Charles “Chip” Templeton, Director of the Mississippi State Small Business Development Center and Team Lead for the Mississippi SBDC’s Cybersecurity Center has been awarded as the 2021 Mississippi State Star.

After working for several family and small businesses as a young child, Templeton went on to manage and work high positions in several businesses of his own.  He planned to retire in 2006, but eventually found the lifestyle unsuited for him.

“I didn’t like retirement,” Templeton said, “and this gave me an opportunity to do what I do naturally: see things through the eyes of a business owner.”

Before working with the MS-SBDC, he worked with Mississippi State University’s extension services in their telecommunications department.  During his time in the sector, he went on to win an award for telehealth.

“I considered myself the pied piper of telehealth in Mississippi,” Templeton said. “I spent a large amount of time going around the state showing how telehealth is a good thing.  Last year was the ‘I told you so’ moment since then we had to use it.”

As part of the “next step” in his new career, Templeton joined the MS-SBDC team in 2016.  Since then, he’s worked as the director of the MSU’s MS- SBDC branch and has more recently become a team lead for the new Cybersecurity Center.

“I’ve been wearing more hats than usual,” Templeton said in regards to his new responsibilities.

When questioned as to his feelings on receiving the State Star Award, he noted that he wasn’t big on being a “rewards-getter” but was grateful nonetheless for the honor.

“I felt honored, excited, and humbled that my peers in the MS-SBDC nominated me for the award,” Templeton said.

Looking back on the time he’s spent with the job, Templeton has found the most rewarding moments he’s had with the company are the ones where he’s been able to help others achieve their goals.  He recounted his enjoyment of giving people alternate perspectives on their businesses and helping to fill in the blind spots of others.

Looking towards the future, Templeton is excited to continue to develop the MSU Cybersecurity Center.  The team plans to put extra effort into their workshops which coach small businesses around the state on skills they need to pass government-level certification.

“It’s a joy to help someone with their problems,” Templeton said.