Southern Miss Mourns the Loss of Lou Ann Poynter, Devoted Advocate

Fri, 09/04/2026 - 09:57am | By: Samantha McCain Alexander, APR

The University of Southern Mississippi mourns the passing of Lou Ann Poynter ’69, ’70, a devoted alumna, a driver of generosity and a dear friend.

Poynter graduated from The University of Southern Mississippi with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1969 and a master’s degree in accounting in 1970. By 1972, she had passed her CPA exam and begun a banking career that would establish her as one of Mississippi’s most accomplished business leaders.

In an era when women in executive leadership were still the exception, Poynter built a reputation for intelligence, integrity and sound judgment. She rose to the presidency and CEO position of Magnolia Federal Bank for Savings in 1993 before its merger with Union Planters Bank. She later became senior executive vice president and head of the Mortgage Banking Division for Union Planters Bank, N.A., while also serving on the boards of Union Planters Corporation and Regions Financial Corporation. She retired in 2004.

Her career was distinguished by achievement, but those who knew Poynter understood that titles and boardrooms represented only a fraction of her story.

“Lou Ann Poynter was a force, and among the most accomplished business leaders in our state’s history,” said University President Dr. Joseph S. Paul. “I relied on Lou Ann to give me sage advice throughout my career. Her quiet generosity and love of Southern Miss are unsurpassed, and she will be dearly missed and deeply cherished.”

As a business leader, Poynter understood the value of opportunity. As a Southern Miss alumna, she understood its power. Throughout her life, she used both perspectives to create opportunities for others.

She and her husband, Louis ’91, shared a deep commitment to giving back — a dedication that found one of its most meaningful expressions through their service and philanthropy to Southern Miss, an institution that had been part of their lives since childhood.

Leadership in Action
Poynter’s relationship with Southern Miss was never built solely on attending and graduating from the University. It was defined by her willingness to remain engaged, roll up her sleeves and lead.

Across more than three decades, she served the University in a variety of volunteer leadership roles, including two terms as president of the USM Foundation Board of Directors and as president of the Southern Miss Alumni Association Board.

Poynter viewed volunteer leadership as a natural extension of what Southern Miss had given her.

She brought to those roles the same qualities that distinguished her professional career: preparation, pragmatism and an insistence on doing things well.

Deeply engaged, she helped shape priorities, build support and unite others around Southern Miss. While serving as vice president of the Alumni Association, she co-chaired the successful $3 million Ogletree House Campaign in the early 2000s.

A $500,000 gift from her and Louis became a cornerstone of the project, but the contribution went well beyond the financial commitment. Lou Ann lent her credibility, influence and leadership to an effort that ultimately created a lasting home for the Alumni Association while preserving one of the University’s most recognizable historic buildings.

Purposeful Philanthropy
Poynter’s philanthropy reflected the same intentionality she brought to her career and volunteer leadership.

A champion for Southern Miss, Poynter attributed her career success to her education and believed in its power for future students. Over time, her and Louis’ giving grew to support both the institution and the individual students whose lives it would affect.

In 2008, they invested in the College of Business, their shared academic home. They made a naming gift to support the accounting suite in Scianna Hall, strengthening a program that had played a formative role in Lou Ann’s own career.

In 2018, their giving evolved into something even more personal: helping students directly to overcome financial obstacles. Together, they established the Lou Ann and Louis Poynter EAGLE Scholars Accounting Scholarship Endowment. Awarded to full-time sophomore, junior or senior accounting majors.

The scholarship was a natural reflection of Poynter’s own story. She knew what it meant to work for an education, to have people invest in your potential and to translate that education into a career.

She also recognized that talent alone does not always determine who gets the opportunity to succeed.

For Poynter, philanthropy was not simply about providing resources. It was about investing in people she believed could make a difference.

The Measure of Legacy
There are many ways to measure Lou Ann Poynter's impact.

Throughout her career and in retirement, her contributions to Southern Miss were acknowledged through numerous honors, including induction into the Southern Miss Alumni Hall of Fame in 1996, the College of Business Distinguished Alumna of the Year and the Alumni Association’s Continuous Outstanding Service Award in 2008, the Alumni Association's Alumni Meritorious Service Award in 2015 and installation as a Gallery of Benefactors – Bronze Level for the USM Foundation’s Honor Club in 2018.

But the most meaningful measure may be found in what happened because she chose to care.

A student received support. A historic building found new life. An academic program gained a stronger foundation. And the University had an experienced leader willing to lend her name, time, judgment and influence.

As a result, generations of Golden Eagles gained an advocate who believed deeply in the institution they called home.

“Lou Ann’s impact on Southern Miss is immeasurable. She truly invested herself in our University, answering the call to lead on countless occasions. She led with wisdom, generosity and an unwavering belief in the people and mission of Southern Miss,” said USM Foundation Executive Director Stace Mercier. “Lou Ann’s enduring commitment to her alma mater was evident to all who knew her. Reaching the highest level of recognition in our Honor Club reflected that generosity, but her greatest legacy is the example she set for others. Lou Ann understood that philanthropy is about creating opportunity and changing lives, and her legacy will continue to do both for generations of Southern Miss students.”

In 1998, Poynter was asked what it took to succeed in the competitive working world. Her advice was direct: “Be willing to give 110 percent all the time.”

For her, that 110 percent extended to every place she believed she could make a difference.

She gave as a business leader, as a volunteer, as a philanthropist and as an advocate for the University she loved.

The result is a legacy that cannot be captured by a résumé, a list of honors or even a lifetime of giving. It lives in the students she helped, the University she strengthened and the generations of Golden Eagles who will benefit from her belief in what Southern Miss can make possible.

Lou Ann Poynter spent her life giving 110 percent.

Southern Miss is better because she did.