The following are our permanent staff members.

Mark A. Smith
President & CEO
msmith@cpi-group.com

Mark Smith became President of The CPI Group, Inc. in 1997, and in 1999 was named CEO. Since then, the company has expanded from its headquarters in Columbus to include offices in Hattiesburg and Gulfport, and as of the first quarter of 2007, had over 1600 employees. Mark provides daily oversight of all operations for the company and a vision for strategic business development. Since his appointment to President, the company has grown by over 2500% and has received numerous awards. Most recently, The CPI Group has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing companies in America. The Inc Magazine’s Inc. 500 List is the premier and most widely recognized official ranking of fastest growing, privately held businesses in the country. Other recognitions include the 2004 Mississippi Business Journal (MBJ) Small Business of the Year award, for which the company was recognized as a finalist in 2005 as well. Also in 2004 CPI received the Inaugural Governor’s Cup recognizing CPI as the top small business in the state of Mississippi. It has also been named an MBJ Top 100 Privately Held Company and has placed consecutively in the Mississippi Business Journal/KPMG Fast 40 awards program.

Personally, Mark received the Entrepreneur of the Year Award from Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce, was a Mississippi Business Journal Top 40 Under 40 recipient and was named a Golden Triangle Region Who’s Who by the Commercial Dispatch. He was recognized in January of 2005 as the Small Business CEO of the Year among a handful of CEO’s in the state of Mississippi at the 2005 Mississippi Business and Technology Expo. He was also a member of 2005 Mississippi Economic Council’s Leadership Mississippi class. Additionally, he is a licensed real estate agent both in Mississippi as well as Florida and is a partner in Glenwood Associates, LLC, a real estate development firm which is involved with various multi-family development ventures in Mississippi. In addition, Mark is the owner of Teufel Hunden Properties, LLC, a real estate development firm specializing in historical urban restorations and development.

Mark attended the University of Maryland and the University of Alabama and is a decorated US Marine who served distinctively on three continents. He is a disabled veteran and a member of the Disabled American Veterans. Mark currently serves as Honorary Squadron Commander for the 49th Fighter Training Squadron at the Columbus Air Force Base. He is also actively involved in numerous civic organizations. He is a current member of the Mississippi Economic Council’s (MEC) Board of Governors and the past Advisory Board Chairman and current board member for the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation- Ability Works. He is a past Chairman of the Board for Habitat for Humanity, a 2-Time Chairman for the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk, was an Executive Board Member for the Columbus-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce and board member for the Columbus-Lowndes Economic Development Authority, as well as a board member for the Humane Society. In addition to several other personal recognitions and civic positions, Mark is a member of Rotary International, both the Golden Triangle and Pine Belt Society for Human Resource Management Chapters, the Hattiesburg Area Development Partnership and a member of Greater Starkville Development Partnership. In addition, Mark is involved with and supports a wide variety of Christian ministries including the Koinonia Emmaus Community of North Mississippi and Hope Family Ministries based in Tupelo, Mississippi. He also is a volunteer for Camp Rising Sun.

John McCall
Client Services Coordinator
jmccall@cpi-group.com

John, a native of Columbus attended both Mississippi State University and the MUW before beginning his professional career. In 1990 he joined ServiceMaster Building Maintenance as an Area Manager. During his fifteen year career with ServiceMaster he steadily rose through the ranks to become co-owner and Vice President of Operations. While with ServiceMaster, John specialized in recruiting and building outstanding management teams, developing marketing and customer retention programs. In 2005 John left ServiceMaster to pursue other interests. Spring of 2007 he joined CPI as their Client Services Coordinator, bringing his marketing and recruiting experience to the CPI team. John interests outside of work include scuba diving and a passion for Harley Davidson motorcycles. He is a member of First Baptist Church and enjoys being a member of other civic programs.

Laurie Hayden
Recruiter
lhayden@cpi-group.com

Laurie Hayden joined the CPI Group Team in April 2008 after 18 years of Leadership in the Airline Industry. Laurie’s experience includes directing the customer service and human resources strategies for 4500 employees; Laurie’s diverse background is instrumental in the successful recruitment and placement of qualified candidates. Laurie also represents CPI in the local community at job fairs, conferences and promotional events. Laurie’s passion for customer and client support serve CPI and the local community.

Laurie’s leadership training includes working with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) regarding accident/incident investigation, Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with regulatory compliance, Weather Disruption Team, Emergency Deployment and Critical Incident Stress Management as well as Negotiations, Mediations and Customer Relations.

Laurie is an active supporter of the American Heart Association, Breast Cancer Awareness, Ronald McDonald House Charities and Challenge Air “Wings of Love.” Laurie’s the mother of three successful grown sons; she was brought to the local community through her husband Tom’s employment with a local aerospace firm following his retirement from the United States Air Force and they reside in Hamilton.

June Cooper
Assistant Recruiter
Golden Triangle Market
jcooper@cpi-group.com

June Cooper came to CPI with an array of diverse work related experience which includes twelve years of directorial and managerial experience in the retail and manufacturing industries. As an Assistant Recruiter, June brings a variety of people skills and networking resources that have proven beneficial in the placement of candidates at our client sites. She is responsible for intake of applicants as well as assists in client care and in initial candidate matching to job orders.

June holds an Applied Science degree in Electronics from East Mississippi Community College and an Office of Childhood and Youth Certification from the Mississippi Department of Health. She is working towards her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Family Studies from Mississippi University for Women. She is a member of the Zion Gate Missionary Baptist Church Missionary Society and serves as the Sunday school teacher of the two through the five–year-olds. As a mother of two teenage girls, she has been very active in their schools over the years as well as in the community.

Kristi Stubbs
Accounting and Workman's Compensation
kstubbs@cpi-group.com

Kristi Stubbs serves as the Payroll Coordinator for CPI. She comes with an array of work related experiences. As a Payroll Coordinator she is responsible for processing payroll, employment verifications, and payroll tax preparations. She handles US Department of Labor reports among many other duties. Kristi also is Special Projects Coordinator for CPI. Specifically she has been instrumental in planning for the Columbus and Starkville Business After Hours events that CPI proudly sponsors.

Kristi has an Associate of Science degree in Banking and Finance Technology from East Mississippi Community College. Kristi and her husband, Brice, reside in Starkville.

Tara Handegard
Recruiter
thandegard@cpi-group.com

Tara Handegard joined the team at CPI with years of supervisory and customer service experience in the insurance and retail industries. Serving as a Recruiter and the Workman’s Compensation Coordinator, Tara has been pivotal in the recruitment and placement of candidates. Her daily routine consists of recruiting, job placements and networking within the community.

Tara holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from North Dakota State University. She also holds an Associates in Customer Service with Honors, and a Fellowship in Life Management from the LOMA Institute. Tara’s focus is on customer service for her clients and her candidates, making sure her clients receive the proper candidate for the position. She is a strong supporter of the Lymphoma Society and the American Cancer Society. As an Air Force wife, Tara resides with her husband Erick on Columbus Air Force Base.