CGEDA attended the FABTECH Expo in November! The expo is the largest metal forming, fabricating, welding and finishing event in North America. Read more in our

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"You can get trained for good jobs right here in Choctaw County," says Scott Dees, new Industrial Maintenance instructor at Alabama Southern Community College. "It's right here. You don't have to drive somewhere else to get it."

For the past 12 years, Dees has used his industrial skills as an employee at Georgia Pacific's Naheola mill. Today, he is working to teach those same skills to high school students who will be entering the job market in the near future, and to provide a more qualified workforce for Choctaw County. His hope, he says, is to give local young people the opportunity to train for jobs that they will not have leave the area to find - jobs that will provide good salaries for those who do not intend to pursue four-year degrees.

Since August, Dees has been working with eight local high school students from Choctaw County High and Southern Choctaw High School. In a newly-developed Industrial Maintenance lab at Alabama Southern Community College in Gilbertown, Dees is teaching skills that could eventually land his students some of the most sought-after jobs in the area.

"We are targeting those students who do not plan to go to a four-year university," ASCC Director Angie Williams said. "The goal is to provide them with an opportunity to develop a skill that will get them a good job once they graduate."

Williams said that the formulation of the program came after discussions with Georgia Pacific officials and others about the need for a qualified workforce to fill positions at the paper mill.

The Industrial Maintenance program, which is available at no cost to students, is a Dual Enrollment/ Dual Credit course, allowing students to earn both college and high school credit for the course. The students leave their high school campuses each day, traveling to ASCC for the two-hour class. The program is open to up to 20 students each year, from each local high school, and is only available to Choctaw County students. Other eligibility requirements include a 2.5 grade point average and transportation to and from the Gilbertown campus.

Students can take 12 semester hours of Industrial Maintenance during both their junior and senior years and, upon graduation, will be only three semester hours away from a certificate in the field; enough for entry-level operator positions at plants like GP.

Upon graduation, students will also have acquired 24 of the needed 64 hours of credits to earn their two-year Associate Degrees in Industrial Maintenance and Electrical Technology.

During the course, students learn such skills as instrumentation, industrial safety, industrial mechanics, hydraulics and pneumatics, mathematics for industrial technicians, and the fundamentals of DC and AC electrical maintenance.

In an effort to help students arrange their schedules to attend the program, the Choctaw County Board of Education last month voted to allow an additional math course, Probability and Statistics, to be used as a substitute math course for graduation requirements. The move allows students to gain their needed four math courses while also having time in their schedules to attend the Dual Enrollment course.

Dees said that the program will prove successful if schools, students, counselors, and local parents realize the tremendous opportunity that it offers to students in Choctaw County.

"Parents need to understand the opportunities being offered here," he said. "This program will get their child a job. Counselors must emphasize this for those students who are good candidates for this program."

In an effort to make parents aware of the opportunities available to their children through the program, Dees plans to attend local PTA meetings and other events to speak to the public about the course.

This semester's program has involved high school students, but with such a large percentage of local residents in need of job skills, Williams said that the program will soon be open to adults as well. An Open House is being scheduled for the public to view the program in the near future, and the new adult course could be available as early as the 2012 spring semester.

In the meantime, the eight students who are now attending the program will come away with job skills that had not been available to high school students before - skills that could mean lucrative jobs in a time when those jobs are increasingly difficult to come by.

Supt. of Education Sue Moore said that the Career Tech program is exactly the kind of opportunity that is needed in Choctaw County.

"This is what education is all about," she said, "giving students opportunities to learn skills that will provide for their future. Not every student will go to a university, but they all need skills so that they can find employment. The Dual Enrollment program is just what Career Tech is supposed to be."

(ED. NOTE: For information on the Industrial Maintenance program, contact your high school's guidance counselor, or call ASCC at 251-843-5265.)

Campbell, Dee Ann. "Choctaw County students gaining job skills, college credit through ASCC Industrial Maintenance program." The Choctaw Sun-Advocate. October 2011. Page 4B.

Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour and Alabama Governor Robert Bentley joined other leaders on Wednesday, November 9th for a bi-state summit on strategies that would help West Alabama and East Mississippi address challenges.

Hosted by 20 mayors from the region, over 300 leaders from state and local government, economic development organizations, business, and education attended the West Alabama-East Mississippi Mayors' Regional Summit.

Photo Courtesy of Clay Hamilton with The Montgomery Institute

The emphasis was on working together to achieve success.

"The Toyota plant in Tupelo is a perfect example of regionalism," said Bill Crawford, president of The Montgomery Institute, which organized the summit for the mayors.

"We need to work together to move this region forward," said Chief Phyliss Anderson of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. "When that happens it's a win-win for all."

Both governors stressed the importance of working together to generate jobs. Both that energy, aerospace and automotive industries are important targets for development.

"We anticipate that KiOR, within the next six years, will build a plant near Meridian, because there's a tremendous amount of timber here," said Barbour. KiOR is making a $1 billion, 7-year investment in Mississippi, to make bio-fuel from wood. Barbour said this will create about three hundred new jobs in east Mississippi.

Bentley said a priority focus of his administration will be economic and infrastructure development in West Alabama. He said he is pursuing a major highway program. We're talking about between $1-2 billion," he said.

Photo Courtesy of Clay Hamilton with The Montgomery Institute

"That's major and we have not finalized that. We're just working on that right now."

Blake Wilson, president of the Mississippi Economic Council, and Seth Hammett, chairman of the Alabama Economic Development Alliance, told attendees about "Blueprint Mississippi" and "Accelerate Alabama." Both are statewide strategic planning programs aimed at improving state economies.

Mariia Zimmerman, deputy director of the HUD Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities, discussed changing conditions in Washington and opportunities available to the region.

Mississippi Community College Board director Dr. Eric Clark and Alabama Industrial Training manager of community outreach services Rep. Pebblin Warren discussed workforce education needs and resources.

Congressman Gregg Harper wrapped up the session with a focus on budget challenges in Washington.

Barbour thinks the job outlook for the region is good.

"You've got so much automobile manufacturing nearby at Canton, at Tupelo, at Tuscaloosa, at Anniston, at Montgomery," he said. "So, there's no question that West Alabama and East Mississippi will get chances to participate."

Photo Courtesy of Clay Hamilton with The Montgomery Institute

Butler Mayor Ben Smith and Meridian Mayor Cheri Barry were Co-hosts of the event and welcomed other attendees including Mayors and special guests.

Other representatives in attendance from the Coastal Gateway Region were Jackson Mayor Richard Long; Thomasville Mayor Sheldon Day; Dr. Charles Shepherd, Director of Thomasville Campus at Alabama Southern Community College; Senator Marc Keahey; Representative Elaine Beech; Jim Searcy, Coastal Gateway Regional Economic Development Alliance Executive Director; Dr. John Johnson, Vice President and Alabama Director of Community and Economic Development at The Montgomery Institute; Pete Black, Alabama Business Development Manager at Parsons and Whittemore; Commissioner Johnny Beard, Choctaw County Commission; Kelvin Hill, Vice President  of Georgia-Pacific's Naheola Operations; Angie Williams, Director of Gilbertown Campus and Upward Bound Director at Alabama Southern Community College; Gilbertown Mayor Bobby Graham; and Danny D'Andrea, Manager at Alabama Power.

The November meeting marked the fourth bi-state summit in a decade sponsored by The Montgomery Institute.

For more information contact: Lauren Denham at

601-483-2661 or tmilauren@bellsouth.net. 

Ted Jennings has served as the Mayor of the City of Brewton since 1988. Mayor Jennings is the chief elected official of the city and is elected at-large. He serves as the official representative and spokes person for the City of Brewton and serves as the liaison for the City in any interaction with state and federal officials, as well as potential industrial prospects.

In addition, Jennings serves on various committees and boards of various civic organizations at the city level, as well as serving on boards and committees at the state level. The office of the Mayor also coordinates various city-wide projects and programs.

Department heads from 8 different departments answer directly to Mayor Jennings. The Mayor's Office is always open to City Council members, department heads, other city workers and the public to discuss topics of interest concerning Brewton.

Prior to be elected Mayor in 1988, Jennings served as a Brewton City Council member from 1985 to 1988. Jennings has held the position of Superintendent of the City of Brewton Natural Gas Department from 1988 to the present.

Beginning his career at Jennings Pharmacy, Jennings has held a career as a pharmacist since 1965. Jennings also previously worked at Jennings Hospital Pharmacy, Jennings Sick Room Supplies and Rite Aid Corporation. Jennings was the Director of Pharmacy at D.W. McMillan Memorial Hospital from 1969 to 1998. He currently holds a position as a pharmacist at Wal-Mart and has licensure in both Alabama and Florida.

Jennings was raised in Brewton and graduated from T.R. Miller High School. Jennings then went on to complete a six-year program from Auburn University within four years.

For the complete resume of Mayor Jennings, please click here.

Brewton offers its residents many of the conveniences of big city living. The City provides its residents with fine schools, recreational facilities, and shopping, but at a small town pace. Several fine antique shops invite browsers to the downtown area where the mix of old and new lends Brewton its charm and attraction. Before you buy a home, or commit to a business or industrial site, Brewton encourages you to visit the city.

The City of Brewton has won many awards over the years. Below is a list of recent awards the City has received:Tree City USA (1990 - 2011), Alabama Community of Excellence (2006 - 2011), Voted one of the "Best Small Towns in America", The Silver Star Families of America Award, Millennium Community 2008 Municipal Achievement Award, Brewton Natural Gas Department - Risk Management Award Gold (2004 - 2009), City of Brewton - Risk Management Award - (2002 - Silver, 2003 - Bronze, 2004 - Silver, 2006 - Silver, 2009 - Silver, 2010 - Bronze), Alabama League of Municipalities - 2008 Municipal Achievement Award, Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting (2009 - 2011).

The mission of the City of Brewton is: "We are committed to improving the quality of life in the City of Brewton by strengthening our neighborhoods, delivering superior services, embracing the diversity of our citizens, and making Brewton a desirable and safe city to live in."

For more information on Brewton, please click here.

Photo Courtesy of Mike Qualls with The Monroe Journal

Construction is under way on the state-of-the-art amphitheater on the west side of the old historic Monroe County Courthouse in Monroeville.

Georgia-Pacific contributed $150,000 to construct the outdoor amphitheater. In addition, GP will donate $25,000 over the next five years to assist with any necessary maintenance and repairs to the project.

Peggy Jaye, public relations affairs manager for GP's Alabama River Cellulose mill at Claiborne, said the outdoor amphitheater will include portable seating, a courtyard and landscaping.

She said the area will serve as a permanent location for staging the annual "To Kill a Mockingbird" play as well as a venue for other community events.

"Since acquiring the ARC, Georgia-Pacific has desired to support a project that would be meaningful to the entire community, fill a recognized need and demonstrate its long-term commitment to and support of the community," said Jaye.

"The Monroe County Heritage Museum is proud to have the Old Courthouse Museum chosen as the recipient of Georgia-Pacific's community investment," stated Stephanie Rogers, executive director of the Monroe County Heritage Museum.

Qualls, Mike. "Construction has started on Monroe County's amphitheater". The Monroe Journal (Monroeville) 17 November 2011.

The Coastal Gateway Regional Economic Development Alliance Facebook Page is another good opportunity to help us keep in touch with you. Here you can view photos, happenings of the Alliance throughout the year and regional events as they relate to economic development.

There seventy-two members on our page so far.  We encourage you to join in and help spread the news about the Facebook Page.  If you would like us to post specific information or include pictures from your region please contact info@cgeda.net.

To visit or join the page: click here.

CGEDA is also on Twitter! Follow us on Twitter to keep up to date on news in the region! To follow us on Twitter: click here.