POLITICAL ANNOUNCEMENT

NATCHEZ — Etta Batteaste Taplin has qualified as a candidate to run for the District 37 Senate seat.

She was born in the Natchez Charity Hospital to the late Harris Leroy Bateaste and Essie Mae Burns Bateaste Montgomery.

She is married to Estes Taplin of Pike County and together they have four children. She is of the Baptist faith.

Taplin attended part of her elementary school years at Franklin County’s Lillie Mae Bryant Elementary School. Her parents later moved the family to Gloster, where she graduated high school in 1980. She went on to attend Jackson State University in the summer of 1980 and graduated in the summer of 1983 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Finance and minor studies in Management and Marketing.

Her career opportunities includes: education, business management, human resources, public relations, grant writer, chief financial officer and currently serving in her 12th year as a school board member for the North Pike Board of Trustees and has served as the board president, vice president and secretary. She is currently serving as the Mississippi School Boards Association president.

Taplin’s community services span a wide range of organizations and committees. She has been serving on the Pike County Chamber of Commerce Mississippi Scholars Committee for the past four years, has served as a director for the Pike County Animal League Shelter, Pike County Volunteers for Children and Youth, team organizer for the local chapters of Mississippi March of Dimes Walk for Babies and Relay for Life.

Taplin’s goal is to serve the people of District 37, by listening to the issues of the people, and by being a voice for all the people. Her plans are to service the needs of the counties in which she serves and not hav

ing a one size fit all attitude. This campaign is a grassroots campaign, centered on meeting the needs of the people. Taplin believes that a strong educational foundation is vital to the success of our state’s growth and progress. Education is a key component to the revitalization of our infrastructure and our economic development.

The only promises she makes to the citizens of District 37 is that she will listen to the people, diligently work for every county and be a strong voice for the people who she serves.