Vicksburg native Tim Porter, now a resident of San Antonio, Texas, was presented the National Small Business Person of the Year Award by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott this past October.

Porter is the founder and CEO of Appdiction Studios, LLC, a business that develops apps, including one for students to report acts of aggression. He was also presented with a proclamation from the State of Texas by Abbot in recognition of his achievements.

“I am proud to join the SBA in recognizing Tim Porter as the National Small Business Person of the year,” Abbott said. “Tim embodies the entrepreneurial spirit, and his journey from a small start-up to the CEO of a thriving business is truly inspiring. It’s because of small business leaders like Tim that the state of Texas continues to foster an environment that encourages entrepreneurs to innovate and grow their businesses. On behalf of the state of Texas, I congratulate Tim on this tremendous and well-deserved honor.”

Porter, who grew up in the Melinda C. Robinson Circle subdivision — the first African American subdivision in Vicksburg — began his career in the US Army and during his nearly 10 years of service as an Army Ranger served as a paratrooper, jumpmaster, drill sergeant and sergeants first class. In 1998, that all came to an end when a bomb exploded in Porter’s hand during a training session at Camp Casey in South Korea, causing him to lose most of his fingers. After becoming medically retired, Porter began his search for a new profession and landed in the information technology field.

For 15 years, Porter, with the help of friends and by reading books and watching tutorials, taught himself how to develop apps, web-based applications, management consoles and application-based software product design.

In 2011, after receiving help from assistance from the Small Business Association’s Small Business Development Center at the University of Texas at San Antonio, Porter formed Appdiction Studios.

Porter’s business has since established itself as the go-to small business for the Department of Defense to support new and existing enterprise transformations for DoD clients.

Also, the first app Porter and his team at Appddiction Studios created, Stop Bullies, was highlighted on the USA Network television channel as one of their USA Character Unite Award winners for developing an award-winning anti-bully mobile application for use in K- 12 schools.

The Stop Bullies app allows students who witness bullying to anonymously and immediately send a text description, picture, video or voice recording of the incident to school administrators via a smartphone or tablet PC. The app is managed and stored on the school district’s computers and although it is an anonymous message, there is the opportunity for two-way communication as needed, specifically when it applies to suicide reports and similar events.

Vicksburg Major George Flaggs Jr. said he was informed of Porter’s award by a colleague in Texas. Although Flaggs said he did not know Porter personally, he said he did request he was notified if Porter made a visit back to his hometown.

“We would want to recognize him (Porter),” Flaggs said, because it is always good when people who grew up in Vicksburg and have moved away can still be recognized by their hometown community.

In addition to running Appdiction Studios, Porter also sits on the board of the Health Collaborative in San Antonio.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married toDr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital for a community. I have had the privilege of being part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with them and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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