Tom Pittman

Tom Pittman was co-incorporator of the Community Foundation in 2002 and served as its first volunteer Chairman before becoming its first full-time president and CEO in 2004. He oversaw the growth and operations of the foundation under the direction of the Board of Directors, making grants of more than $25 million while building long-term assets of $22 million. In 2020, he stepped down to become President Emeritus to assist the new president in continued development of the foundation. Previously, he was publisher and editor of the DeSoto Times after serving as general manager and editor of the Daily Journal in Tupelo. During that time, he served as president of the Mississippi Press Association and on the National Newspaper Leadership Council.

Tom serves on several prominent statewide boards, including Entergy Mississippi’s advisory board, and is a director of Mississippi Today, the state’s nonprofit digital news source. He was a charter board member for the DeSoto Arts Council, DeSoto Health and Wellness Center, and the North Mississippi Health Foundation. He previously served as chair of the Mississippi Association of Grantmakers and on the board of directors for CREATE, the community foundation for northeast Mississippi. A native Mississippian, he earned degrees from the University of Mississippi in sociology and Emory University in theology. He is married to Cyndi and has four children.

Boards of Directors

Southern Bancorp, Inc.

Southern Bancorp Bank

Southern Bancorp Community Partners