Strickland Depo Prep: Part I

Former SRHS Trustee Morris Strickland is set to be deposed in the pension plan litigation tomorrow at 9 a.m. SRHS Watch has undertaken a review of Strickland’s business ventures in search of potential conflicts.

Some background on Strickland from a 2007 biography in The Sun Herald:

Morris grew up on a farm in Greene County and attended college on a basketball scholarship. After graduating with honors from Olgethorpe Univeristy with a degree in economics and earned his Masters Degree in Industrial Management from the University of Alabama, where he’s also completed his Doctorate work. He joined the Army as a private and retired as a Lt. Colonel, with tours at the Pentagon, Ethiopia, Panama and two tours as an Infantry officer in Vietnam. After leaving the Army he joined Coca-Cola as vice president of sales and distribution in St. Louis. In 2001 he moved to the Mississippi Coast and has formed five different companies under the name Eagle Enterprises, most of which deal with real estate development and quick lubes. He holds or has held leadership positions on the board of trustees of the Singing River Hospital System, Walter Anderson Museum of Art, Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, Gulf Coast Business Council, and is president of the Gulf Coast Nonprofit Center.

Stickland is listed as a member of several entities according to the Secretary of State:

• Eagle Express, LLC
• Eagle Express II, LLC
• Eagle Plaza, LLC
• Eagle Gulf Coast Properties, LLC
• Strickland Summers Properties, LLC
• The Purple Pelican, Inc.
• Blue Sky 3, LLC
• Gulf Coast Intellectual Property Association
• Cheyenne Properties, LLC
• Acadian, LLC
• Mosaic Med Spas of Mississippi, LLC
• MS Investment Group, LLC

Eagle Express, LLC is the main entity under which Stickland operates. He does so out of his office located at 6819 Washington Avenue in Ocean Springs. The property is held by Eagle Plaza, LLC and consists of two separate commercial neighborhood style metal buildings. Tenants past and present include:

• CMV Investigations, LLC – Accident re-creation consulting for commercial motor vehicle accidents, compliance consulting
• Twisted Achor Tattoo
• JJ Spa f/k/a 777 Spa – Ostensibly a massage parlor
• Pho Real – Restaurant
• Mama’s Seafood & Grill II – Restaurant
• Robby Williams, DMD – Dentist
• Magnolia Wireless – Cellular phone sales and repair
• CH2M Hill – Engineering firm
• Fleur de Lis Salon & Spa – Hair salon
• Cash World, Inc. – Deferred presentment
• Alpha Lifestyle Center of Ocean Springs, LLC – Smoking cessation laser therapy
• Trinity Hospice of Mississippi
• Barbara’s Jewelers
• Patient’s Choice Medical Equipment

Together with former SRHS physician Evan Summers, DO,  Strickland is a member of Strickland Summers Properties, LLC. The entity holds two properties in Jackson County.

• 330 Highway 90, Gautier – Leased to defense contractor BAE Systems, formerly Gautier Personal Care Home
• An irregular vacant parcel on Bechtel Blvd, Ocean Springs

Of note: Dr. Summers’ wife was listed as a member of Horizon Enterprises, LLC

• Horizon acquired raw land from Chancellor D. Neil Harris in 2003
• Horizon built an office building in 2004, which was used by Dr. Summers
• Horizon sold the poperty to Magnolia Imaging, LLC / Open MRI
• Magnolia sold the poperty to SRHS Ambulatory Services
• The property is 3612 Groveland Rd, Ocean Springs and is the current site of Singing River’s Neuroscience Sleep Center

Eagle Medical Plaza

Morris Strickland through Eagle Plaza, LLC acquired three contiguous parcels on Groveland Rd.

• Strickland is the sole member of Eagle Plaza
• February 19, 2004 Eagle Plaza acquired property, using firm Colingo Williams
• Fall 2007 Strickland sought to build a four unit medical office park on the property and was in the permitting process for same
• January 2008 Strickland appointed to SRHS BOT
• February 9, 2001 Strickland/Eagle Plaza sells property to Zameen, LLC controlled by Obaid Siddiqui, MD

Hilton Garden Inn

Strickland is a partner in the Pascagoula Hilton Garden Inn along with:

• Roy Williams – Former SRHS Board Attorney
• Ed Trehern – Long time associate and business partner with Williams
• Dana Foster – Long time associate and business partner with Williams
• Gentry Williams – Served as developer, son of Roy, former SRHS vendor
• Various others – The group used investment money from foreign investors seeking EB-5 visas in the US based on a minimum $500,000 investment. The identity of any such members is unknown.