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Billy Hewes
Mayor of Gulfport, Mississippi
Incumbent
Assumed office
July 2013
Preceded byGeorge Scholegel
President pro tempore of the
Mississippi State Senate
In office
January 2008 – January 3, 2012
Preceded byTravis Little
Succeeded byTerry W. Brown
Member of the Mississippi State Senate
from the 49th district
In office
January 1992 – January 3, 2012
Succeeded bySean Tindell
Personal details
Born
William Gardner Hewes III

(1961-10-27) October 27, 1961 (age 63)
New Iberia, Louisiana, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpousePaula Hewes
Children4
ResidenceGulfport, Mississippi
EducationHarrison Central High School
Alma materUniversity of Southern Mississippi (BS)
OccupationState legislator; Insurance agent; Real estate broker

William Gardner Hewes III (born October 27, 1961) is an American Republican politician. He is the mayor of Gulfport, Mississippi and the former President pro tempore of the Mississippi State Senate.

Early life and education

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Hewes was born in New Iberia, Louisiana October 27, 1961 and moved to Gulfport, Mississippi, where he attended Harrison Central High School.[1][2] He later graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1984 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.[3][4]

Political career

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Mississippi State Senate

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Hewes represented Senate District 49, which contained Harrison County, Mississippi. He served from his election in 1992 until 2012, serving as President Pro Tempore from 2008 until 2012.[2][5]

Hewes was also the founding chairman of the Mississippi National Guard Legislative Caucus while in the Senate.[6] As Senator, Hewes authored Mississippi’s Seller’s Disclosure Statement for Real Estate transactions,[7][8] as well as Mississippi’s Prepaid College Tuition Program (MPACT), and funding for the Lynn Meadows Children’s Museum.[9][10] An advocate for business interests, he was engaged in Tort reform initiatives, as well as early efforts to change the State Flag.[11]

2011 Lieutenant Governor race

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Hewes was an unsuccessful candidate for the office of Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi in 2011. After losing the Republican primary election to Tate Reeves by a 14-point margin,[12][13] Hewes endorsed him in the general election.[14]

Mayor of Gulfport

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Billy Hewes, a Republican, serves as the Mayor of Gulfport, Mississippi, the state's second largest city, having won office in the 2013 City of Gulfport General Election, in which he ran unopposed.[15] Hewes’s leadership was instrumental in the construction of the Mississippi Aquarium, the creation of the Harbor Lights Winter Festival,[16] and support of the emerging Blue Economy,[17] which is bringing a new maritime research and development component to the region’s economy.[18]  As Mayor of Mississippi’s largest coastal city, Hewes publicly advocated for a change to Mississippi’s State Flag.[19][20]

Political membership

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He served as National Chairman of the American Legislative Exchange Council and as chairman of the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission. As Mayor, Hewes served an unprecedented two terms as Chairman of the Mississippi Municipal League (2019-2021), and since 2018, he has served on the U.S. Department of Commerce First Responder Network Authority Board. He is also a member of the advisory board for the U.S. Department of Interior National Park System.

A graduate of Leadership Mississippi and Leadership Gulf Coast, Hewes is a member of the Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce, and is a past president of the Gulfport Jaycees.  Hewes also serves on the Board of the South Mississippi Planning and Development District.[21]

Family history and personal life

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The Hewes family is one of the founding families of the City of Gulfport.  Hewes is related to the first Mayor of Gulfport. In addition, Billy's grandfather served as a Chancery judge, and his father served on the Gulfport City Council. He is married to Paula Hewes (née Morton) and has four children. His mother-in-law Ruby Morton, was a national Goodwill Ambassador for South Mississippi.

Hewes is an insurance agent and real estate broker with The Hewes Agency and Billy Hewes Real Estate.  He is also a songwriter and musician, having served on the Mississippi Blues Commission. Hewes has had songs featured in two movie soundtracks (Stay with Me - Precious Cargo),[22] (Mississippi Christmas - Christmas in MS) and his band, Cut Bait, performs at festivals and fundraising events. The album, “She’s Got the Moves,” was released in 2021. 

Awards

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Hewes was named Legislator of the Year by the Mississippi Association of Realtors.[23]

References

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  1. ^ "Billy Hewes". Mississippi State Senate. Archived from the original on February 7, 2009. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "About Billy Hewes". billyhewes.com. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
  3. ^ Boudreaux, Jenny (October 21, 2013). "Southern Miss Alumni Association to Induct Seven into Hall of Fame". University of Southern Mississippi. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  4. ^ "Mayor Billy Hewes | First Responder Network Authority". firstnet.gov. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  5. ^ "Billy Hewes". Ballotpedia. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  6. ^ "Senate President Pro Tempore Billy Hewes appointed Chairman of Mississippi National Guard Caucus". Y'all Politics. January 30, 2009. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  7. ^ "Mississippi Seller's Disclosure Law – Real Estate". realestate.uslegal.com. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
  8. ^ "SB3029(As Sent to Governor) - 1997 Regular Session". billstatus.ls.state.ms.us. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
  9. ^ "Mississippi Prepaid Affordable College Tuition Program Annual Actuarial and Financial Reports". MS Digital Archives. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
  10. ^ "About | Lynn Meadows Discovery Center". Retrieved 2023-12-09.
  11. ^ "MPACT | State Treasury of Mississippi". treasury.ms.gov. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
  12. ^ "2 Former Lawmakers Running Again as Mayors in Mississippi". U.S. News & World Report. AP. 2021-01-24. Archived from the original on 2021-06-09. Retrieved June 9, 2021. ...unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor in 2011
  13. ^ Harrison, Bobby (August 3, 2011). "Reeves defeats Hewes in Lt. governor race". Daily Journal. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  14. ^ Pender, Geoff (26 February 2015). "Hewes endorses Reeves for Lt. Gov". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  15. ^ "Billy Hewes running unopposed for mayor of Gulfport". gulflive.com. Associated Press. March 18, 2013. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
  16. ^ "Gulfport Harbor Lights Winter Festival | Holiday Festival in MS". www.gulfcoast.org. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
  17. ^ "Blue Economy - City of Gulfport". 2021-01-04. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
  18. ^ Daughters, Gary. "Mississippi: Diving Into the Blue: Mississippi is all in on the Gulf Coast's innovative Blue Economy.: | Site Selection Magazine". Site Selection. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
  19. ^ Hewes, Biily (November 27, 2017). ""Two flags will fly over Gulfport, but it's time for one to go"".
  20. ^ "End of an era in Mississippi media as Y'all Politics gives way to Magnolia Tribune". 30 December 2022.
  21. ^ "MML President Hewes wants lost revenue covered by CARES Act". SuperTalk Mississippi. 13 May 2020.
  22. ^ Adams, Max (2016-04-22), Precious Cargo (Action, Comedy, Thriller), Bruce Willis, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Claire Forlani, Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films (EFO Films), Grindstone Entertainment Group, Herrick Entertainment, retrieved 2023-12-09
  23. ^ "Record turnout for Realtor Day at the Capitol" (PDF). Real Estate Leader. No. Spring 2009. Mississippi Association of Realtors. p. 9. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
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