The annual Jefferson Davis County Chamber of Commerce banquet will be held May 13 beginning at 6 p.m. The event will be held at the Rosenwald Building on the Prentiss Institute campus on J. E. Johnson Road.

Guest speaker for the banquet is native son Tony Reimonenq Jr.

Reimonenq was raised in the heart of Bassfield, and proudly graduated as a Yellowjacket from Bassfield High School in 1996.

“I still remember the excitement of those Friday night rivalries between the Prentiss Bulldogs and the Bassfield Yellowjackets,” said Reimonenq.

Reimonenq says those were some of the best memories of his youth.

“Growing up, I was fortunate to have incredible educators and role models like Mr. and Mrs. Griffith who poured into us daily, even though I still found my way into a bit of mischief from time to time,” he said.

Today, Reimonenq serves as Executive Director of LinkedUp Inc., an Economic Empowerment organization dedicated to closing the wealth gap by providing financial education, affordable housing, business suites and access to mainstream banking for underserved communities.

He has been married to Elizabeth Chestang Reimonenq for 24 years and they have three sons.

Reimonenq believes in life there are winners, losers and those who haven’t learned how to win yet.

“It is truly an honor to be invited back home to speak at the Jefferson Davis County Chamber of Commerce Banquet,” said Reimonenq. “I firmly believe that economic empowerment, second only to God and love, is our best hope for thriving communities,” he said.

STAR Students and Teachers from each school will be presented at the banquet, along with Citizen, Industry and Business of the Year honors.

Tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for children under nine years of age. To purchase tickets, contact any chamber member or Prentiss City Hall at 601-792-5196.