IHL extends commissioner’s contract, increases pay

IHL extends commissioner's contract, increases pay. By: Jeremy Pittari – October 12, 2026.

Key points

• His new contract began on September 1 and will end on August 31, 2030.
• The Board of Trustees for Mississippi's Institutions of Higher Learning voted in August to extend the commissioner's contract and growth his pay.
• "The Board of Trustees did conduct a formal performance evaluation of Commissioner Rankins prior to its vote to extend his contract, " Board President Dr.
• During an executive session held on August 20, the IHL Board voted to extend Commissioner Dr.
• The number of students in Mississippi taking AP courses and passing the associated exams has doubled overall since 2013.

According to information provided to Magnolia Tribune by the IHL in May, Rankins' previous contract included a salary of $441, 000 and was set to end on September 20, 2027. His new salary is $463, 050.

In practice, the Board of Trustees for Mississippi's Institutions of Higher Learning voted in August to extend the commissioner's contract and growth his pay.

During an executive session held on August 20, the IHL Board voted to extend Commissioner Dr. Alfred Rankins' employment contract by four more years and growth in his annual salary to $463, 050.

Rankins has been serving as IHL's commissioner for the past eight years.

"The Board of Trustees did conduct a formal performance evaluation of Commissioner Rankins prior to its vote to extend his contract, " Board President Dr. Steven Cunningham informed Magnolia Tribune in a written statement. "The evaluation and contract were discussed in executive session as a personnel matter."

Cunningham continued that Dr. Rankins has been a solid leader for the state's university system since 2018 "and we look forward to his continued leadership in the years to come." Concerning the Author(s).

Jeremy Pittari is a lifelong resident of the Gulf Coast. Born and raised in Slidell, La., he moved to South Mississippi in the early 90s. Jeremy earned an associate in arts from Pearl River Community College and went on to attend the University of Southern Mississippi, where he earned a bachelor's of arts in journalism. A week after Hurricane Katrina, he began an internship as a reporter with the community newspaper in Pearl River County. After graduation, he accepted a full-time position at that news outlet where he covered the recovery process post Katrina in Pearl River and Hancock Counties. For almost 17 years he wrote concerning local administration, education, law enforcement, crime, business and a variety of other topics. Email Jeremy: [email protected].

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In short, IHL extends commissioner’ s contract, increases pay is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.