Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker will serve as grand marshal for the 34th Annual Southern Miss Coca-Cola Classic Rodeo.
Tickets are now on sale for the 34th annual USM fundraiser.
Toby Barker currently serves as the 35th mayor of the city of Hattiesburg. Prior to his election as mayor, Barker served 10 years in the Mississippi House of Representatives. In the House, he served as chairman of the Performance Based Budgeting Committee and held active roles on the Appropriations, Education, Public Health & Human Services and Medicaid committees.
His signature accomplishments were the passage of landmark early childhood education legislation, coauthoring a statewide strategic plan and establishing a data-driven process for evaluating new programs for state funding.
In the private sector, Barker worked as an advertising executive for his family-owned Barker Advertising. He attended The University of Southern Mississippi, earning a BA in communications in 2004 and MS in economic development in 2006. In 2015, he completed a masters in healthcare leadership at Brown University.
Barker is a member of the Southern Miss Alumni Association, Avenues Alliance, Rotary Club of Hattiesburg-Sunrise and Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Alumni Chapter.
Barker lives in the historic Parkhaven Neighborhood in Hattiesburg with his wife, Kate, their 2- year-old daughter, Audra, and 5 month-old son, Mack. They attend Ekklesia Church.
The rodeo will be held Friday and Saturday, Feb. 15-16, at the James Lynn Cartlidge Forrest County Multi-Purpose Center on U.S. Highway 49 South in Hattiesburg.
Comedian Lecile Harris, four-time professional rodeo Clown of the Year, and trick roping sensation Rider Kiesner will serve as special guest rodeo entertainers.
Tickets are on sale at Boot Country on U.S. Highway 49 and Hub City West Farm and Garden on Pioneer Road in Hattiesburg. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 after Feb. 14. Starting Feb. 15, tickets will be sold at the Forrest County Multi-Purpose Center beginning at 8 a.m. All seats are chair back and reserved.
The rodeo is also sponsored by Southern Beverage, Comcast, B-95, Pine Belt Motors, Papa John’s, Munn Enterprises, Keith’s Super Stores, KONE Incorporated, Hattiesburg Clinic Sports Medicine, Forrest General Hospital, Copy Cats Printing, The Hattiesburg American, Neel Schaffer, Service Master, and Southern Miss Campus Recreation.
