Office Of The President

General Counsel & Executive Cabinet Member

Mrs. Onetta Starling Whitley, J.D., manages the efficient operation of the Division of General Counsel and serves as the University’s lead in‐house attorney. Whitley formerly served as deputy attorney general for the State of Mississippi, where she was the first woman and second African American to hold the position. She served as deputy for Attorneys General Mike Moore and Jim Hood. In addition to being a member of the management team, she served as chief of the office’s State Government Licensing and Regulatory Division providing legal representation, including but not limited to, general counsel and advice, representing agency
staff in administrative hearings related to licensure, employee discipline and equal opportunity employment compliance.

After retiring from state service in 2020, Whitley joined the W T Consultants governmental relations team advocating for the legislative and governmental interests of a variety of government, nonprofit and corporate clients as a registered lobbyist.

Whitley received her bachelor’s degree in political science from Tougaloo College and her Juris Doctor degree from Mississippi College School of Law. Whitley says that above all, her best job is being “MeMaw” to Lela, Caleb and Allen.