The Junior Auxiliary of Columbus held its annual charity ball on March 25 and the King and Queen were crowned.

Lores Katherine Sharp was named queen and Ralph Wayne McLain was named king.

Queen Sharp is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Howard Sharp. She has two younger sisters, Lucy Kate Sharp and Laura Lelia Sharp.
Sharp attended Heritage Academy, graduating Summa Cum Laude in 2019. She was selected as the Heritage Academy STAR student, voted “Most Likely to Succeed,” and selected Most Outstanding Senior at Heritage by the Columbus Lowndes Chamber of Commerce. She was also inducted into the Heritage Academy 2019 Hall of Fame. Queen Lores was a member of the MAIS Honor Society, the National Honor Society, National Beta Club, Quill and Scroll Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta Honor Society. She was selected to represent Heritage at the APEX Leadership Conference at the University of Mississippi.

While at Heritage, Sharp was a six-year member of the cheer, basketball and volleyball teams, serving as Cheer Captain both her freshman and senior years. She was the recipient of the 2019 Heritage Academy Sports Boosters Award. She was a member of and served as Vice President of MCA Social Club her ninth through 12th grade years and served as Class President her freshman and junior years. As a member of First United Methodist Church of Columbus, Sharp was an active member of the youth group and volunteered with Bible School.

The Queen is currently a senior at Mississippi State University. She will graduate in May with a Bachelor of Science in biological sciences. She will continue her education at the University of Mississippi Medical Center where she has been accepted into the School of Medicine, Class of 2027.

At Mississippi State, Sharp is a member of Shackouls Honors College, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and Alpha Epsilon Delta Honor Society. As a member of Delta Gamma Fraternity, she has served as Director of Committees and a member of the Honor Board. She has also been involved with Dance Marathon and Hands and Feet MSU during her collegiate career.

Community service
Queen Sharp has volunteered at Baptist Memorial Golden Triangle Hospital, Loaves and Fishes, Helping Hands and other local organizations. She was recognized and received a Heritage Academy Excellence in Service Award for more than 275 service hours. Lores and members of her graduating class from Heritage raised more than $20,000 for Make-A-Wish Mississippi.

Additionally, she has volunteered with Camp Rising Sun and the Mississippi Rural Medicine Health Fair, where she assisted physicians and nurses with screenings for all ages. She also worked with Mission Acceleration Tutoring Program serving as an Academic Guide for local children who fell behind in school during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A member of 2019 Charity Ball Court, Queen Sharp is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Harvey Gatton, Mr. and Mrs. William Jeffrey Lowe, Mr. and Mrs. Howard Lafeyette Sharp and the late Mrs. Juliaette Wise Sharp. She is the great-granddaughter of the late Louis Wise, Charity Ball King, 1974, and niece of Lelia Evelyn Sharp, Charity Ball Queen, 1991.

Her sister, Lucy, is a member of the 2023 Charity Ball Court. Her mother, Amy, paternal and maternal grandmothers, Gayle Elkin Gatton and Juliaette Wise Sharp, and maternal great- grandmother, Carolyn Sissell Elkin, are all Life Members of the Junior Auxiliary of Columbus.

King McLain grew up in Neshoba County. In 1971, he and his wife, Judy, moved to Columbus and shortly thereafter founded Air Control Engineering.

He is a graduate of Mississippi State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering with a minor in mechanical engineering. He is a registered professional engineer.

McLain started his career as a design engineer for Emerson Electric Motors. He later worked in the same capacity at American Bosch, Inc. In 1973, he founded Air Control Engineering.

Under his direction, this small company evolved into a full service mechanical contracting firm, providing numerous jobs for people in this area. Its rapid growth earned him the “Top Dealer of the Year” award from Bryant air conditioning manufacturing company.

As the Internet was changing our world, McLain was instrumental in bringing wireless communication to the Columbus and Lowndes County area. He started Teletec Communications, which provides point-to-point microwave data links, rural internet, pagers and two-way radio systems for commercial, industrial and public safety use.

He has always been active in our community. He is past chairman of the Columbus-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce and the Columbus-Lowndes Economic Development Authority. He also served on the Golden Triangle Planning and Development Commission, the Regions Bank Advisory Board and the Golden Triangle Regional Solid Waste Management Authority.

McLain has been a strong and continuous supporter of MUW. In 2015, he was the first non-alumnus to be elected Chairman of the MUW Foundation Board. The Foundation Board exists solely for the educational support of the university. He even sports an MUW car tag.

Last year, he extended his MUW support by establishing the McLain Family Award for Extraordinary Faculty. This is a personal endowment recognizing the hard work and dedication of deserving nursing faculty.

He was instrumental in the formation of the Golden Triangle Development Link and is a member of the Lowndes County Development Foundation.

On the state level, McLain was chosen Chairman of the North Mississippi Chapter of the American Society of Heating and Air-conditioning (ASHRAE). In this organization, he was a key player in the advancement of heating/cooling systems that were not only energy efficient, but also protected the environment.

His community involvement goes beyond his leadership positions. He was a founder of the Old Waverly Golf Club and is part of its Cameron Club, which gives scholarships to high school students. He is also a member of the Exchange Club. He supports the Salvation Army, the American Red Cross and the Columbus-Lowndes Humane Society.

McLain is a devoted member of First United Methodist Church. He has served on the Finance Committee and the Administrative Board. He was appointed to the Board of Trustees, where he was chairman for seven years. Under his leadership, the church remodeled the sanctuary and built the Fletcher Jones Center. He is also active in the Ivy Sunday School Class.

He has participated in the Father’s Child Ministry, which is a Christian mentoring program for children. McLain has close connections with Columbus Junior Auxiliary. His wife, Judy, is a life member, as is his daughter Stephanie McLain Gale. His company, Air Control Engineering, is also an annual sponsor of the Charity Ball. Ralph’s grandchildren, Storm Gale and Gunnar Gale were in the 2018 and 2020 courts, respectively.

He stands strongly behind the Columbus Public School System, the Lowndes County Schools and Heritage Academy. He donated air-conditioning system to Sale Elementary School when they were in need. He also designed air conditioning systems for the entire school district pro-bono. Generations of school children continue to benefit from his generosity.

He has been involved in the Parks and Recreation Association, the Palmer Home and numerous youth groups. He is also a member of Shriners International. He served on the executive board of the Boy Scouts of America.

McLain has also financially sponsored children on retreats, mission trips and other youth trips, when personal funds weren’t available. He has donated his time and resources to provide the children of this area a place to prosper.