PASCAGOULA—Tee is his name and originality is his game, but like an onion, there are multiple layers to this gentle giant.
Tee McCovey is a native of Pascagoula and is a fixture in all facets of the community. As president and CEO of the United Way for Jackson, George and Green Counties, he is automatically included in all avenues of life and business, and he thrives on seeking immediate results.
“The one thing I like about my job is we get to see immediate results,” he said. “At United Way, if someone needs help with rental assistance, a light bill, or some food, we help, and we see real-time results.”
While McCovey is well-known in the community through the United Way, the Propeller Club, or through ministry, there are also many less-known facts to share.
As the nephew of the great Willie “Stretch” McCovey, a Major League Baseball Hall of Famer and former player for the San Francisco Giants, he is also no stranger to sports. He is a three-time basketball hall of famer through Pascagoula High School, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and Arkansas. While he was in the Air Force, he played basketball in Spain, Greece, Turkey and the U.S. representing the Air Force where he was named the Military Airlift Command’s Most Valuable Player.
His love of the sport has continued in the community coaching pee wee girls’ basketball where he has earned the status of five-time Pascagoula City League Champs. Also, as a pastor of Ambassadors for Christ Church in Pascagoula, he and his congregation spends time working with homeless outreach and in the addiction field.
“To see someone who was hopelessly addicted to drugs or alcohol begin a new journey is priceless,” McCovey said.
Speaking of journey, McCovey has a laundry list of educational experiences to include a B.A. in Business Administration at Arkansas College, Masters in Ministry at Newburgh Theological Seminary and even a graduate of the Walt Disney Institute in Orlando, Florida, to name a few. He is retired from the Mississippi Department of Employment Security where he was an area director and is owner of TeeMac Global Solutions, LLC. He and his wife Ellen Marie have one son.
Just when it seems like his journey is complete, it isn’t. His personal goal is to finish his Doctorate this year.
“I have procrastinated long enough,” he said. “After that, I want to be a light in this dark world. That’s the Pastor in me. With so much happening in the world today, one of my many charges from God is being a shock absorber to the friction and tension.”
His final goal is to increase the individual and business donor base at the United Way. He said the needs in the community have increased, and the United Way is on the front lines of these challenges.
“We need the community’s help!” he added, with a bit of advice from his many experiences and adventures. “Be authentically true to who God created you to be. I wouldn’t want anyone else’s blood pumping through my veins but mine. People have told me I’m an anomaly, different from what’s typical.”
Each day, McCovey posts a “One Minute Messenger” on Facebook and invites all to follow.
