“Put God first and family second,” advised Mike Evans.
Anyone who knows Mike knows that he has a strong faith in God and love for his family. He has a selfless nature and constantly thinks of others before himself.
His humble spirit even appears in some of his greatest memories from when he was in high school at Heidelberg Academy.
“In high school we won the championship for the first time my senior year,” recalled Mike. “I was the quarterback that year, but we didn’t win the championship because of me.”
While he held a position on the football team that most desire, he credits the rest of the team as the driving force to winning that first championship.
The football field isn’t the only place that Mike is known to be a hard worker. He has always believed in working hard, and many people in the county can easily recognize him from working for the local gas company since 1993.
“I’ve been with Chickasawhay Natural Gas for 28.5 years,” expressed Mike. “I was a service man for 17 years, and now I’m the district manager. We have two offices, one in Quitman and one in Waynesboro. I manage both offices and 13 employees. It’s been a blessing to have a good, local company here to serve the people. That’s my thing. I like being able to serve and help people.”
His employees and members of the community adore Mike and his passion for helping others. Earlier this year, they honored him by selecting him to be the Grand Marshall of the first Clarke County Mardi Gras parade.
When he isn’t at work, Mike loves to be able to spend time with his family. He is an amazing father and grandfather who loves to use any spare time he may have with his sons and grandson.
“One of the best things has been raising my two boys, Ryan and Colby. They’re like night and day: one loves hunting, and the other loves sports,” explained Mike. “Looking back, that’s probably the best highlights of my life. I love deer hunting with my oldest boy and playing golf with my youngest boy. I enjoy getting to do things with them that they love doing.”
He did more as a father than just teaching his boys how to hunt and play sports, though. Mike is a member of First Baptist Church in Quitman and is serious about his faith. He raised his boys in church and always made sure that they could see an example of putting God first. While he is usually busy with work, Mike also spends a lot of his time at the church. He is one of the deacons and enjoys participating in and helping with different events that the church does.
While most people are usually seeking the next big thing, Mike is content to have a simple life where his only focuses are God, his family, and his job. He loves his community and being able to serve each citizen in the county. No matter what, he will continue to be a blessing to all those around him.
If you would like to nominate someone for Person of the Week, contact Brittney Mangum at 601-776-3726
