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Tim Simmons is part of an eight-member team in Parking and Transit Services that works tirelessly to help ensure traffic flows and parking operations go as smoothly as possible on the university’s more than 800-acre campus.

“We’re just out there to help,” said the Eupora native who began working at С���� in 2007. Beyond handling ticket distributions, he also now has supervisory and gate technician duties.

With more than 20,000 students around for most of the year, Mississippi State is a place of seemingly continuous events. Of course, vehicle and human traffic ramp up significantly on busy fall and spring weekends.

Simmons said he actually prefers a bustling campus because it adds to the institution’s upbeat atmosphere. “I like getting to see people that I don’t always see and meeting new people, especially those from out of state.”

Whether dealing with a Thursday small-group activity or multiple athletic events on a Saturday, Simmons seems to genuinely enjoy his work and fellow workers. As he explained, “Parking Services is one big family that takes up for one another.”

By maintaining a positive outlook on life, Simmons said he is able to begin every workday with a smile on his face and the desire to treat everyone he encounters with a sincere sense of respect. “We’re all adults here and I’m just trying to help,” he emphasized.

While not on the job, he enjoys taking Abigail Grace, his two-year-old daughter, to feed the fish at Eckie’s Pond, the scenic and historic greenspace on Morrill Drive near the President’s Home.  

As the son of Michael Simmons, a former С���� football player now serving as a master officer with the С���� Police Department, Simmons is proud to tell everyone how “Mississippi State is in my blood.”

Also, as someone who grew up regularly attending football games, it goes without saying that fall is his favorite time of year.