Jackson’s tourism community gathers for 33rd annual Hometown Hero and S.U.M.I.T.T. Awards during National Travel and Tourism Week
JANS – On May 7, the Capri Theatre in Fondren was filled with the energy of Jackson’s tourism community as Visit Jackson hosted its 33rd annual Hometown Hero and S.U.M.I.T.T. Awards ceremony. The daytime event, held during National Travel and Tourism Week, brought together industry leaders, partners, and supporters to celebrate the restaurants, hotels, events, and individuals who have made an outsized impact on Jackson’s identity as a travel destination.
Comedian Rita Brent kept the crowd entertained throughout the program, with Visit Jackson President & CEO Dr. Rickey Thigpen setting the tone with opening remarks that reflected on the organization’s decades-long commitment to recognizing excellence across the tourism industry.
The timing was fitting. Visit Jackson is marking National Travel and Tourism Week under the theme Postmarked Jackson, MS: Where the American Story Lives, a nod to the city’s deep roots in the narratives that have shaped the nation, from the Civil Rights Movement to its enduring contributions to music, literature, and culinary culture. The Hometown Hero and S.U.M.I.T.T. Awards ceremony, now in its 33rd year, put faces to that story, honoring the people and organizations actively writing the next chapter.
“This room has always reminded me of why I love this work,” said Dr. Thigpen. “Collective ambition isn’t just a phrase I use; it’s what I see happening in Jackson every single day. The honorees we recognize tonight are the reason travelers leave this city wanting to come back. They are the soul behind the City With Soul.”
Festival & Event
Organizers
Kim Cooper (Makers Fest)
Coach Otis “O” Riddley (JSU Ancillary events)
Thabi Moyo (National Folk Festival)
Jana Dear (Pickle Fest)
Maya Morris (Protect Your Peace Festival)
Trina Bee (TOAST Mimosa Festival)
Zita Webb (Hal’s St. Paddy’s Parade)
Brad “Kamikaze” Franklin (Jackson Indie Music Week)
Ellen Daniels (Mississippi Book Festival)
Timothy Orey & Shaquita Chapman (JXN Run Club)
Meeting & Group
Tour Planners
Zakiya Summers (NAACP State Convention)
Shannon Moore (Annual General Missionary Baptist State Convention)
Timothy Krason (TYCA-SE Conference)
Eddie Burnside (Rare Breed Motorcycle Club)
Molly West (Leadership Greater Jackson)
Maleika Hentz-Brown (Jackson Convention Complex)
Candace Williams (MDAH)
Marcine Freeman (Mississippi Educational Computing Association)
Travel & Tourism
Industry Employees
Angel Rohnke (Mississippi Museum of Natural Science)
Theresa Love (Mississippi Agricultural & Forestry Museum)
Kaleb Adams (Jackson Convention Complex)
Chef Hunter Evans and Cody McCain (Elvie’s and the Mayflower Café)
Andrea Patterson (Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum)
Garry Brown (The Patton House)
Chef Damien Cavicchi & Mary Sanders Ferris Cavicchi (Hal & Mal’s and The Walk-In)
Randall Bolden (JXN Food & Wine Festival)
Merry Barnes (Mississippi Museum of Art)
2026 S.U.M.I.T.T. Awards
Attraction of the Year – Two Mississippi Museums
Large Festival/Event of the Year – Mississippi Science Fest
Small Festival of the Year – Smith Park Supper Club
Friend of Tourism – Monique Ealey – Mississippi Children’s Museum
Full-Service Hotel of the Year – The Westin Jackson
Limited-Service Hotel of the Year – Homewood Suites by Hilton Jackson Fondren Medical District
Boutique Hotel of the Year – Old Capitol Inn
Restaurant of the Year – Pulito Osteria
Shining Example Awards
Dr. Ebony Lumumba
Thea Faulkner
Visionary Awards
Chef Nick Wallace
Cherre Miller
