The Krewe of Ceres in Brookhaven conducted its 57th annual Charity Ball on Saturday, Feb. 24, at The Lincoln Civic Center. Presentations began at 7 p.m.

This year’s king and queen are Dr. Jeff Clark and Lucy Watkins Donegan.

 

Queen Donegan

The 2024 Krewe of Ceres Charity Ball Queen is Lucy Watkins Donegan.

Queen Lucy was a graduate of the class of 2020 at Brookhaven High School, where she was a Mississippi Scholar and member of the National Honor Society. She was elected as National Honor Society Treasurer, and she was additionally selected as Class Treasurer during her 11th and 12th grade years. Queen Lucy also served as Student Council Senior Representative.

During her years at BHS, she was also elected to the Homecoming Court, voted Class favorite, and Most School Spirit. She was a member of the Quill and Scroll International Journalism Honor Society, BHS Prom Committee, Yearbook staff, and a score keeper and Diamond Doll for the baseball team.  In her Freshman and Sophomore year, Lucy played soccer, and was a team manager for cross-country. Also, during her Freshman year, Lucy served as a senate page at the Mississippi capital in Jackson.

Each year, Lucy danced and performed vocal solos for the BHS Homecoming Production, serving as the Student Director her senior year. She received multiple academic awards such as the Art Program Award, Mississippi Law Day Art Contest winner, Personal Finance Award, and the Business Law Award.

Outside of her school activities, Queen Lucy was a member of Junior Auxiliary Crown club, serving as social media chair, and participating in service projects within our community such as operation Christmas Child, Cookies with Santa, Reality World and the Brookhaven Animal Rescue League. She also served with Les Belles for the Brookhaven Chamber of Commerce, working with the Christmas Open House and Ole Brook Festival.

Queen Lucy was a member of the competitive dance team with Brookhaven Dance Academy, and she performed in multiple shows with the Brookhaven Little Theater – including leading roles as Tiger Lily in Peter Pan, Jan from Grease, Gertrude McFuzz in Seussical and Tracy Turnblad in HairSpray.

Lucy traveled to Honduras with a medical Mission team in 2019 serving the people of Guaimaca. While there, she represented Kings Daughters Medical Center assisting with the medical clinic, children’s ministries, and water services for the community.

Queen Lucy is currently a Senior at the University of Southern Mississippi, pursuing a degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management as well as Business Marketing. She has been recognized on the Dean’s List, and was awarded an Applied Marketing Experience Star, Freshman Academic Scholarship, School of Marketing academic scholarship, and the Richard C Vreeland International Endowment for her business achievements.

Queen Lucy was chosen as Social Media Marketing Intern for the PGA Championship sponsored by Sanderson farms during her junior year of college, where she assisted in the creation and development of social media campaigns. She was also tasked to promote the tour focusing on digital content and merchandise promotion.

Last summer, Lucy participated in the USM Study Abroad Program where she earned 6 credit hours in international business, traveling to London, England, for an immersion experience into art, entertainment, fashion, finance, international trade, sports, and technology. She also traveled to Venice, Italy, during this time for a 3-day cultural study of hospitality and tourism.

At Southern Miss, she is also a member of the Student Eagle Club, Student Alumni Association, and the Economic Development Association.

Queen Lucy is an active member of the Kappa Delta Sorority.  Along with her sorority sisters, she fundraises for Prevent Child Abuse America, Kids Hub, and Girl Scouts of America. Lucy has served in leadership roles such as Set Leader, Banner and Pomping chair, as well as Preference Round Coordinator and Recruitment committees. Most recently, Lucy held the office of Social Chair (Event Coordinator) allowing her plan both formal and informal events, as well as work with other organizations on campus to maintain social relations across the Greek community.

During her breaks and holidays from college, Lucy has worked with Brookhaven’s own Mitchell’s catering and at Bloom’s florist in Hattiesburg. Upon graduation, Queen Lucy plans to continue in her event planning role and wants to work in corporate or wedding event management.

Lucy is a member of First United Methodist Church.

She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ron Donegan, Jr.  She is the granddaughter of Mrs. Charles Morman and the late Mr. Charles Morman, and Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Donegan. Lucy holds close family ties to the annual Charity Ball. Her mother has previously served on the board for the Krewe of Ceres and her parents have been Chairs of Lighting and Sound for the last 10 years. Queen Lucy served as an Aide in 2012 and Maid in 2022.  Her sisters also served in the court. Lizzie served as an Aide in 2015 and Sulli as a maid in 2019.

Lucy is honored to be the 2024 Charity Ball Queen.

 

King Clark

Reigning as King of the 2024 Krewe of Ceres Charity Ball is Dr. Jeffrey Glenn Clark. Jeff was born in Birmingham Alabama to Glenn and Frances Clark in 1962. He grew up in a small town outside Birmingham, where he was especially loved by his grandmother, Gladys, and great aunt, Florence. 

Jeff began working at an early age. He developed the work ethic he is known for to this day working beside his father in the family trucking business and watching his mother work long hours as a nurse.

Jeff attended Baylor High School in Chattanooga, Tennessee beginning his sophomore year. After an adjustment period, Jeff thrived there and graduated as an honor student.

Jeff attended Birmingham Southern College, in Birmingham, Alabama, where he majored in Biology. He was involved in many activities on campus, including Theta Chi Fraternity where he was Rush Chairman, Pledge Trainer and Intramural Sports Representative. He also worked as a Biology Lab Instructor at Birmingham Southern.

After graduating, Jeff worked a few years in the trucking industry, before entering medical school at the University of Alabama in Birmingham in 1987. 

In 1988, he went on a blind date with Shannon Scarbrough and they married in 1990.

After graduating medical school, Dr. Clark chose to do his residency at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, MS. He completed a two-year General Surgery residency before specializing in Urology. While at UMC, he served as Chief Resident, before completing his urology residency in 1996.

Jeff and Shannon visited many cities in their search for the perfect town. They found that perfection in Brookhaven. Jeff joined Brookhaven Urology in 1996. He hit the ground running and began performing surgeries new to King’s Daughters Medical Center and this part of the state, specializing his practice in urologic oncology.

Dr. Clark served as President of the SW MS State Medical Association, and at KDMC, Dr. Clark has served as Chief of Staff, has been a member of the Board of Trustees, and has served on the recruiting committee for many years.

He was ranked among the top 5% in the nation for Radical Prostatectomies for several consecutive years.  During those years he was also a recipient of the Health Grades Prostatectomy Award and a Five Star Recipient for Prostatectomies. Dr. Clark has been named one of America’s Top Surgeons for multiple years.

In 2000, Dr. Clark founded South Central Urology Services, a company providing mobile urologic procedures to many different hospitals throughout the state.

Outside of his professional life, Jeff is also well known as an avid outdoorsman. Jeff served on the Wildlife Mississippi Board of Trustees from 2000-2020. He served as President of that board in 2003. In 2005, then Governor Haley Barbour appointed Jeff as the State Representative of the Mississippi Flyway Commission. This Commission dealt with the conservation of ducks along the Mississippi Flyway. Jeff was also the Local Chairman of Ducks Unlimited in 2000.

Jeff is a founding member of Coles Creek Timber and Land Management Company where he, with his fellow partners, defend their timber crop from ravenous ducks and marauding white tail deer. Formed in 1996, Coles Creek has provided endless adventures for friends and family. Jeff’s boys especially loved their yearly Hooky Day, spent escaping from school to go hunting with their dad.

Of course, one can’t mention Jeff Clark’s love of hunting without mentioning his love for his hunting dogs. Training their first dog, Mac, became a major part of Jeff and Shannon’s early years together. Jeff especially became enthralled with the training process. This began a lifetime passion for Jeff and he has owned several dogs that have competed in AKC Hunt Tests and Field Trials with several earning Master Hunter Certification. His lab, Cole, competed in two National Master Hunt Tests. Cole also qualified for and participated in the first annual World Duck Dog Hunt Test in Stuttgart, Arkansas.

Much like his Labradors, Jeff is also an avid fan of the water. Jeff is an accomplished fisherman and scuba diver. In 2018, Jeff took on the task of studying for and obtaining his Captain’s License through the US Coast Guard with a master rating.

Having heard of his exploits on land and sea, it also might not surprise you to learn that Jeff is a licensed pilot.

Jeff and his family have been active members of the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer since moving here.

Jeff is a charter member of the Twelfth Night Supper Club, a group of local friends who through the years have become more like family and a vital part of his life.

While Jeff loves his profession, his coworkers, his patients, his friends, serving his community, his dogs and anything outdoors, his most precious love and the thing that makes him most proud, is his family.

He and Shannon have two sons, Peyton Jeffrey Clark and Daniel Scarbrough Clark.  In 2019, they gained a daughter when Peyton married Ashley Mezzanares.

More than anything, Jeff has been an incredibly involved father. Jeff coached every sport the boys played … basketball, tee ball, baseball, football and soccer.

He was also Assistant Scout Master for Boy Scout Troop 122, where he especially enjoyed taking the young men of Lincoln County skeet shooting.

All of his children graduated from Brookhaven High School. Peyton is a trial attorney in Birmingham, Alabama, Ashley is getting her doctorate degree in Nurse Anesthesia at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, and Daniel is a patent attorney in Boston, Massachusetts.

The Clark family has a long history with the Krewe of Ceres. Jeff and Shannon became members in 1998. They served as Ticket Chairmen for many years, giving Jeff the opportunity to greet Ball guests at the door. Jeff even served as the emcee one year! They have also had the pleasure of serving as Aides to several Kings and Queens over the years. Peyton was an Escort in 2015. Daniel was a Trainbearer in 2009 and an Escort in 2018. Ashley was a Maid in 2014. Both boys also spent a few years valet parking for the ball.

Jeff is honored to be this year’s King and would like to thank the members of the Krewe who worked so hard to make this beautiful evening happen.

Brookhaven has been so good to Jeff and his family and for that he is eternally grateful. When he and Shannon arrived here, they could never have predicted the way this town would embrace and support them through two kids, six dogs, almost 30 years, many friends, and countless happy memories.