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What brings you the greatest joy as a parent?
JANET Everything about it. We are blessed to be older parents
and just very aware of how precious this time is with our kids.
GABE Just watching them grow up and try new things. Seeing that
they have the potential to be better than you at everything.
Who is the financial manager in your home?
GABE We are very equal in managing the finances. I focus on the
big picture and Janet takes care of the day to day. It’s a balance.
When your children were younger, what was your
discipline philosophy?
JANET With Silas, we engaged in these long discussions, we would
really talk about our choices and our reasoning for good behavior.
Then we realized we created this child who will debate you on any
topic. By the time we had Ivan, we realized clear direction and
boundaries were a better strategy.
What do you see in your role as the greatest benefit to
your family?
JANET I have always been engaged in the community and for my
kids I think this has taught them to appreciate people and not
material things. I’m also the reader in the family, and I push them
academically. It has been great for them to come home from school
proud of their successes.
GABE The boys are both strong and active. I like to think that I
teach them the importance of working physically hard and always
challenging themselves because they are capable of doing so.
What’s a quick go-to meal that isn’t fast food?
And who does the cooking?
GABE Pasta for Silas and “meat and sauce” for Ivan – or spaghetti.
Janet will say she does most of the cooking, but I disagree. It’s
mainly who gets home first.
JANET I try to throw in salmon, broccoli, and sweet potatoes once
a week, because they really like it!
How long has Flowood been your home?
GABE I have lived in Rankin County for most of my life and spent
many days as a kid exploring the area we live in now - before it was
developed - with my friends on our bikes.
JANET I have worked in Flowood for the last 16 years and we have
lived in Flowood since we were married 12 years ago.
What are some of your favorite things about
Rankin County?
GABE Taking the kids to the cages at Flowood Liberty Park or
the fields at NWRAA baseball and soccer complexes, DBAT,
and F5 Futsal. It is great for the kids to have access to all of these
places where we enjoy spending time together.
JANET Walking to the library, the park, or to the baseball fields
on the walking trail from our house. We really live in the perfect
spot to raise a family! I am originally from a very small town,
Sebastopol, Mississippi, and I never would have thought you
could find that same small-town atmosphere in a “big city” like
Flowood. I feel like everybody knows our kids and looks out for
them – teachers, police officers, coaches and neighbors –
everyone is invested in their happiness and success.
How do you spend summer breaks?
GABE Going from one sporting event to another.
JANET We celebrate their summer birthdays so each kid gets
their whole birth month of making requests for treats or activities.
We hang out at the neighborhood pool and stay outside as much
as possible.
What accomplishments make you proud during your time
living in Flowood?
GABE I am proud to be able to devote the time to volunteer coach
for the kids. I started coaching both boys in soccer when they were
three and still currently pitch for Ivan’s 7U baseball team. I take it
seriously and really want every child to get a good hit! I like seeing
kids I coached continue to play now for competitive teams. It gives
me a great appreciation for the coaches that my kids have now and
how much time they devote to it.
JANET I have had the privileged to work with and employ a lot of
young people. I am very proud when I see them now, grown and
often with their children playing alongside mine.
What drives you to have the job that you have?
GABE I learned to do what I do at an early age from my father.
I enjoy it, and I’m happy to continue his legacy. What motivates
me is that you can see on each job if the work is good. That drives
me to always deliver high quality work.
JANET While I am new in my role as executive director for
the Flowood Chamber of Commerce, I have worked with the
Chamber for many years. It is the perfect job for me because
I really enjoy connecting businesses and people to each other.
What drives me in this role is Flowood’s belief that having
healthy, thriving businesses directly relates to healthy
communities for families like ours.
22 • MAY 2021