Remembering Jonathan Rider

It is with great sadness that we share the loss of MCA board member Jonathan Rider.

Jonathan Rider, 40, passed away Saturday, November 4, 2023, in Corinth, Mississippi, after being diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer during a routine medical checkup 6 months earlier.

Rider (shown with Dale Nelson) was the third generation to work in his family’s business, Developmental Industries, the parent company of longtime MCA member company D.I. Roof Seamers. He was a committed volunteer and served on MCA’s Board of Directors, as well as in other leadership roles with the association.  

“Jonathan was truly a remarkable person, with whom I had the pleasure of working on MCA’s Board during his days at D.I. Seamers,” MCA Chair Brian Partyka said. “He was very passionate and always offered solid direction and good advice.” Rider worked his way up the ranks at D.I., working in sales, production, safety, and logistics. He was director of marketing and then chief administrative officer during the time he volunteered most with MCA. Rider’s volunteer service for MCA included serving as Accessories Committee vice chair, METALCON Liaison Chair, and on the MCA Board of Directors. His METALCON liaison work was credited as being a major contributor to a new format for the show in 2018.

In 2016, recognized Rider with a Young Movers and Shakers Award. In 2019, MCA recognized Rider with the Patrick R. Bush Award, one of the highest honors the association presents. This award recognizes an MCA member who recently made significant volunteer contributions to the association. In addition to his industry work, he worked in various emergency services roles, with a local newspaper describing him as having “spent most of his life fighting crime as a law enforcement officer and battling fires as a volunteer firefighter and fire department leader.” Even during chemotherapy, Rider was running for a position as Alcorn County tax collector.

Former MCA Executive Committee Chair Dale Nelson describes Rider as “a very bright light,” saying he was “quick to volunteer, a hard worker, an insightful contributor to the association board, and a regular sponsor of events — but more importantly he was great fun to be around.”