Jerry L. Kennedy, Executive Director

Jerry L. Kennedy was one of the first Black auditors with the Mississippi Department of Revenue, where he was employed for 17 years. In this capacity, he traveled the country auditing corporations that did business with the state of Mississippi – including Exxon-Mobile, Halliburton, and Electronic Data Processing. He analyzed accounting systems, developed audit plans, and provided recommendations for tax management. He was also recognized as a Top Auditor for five years, which was a record for the state.

After leaving public accounting, Jerry became the Hospital Administrator for Jefferson County Hospital. Although he never initially saw a career in healthcare for himself, he found a true passion for this field. He received numerous awards from the Mississippi Hospital Association as Outstanding Administrator of the Year for his role in bringing the hospital from $1M in debt to debt-free in eight months. He implemented several Partial Hospitalization Programs throughout Central Mississippi and led the construction of a twenty-bed Acute Care facility without incurring debt for the hospital. Because
of his success in freeing Jefferson County Hospital from debt, Jerry was tapped by Claiborne County Hospital to serve as a Consultant. He was able to increase their revenue by 50% in a nine-month period.

Since 1983, Jerry has also owned Kennedy Consulting Services, where he provides accounting and tax services for numerous small businesses throughout Mississippi. Building on his knowledge of transforming healthcare systems, he opened his newest business, Kennedy Behavioral Health Center, in 2017. His center provides daily care for mentally disabled patients to decrease the need for inpatient care. Services such as psychiatric care, nursing, social work, and activity therapy are provided. In his capacity as Owner and Executive Director, he oversees a staff of almost 15 people in various functional areas. In 2024, he was tapped to return as Administrator of Jefferson County Hospital.