Special to Wesson News
Co-Lin has honored 1992 graduate Matt Bowers and 2012 graduate Jarvis Wilbert Alumnus of the Year and Young Alumnus of the Year.
Bowers, from New Orleans, played on the Wolf Pack baseball team, while attending Co-Lin and went on to received Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Mississippi.
The president, founder and chairman of Matt Bowers Auto Group, Bowers is responsible for the development of strategic operational initiatives that promote revenue growth and profitability across the company, including strategic acquisitions. His company encompasses 11 award-winning franchise car dealerships doing business in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee that produce revenues of more than $1 billion annually with more than 900 employees.
Bowers serves on the Board of Commissioners for the Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District commissioned to manage the states’ assets in Metro New Orleans, which include the Caesars Superdome, Smoothie King Center, TPC of Louisiana, and others.
He enjoys spending time with his wife and two teenage sons, going to sport events, and relaxing on his ranch in Oxford.
Wilbert, from Hattiesburg, also played on the Wolf Pack baseball team under Coach Keith Case. After Co-Lin, he received a Bachelor of Science in business administration and a Master of Business Administration at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM).
A senior territory Manager with Eli Lilly and Company, Wilbert advocates for patients with chronic illnesses. The company honored him as it territory manager of the year and platinum performer for the Gulf Coast area in 2023.
Wilbert gives back to his community through Lily’s Global Day of Service. He has also worked in food kitchens serving underprivileged people in the Delta and assisted with the construction of an orphanage in Gulfport. He coordinated a 5K in Hattiesburg to promote suicide prevention.
USM recognize Wilbert as its Young Alumni of the Year in 2021 and Mississippi Business Journal named him to its “Top 40 under 40” in 2023.
“To receive any accolade, I credit the people that helped me get there,” he said. “While I may not be the wealthiest person from a financial standpoint, I’m wealthy in the fact that people notice my humbleness. They notice that I’m a hard worker. They notice I will go above and beyond to help the next person get to where they need to be.”
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