J. Davis Pace III (Alpha Upsilon–Mississippi ’07), Joshua S. Randle (Alpha Upsilon–Mississippi ’07), and Thomas “Banks” Shepherd IV (Alpha Upsilon–Mississippi ’06) were named to 2025 Class of the Ole Miss Alumni Association’s 40 Under 40 listing.
This program celebrates the personal, professional and philanthropic achievements of successful University of Mississippi graduates under the age of 40. Recipients will be recognized with a ceremony on March 28, followed by a celebration event at Circle and Square Brewing.
Davis Pace
Davis Pace serves as President and CEO of Mississippi Enterprise for Technology (MSET), a state-chartered non-profit organization located at NASA’s Stennis Space Center. At MSET, Davis works to grow SSC, the Gulf Coast, and Mississippi. Davis is a nationally recognized leader in the development of the state’s aerospace and defense community through MSET’s relationships with NASA, the Navy, the Mississippi Development Authority, and Mississippi’s R-1 universities. Since taking over at MSET in 2021, Davis has overseen the development and growth of the state’s first aerospace and defense industry trade association, the Aerospace and Defense Alliance of Mississippi, or ADAM, and an annual Symposium focusing on aerospace and defense technology and manufacturing in the state.
Prior to MSET, Davis spent nearly a decade in Washington, D.C., on and off Capitol Hill, with a focus on technology, telecommunications, and cybersecurity issues. While on Capitol Hill, he served as senior staff for the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) under Ranking Member Michael McCaul (TX), where he managed the emerging technologies, telecommunications, space, and cyber portfolio. In this role, he successfully led the effort to incentivize leading-edge technology development and manufacturing in the United States and led the charge to reorganize the U.S. State Department’s standards setting, cyber security, and emerging technology initiatives.
Previously, he served as Legislative Director to former-Rep. John Ratcliffe (TX) preceding his cabinet-level appointment as Director of National Intelligence. In this role, Davis spearheaded critical reforms in cyber defense at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and information systems. Davis also served as Legislative Director to Rep. Jodey Arrington (TX), and Counsel to then-Republican Study Committee Chairman Mark Walker (NC).
In 2024, Davis was appointed to serve as the inaugural Chairman of the Aerospace and Defense Alliance of Mississippi’s Board of Directors and is a member of the prestigious American Enterprise Institute’s Leadership Network. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Mississippi and a juris doctorate from the Mississippi College School of Law. He lives on the Mississippi Gulf Coast with his family where he is a member of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, in Gulfport.
Davis is a member of the Loyal Order and a 2-year member of the Kappa Alpha Order Educational Foundation’s Crimson & Gold Society.
Josh Randle
Josh Randle is the President of Randle Strategies LLC, a strategic consulting, communications, and development firm founded in 2018.
Josh previously served as the first-ever chief executive officer of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Foundation USA – one of the British Royal family’s principal charities. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award was founded in 1956 by Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, the His late Royal Highness The Prince Philip.
During his first year as CEO, Josh increased the number of program participants by 547%. Within four years, Josh expanded the foundation into all 50 states. In addition, Josh founded both a successful juvenile rehabilitation initiative at a state-run juvenile correctional facility in his home state of Mississippi and at a non-profit boys’ haven in New York – the first initiatives of their kind in the nation.
At 29, Josh was named the youngest President in the nearly 100-year history of The Miss America Organization – the nation’s largest scholarship provider for young women. During his tenure at Miss America, the organization, together with its foundation and licensees, increased its scholarship offerings and awarded an average of $6 million annually in cash scholarships and in-kind tuition waivers.
At Miss America, Josh authored a comprehensive strategic plan and instituted a sweeping financial overhaul that resulted in a multi-million dollar revenue increase in just two years.
As President, Josh produced the annual “Miss America Competition” broadcast on ABC, which was then the fourth longest-running live event in television history – behind the Oscars, the Emmys, and the World Series.
Josh is a magna cum laude graduate of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), where he was inducted into the university’s prestigious Hall of Fame.
Josh and his wife, Alex, have three children.
Banks Shepherd
In February 2023, Banks Shepherd was appointed Wake Forest Sports Properties’ general manager on behalf of LEARFIELD, the university’s athletics multimedia rightsholder. Shepherd serves as the primary LEARFIELD liaison related to Wake Forest’s comprehensive athletics multimedia rights agreement and corporate partner platform. He works closely with Wake Forest Athletics administration and Director of Athletics John Currie on all aspects of LEARFIELD’s relationship with the Demon Deacons.
Shepherd brings significant industry experience to the Wake Forest Sports Properties team. From 2020-2023, he served as general manager for LEARFIELD’s dedicated Tulane Sports Properties team in New Orleans, where he led sponsorship sales and partner activation during a momentous and historic run for the Green Wave.
Prior to Tulane, Shepherd spent 2016-2020 as manager, business development in Chapel Hill with Tar Heel Sports Properties, LEARFIELD’s team dedicated to University of North Carolina. His previous experience also includes business development for the athletics multimedia rights teams at Baylor and LSU. Before transitioning to corporate partnerships, Shepherd began his college sports career as a development assistant at the UMAA Foundation representing Ole Miss Athletics. This was after fellowship opportunities in the marketing and development offices at Vanderbilt Athletics.
A native of Jackson, Miss., Shepherd holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Mississippi (’09), master’s degree in sports administration from Belmont University (’11) and an MBA from UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School (’19). He and his wife, Jenna, reside in Winston-Salem.
