Fred Carlisle named 2022 Alumnus of the Year
Senatobia, MS (11/15/2022) — Northwest Mississippi Community College class of 1976 graduate Fred Carlisle, "No. 18 on the football field and No. 1 in our hearts," has been named the college's 2022 Alumnus of the Year. Carlisle was honored on Homecoming Day, Oct. 20, during the Homecoming Celebration hosted in the Haraway Center by the Northwest Foundation.
"I was shocked when I found out," Carlisle said. "I thought (Northwest President) Dr. Heindl was playing a joke on me when he called, but I'm really excited. It's a big honor. When you look at the alumni at Northwest, and even just the people in my class, it's just really exciting."
Carlisle was born in Starkville but grew up in Holly Springs, where he and his wife Patti still live today. A second-generation grocer, he is the proud owner of the Carlisle's Cash Saver grocery store in his hometown. He also gives his time to the Holly Springs Rotary and serves as president-elect of the Northwest Foundation Board of Directors.
Growing up in Holly Springs, Carlisle describes his family life with his parents, Dennis and Martha Carlisle, one brother, Dennis Jr., and two sisters, Marty and Mary Louise, as typical. "We did what families do; we had fun together, and we didn't get along together," he said.
His father, who passed away in 2012, bought the Big Star in Holly Springs in 1963, and ran the business until his retirement in 2001. "My father was a really good role model for me," he said. "He was someone who gave me values and a work ethic and taught me how to treat people. I learned a lot from my father."
Carlisle attended Marshall Academy. He played every sport the high school had to offer, but jokes that studying was not high on his list of priorities. He met the woman who would become his wife in the 10th grade. The couple dated for eight years, throughout high school and college, before marrying. They have now been married for 42 years, and together a total of 50 years.
At Northwest, Carlisle chose to study business.
"I was pretty sure that I was going to go back to the family business, and the business classes I took at Northwest gave me a good foundation to really see how businesses are supposed to work and what the book end of a business is supposed to look like," he said.
With much fondness, he recalls his favorite teachers from that time as being English instructor Carson Holloman and business instructor Dr. Jack Butts. He also recalls being impacted by what he observed around him during his two years at the college.
"What I found out was that Northwest is here to help people," he said. "I had lived a pretty sheltered life, and I saw people from all walks of life who were able to get an education at Northwest and fulfill their dreams."
One such person was a friend of his who was able to come to school on a band scholarship. Because of the start he got at Northwest, his friend was able to go on to graduate from Ole Miss and earn a law degree from the school. Eventually, he was elected as the 62nd governor of Mississippi. That friend was Ronnie Musgrove.
As for Carlisle, he played quarterback for the Northwest Ranger football team. Because they were required to also play a spring sport, he played tennis too, though he still marvels that he managed to make the team. He also marvels at the current football program's enormous success.
"It's been a joy to see," he said. "It's exciting to watch them play. We were just 'three yards and a cloud of dust' when I played."
Though he acknowledges that much has changed at Northwest since 1976, he believes the most important things have stayed the same.
"I still have that same feeling that Northwest gives an opportunity to people that maybe wouldn't get a chance," he said. "I'm very partial to Northwest because of my history here, but I think that the teachers here really care about these students, and will go the extra mile to help them."
He has been very proud to see the college offer new programs and, in particular, expand its career-technical education options.
"I think in today's world, we need to educate and prepare those going into the workforce," he said. "The opportunities are there, but we have to get these students ready, whether that's a vocational field or anything else."
Carlisle stays in touch with his friends from the old days, and said he recently reconnected with some other members of Northwest's alumni that he had not been in touch with for some time.
Besides attending football games and serving on the college's Foundation Board, Carlisle was involved in the effort by the Holly Springs Rotary to start an ACT prep class, taught by Northwest instructors, to help students raise their ACT scores. He credits Northwest icon Sybil Canon for helping the group get teachers for the class.
After graduating from the college, Carlisle went on to earn a business degree from Ole Miss. He then got married and went to work for his father at Carlisle's Big Star. The business retained that name until 2016, when Carlisle re-formatted and renamed the business. The change came after a violent EF-4 tornado tore through north Mississippi and devastated Holly Springs in December of 2015. Carlisle eagerly participated in recovery efforts, and ultimately decided to change his business to make buying groceries more affordable for his hurting community.
With 44 years in the grocery business under his belt, Carlisle said he still enjoys getting up in the morning and going to work.
"It's hard work and long hours, but I have a lot of good customers," he said. "I enjoy the relationship that we have with our customers. I also have a great group of people that I work with. That's how you become successful; you surround yourself with good people."
Carlisle and his wife have three sons, Coleman, Thomas (Meade) and Banks, and two grandchildren, Caroline and Mary Miller. Besides his other involvements, Carlisle has also recently joined in on efforts to assist displaced Ukrainians through World/Ukraine Missions. The effort is led by Jerry and Wendy Moore, with Carlisle contributing his former store location as a warehouse for storing goods to be shipped.
Unsurprisingly, Carlisle also makes it his business to strongly encourage any high school seniors he encounters to consider Northwest.
"I'm proud to be a Northwest alumnus," he said. "I like to tell people about it. It was a great two years that helped me prepare myself, and I'm thankful for it."
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