Fred Marsalis Jr. is a native of Vidalia, Louisiana where he graduated with honors from Vidalia High School. He attended Alcorn State University (ASU) where he played football and pledged Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He graduated from Alcorn in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration. He also obtained a Master of Business Administration degree from Alcorn’s School of Business in 2010.
While in graduate school, Marsalis began a full-time career with Walgreens which saw him over a 10-year span move up in the company from a management trainee to an executive manager and reconstruction specialist. Currently he’s in his 9th year as the Business Manager for Concordia Parish School Board in Vidalia. He also serves on the state board for the Louisiana Association of School Business Officials (2020 – Present). He was named an Emerging Leader Scholar by the Association of School Business Officials International (2022), and he was recently appointed Emerging Leader for the Southeastern Association of School Business Officials.
In 2012 Mediocrity Doesn’t Pay (MDP), LLC was created by Marsalis to provide a number of services to the Mississippi-Louisiana area. Services provided include event planning/promotion, motivational speaking, mentoring, event photography, and health/fitness training. Through the International Sports Sciences Association, he became certified in personal training along with strength and conditioning. He also became a certified nutritionist and has operated his own gym MDP Fitness (Mediocrity Doesn’t Pay, LLC) since 2017 in Natchez, Mississippi. In 2023, MDP Reach 501c3 was established to create community initiatives to stress the importance of overall health and wellness through fitness and nutritional guidance while advocating for the importance of prioritizing mental health. MDP Reach also aims to create fitness programs for special needs adolescents. In its inaugural year of operation, MDP Reach was able to provide 11 $500 scholarships to deserving high school Seniors as well as establishing mental health gatherings in the Natchez area to highlight and generate revenue for small businesses.
Marsalis is married to Betty Johnson Marsalis of Waterproof, Louisiana and they currently reside in Natchez with their daughters, Brylee Elise and Myla Reese.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE ALCORN? I chose Alcorn because this institution gave me the opportunity to continue my football career. Coming out of high school, I wasn’t a heavily recruited athlete and football was still a priority for me. My mother and father both graduated from Alcorn and I spent time on campus during my youth so it always felt like home and a perfect fit.
WHAT ORGANIZATIONS WERE YOU A PART OF? Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Delta Mu Delta Honors Society, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and the Alcorn Braves Football Team
HOW HAS ALCORN HELPED PREPARE YOU FOR YOUR CAREER? Al Johnson, who was the director of Advancement Placing for Alcorn at the time, was instrumental in providing an opportunity for me through a Summer internship with Walgreens management program. This program ushered me to a 10-year career in which I was able to excel as a leader in management while simultaneously obtaining my MBA from Alcorn’s School of Business. Without the help of the Alcorn Placement Center, that opportunity would not have happened. Alcorn gave me the confidence and the tools to compete in an ultra competitive career field.
WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU ENJOYED MOST ABOUT ALCORN? The thing that I enjoyed most about Alcorn are all of the relationships that I built there during my tenure as a student athlete from 2004-2007 and my grad school days from 2008-2010. Life is all about the relationships you build and the memories you make and I have the fondest memories of my time at Alcorn.
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR CURRENT OR FUTURE STUDENTS ON ‘THE YARD’? Alcorn is a small community so there is no reason for any student to not take advantage of that and build strong relationships with the higher tier groups of the institution. As students, you should be able to have a strong bond with your professors, administrators, provost, and president. Being able to network is one of the most essential tools you will need in this lifetime so make sure when you walk into a room ….. You Own That Room !!!!! Introduce yourself, ask questions, exchange business cards and emails. Continue to always promote yourself and your brand.
