December 1, 2014 (Jackson) - Belhaven University will honor its adult, online and graduate students at commencement on Saturday, December 13, 2014. The Jackson Commencement Ceremony will start at 9:30 a.m. in Thalia Mara Hall, 255 East Pascagoula Street. Tony Yarber, Mayor of Jackson, will be the speaker at this semester's ceremony. He is the youngest mayor to ever be elected in the city of Jackson, Mississippi.
Mayor Yarber attended the University of Southern Mississippi where he received his Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. Determined to make a difference and follow his passion to teach and empower individuals, Mayor Yarber found work in the Jackson Public School system while completing his master's degree from Jackson State University.He was then principal at Marshall Elementary in south Jackson when he decided to run for the Ward 6 City Council seat in 2009.
His career in education, advocacy in the community, and ability to lead became evident to the people of Jackson in 2009, when he was elected the City Councilman for Ward 6.He became City Council Vice President in 2011 and President in 2012. In 2013, He served as Chair of the Budget Committee and the Education/Youth Ad Hoc Committee.
He served as a committee member for Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and served on the Board of Directors for Relevant Ministries. Mayor Yarber is a founding member of Alignment Jackson, a non-profit organization for improving student achievement. Yarber was elected Mayor of Jackson on April 22, 2014. He has utilized his education, experiences and beliefs as a driving force behind his passion for the development of all people. He is married to Rosalind Neal Yarber and they have three children: Carmen, Cameron, and Toni Michelle.