Two Hattiesburg luminaries adept at meeting the needs of their community – one, in a civic role, and the other in the culinary realm – are this year’s recipients of the prestigious Hub Award.
Mayor Toby Barker and longtime restaurateur Robert St. John are the 2025 awardees of what’s considered the highest honor Hattiesburg can bestow upon one of its own. Both will be recognized during an awards banquet set for Monday, Nov. 17, at 6 p.m. at Hattiesburg’s Lake Terrace Convention Center. The event, presented by the Pinebelt Foundation, will begin with a reception at 5:45 p.m.
St. John is a Hattiesburg native and University of Southern Mississippi alumnus who began his career in the restaurant industry locally in 1984, when he opened The Purple Parrot, followed by other successful dining establishments. Barker, a native of Meridian, Miss., served in the Mississippi Legislature from 2008 to 2017 before being elected mayor of Hattiesburg.
The Hub Award honors outstanding Hattiesburg citizens each year for their contributions to the betterment of the city and its citizenry. Proceeds from the recognition banquet support scholarships for students at Southern Miss and William Carey University (WCU) and are managed by the Pinebelt Foundation.
The award’s origins date back to 1979, when Hattiesburg community leaders decided to honor the late Bobby L. Chain, a former Hattiesburg mayor and president of the Board of Trustees of the State Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL). “Bobby Chain Day” recognized his service to the city and state, and soon after, inspired the annual Hub Award, taken from the city’s nickname “The Hub City.”
“Throughout our city's history, so many incredible people have taken up the mantle of civic leadership and changed Hattiesburg for the better,” Barker said. “The Hub Award honors that effort, along with raising support that can inspire future citizens to love and serve our community. I’m beyond humbled to be included in the company of our amazing past recipients."
St. John said that after 40 years in business, he’s been fortunate to be recognized from time to time for his work, but the Hub Award is the most meaningful to him.
“No honor means more to me than the Hub Award,” St. John continued. “This one is different because it’s from home.
“Hattiesburg has always been my place. Seven generations in the Pine Belt, four in this city - my family, my friends, my roots are all here. I’m proud to be from Hattiesburg, and even prouder that my children are choosing to make their lives here, too.”
Former Hub Award recipients Larry Albert and Eddie Holloway praised Barker and St. John, saying their contributions to Hattiesburg and beyond make them excellent choices for the award in keeping with the philosophy upon which it was established.
“These two individuals are great examples of what this recognition was intended to honor – contributions through hard work and sacrifice to our community by individuals who make Hattiesburg the wonderful place it is,” Albert said. “We’re better because of the efforts of people like Toby and Robert - they are most deserving of the Hub Award. I’m thrilled to see them recognized in this way for all they’ve done and continue to do.”
Holloway described Barker and St. John as visionaries and determined leaders in their fields. “Mayor Barker’s energy is unmatched, and I applaud his work with the city council and his staff, along with his inclusive vision to make Hattiesburg a premier city of the Gulf South,” he said, while also noting that “Mr. St. John is a giant in business and philanthropy in Hattiesburg and the state, and his work with Extra Table has helped countless individuals with nutritional need. I’m delighted to see them both honored with the Hub Award.”
Toby Barker
Barker is serving as Hattiesburg’s 35th mayor. Over eight years, he has worked with the City Council to deliver progress across the Hub City. This includes investments in road, bridge, water, sewer, and stormwater infrastructure; major facilities like the Johnny L. DuPree Public Safety Complex; transformational transportation projects, including the Hall Avenue East and West overpasses; investments in city parks; commitment to sound municipal financial practices; and securing more than $150 million in federal, state and private funding for municipal projects.
Mayor Barker has championed education at all levels. As an advocate for public schools, he has fostered partnerships with the Hattiesburg Public School District and supported its administration, teachers, and students who earned three consecutive “A” accountability ratings. He is also committed to fostering a strong town-and-gown relationship with Southern Miss, William Carey, and Pearl River Community College.
His leadership extends to statewide and national advocacy organizations, promoting the needs of cities and towns. He served as President of the Mississippi Municipal League from 2023-2024, and as Vice Chairman of the National League of Cities’ Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. He also presented before the United States Senate Commerce Committee in 2021, discussing the challenges of blocked rail crossings.
Mayor Barker served District 102 in the Mississippi House of Representatives, elected in 2007 at the age of 25 to become the state’s youngest legislator at that time and first millennial elected. His signature accomplishment was creating the first program to fund early childhood education, and his work in performance-based budgeting and evidence-based policy helped make Mississippi a national leader in data-driven decision-making.
Multiple organizations have honored Mayor Barker’s public service achievements, including with Delta Sigma Theta’s 2025 Crimson Honors Award for Community Excellence; the Mississippi Tourism Association’s 2024 Governmental Tourism Leadership Award; the James “Jay” Slaughter 2023 Catalyst Award; Alpha Phi Alpha’s 2023 Bridge Builder Award; the Southern Miss College of Business and Economic Development’s 2019 Young Alumnus of the Year; Men of Excellence’s 2019 Dr. Eddie A. Holloway Man of Excellence Award; as 2017 recipient of Y’all Politics’ Top 50 Elected/Appointed Government Officials; and the Southern Miss Alumni Association’s 2016 Young Alumnus of the Year.
Mayor Barker earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications (2004) and a Master of Science degree in economic development (2006), both from Southern Miss. In 2015, he earned his Master of Health Leadership degree from Brown University. While at Southern Miss, Barker was heavily involved in the Student Government Association (SGA), elected SGA Vice President as a freshman. He was also active in his fraternity, Pi Kappa Phi, as well as the Baptist Student Union and Men of Excellence. He served two months as a summer missionary in Burkina Faso, West Africa, and completed short-term mission projects in Juarez, Mexico, New England, New Orleans, and the Pacific Northwest, experiences he counts as catalysts for his career in public service. In the private sector, he worked as an account executive with his family-owned business, Barker Advertising.
Mayor Barker served on the Hattiesburg Public School District Foundation Board of Directors, was a Paul Harris Fellow with the Rotary Club of Hattiesburg-Sunrise, and co-founded the Avenues Alliance. As a mayor, legislator, and citizen, he has helped create new community traditions, including the Halloween Parade and Midnight on Front Street New Year’s Eve celebration. He and his family are members of Ekklesia Church.
Robert St. John
With his deep-rooted passion for Hattiesburg evident in his efforts to support local development, the arts, community revitalization, and service, St. John is shaping his hometown through both his business leadership and philanthropic work.
St. John is a Mississippi-based restaurateur, writer, television producer, and community advocate who has led the New South Restaurant Group as President and CEO since 1987. A visionary entrepreneur, he owns and operates several acclaimed restaurants in Hattiesburg, including Crescent City Grill, Mahogany Bar, Tabella, Ed’s Burger Joint, The Midtowner, The Downtowner, and Loblolly Bakery.
When New South opened its first two restaurants in 1987, there were only two other independent full-service restaurants in the city, and no chains other than fast food. Today, Hattiesburg is said to have more restaurants and bars per capita than anywhere in Mississippi, and St. John considers it a blessing to have played even a small role in that growth.
Beyond his culinary endeavors, St. John is an accomplished author, having written 14 books. He has penned a syndicated weekly column for over 26 years, reaching audiences across numerous digital and print publications.
His work extends into media production as creator, producer, and co-host of the public television series “Palate to Palette”; he has also produced two highly regarded public television documentaries, including Walter Anderson: The Extraordinary Life and Art of the Islander and Eudora. His Walter Anderson documentary aired on more than 325 public broadcasting stations, with more than 1,200 airings across the nation’s top 100 markets and captured two Southeast Emmy Awards.
A champion of cultural exchange, St. John hosts American group tours throughout Europe and the U.K. Since 2016, more than 1,300 guests have joined him and experienced travel through his unique perspective and genuine curiosity in local cultures, cuisines, and histories.
Committed to service, St. John is the founder and chairman emeritus of Extra Table, a nonprofit organization providing healthy food to food pantries and soup kitchens across Mississippi. Each year, Extra Table delivers more than six million meals to over 63 feeding agencies at no cost. His civic and cultural contributions extend further as a co-founder of the Institute for Southern Storytelling at Mississippi College, a board member of the Walter Andersson Museum of Art, a founding member of the Mississippi Book Festival, and a co-founder and chairman emeritus of the Hattiesburg Hundred. Additionally, he serves as a founder and board member of the Midtown Merchants Association.
St. John earned a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management from Southern Miss. He was honored by the university’s Hospitality Management Department with its Lifetime Achievement Award and is an inductee of the Southern Miss Alumni Hall of Fame.
For more information about the Hub Award, including tickets to attend this year’s recognition banquet, contact Caroline Nurkin at caroline@pinebeltfoundation.org.
