Curated News
By: NewsRamp Editorial Staff
November 10, 2026
Mississippi Christian University Honors Laura Pickard Johns with 2026 Distinguished Alumna Award
TLDR
- Laura Pickard Johns, CEO of The Business Growers, received the 2026 Cliff Fortenberry Distinguished Alumna Award from Mississippi Christian University, highlighting her agency's rapid growth and industry recognition.
- The award is presented annually by Mississippi Christian University's communication department and was renamed in 2021 for professor Cliff Fortenberry, honoring alumni like Johns who graduated cum laude in 2005.
- Johns's recognition underscores the power of communication education to shape leaders who empower women and build thriving businesses, making tomorrow better through mentorship and service.
- Johns, a Gold Stevie Award winner and Inc. Magazine honoree, credits her success to learning to write clearly, speak with purpose, and listen first at Mississippi Christian University.
Impact - Why it Matters
This recognition underscores the vital role of communication education in shaping business leaders and entrepreneurs. Johns's success demonstrates how a strong foundation in clear writing, purposeful speaking, and active listening can propel graduates to lead thriving companies. Her story serves as an inspiring example for current students, particularly young women, showing that a degree from Mississippi Christian University can lead to entrepreneurial success and national recognition. Moreover, the award honors the legacy of Professor Cliff Fortenberry, highlighting the lasting impact of dedicated educators who mentor future generations. As Johns continues to give back through her service on the alumni board and her work as a speaker and consultant, she reinforces the value of staying connected to one's educational roots and using one's platform to empower others.
Summary
Laura Pickard Johns, founder and CEO of The Business Growers, has been named the 2026 Cliff Fortenberry Distinguished Alumna by the Mississippi Christian University Department of Communication. Johns, a 2005 cum laude graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree, was honored during the university's homecoming festivities in October with a reception and recognition at the 2026 Homecoming Awards Brunch. The award, presented annually since 1996, was renamed in 2021 for Cliff Fortenberry, a communication professor and former department chair who has served on the faculty for more than 35 years. The department itself was founded in 1950 by Drs. Hollis and Julia Todd.
In her acceptance, Johns credited the communication department with teaching her to "write clearly, speak with purpose and listen first," skills she said she uses daily in building her agency. "Being recognized by the department that gave me that foundation, with an award that carries Dr. Cliff Fortenberry's name means the world to me," she said. Johns founded The Business Growers, a Mississippi marketing agency serving technology companies, which Inc. Magazine has recognized as one of the fastest-growing privately held companies in the Southeast. Her accolades include a 2024 Gold Stevie Award for Best Female Entrepreneur-Small Business and a 2025 Silver Stevie Award for Achievement in Developing and Promoting Women. She has also been named to the Mississippi Business Journal's Top 50 Under 40 and Top 50 Leading Women in Business lists.
Johns remains closely connected to her alma mater, recently serving as president of the MC Alumni Board, and works as a speaker, author, and communication consultant. She expressed hope that current students, especially young women, see that a degree from MC can take them anywhere, including running their own company. She and her husband, Jay, a worship pastor at The Way church in Brandon, have two sons, Levi and Wyatt.
Source Statement
This curated news summary relied on content distributed by 24-7 Press Release. Read the original source here, Mississippi Christian University Honors Laura Pickard Johns with 2026 Distinguished Alumna Award
