3 Inspired People: Spring 2022

In every community, there are those among us who lead by quiet example. They seldom hold positions of power, nor do they have a title or any official designation that distinguishes them from their neighbors. Yet they are often the ones who, having found their own inspiration, serve to make us better people and a better community. The spark of imagination they ignite through the pursuit of their own dreams, passions and curiosity can spread down the street, through a neighborhood, across a community. Their stories are an inspiration and in the telling of their stories, others may be similarly inspired. In each edition, Progress tells the story of three of the “Inspired People” of our community.

Angella baker

Angella Baker draws a salary from Mississippi State, where she serves as assistant undergraduate coordinator for the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. 

But most evenings and weekends, she’s doing work for which she is paid in a different kind of currency: smiles.

Those smiles come from a variety of people: the young women she helps earn scholarships through the Miss Mississippi Organization; the smiles of the hungry people she helps feed through United We Feed or Casserole Kitchen; the smiles of all those served through her work at various boards, including the Starkville Area Arts Council and the United Way of North Central Mississippi.

“You know, I’ve always been a service-oriented person,” Baker says. “I just love giving back to the community in any way I can. When you see the smiles on people’s faces when you’re giving them something they need … it’s hard to top that.”

Baker is particularly well-known for her work with the Magnolia Film Festival. In 1999, a co-worker at MSU approached her and asked if she would like to meet Ron Tibbet, the Chicago filmmaker who founded The Mag three years earlier.

“Once I met Ron, I was hooked.”

Baker worked at the box office that first year and began acquiring new jobs over the years. She moved to Georgia in 2006, but returned in 2010.

“I was on the arts council board of directors and one of the first things we had to deal with was The Mag since we were responsible for organizing it back then,” she said. “Since I had previous experience, they asked me to take the reins as director.”

Baker served as the Mag director from 2014-2019.

“At the time, we really needed somebody who could give it some new energy. I was busy with so many things that I knew I couldn’t do it. We are able to have a paid director now and the festival has really taken off.”

Baker remains an integral part of the festival, which was held in February this year.

“I’m the treasurer and also the hospitality chair and the transportation chair,” she said. “I’m there for pretty much everything they need.”

Chris Chain

In 1986, two years out of Florida State, Chris Chain returned to his hometown of Columbus and began thinking about what he could do to revitalize downtown.

“Everywhere you looked, there were second floors that were vacant or used for storage,” Chain noticed. “It was never going to be used for retail, so what’s the best use of these spaces?”

The answer? Loft apartments.

His first project, three apartments in the old Booth Diamond Shop on Main Street, was in 1988. Since then, Chain has lost track of the number of loft apartments he’s added to those forgotten spaces in mostly historic downtown buildings.

“Probably 60 apartments in 30 buildings,” he estimated. 

Chain has taken his passion for historic restoration to other cities, including Vicksburg, New Orleans and, most recently, Pascagoula, where he is in the process of adding 45 to 50 apartments as part of the city’s ambitious downtown redevelopment plan.

Most recently, he has taken on Columbus’ old Stone Hotel on the 200 block of Fifth Street South with retail space on the first floor and apartments on the second floor.

Chain’s specialty of revitalizing downtown buildings throughout the state has not gone unrecognized. Last year, he was elected as president of Mississippi Main Street.

But particularly in Columbus, it has been a labor of love as much as a business model.

Dorothy Ryland

The saying goes, find something you love to do and you’ll never work a day in your life. If that’s true, it also means you never retire, which is something Dorothy Ryland learned last spring.

Ryland, a lifelong West Point resident, retired in April after 16 years as the city’s deputy city clerk and housing coordinator.

In addition to her regular duties, over the years Ryland became a resource for those who called city hall asking for help — everything from paying a phone or utility bill to a rent payment, even medicines they could not afford during a temporary crisis. Over time, Ryland built relationships with chuches, civic groups and agencies such as The United Way that had funds to help those facing a short-term crisis.

“After a while, the word got out: ‘If you’re having trouble, call Dorothy,’” Ryland said with a chuckle.

So, although she officially retired in April, helping people find help in times of financial trouble wasn’t something she was prepared to give up.

“So I just kept on going,” she said. 

Now, the city of West Point is hiring her part-time and setting up an office for her.

Ryland says her network provides assistance to 20 to 30 residents a month. Residents can get assistance just once a calendar year.

Ryland is a facilitator, but there is one thing she personally provides.

There’s an old German proverb that goes, “Charity sees the need, not the cause.” Ryland lives out that proverb in her encounters with those who need help. She knows that asking for help can be a humiliating experience.

“When you run out of money and don’t have anywhere to turn, what are you going to do?” Ryland said. “It’s hard to ask for help. What I do is I listen to people. I tell them, ‘You don’t have to tell me how you got into your situation. I don’t care. Just tell me what you need, how we can help you. I’ll never judge you.’”

PROFILES BY SLIM SMITH

PHOTOS BY RORY DOYLE