Mississippi State University Extension Service delivers educational programs, hosts certification opportunities, and provides technological support to make sure Mississippi tax assessors and collectors have the knowledge they need.

Extension hosted the 96th Annual Mississippi Assessors and Collectors Association (MACA) Fall Conference at the Oxford Conference Center in Lafayette County, and this year’s gathering was another educational, networking success.

Four people listening in a conference room.
Dr. Lauren Colby Nickels, standing, listens with, from left, Sandy Mitchell, Alcorn County tax assessor; Michael Walton, Yalobusha County tax collector/assessor; and Donna Anderson, Sharkey County tax collector/assessor. Nickels, an Extension specialist with the Center for Government and Community Development (GCD), helped organize the conference.
One person listens while two others laugh.
Miranda Alexander, center, Yazoo County tax collector, shares her ideas with, from left, Lori Kerr, Choctaw County tax collector/assessor, and Natasha Walker, Winston County tax collector/assessor.
Two people talking in a conference room.
Dr. Jason Camp, Extension specialist with GCD, chats with Debbie Richards, Wayne County tax collector/assessor.
Two people talking in a conference room.
Hope Herrington, Clarke County tax collector/assessor and Mississippi Assessors and Collectors Association president, asks Nickels a question.
Five people consulting at a table in a conference room.
Tax assessors and collectors from all over the state, including Sybrennia DeBerry, Marshall County deputy clerk; Rosalyn DeBerry, Marshall County tax collector; Melanie Alexander, Marshall County bookkeeper/office manager; Dean Prange, director of county relations at American Financial Credit Services; and Khaliah Cook, Holmes County deputy clerk, networked at the conference.
Seated person in a conference room talks to a standing person, as two others watch.
Samantha Jackson, Jefferson County tax Collector/assessor, consults with Nickels as Terrence Bailey, Adams County tax collector, listens. Others at the table, from left, include Mark Seard, Washington County tax assessor, and April Holloway, Copiah County tax collector.
A notebook cover with a printed seal listing “Mississippi Assessors and Collectors Association."
CLICK HERE to learn more about the services Extension provides for Mississippi's elected officials.

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Mississippi State University Extension 130 Bost Drive Mississippi State MS 39762

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