Four Cathedral graduates make the 2021 Mississippi Business Journal’s Top 50 Under 40 list

Published 7:11 pm Friday, April 30, 2021

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NATCHEZ — Four Natchezians and graduates of Cathedral High School made the 2021 Mississippi Business Journal’s Top 50 Under 40 list on Thursday.

Brittany Thomas Flaggs, a member of Cathedral’s Class of 2004, made the top 10 on the list.

Flaggs currently lives in Madison and is the co-owner and managing partner of Healing Hands Rehabilitation Services.

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“I was pleasantly surprised and humbled to be in the top 10,” Flaggs said. “It was also very exciting to see that there were four of us there who graduated from Cathedral. It speaks highly of where we got our education and our upbringing. I feel like Cathedral established a good, strong foundation for me — not just in my education but my drive and dedication to my field, which in my case is providing healthcare to people throughout the state.”

Sarah Lindsey Laukhuff and Claire Cothren Winn, Class of 2001, and Tate Hobdy, Class of 2000, were also honored in the Top 50 under 40 list during a ceremony Thursday at the Old Capitol Inn in downtown Jackson.

Laukhuff said she and her Cathedral classmate Winn went to the ceremony together but were unaware that they’d find two other Cathedral graduates there.

“I knew Claire was on the list because we’re best friends,” she said. “You don’t see a full list until the actual ceremony. Then when we got there, I saw Tate and then I saw (Brittany Flaggs) and we all went to the same high school. It was very much an honor and it is really cool to see our community represented in this way.”

Laukhuff works for the Natchez Grand Hotel and also serves an array of volunteer organizations in Natchez, including Leadership Natchez, the Kiwanis Club, Natchez Adams Chamber of Commerce, Christmas in Natchez and coordinates events like the Natchez Bicycle Classic and Live at 5 concert series on the bluff.

Winn currently lives in the Mississippi Delta and is the director of Programs for the Mississippi Heritage Trust, where she has been a board member for seven years. She also worked 10 or more years for Waycaster & Associates in Natchez.

“It is a good representation for the Mississippi Heritage Trust, who I work for … and it’s great that there were four of us from Cathedral there. I think that is very representative of the school and it was great to see everyone and be a part of that.”

Hobdy works as the Vice President of Stephens & Hobdy Insurance, and is the owner of Dairy Queen on John R. Junkin Drive. He has also served in many different volunteer positions including chaired the Natchez Adams County Recreation Committee for nine years, board member and chairman of Natchez Adams County Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Natchez and Natchez Young Professionals.

Hobdy also serves as a board member of the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race and is the President of the Natchez Rotary Club.

Hobdy could not be reached for comment for this story on Friday.