Guys We Love J
une is the month we all show appreciation to the fathers in our lives who have shown us support and love over the years. In celebration of Father’s Day, the Jackson Free Press honors men, many of whom are dads themselves, in the metro area who have done noteworthy things or who are active within their communities.
In 1997, Craig Gill returned to the South to become the senior editor of the University Press of Mississippi. Originally from Arkansas, Gill previously worked at the Northwestern University Press, University of Chicago Press and University Press of Kentucky. The ideas of being closer to family here, his children going to Jackson Public Schools and working for a press he admired excited him. “I knew Mississippi was an up-and-coming place,” Gill tells the Jackson Free Press. For 50 years, the University Press has published scholarly work and books that represent Mississippi and the southern region to the world, primarily focusing on African American studies and popular culture. As the only nonprofit book publisher in Mississippi, the press represents all Mississippi public universities and publishes approximately 85 books each year. After serving as senior editor, Gill was promoted to editor-in-chief, assistant director and eventually director in 2016. As director, Gill has aimed to bring stability and technological improvements to the University Press. He also implemented a new business program,
courtesy Craig Gill
Craig Gill
database and website for the press. “A lot of the things that had my immediate attention were sort of the least sexy things because it was all about making sure that we had the infrastructure in place so that we could continue to grow in the future,”
Gill explains in an interview. Part of that growth he attributes to his full-time staff members, many of whom started as interns or assistants. “These are folks from Mississippi, and for the most part, people who have been able to grow into truly excellent publishing professionals,” he says. “I’m very proud of the fact that we’re able to maintain a press that’s got a national and international reputation while really developing our local talents.” Gill and his team were looking forward to celebrating the press’ 50th anniversary with multiple events, but because of the coronavirus, those events have been postponed or canceled. UPM’s current focus is on organizing virtual events with authors and promoting book sales on social media. Still, Gill hopes to celebrate the 50th anniversary through social media and through events organized alongside their local partners throughout the year. Meanwhile, Gill says he’ll continue to be a workaholic and attempt to enjoy his free time with his wife. —Alyssa Bass
Jarrod Scott
June 10 - 23, 2020 • jfp.ms
Anthony | Capture Studio, LLC
Jarrod Scott remembers going to work with his dad when he was 5 years old. His father, who died in 2015, worked for an audiovisual company before starting his own business, Tech Plus AV Services. As Scott continued to work alongside his father, he also interned at a local news station in high school. One day during Scott’s junior year, his father asked him what he would need to be able to pursue a career in videography and photography and then subsequently supplied him with a new computer and a camcorder. “You live a moment once, but I’ll let you watch it forever,” Scott says, reciting his motto. Today, Scott runs his father’s business as well as his own business, Jay Scott Visuals. Scott has captured weddings and graduations, done maternity shoots, and shot promotional videos for businesses like the Metro Jackson Chamber of Commerce and Opera Mississippi. He has also worked out of state in Louisiana, Iowa, Ohio and Florida. He says some people don’t realize how much effort goes into turning interviews
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into the 30-second or one-minute videos that customers occasionally request. “I’ve literally been in situations where we shot 10 hours worth of stuff, and it’s going to be narrowed down into like five minutes or three minutes,” he says. “A lot of times people don’t know the other side needed to get that finished product.” Scott thanks his father for more than just being present, crediting him for instilling the importance of professionalism, communication and looking the part. These lessons are why he continues to book new clients and work with old ones, Scott explains. “My dad never made anything about race,” Scott says. “He always said, ‘You have to recognize where you live and the time in which you live.’ Being black and being young, a lot of times people would easily doubt you like I don’t know what I’m doing or what I’m talking about,” he says. “They’ll look at me and say, ‘Oh this young, black bull. What does he know?’ And once they see the work, they get past that.” —Alyssa Bass
