Members of the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy (OMWC) named Roane Grantham of Oxford, Mississippi, as their chair for the next two years and welcomed Susan Grice of Gulfport, Mississippi, as the latest addition to their 36-member board.
These new leadership changes further strengthen the innovative scholarship program as it celebrates the start of its 25th year, said Suzan Thames of Ridgeland, Mississippi, the outgoing chair.
“Roane possesses a deep devotion for our scholars and mission,” Thames said. “We are fortunate that she brings outstanding technical skills and a charismatic leadership style needed to manage our multi-dimensional organization.
“Susan Grice joins us with an impeccable resume of leadership, philanthropic activity and professional experience that will enhance several key areas,” Thames said. “Roane and Susan have roots linking them to the Women’s Council program’s inception.”
While Grantham has been an OMWC member over a decade, her mother, Mary Sharp Rayner, has served the Women’s Council since its earliest days.
As the new chair, Grantham said she looks forward to assisting with efforts to build on the Women’s Council’s strong foundation.
“In the next 25 years, I’d love to see the Women’s Council continue its trajectory of growth and impact while adapting to meet the continually changing needs of our scholars and the broader community,” she said. “One of my primary goals is to expand our reach so we can support even more students, providing them with the transformative experiences and resources that make this program so unique.”
A Taylor Medalist as an Ole Miss undergraduate, Grantham was a member of Phi Kappa Phi before graduating with a Bachelor of Accountancy degree. She then earned a master’s in business administration from Millsaps College. She has devoted her time to serving on boards of nonprofit and community organizations.
She and her husband, Robert, have two children: a daughter, Mary Morgan Harbour, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accountancy from Ole Miss, and a son, Sharp, who is pursuing an accountancy degree.
Grantham said her mother’s dedication and passion for the OMWC inspired her to become a member in 2013. She supports efforts to provide more opportunities for OMWC scholars to travel and study abroad and secure domestic and international internships to enhance their professional options.
“Ultimately, I envision the OMWC as a model for other scholarship programs across the nation and as a program that continually evolves to empower young people to become the philanthropic leaders of tomorrow and make a meaningful difference in the world,” she said.
“We are not just a scholarship program; we are a comprehensive leadership development experience. The Women’s Council has changed countless lives, and I am excited to see how it will continue to grow and create even more opportunities for students.”
Grice, a Certified Public Accountant with an extensive business and financial planning background, may be the newest board member, but she became involved with the scholarship program shortly after it was established on Feb. 14, 2000.
“As an Ole Miss student, I had the pleasure of getting to know Ellen Rolfes, one of the charter members,” Grice recalled. “She included me in many of the first meetings of the Women’s Council as a student adviser.”
Grice realized the work being done by OMWC members was transformative and decided to support it as the first student. She used a life insurance policy to endow a deferred scholarship gift in honor of her grandmother, Dorothy Graham Brown, who had been her lifelong mentor.
For 20 years, Grice has served Hancock Whitney Bank as the director of personal trust and financial planning. She has worked with many nonprofit and community organizations, including those mentoring young people.
She and her husband, Matt, have three children: Caroline, Andrew and Bennett. Caroline is pursuing an accountancy degree at Ole Miss.
“Over the years, I’ve enjoyed watching the Women’s Council grow and become this powerful program supported by amazing women who embody the mission created 25 years ago,” Grice said. “It’s an honor to have been asked to be a member of this group.”
Since it began, the groundbreaking OMWC has been remarkably successful. The program provides one of the most generous Ole Miss scholarships available to male and female students who have exhibited ethical and caring behavior. Each scholar is awarded $40,000 ($10,000 per year for four years of undergraduate study). The scholarships are funded by the annual income generated by the program’s $22 million-plus endowment. In addition, each scholar is provided with academic, career and life mentoring. The students also enjoy programming that nurtures philanthropy, scholarship and leadership.
To learn more about supporting the Ole Miss Women’s Council, contact Suzanne Helveston, OMWC program director, at shelveston@olemiss.edu or 662-915-2956, or online here.
By Jonathan Scott/UM Development