{"id":147209,"date":"2025-02-24T09:32:37","date_gmt":"2025-02-24T15:32:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/?p=147209"},"modified":"2025-02-24T09:32:41","modified_gmt":"2025-02-24T15:32:41","slug":"jeff-mcmanus-retires-after-25-years-of-transforming-ole-miss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/jeff-mcmanus-retires-after-25-years-of-transforming-ole-miss\/","title":{"rendered":"Jeff McManus Retires After 25 Years of Transforming Ole Miss"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>Head landscaper&#8217;s designs have captured the attention of all who visit campus<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>After more than two decades of cultivating the <strong>University of Mississippi<\/strong> campus into a nationally recognized showcase, <strong>Jeff McManus<\/strong>, is retiring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>McManus, director of landscape and solid waste services, retired February 14, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of horticultural excellence brought to life in iconic locations such as <strong>The Grove<\/strong> or <strong>The Circle<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Jeff is a rock star in the green industry with a passion for growing both landscapes and people,&#8221; said <strong>Nathan Lazinsky<\/strong>, assistant director of landscape services. &#8220;Jeff&#8217;s unwavering commitment to excellence has left a lasting legacy, inspiring future generations to uphold the highest standards in landscape management and campus beautification.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since his arrival in 2000,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/tracking.us.nylas.com\/l\/56a6540a78af482e8353bc0452d9cba9\/1\/855487e3a3723c638d592b544e8c9f35a1df619d78ef043f7885ea274667c7d7?cache_buster=1740072717\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ole Miss<\/a>\u00a0has regularly been recognized for its outstanding beauty, including two <strong>Grand Awards<\/strong> from the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/tracking.us.nylas.com\/l\/56a6540a78af482e8353bc0452d9cba9\/2\/8fd36aee0de9bad065bca8352fdbdf3e47e6b86e76a662663e257ecfa2ab4551?cache_buster=1740072717\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Professional Grounds Management Society<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0\u2013 sometimes called the &#8220;national championship of landscaping&#8221; \u2013 in 2002 and 2013. Numerous publications, including <em>USA Today, Princeton Review<\/em>, and <em>Newsweek<\/em>, named it as the nation&#8217;s most beautiful college campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The university&#8217;s landscaping staff maintains more than 1,000 acres on the central campus. They plant an average of 20,000 seasonal color plants, 10,000 tulip bulbs and 10,000 daffodils annually, as well as more than 200 new trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Under McManus&#8217; leadership, the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/tracking.us.nylas.com\/l\/56a6540a78af482e8353bc0452d9cba9\/3\/5e2bbb6bd4a7d6cbb691b529a9375bf7df34bdd779d360388a72659d2c2210ba?cache_buster=1740072717\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Department of Landscape Services<\/strong><\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Conducted a comprehensive tree inventory of the campus&#8217; trees, supported by an\u00a0Urban and Community Forestry Grant\u00a0from the\u00a0Mississippi Forestry Commission<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Developed a\u00a0Tree Trail, with a downloadable map, that takes visitors to 25 significant examples of campus trees<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Developed and launched the Landscape University systematic training program that has transformed employees from green thumb beginners to landscape experts.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Developed and launched the Landscape Champion leadership training program that has transformed landscape staff into leadership roles.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Doubled the acreage that it maintains across campus, including the Ole Miss Golf Course and the University-Oxford Airport.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Collaborated and launched the first SEC Landscape Leadership Conference in 2019, hosted by Ole Miss.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>McManus grew up on a farm, but the long hours helping with chores didn&#8217;t factor into his initial career plans. First, he ventured into the world of computer technology while studying at <strong>Auburn University<\/strong>. When that failed, marketing was next on the docket.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;When you make an F in marketing, and that&#8217;s your major, maybe you ought to consider doing something else,&#8221; McManus said. &#8220;At the same time, I was taking a class, and I took an elective in horticulture because my brother owned a garden center near Atlanta, and I wanted to know some of the plant names because I was going to work there in the summer.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That class was pivotal. Not only did McManus find his calling, but he also gained a mentor, <strong>Harry Ponder<\/strong>, the Auburn professor who led the class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Not only did he know his plant names, but he also knew his student&#8217;s names and he used them,&#8221; McManus said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>McManus admired his professor&#8217;s remarkable memory and tried to mimic that lesson when he took his passion for plants to <strong>Grand Cypress Resort<\/strong> in <strong>Orlando, Florida<\/strong>, where he landed his first job as a landscape project manager. Soon, McManus accepted a position a little farther south at <strong>Turnberry Isle Resort<\/strong> <strong>and Club<\/strong> in <strong>North Miami<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While McManus describes his time in Florida as filled with great people and teamwork, the call of the South \u2013 &#8220;grits, sweet tea and biscuits&#8221; \u2013 pulled him back home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A phone call from Ponder 12 years after their first meeting presented an opportunity: a chance to transform <strong>Ole Miss<\/strong> into &#8220;the most beautiful campus in America.&#8221; This vision, shared with then-Chancellor <strong>Robert Khayat<\/strong>, convinced McManus to pack his bags for <strong>Oxford<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I would not be here if it wasn&#8217;t for Robert Khayat,&#8221; McManus said. &#8220;I realized I didn&#8217;t have to always drive a tractor; always manually doing the work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Once I saw there was leadership opportunities, I felt like this was a good spot for me.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Along the way, he has earned several regional and national honors, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Auburn University&#8217;s College of Agriculture 2016 Outstanding Alumni Award for Horticulture<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The UM 2016 Outstanding Staff Member for executive administrative\/managerial<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Professional Grounds Management Society&#8217;s 2016 President&#8217;s Award<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Serving as president, president-elect, vice president and treasurer for PGMA.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>McManus cultivated the leadership lessons he had learned through his landscaping team at the university.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;He (Khayat) gave me permission for us to start looking at everything through the eyes of greatness,&#8221; McManus said. &#8220;Let&#8217;s challenge our teams to go beyond what they might imagine instead of thinking the status quo of &#8220;there&#8217;s just a little bit more grass to cut.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>McManus has hosted several leadership training workshops on campus and often speaks at businesses and conferences on leadership. He also has written three books: &#8220;Pruning Like a Pro&#8221; (2015), a how-to guide, and&nbsp;&#8220;Growing Weeders Into Leaders&#8221; (2017) and &#8220;Cultivate: Tailgate Huddles to Grow Stronger Teams&#8221; (2022), both leadership development tutorials.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;In 2018, I was thrilled to come to Ole Miss as the new director of facilities management, where I have had the opportunity to work alongside Jeff for six years as a friend and colleague,&#8221; said <strong>Dean Hansen<\/strong>, director of the Facilities Management Department. &#8220;I am sad to see him retire from Ole Miss but know that he will continue to lead and inspire as he takes on his new role in Austin, Texas.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Inspiring&#8221; and &#8220;peaceful&#8221; are two words McManus uses to describe how people want to feel when they step foot on the Ole Miss campus. The importance of consistency in the landscaping design around campus is an integral part of what McManus achieved during his years in Oxford.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re creating this space for people to create the pictures,&#8221; McManus said. &#8220;Famous photographer Ansel Adam once said, &#8216;You don&#8217;t take a photograph, you make it.&#8217; In landscape service we want to make great spaces for great photographs.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>By Jordan Karnbach<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/TheLocalVoiceLigature-25web.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"25\" height=\"16\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/TheLocalVoiceLigature-25web.jpg?resize=25%2C16\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14544\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/LTK_0046-AP-scaled.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/LTK_0046-AP-1024x683.jpg?resize=640%2C427&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-147212\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/LTK_0046-AP-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/LTK_0046-AP-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/LTK_0046-AP-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/LTK_0046-AP-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/LTK_0046-AP-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/LTK_0046-AP-scaled.jpg?w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/LTK_0046-AP-scaled.jpg?w=1920 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jeff McManus (left, with hat) supervises a group of Luckyday students as they plant trees on the north side of the Luckyday Residential College at the University of Mississippi. Photo by Logan Kirkland\/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/NJL_1431-C-scaled.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/NJL_1431-C-1024x682.jpg?resize=640%2C426&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-147211\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/NJL_1431-C-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/NJL_1431-C-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/NJL_1431-C-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C511&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/NJL_1431-C-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1022&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/NJL_1431-C-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1363&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/NJL_1431-C-scaled.jpg?w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/NJL_1431-C-scaled.jpg?w=1920 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jeff McManus talks to University of Mississippi staff members about landscaping and lawn care as part of the annual Staff Appreciation Week.  Photo by Nathan Latil\/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/RKJ_3037-AR-1-scaled.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/RKJ_3037-AR-1-1024x682.jpg?resize=640%2C426&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-147214\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/RKJ_3037-AR-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/RKJ_3037-AR-1-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/RKJ_3037-AR-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C511&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/RKJ_3037-AR-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1022&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/RKJ_3037-AR-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1363&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/RKJ_3037-AR-1-scaled.jpg?w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/RKJ_3037-AR-1-scaled.jpg?w=1920 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jeff McManus, who headed the University of Mississippi&#8217;s Department of Landscape Services for 25 years, shares some of the leadership lessons he has learned over his career as a manager and administrator. McManus retired from the university on Feb. 14. Photo by Robert Jordan\/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SKB_2501-AI-scaled.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SKB_2501-AI-1024x682.jpg?resize=640%2C426&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-147215\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SKB_2501-AI-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SKB_2501-AI-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SKB_2501-AI-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C511&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SKB_2501-AI-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1022&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SKB_2501-AI-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1363&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SKB_2501-AI-scaled.jpg?w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SKB_2501-AI-scaled.jpg?w=1920 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jeff McManus, who retired Feb. 14 after 25 years heading the University of Mississippi&#8217;s Department of Landscape Services, speaks at an Arbor Day observance at Ole Miss. The university&#8217;s landscapers plant an average of 200 trees annually on the campus. Photo by Kevin Bain\/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SKB_3356-AC-scaled.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SKB_3356-AC-1024x683.jpg?resize=640%2C427&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-147216\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SKB_3356-AC-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SKB_3356-AC-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SKB_3356-AC-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SKB_3356-AC-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SKB_3356-AC-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SKB_3356-AC-scaled.jpg?w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SKB_3356-AC-scaled.jpg?w=1920 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Under Jeff McManus leadership, the University of Mississippi campus has been transformed into one of the nation&#8217;s most beautiful over the past 25 years. The Professional Grounds Management Society has awarded Ole Miss two Grand Awards, sometimes called the &#8216;national championship of landscaping.&#8217; Photo by Kevin Bain\/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/RKJ_1947-E-scaled.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/RKJ_1947-E-1024x682.jpg?resize=640%2C426&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-147213\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/RKJ_1947-E-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/RKJ_1947-E-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/RKJ_1947-E-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C511&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/RKJ_1947-E-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1022&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/RKJ_1947-E-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1363&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/RKJ_1947-E-scaled.jpg?w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/RKJ_1947-E-scaled.jpg?w=1920 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jeff McManus, who retired Feb. 14 after 25 years heading the University of Mississippi&#8217;s Department of Landscape Services, leaves a legacy of horticultural excellence that has transformed the Ole Miss campus into one of the nation&#8217;s most beautiful. Photo by Robert Jordan\/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Head landscaper&#8217;s designs have captured the attention of all who visit campus After more than two decades of<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":123462,"featured_media":147213,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17687],"tags":[25129,30736,31284,19512,5,31283,7067,4,1996,16753,655],"class_list":["post-147209","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-university-of-mississippi","tag-dean-hansen","tag-department-of-landscape-services","tag-harry-ponder","tag-jeff-mcmanus","tag-mississippi","tag-nathan-lazinsky","tag-ole-miss","tag-oxford","tag-robert-khayat","tag-the-circle-2","tag-university-of-mississippi"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/RKJ_1947-E-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1704&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147209","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/123462"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=147209"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147209\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":147217,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147209\/revisions\/147217"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/147213"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=147209"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=147209"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=147209"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}