Stacey E. Pickering

Stacey Pickering
State Auditor of Mississippi
Incumbent
Assumed office January 10, 2008
Governor	Haley Barbour Phil Bryant
Preceded by	Phil Bryant
Personal details
Born	Stacey Eugene Pickering (1968-07-12) July 12, 1968 Laurel, Mississippi, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Alma mater	Jones County Junior College Samford University New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Stacey Eugene Pickering (born July 12, 1968, Laurel, Mississippi), a Republican, is the State Auditor of Mississippi, serving since 2008. He was first elected in 2007 and was re-elected in November 2011 by an overwhleming majority, receiving 75.6% of the vote in the general election. Over $19 million has been recovered since first taking office in January 2008. During his first term, Pickering recovered the largest amount of any Auditor in one term.

Background

Pickering is a seventh-generation Mississippian, and was raised in the Hebron community of Jones County on the family dairy farm. Pickering graduated from West Jones High School as a National 4-H scholarship winner and continued his education at Jones County Junior College. He furthered his educational career by earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, and a Master's degree in Marriage and Family Counseling from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in 1993.

Before serving in the State Senate, Pickering worked in the private sector as the Director of Governmental Affairs and Inside Sales Manager for Howard Technology Solutions, a division of Howard Industries in Laurel, Mississippi.

Pickering serves as a Chaplain in the Mississippi Air National Guard of the 186th Air Refueling Wing.

State Senate

Pickering represented District 42 in Jones County when he was elected to the Mississippi State Senate in 2003. He served as chairman of the Local and Private Committee and chairman of Enrolled Bills Committee. He was named by the American Legislative Exchange Council to the national policy task forces on Transportation and Homeland Security.

He served as co-chairman of the Mississippi Legislative Sportsman's Caucus that passed more pro-hunting legislation that any other caucus in the nation during its first year.

State Auditor

Pickering was elected State Auditor of Mississippi in 2007 when he defeated Democrat Mike Sumrall 55-45 in the general election.^[1] In 2011, Pickering received only third-party opposition as he defeated Reform Party candidate Ashley Norwood 76-24.^[2]

In June 2012, Pickering was honored with the National State Auditor’s Association’s “National Excellence in Accountability Award” for his work on accountability and oversight regarding the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.^[3] In 2009, the Defense Department honored him with a Patriot Award from its Mississippi Committee on Employer’s Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) in recognition of his extraordinary support of its employees who serve in the Mississippi National Guard and Reserve.^[4] Pickering received this same award again in May, 2013.^[5]

Pickering serves on the Domestic Working Group for the office of the Comptroller General of the United States. He also serves on the Financial Management and Intergovernmental Affairs and Performance Audit Committees for the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers (NASACT).

2012 Presidential Campaign

Pickering served as the Chairman of Mitt Romney's Mississippi campaign during the 2012 presidential campaign.^[6]

Other

Pickering has been mentioned as possible candidate for United States Senate in 2014, in the event that long-term Senator Thad Cochran retires.^[7]

He is a cousin of former congressman Chip Pickering, and nephew of former federal judge Charles W. Pickering.

Personal

He is married to Whitney Pickering, and lives in Laurel, Mississippi, with their four children. They are active members of First Baptist Church, Laurel, where they teach Sunday School and he serves as a deacon. The Pickering's have served as past Presidents of their children’s school PTO and volunteer for the Laurel Rogers Museum of Art. Pickering is a Mason, volunteer firefighter, member of the National Rifle Association and Sigma Nu Fraternity. He serves on the Board of the Pine Burr Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America.^[8]

References

• http://www.osa.state.ms.us/index.htm