New Cleveland Mayor Brings Tradition of Success to Role
Photography By Holly Tharpe
Consistency. Success. Dedication.
There are many ways in which the life and career of Paul Janoush can be described. The above three are accurate—but only touch on the qualities this lifelong resident of Cleveland brings to his role at the incredibly successful inland river towing operation located in Rosedale, JANTRAN, Inc. but also to his new position as Mayor of the city.
Born in Ruleville, Janoush’s mother, JoBeth, was a nurse/lab technician at North Sunflower Hospital in that town, but the family lived in Cleveland. His father, Tom, was in the automobile business as a partner with the late Nevin Sledge in a Chevrolet-Oldsmobile dealership, Cleveland Motor Company. Janoush’s parents later opened the Cleveland Commissary together. Janoush was the youngest of four brothers, Brad, Joe and John, who passed away in 2017 the same year Janoush’s beloved wife, the former Lucy Richardson, passed.
“Sadly, they both had the same type of cancer,” says Janoush. “John died in May and Lucy died in September. My daddy died young, at the age of fifty-eight, also of cancer when I was twenty years old. All were hard losses.”
Janoush, who describes his childhood as a happy one, graduated from the former Cleveland High School and went on to attend Delta State University.
“Growing up, my family had a cabin in Benoit where we would stay every summer, with Daddy driving back and forth to work and Mama taking off of work to stay with us,” recalls Janoush. “I literally grew up on the lake, fishing, skiing, hunting, fighting with my brothers! I graduated early from Cleveland High and then enrolled at DSU.”
Studying Insurance and Real Estate—which Janoush found he enjoyed and with his brother, Brad, working for Leland Speakes in Cleveland at the time—but says he came short of graduating and never got his degree.
“I had a few electives yet to finish—about fifteen hours—in subjects like speech and typing , but I was also working at Kossman’s during college where I started washing cars before ending up as head bookkeeper for both their Cleveland and Clarksdale locations,” says Janoush. “I absolutely loved working with numbers and for the Kossman family, who were and still are close friends. I learned more by doing their books than I ever really did in a classroom. That real world experience just can’t be duplicated and is hard to teach.”
In 1978, brother Joe approached Janoush to work for what was then called Janoush Marine to be that company’s bookeeper.
“I did try to finish my degree at Delta State by attending night classes while working for Joe but I got burned out—couldn’t do it anymore. So, I made the decision to stay with my brother and I’ve been at the company ever since.”
Janoush did, however, eventually receive an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Delta State in Public Administration.
“I’m the current Vice-President of JANTRAN—which is what we renamed the company in 1987 just to simplify from Janoush Transportation—but I’m also the Chief Financial Officer of the company,” says Janoush. “I’ve been doing the financials now for forty-seven years and have never gotten tired of it. I was able to get out of the office and ride the boats and see where the company could make improvements. So, I wasn’t stuck inside. I wore different hats as needed and when we actually started building $2 million boats, that was a whole new learning and added to my experiences, including a lot of purchasing for the company. But, I’ve loved every minute of it.”
JANTRAN gained national recognition for excellence in their industry. In 1991, the Janoush brothers sold to Bruce Oakley, Inc. based in Arkansas, but kept their location in Rosedale.
“We have a great relationship with them and, really, have total autonomy,” says Janoush. “They told us to continue to run the business as we had been doing.”
Janoush and his late wife of nearly 30 years, Lucy, had two children: Will, married to Andrea, and Mary Parker, married to Ryan Redditt. He has three grandchildren, Bradford (12), Mary Alyce (9), and John (1).
No stranger to public service, Janoush served on the City of Cleveland Board of Alderman for thirty-eight years. While on the Board, he served on the Finance, Water and Sewer, Parks and Recreation Committees. During those years, Janoush also served as Vice-Mayor, Police Commissioner, and as Chair of the Fire Department.
“I was a very young man when I first was elected to the Board,” recalls Janoush. “Clayton West was the Alderman for Ward 5 at the time and Lucy’s uncle, and we ended up buying his house from him. He recommended me to then-Mayor Martin King to replace him as an interim Alderman. But, honestly, that wasn’t on my ‘to do’ list! I did it, enjoyed the work very much and then ran on my own and stayed for almost forty years. Winning that first race remains one of my career highlights when I look back.”
Janoush recalls the Board presented him and wife Lucy with an official recognition and proclamation when daughter Mary Parker was born.
“I was in my 30s and Martin King never got my name right the first two years I was on the board—he called me by my brother’s name, John, because he lived next door to him! But, of course, I didn’t say anything. And, yes, it was put in the minutes when Mary Parker came along. Those were great times.”
As far as his new role as Mayor of Cleveland, having been sworn in in early July, Janoush believes the town will continue to progress and prosper.
“First of all, I have a great staff at city hall and the city employees are second to none,” says Janoush, who also oversees some 350 people at JANTRAN in nearby Rosedale. “Our department heads are top notch and all of our people know their jobs and do them well. I’m not a micromanager by any stretch and don’t need or have to be that as Mayor.”
Janoush sees the expansion and growth of Cleveland as two of his main objectives as the new Mayor.
“We have to keep up our momentum and keep this city the safe, clean and business-friendly place it is,” he says. “Our police force is top notch, as well. I’ve entered into a fortunate situation but, as with anything and any city, there’s always room to do better and improve.”
A member of the First Baptist Church of Cleveland, Janoush’s record of community service and participation is impressive.
He is a longtime member of the Cleveland-Bolivar County Chamber of Commerce, Industrial Development Foundation and Mainstreet Cleveland. He has served on the Board of Directors and is past Chairman of the Industrial Development Foundation. He is also a member of the Board of the Chickasaw Council Boy Scouts of America, past Chairman of the Tallaha District, and past Chairman of the Friends of Scouting Tallaha District.
Janoush has also served as a member of the Delta State University Foundation Board, the DSU Green & White committee and the DSU Alumni Association. He is a patron of the Crosstie Arts Council, the Bolivar County Friends of the Library, GRAMMY Museum Mississippi, the Bologna Performing Arts Center, Delta Music Institute and the Delta Arts Alliance. He volunteered with the West Bolivar School District where he taught Junior Achievement. He is also the recipient of the Chamber of Commerce distinguished and the recipient of the Chamber of Commerce distinguished Kossman award. In addition to these accolades, he is also a past Junior Auxiliary Charity Ball King.
In his spare time, Janoush enjoys traveling when he can get away. But, his time is completely full running a multi-million dollar business like JANTRAN and, now, leading the city he loves and has given so much to over the years.
“I’ve had three jobs in my life now and enjoyed all of them: Kossman’s, JANTRAN and now Mayor,” says Janoush. “I’ve been very fortunate and am looking forward to this new chapter leading Cleveland.”