House Resolution 107

A RESOLUTION HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF CHIEF WILLIAM ANTHONY ANDERSON, SR., AND EXPRESSING DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS UPON HIS PASSING.

WHEREAS, it is written in Ecclesiastes 3:1 that "To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the Heaven," and as such, on Saturday, March 9, 2024, the immaculate author and finisher of our soul's destiny summoned the mortal presence of dearly beloved, Chief William Anthony Anderson, Sr., of New Albany, Mississippi, to eternal rest, rendering great sorrow and loss to his family, friends and community; and

WHEREAS, born on July 12, 1962, to the late Mr. William (W.M.) Anderson and Mrs. Ilene Anderson, Chief Anderson was a 1981 graduate of East Union Attendance Center and received an associate degree from Northeast Mississippi Junior College before attending Middle Tennessee State University; and

WHEREAS, true love struck, and on September 27, 1985, Chief Anderson exchanged the vows of holy matrimony with Ms. Constance (Connie) Vernatt Smith, and they were blessed with three children, Anna, Ebony and William, who is also in law enforcement; and

WHEREAS, at an early age, Chief Anderson accepted Christ as his savior at Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church, where he and his wife were active and dedicated members for many years, and while there, he served on the Deacon Board, and later, he and his wife joined Ecru Second Baptist Church, where he served as a Deacon, Assistant Church Treasurer, Outreach Team Liaison and a reliable liaison for the Music Ministry, and as he faithfully served wherever he was needed, he was a member of Project Domino, the Man-Up Organization, and the Masonic Lodge 171 in New Albany; and

WHEREAS, Chief Anderson was in his twenty-fourth year in law enforcement after graduating from the North Mississippi Law Enforcement Academy in 2000, and previously worked for the Union County Sheriff's Department for 12 years, and he also served a three-year stint as the chief of police for the city of Verona, Mississippi, before joining the Northeast Mississippi Community College police department full time in 2014; and

WHEREAS, during his time with the Union County Sheriff's Department, Chief Anderson worked as a field deputy and an investigator who focused on sex crimes and crimes against vulnerable adults and children, and he was a member of the Union County Urban Search and Rescue squad as well as a member of the Union County SWAT team; and

WHEREAS, as the chief of police for Verona, Chief Anderson was instrumental in hiring over 20 reserve officers for the growing police department and helping to reduce the crime rate in the city; and

WHEREAS, as a former Northeast Mississippi Community College Tiger basketball standout, during his time on the hardwood, Chief Anderson expressed his basketball prowess and led Northeast to over 40 wins in his two years, and during his first year at Northeast, the Tigers rallied to win the state championship against Hinds Community College in Utica 86-78; and

WHEREAS, in his sophomore season, Chief Anderson helped Northeast land the inaugural National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region XXIII Tournament, where he scored a game-best 45 points including a 20-for-22 showing from the charity stripe against Delgado Community College of Louisiana in the opening round of the regional tournament; and

WHEREAS, Chief Anderson scored a career-high 46 points versus the now-defunct Mary Holmes College on January 15, 1983, and those performances are still two of the top 10 scoring games for any Northeast athlete over the last 40 years; and

WHEREAS, Chief Anderson finished the season as the leading scorer in the NJCAA Region XXIII with 793 points and was also ranked amongst the top 10 rebounders in the conference as a sophomore; and

WHEREAS, Chief Anderson was named the Babe McCarthy Junior College Player of the Year, which is awarded to the top athlete at the two-year level in Mississippi, an NJCAA All-American, and was voted by his teammates and Coach Richard Mathis as Northeast's Most Valuable Player following his sophomore season; and

WHEREAS, Chief Anderson accumulated 1,098 total points in a black-and-gold uniform, despite not benefitting from a three-point line, and he used free throws to his advantage instead with 155 makes during the 1982-83 campaign alone, and in 2023, he was inducted into the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference (MACCC) Hall of Fame; and

WHEREAS, devoted to campus safety, Chief Anderson assumed command of the Northeast Mississippi Community College Campus Police Department on July 1, 2023, after the retirement of longtime chief of police Randy Baxter; and

WHEREAS, Chief Anderson, who served as assistant chief under former Chief Baxter, led the campus' police department that provides security and safety for all college facilities along with assistance to college employees, students, visitors and community members 24 hours a day, seven days a week; and

WHEREAS, Chief Anderson was instrumental in updating the campus safety plan, providing professional development on campus safety and instrumenting new policies that helped the college's police department function more efficiently, and he and his staff made sure that Northeast's employees, students and community members were safe, and even provided vehicle safety checks for students before they left for Spring Break; and

WHEREAS, as a leader, mentor, counselor and encourager to young people all over the area, Chief Anderson used his allotted time to serve God and his community, and his legacy of service and dedication to safety will live on through those he served, and his "never met a stranger" personality, easy smile and professional demeanor will always be remembered in the hearts of those he protected and inspired; and

WHEREAS, a genuine man of exceptional character, Chief Anderson's outstanding legacy will continue for generations to come, and precious memories of time spent with him will hopefully continue to provide warmth, peace and comfort to his loved ones; and

WHEREAS, though he has traversed the river of life to reunite with those who answered God's summons to life eternal and now beckon his arrival to the celestial shores of Heaven's grandeur, such as his parents, Mr. William (W.M.) Anderson and Mrs. Ilene Anderson; the legacy of Chief Anderson's indelible imprint upon our lives will continue to refresh the hearts and fond memories of his loved ones, including his wife, Mrs. Connie Anderson; children, Anna Jade Price, Ebony Anderson and William Anthony Anderson, Jr.; grandchildren, Kydyn, Fallyn and Lennux; sister, Carlena Simpson; nephews, Keith Anderson and Kevin Simpson; niece, Darlene Johnson; and a host of other relatives and dear friends; and

WHEREAS, Chief Anderson will forever be loved, cherished and missed by all who knew him, and since it is written in 2 Corinthians 5:8, that to be "absent from the body is to be present with the Lord," his family and friends can find peace and comfort during this difficult time; and

WHEREAS, it is most appropriate to recognize and honor the lives of outstanding Mississippians, especially those such as Chief Anderson, a wonderful man whose life's light illuminated the path of hope for all he encountered along this earthly sojourn:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby mourn the loss and honor the life and legacy of Chief William Anthony Anderson, Sr., and express deepest sympathy to his family, friends and Northeast Mississippi Community College community upon his passing.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the family of Chief William Anthony Anderson, Sr., and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.