At the 2019 Charity Ball of the Krewe of Ceres, Whitney Bailey Moak was crowned queen and Paul Raymond Phillips was crowned king.

Queen Whitney Moak

Queen Whitney is the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Edward Sidney Moak Sr., of Brookhaven. She is the granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Samuel Moak Sr., of Brookhaven, and the late Mr. and Mrs. George Roy Porter, of Memphis.

She is a 2016 special honor graduate of Brookhaven Academy, where she achieved the title of salutatorian. Whitney was selected for the Brookhaven Academy Hall of Fame, as well as designated a Mississippi Scholar.

She received the Cougar Leadership Award for her career impact upon BA athletics, as well as the Cougar Spirit Award for cumulative four-year effect upon school spirit. She was elected senior class president after previously serving as student council secretary. In addition, for the National Honor Society and National Science Honor Society, she served as vice president and president.

Whitney captured numerous highest academic average subject awards in high school. In the MAIS Science Fair, she won local and district first place awards as a junior and senior, securing third place at the state level as a junior. Furthermore, Whitney served as editor-in-chief of the Brookhaven Academy yearbook. Whitney won first place in the Lincoln County DAR Good Citizen essay contest for high school seniors countywide.

While at BA, she was selected for Les’ Belles du Hospitalite’ of the Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce, and she was active in the Crown Club of Brookhaven Junior Auxiliary, serving as its president. She was selected as a maid for the BA Homecoming Court in her sophomore and senior years. She also served as 2016 Miss Collegiate Brookhaven. Whitney was chosen by her high school peers as BA’s 2016 Prom Queen, BA Who’s Who Most Outstanding and school-wide as Miss Brookhaven Academy 2016.

She was a four-year varsity cheerleader at BA, selected Head Cheerleader as a senior. She was invited to be a UCA Camp instructor, and she was chosen a UCA All-American cheerleader, receiving numerous UCA awards.

For Brookhaven Academy Tennis, where she was a four-year starter, Whitney was permanent team captain, and she captured a State AA Girls’ Doubles Championship Title as a junior, after reaching the state finals as a sophomore in Girls’ Singles. In addition, she earned several team awards such as the Rookie Award, and was named Most Valuable Player as a senior.

She was a 10-year competitive dancer with Showstoppers Studio of Dance, where she was a student teacher as a senior.

In the summer of 2015, preceding her senior year, Whitney was thrilled to accept a highly sought-after invitation to attend the Trent Lott Leadership Institute at Ole Miss, gaining valuable knowledge about, and access to, the political process and its effect upon Mississippi.

Queen Whitney, upon graduation from BA, received numerous scholarships, including the salutatorian, Bledsoe, Academic Excellence, and Leadership awards from Ole Miss, as well as the Russ Michael Mangold “Love Life and Live It” Foundation and the Plum Creek Weyerhauser Foundation honors.

A senior at the University of Mississippi, Whitney is completing a major in exercise science with minors in psychology, mathematics and biology, in pursuit of a career in physical therapy. She has been continuously a Dean’s or Chancellor’s Honor Roll student, garnering awards from the provost for academics, the chancellor for leadership, Panhellenic Council for service, and the Tobacco Free Generation nonprofit. She has been tapped for the Gamma Beta Phi Honor Society, Order of Omega and Rho Lambda Greek Honor Societies, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, the Society for Collegiate Leadership and Success and the Golden Key International Honor Society.

Toward her career path in physical therapy, she participates as a student research assistant and volunteer in the School of Applied Sciences, in addition to future externship and internship terms with the University of Mississippi Department of Athletics, where she will assist in prevention, acute injury care and rehabilitation of injuries for Rebel athletes.

Queen Whitney is an active member of the Delta Sigma chapter of Alpha Delta Pi Sorority at Ole Miss, serving as special events chair. In that role, she has had the opportunity to direct, choreograph and coordinate ADPi’s entries into the Theta Encore Dance contest and the Sigma Nu Charity Bowl.From these and other special events, she guided tens of thousands of dollars being raised for a panoply of charities, including Ronald MacDonald Houses and Memory Makers. Whitney has also been an Alpha Leader guiding new sorority members. In 2019, she represented ADPi as a Panhellenic Recruitment Counselor, ultimately guiding over 1,500 young women through the recruitment process.

At Ole Miss, Whitney has been active on the Emerging Leaders Committee for RebelTHON, an annual dance marathon raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Children’s Miracle Network hospitals, including Batson at UMMC. Whitney has served on multiple committees all four years at Ole Miss, including those of the Associated Student Body and the Student Activities Association. Whitney has also been active in a number of service and professional organizations, including the Exercise Science Club of North Mississippi, Special Olympics, the American Medical Women’s Association and the Active Minds of Ole Miss, where she advocates for mental health awareness.

Further, she has been active as a volunteer for foundations including Make-A-Wish, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Feed the Hunger, The Oxford Humane Society, Leap Frog and the Green Grove initiative for green spaces around the Ole Miss campus. She has also been annually a committee member for the Ole Miss Big Event, which provides a full day of service throughout the Oxford/Lafayette Community. In 2014 and 2015, Whitney completed two half marathons in both Memphis and New Orleans to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Last summer, Queen Whitney joined the LeadAbroad study program for several weeks during May and June in the Republic of South Africa. She was selected as a service leader in Cape Town, assigned to lead her fellow classmates to help expand educational and community projects in local townships and schools; she was able to teach dance, as well as art, to elementary and middle school children. This experience afforded Whitney to expand her love for adventure as well. She bungee jumped from one of the tallest bridges in the world, diving from almost 770 feet above a deep ravine. She also achieved her first parachute jump, of which she only informed to her parents the following day. She also experienced the wildlife of South Africa through a safari in the Savannah, shark cage diving and walking with elephants. Returning home, LeadAbroad named Whitney as a Campus Intern and Ambassador to recruit new students and to spread the LeadAbroad mission of service, leadership, travel and adventure worldwide.

In November 2017, Queen Whitney was honored to accept the invitation to join the Debutante Club of Mississippi, and she was presented at their annual ball in Jackson.

Whitney is an active member of First Baptist Church Brookhaven, and she has attended Pinelake Church as well as North Oxford Baptist Church while in Oxford.

This upcoming summer, she has accepted an invitation, after a competitive selection process, to serve as an intern in Washington, D.C., in the office of US Senator Cindy Hyde- Smith. This internship will provide Whitney and her fellow interns remarkable access to the daily interactions among citizens and their elected representatives.

After her return from Washington, Whitney will spend the fall 2020 semester as a cast member in Walt Disney World as she was accepted into the highly sought-after Disney College Program.

Queen Whitney is part of a family with a deep connection to the Krewe. Her grandfather, Mr. Joe Moak Sr., was king of the 1971 Harvest Ball, precursor to the Charity Ball; her parents are the longest tenured active members of the Krewe, joining in 1984; her mother, Patti Moak, has twice been ball chairman and her father, Dr. Ed Moak, has served three terms as Krewe president; her father was an escort for the 1974 ball; her sister, Miss Sydney Moak, was an aide in the 2000 ball and was a maid in the 2009 ball; her brother, Edward Moak Jr., was an aide in the 2003 ball and was an escort in the 2012 ball; and her cousin, Miss Anna C. Moak, served as queen of the 2008 ball.

King Paul Phillips

Paul was born in County Tipperary, Ireland. At 7 months old, he was adopted by his parents, Mr. John Raymond Phillips and Mrs. Evelyn Flynn Phillips, moving to Brookhaven, to have Paul become a part of the wonderful Phillips family. Paul has one sister, Carol, along with many, many cousins, aunts and uncles. King Paul Phillips’ father, Ray Phillips, along with Ray’s brothers, Joe & Tom Phillips, together formed Phillips Brothers Lumber Co.

King Paul attended St. Francis of Assisi School K-8 and graduated from Brookhaven High School in 1969. While at Brookhaven High, he devoted his time to academics, as a member of the National Honor Society. In addition, he became a competitive tennis athlete, winning three District Doubles Championships.

King Paul attended The University of Southern Mississippi, earning a bachelor of science degree in business administration. He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity, serving as pledge trainer in 1970, house manager in 1971 and vice president in 1972. He was awarded the honorable “Brotherhood Award” in 1972, honoring his loyalty and commitment to serving alongside his peers.

King Paul graduated in 1973, and after a year sabbatical, he returned home to Brookhaven to join the family business. In 1981, King Paul became president of Phillips Brothers Lumber Co., a position he would hold for the next 25 years.

Active in a variety of regional lumber organizations, he was a member of the Mississippi Lumber Manufacturers Association, where he served on the Board of Directors for two terms, and later as president in 1989. In 1195, King Paul was awarded a “Lifetime Membership” at the association’s South convention. He was also a member of the Southeastern Lumber Manufacturer Association, where he served on the Board of Directors for two terms.

Locally, Paul served as a member of the Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce from 1981-2000, serving on the Board of Directors for two terms. He was also a member of the Industrial Development Foundation.

King Paul is an avid sports fan. He enjoyed coaching Dixie League and Exchange Club baseball for 7 years.

He is an avid golfer, having attended the Masters Golf Tournament four times, and has enjoyed playing at golf courses across the country, including two of the most “iconic” courses in the world, Pebble Beach and PineHurst #2. As a bachelor, King Paul also enjoyed frequenting sporting events such as The Super Bowl, World Series and the Daytona 500.

King Paul is a lifetime member of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. He served on the Parish Finance committee for 20 years, along with the Parish Council for 12 years. While also serving as a member of the Knights of Columbus, King Paul was president of the Parish council for four years.

In 1975, King Paul married Ellie Henderson Phillips. Ellie is the daughter of Edward Hugh Henderson and Anne Atkinson Henderson. King Paul and Ellie have three daughters, Anne Houston Craig, Maggie Cupit-Link and Evelyn Flynn Phillips. In addition, they are recent grandparents to their grandson, Carl Jackson Craig.

Anne Houston Craig, Mrs. Carl Norris Craig, works alongside her grandmother, Anne Hendersaon, as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker for children and young adults. Her husband, Carl, is a restaurateur, and owner of Magnolia Blues Barbeque Company. Carl and Anne Houston have one child, “Jack”, who is 5 months old.

Dr. Margaret Carlisle Cupit-Link “Maggie” is married to Dr. Drew Cittadino Link. The couple currently resides in St. Louis, Missouri, where Maggie is currently completing her residency at Washington University. Maggie will later continue to specialize in pediatric oncology. Drew works alongside his father as a dentist in St. Louis.

King Paul’s youngest daughter, Evelyn Flynn Phillips. Flynn graduated Cum Laude from Mississippi State University in 2019, where she obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Communications. Flynn began her career this year, working for Hearst Television, at the ABC affiliate station, 16WAPT, in Jackson. She works as a broadcast television and digital marketing specialist.

King Paul sold Phillips Brothers Lumber Co. in 2002 to Columbus Lumber Co. He remained with Columbus as South Plant Manager for nine years. In 2011, Paul became the Executive Director of the Mid-South Building Materials Association, representing Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana, until later retiring in 2016.

King Paul’s favorite activities are spending time with his three daughters and newly acquired grandson, along with playing golf and spending most of his spare time at Brookhaven Country Club with his long-time friends.

King Paul holds endless fond memories with the Krewe of Ceres. His wife, Ellie, reigned as queen in 1986, along with his daughter Maggie, queen in 2011. Anne Houston, Maggie and Flynn served as both aides to the queen and maids during their respective years. Both Paul and Ellie have served the Krewe of Ceres as members since 1989.