Peavey appointed commissioner

Mary Peavey

Gov. Haley Barbour has appointed arts and education advocate and music-industry executive Mary Peavey to the Mississippi Arts Commission’s board of commissioners. Peavey, president of Peavey Electronics Corporation in Meridian, is a sixth-generation Mississippian who has dedicated her life to bridging creativity and commerce through arts and education.

An active and dedicated supporter of after-school programs, Peavey helped make Mississippi the first state to offer the “Afterschool is Key” car tag. She is a board member of the national Afterschool Alliance, has served as an advocate for the National Arts Council and continues to bring the arts to children through strategic partnerships, events and music education programs.

Peavey also plays an essential role in producing the annual “Mississippi GRAMMY Legacy Celebration,” which celebrates the fact that Mississippi has produced more GRAMMY Award winners and nominees per capita than any other state. The event features the Peavey Awards and was named “One of the Coolest Events on the Planet” by Vanity Fair in 2008.