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Governor Phil Bryant appoints Shad White state auditor
JACKSON, MS (WLBT)-Governor Phil Bryant named Shad White to be the next state auditor.
32-year-old White takes over Stacey Pickering’s term on July 16 and will serve through January 2020.
Pickering resigned his statewide elected post to become head of the state’s Veterans Affairs Board.
“Stacey Pickering has served the people of Mississippi well, from the state Senate to the office of state auditor,” Gov. Bryant said. “I know that service will continue in his new role.”
In 2011, Shad served as director of policy to then-Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant. Since then, White practiced law in the private sector, served as a special prosecutor in Rankin County, where he successfully prosecuted felonies involving the family of an elected official, and, most recently, served as director of the Mississippi Justice Institute.
“Shad’s credentials and ability are without question,” Gov. Bryant said. “He has proven himself a champion of limited and efficient government that serves the taxpayers. He is the perfect fit for this important office, and I am pleased he has accepted this appointment.”
At the Mississippi Justice Institute, White filed and led cases against public officials when they violated Mississippi’s open government and ethics laws. He has also taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Mississippi, earned a certificate in forensic accounting (the use of accounting to detect fraud) from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and previously worked as a fellow at a national think tank on state policy.
“I’m honored by the faith Governor Bryant has placed in me with this appointment,” White said. “I know this office is important to him personally, and it’s important to the taxpayers, too. I’m looking forward to being the watchdog of their hard-earned dollars. I’ve committed to the governor and will commit to Mississippians that I’ll bring every ounce of energy I have and whatever talent God gave me to do this the right way. I’ll always tell you the truth, even if the truth is uncomfortable. I’ll always treat our public officials fairly, and I’ll do everything in my power to make sure Mississippi’s future is free from corruption.”
White holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Mississippi, a Master’s from the University of Oxford and a law degree from Harvard Law School.
