4/22/2016 - Cleveland, Miss.

Trustee Alan Perry passed the gavel to incoming President Doug Rouse at the meeting of the IHL Board of Trustees held yesterday on the campus of Delta State University in Cleveland, Miss. Trustee Rouse will officially take office on May 8.

“I look forward to working with my fellow Trustees, the Commissioner and university leadership to advance Mississippi through higher education,” said Dr. Rouse. “Our students are our state’s most important investment and provide an excellent return on this investment. As our university system continues to enroll and graduate more students, our state’s economy will grow and strengthen.”

Dr. Rouse served as Vice President of the Board during Trustee Perry’s term. Trustee C.D. Smith will serve as Vice President during Dr. Rouse’s term.

“It has been and continues to be an honor to serve as a member of the Board of Trustees,” said President Perry. “This Board has worked together for the best interests of the system and for each individual university. I look forward to continuing to serve as a Trustee under the leadership of Dr. Rouse as the next President and C.D. Smith as the new Vice President.”

Dr. Doug W. Rouse was appointed to the Board of Trustees by Governor Haley Barbour in May 2008 to represent the Second (Southern) Supreme Court District for a term to expire May 7, 2018.

Licensed by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, the American Medical Association, and the Mississippi Board of Medical Licensures, Dr. Rouse is a partner in Southern Bone and Joint Specialists in Hattiesburg, Miss. He has practiced orthopedics in Hattiesburg since 1981. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Southern Mississippi and a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Dr. Rouse completed a family medicine internship at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and an orthopedic residency program at Georgia Baptist-Scottish Rite Hospitals in Atlanta, Ga. He then completed a sports medicine and arthroscopy fellowship in Toronto, Ontario.

Dr. Rouse is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons; has served as a state counselor for the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine; a member and past president of the Mississippi Orthopedic Society; past president of the Michael Hoke Society; past president of the Medical Staff at Wesley Medical Center; and a delegate for the Mississippi State Medical Association. He also served as a member of the Mississippi Hospital Equipment and Facilities Authority from 2001-2004.

Dr. Rouse is a member of Omicron Delta Kappa at the University of Southern Mississippi and Alpha Omega Alpha at the University of Mississippi Medical School. He is a member of the University of Southern Mississippi’s Alumni Hall of Fame, as well as a member of the President’s Circle of the University of Southern Mississippi Foundation.

Dr. Rouse is married to the former Pamela Lowery Stamps. Their family includes children, Christa, Wes and his wife Traci, Haley, and two grandchildren. He is an active member of Parkway Height United Methodist Church in Hattiesburg.

Mr. Perry was appointed to the IHL Board of Trustees by Governor Haley Barbour in 2008. His term will expire in May 2018.

Mr. Perry practices law with the firm of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP. Mr. Perry received his B.B.A. in accountancy from the University of Mississippi, tying for first in his class with the distinction of summa cum laude. Mr. Perry received his J.D. degree from Harvard Law School, graduating magna cum laude, and was awarded the Fay Diploma as the graduate with the highest grade point average in the class. He also received the Joshua Montgomery Sears, Jr. prize for academic achievement. He served as an editor and senior editor of the Harvard Law Review.

Mr. Perry is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He is listed in the publication The Best Lawyers in America in five different categories, including Bet-The-Company Litigation. He is also listed as a leading lawyer in the publication Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business. He has served as a member of the Standing Committee on Rules and Procedure of the Judicial Conference of the United States and as a Member of the Visiting Committee of the Harvard Law School. Mr. Perry and his wife Anne reside in Jackson.

Outgoing Board of Trustees President Alan Perry (right) of Jackson passes the gavel to incoming President Doug Rouse of Hattiesburg at the Board of Trustees meeting held recently on the campus of Delta State University in Cleveland.

Board of Trustees Vice President Doug Rouse (left) of Hattiesburg presents a plaque of appreciation to President Alan Perry of Jackson at the Board of Trustees meeting held recently on the campus of Delta State University in Cleveland.

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The Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning governs the public universities in Mississippi, including Alcorn State University; Delta State University; Jackson State University; Mississippi State University including the Mississippi State University Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine; Mississippi University for Women; Mississippi Valley State University; the University of Mississippi including the University of Mississippi Medical Center; and the University of Southern Mississippi.

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