LAST CALL
MEC Connect: Focusing on Mississippi's Economic Future

Featuring:  

Governor Phil Bryant  

& Brent Christensen, Executive Director of MDA 

Wednesday, Aug, 15, 2012 - 10 a.m. 

Click Here to Register 

Governor Phil Bryant is hosting a summit on Energy and Economic Development in the 21st Century on Oct. 4 to highlight the vast energy related opportunities for Mississippi. Governor Bryant has made energy a major part of his economic development platform and will announce energy development initiatives during the event.

The event, which is being organized by the Mississippi Energy Institute and the Mississippi Development Authority, will take place from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at the Jackson Convention Complex.

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani will be the keynote speaker at lunch. Other speakers include Jeff Wadsworth, CEO of Battelle Memorial Institute, the world's largest non-profit research and development organization, and Dennis Cuneo, a premier site selection consultant.  The event is open to business and economic development leaders, local and state government personnel and students.

 Click Here to Register

Members of Boy Scout Troop 15 in Madison were guest of MEC at the Andrew Jackson Council BSA Destinguished Citizen Award Dinner on Aug. 7. Pictured with Gov. Bryant are William Ferns, Austin Marascalco, Joshua Hall, Cale Reaves and Darryl Reaves, scoutmaster.

The Andrew Jackson Council of the Boy Scouts of America honored Gov. Phil Bryant with the Distinguished Citizen Award at a dinner on Aug. 7 at the Jackson Hilton. Speaking at the event were First Lady Deborah Bryant and former U.S. Senator Trent Lott. The Andrew Jackson Council serves 22 counties in Central and Southwest Mississippi.

Sheila Grogan (right) executive director of the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation presents a $240,000 check to Tony Haines, scout executive for the Andrew Jackson Council BSA.

The Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation has donated $240,000 to the Andrew Jackson Council Boy Scouts of America to implement two programs to improve health and fitness among scouts. A portion of the grant will be used to build a "BSA Fit Challenge" course at Hood Scout Reservation. Tony Haines, scout executive for the Andrew Jackson Council said when completed it would be the largest facility of its type in the state and would serve both Scouts and non-Scouts. The second program will focus on nutrition and fitness, Haines said, and will be designed to encourage Scouts to become more active and learn about maintaining a healthy diet. The grant was presented to the Andrew Jackson Council by Sheila B. Grogan, Executive Director of the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation during the Distinguished Citizen Award Dinner honoring Governor Phil Bryant. The Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation is a subsidiary of MEC-member Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi. The Foundation funds successful health programs and initiatives that are working to improve the health of Mississippians.

Jim McArthur has joined the Mississippi Development Authority as deputy director. McArthur brings to MDA nearly 20 years of experience in business development, marketing and economic development. "Jim has an outstanding professional background and has the skills and knowledge needed to successfully serve as the deputy director of MDA," said MDA Executive Director Brent Christensen. "His extensive experience in economic development will be beneficial not only to the agency but to the entire state." A Leadership Mississippi graduate, McArhtur previously served for three years as regional sales director for Itron, formerly known as SmartSynch. Before joining SmartSynch, McArthur was director of business development for Yates Construction.

Greetings! 

I attended a remarkable ceremony on Saturday at the Biloxi Civic Center as Huntington Ingalls Industries graduated almost 300 participants from their apprenticeship programs from Ingalls' Pascagoula, Gulfport and Avondale shipyards.

It was a true recognition of the value of middle skill workers, who are so important across the board to the economic success of our state.

Edenzon

Irwin Edenzon, the President of Ingalls Shipbuilding, will be the first to tell you how important these workers are to our state's largest manufacturing employer's future.   But he really demonstrated just how meaningful they are at the graduation ceremony/party in Biloxi on Saturday as the apprentice graduates - now journeymen -- donned caps and gowns and participated in a full-scale graduation ceremony with cheering family and friends featuring a keynote address by Governor Phil Bryant and special remarks by Dr. Mary Graham, President of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.  The event was followed by a very nice dessert reception for the graduates and their guests.

Edenzon told me that the apprenticeship graduation used to be held in the company cafeteria at the shipyard as part of the work day - and after a brief ceremony - everyone just went back to work.  No "Pomp and Circumstance"...no special recognition by their families.  But completing a multi-year apprenticeship training program IS a big deal and Edenzon felt it important to recognize it as such and decided to raise the profile of the event.

"The learning and developing doesn't stop with this graduation ceremony," Edenzon told the graduates. "In fact, it's only the beginning. Whether you decide to be the best fitter, welder, machinist, carpenter or electrician we've ever had - or you decide to set your sights on my job - the hard work and dedication you've already demonstrated will serve you well."

These are important, well-paying jobs.  By recognizing the extensive craft training that was required for them to be able to accomplish their work with the same kind of recognition we give to those who complete extensive academic study, programs like this raise the profile of those who have chosen to become skilled craftspeople, building the most technologically advanced military ships in the world.

The apprentices filed into the ceremony to the music of "Pomp and Circumstance" - but in leaving as journeymen, they proceeded out to the music of "Anchors Aweigh." 

With their newly developed skills, as Governor Bryant noted in his remarks, they will be "building freedom."  Governor Bryant, who also speaks passionately about the need for these jobs to build our state's future and the value of skilled workers to our economic success did more than just talk the talk on Saturday.  By standing on stage and shaking every graduate's hand before posing for a photo - for 90 minutes - he also walked the walk.

"Today you have achieved a level of competency that will allow you to work on the finest warships made by man," Gov. Bryant said in his remarks to the graduates. "We ought to be proud of that. We ought to have a little swagger. We're America. We build warships. Today, let me express as governor of the state of Mississippi -- you are building freedom."

More than 60 faculty and staff teach 15 different programs and more than 120 course offerings that enable apprentices to gain not only the skills, knowledge, and pride of workmanship, but also the educational foundation and personal qualities needed to fully meet the challenges of a shipbuilding career. Today, more than 430 alumni of the school fill approximately 50 different types of jobs at Ingalls Shipbuilding-from pipe welders to senior executives.

Blueprint Mississippi research tells us that well-paying middle skill craft jobs will be key to building our state's economy in the coming years.  By raising the recognition factor across the state, as Ingalls' Edenzon did on Saturday of these important craft position, we can assure that Mississippi continues to capitalize on our success in leaving our once low-skill, low-wage economy behind - and continuing to cement our position as the next jewel in the crown of the South for advanced manufacturing.

 Keep the Faith.

 

Blake

 

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