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Mississippi Economic Council MEC Snapshot
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Over 1,400 Registered for MEC's Capital Day on Wednesday, Jan. 8
Event Focuses on 2014 Legislative Session
Cider, Hot Chocolate & Coat Checks Provided at Morning Session
Join over 1,400 business leaders already pre-registered for MEC's Capital Day on Wednesday, Jan. 8. Capital Day allows business and community leaders from across Mississippi an opportunity to meet one-on-one with Legislators and hear from statewide officials about the 2014 legislative session. The event wil be held from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Jackson Marriot and the State Capitol.
Capital Day will get off to a fast start with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m. at the Jackson Marriott and the program kicking off at 9:00 a.m. At the morning session, attendees will hear from Governor Bryant (via video), Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, State Auditor Stacey Pickering, State Treasurer Lynn Fitch, and State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carey Wright. The Capitol briefing will feature Lt. Governor Tate Reeves, Speaker Philip Gunn, Senate President Pro Tem Terry Brown, Speaker Pro Tem Greg Snowden, Senator Terry C. Burton, Chair, Senate Energy Committee and Representative Angela Cockerham, Chair, House Energy Committee. Cider and hot chocolate, along with other light refreshments, will be served at the morning session. Coat checks will also be available for all attendees
Attendees will also hear from Haley Fisackerly, President of Entergy Mississippi and MEC Chair. There will be an update on Blueprint Mississippi from Dan Rollins, CEO of BancorpSouth, who is serving as Chair of the Blueprint Mississippi Pathway to Progress Tour Campaign. Also, Irwin F. Edenzon, President, Ingalls Shipbuilding and Corporate VP of Huntington Ingalls Industries will provide an overview of a new MEC education initiative.
The event will conclude with a State Officials Reception luncheon at the Jackson Marriot beginning at 11:30 a.m.
Individual registrations for Capital Day are $60 for MEC members and $75 for non-members. Attendees can park for free at the Jackson Marriott parking garage, located at 200 East Amite Street in Jackson. Transportation to and from the State Capitol will be provided by MEC.
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Sanderson Farms Championship Raises $500,000 for Friends of Children's Hospital
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The Sanderson Farms Championship and host organization, Century Club Charities, presented Friends of Children's Hospital with a check for $300,000. Pictured from left to right: John Lang, President of Century Club Charities; Joe Sanderson, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Sanderson Farms; Sara Ray, Chairman of the Board for Friend's of Children's Hospital; and Dr. James Keeton, Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs for the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
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On Thursday, Dec. 19th, the Sanderson Farms Championship and host organization, Century Club Charities, presented Friends of Children's Hospital with a check for $300,000. However, two anonymous donors stepped in with a donation of $100,000 each, making the new total $500,000.
Tournament proceeds benefit Friends of Children's Hospital, a nonprofit organization benefitting Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. For 2013, the funds raised through the Sanderson Farms Championship will go to the newly established Children's Heart Center, a comprehensive pediatric heart surgery program at Batson. Before its formation, patients had to leave the state for surgery.
John Lang, President of Century Club Charities said, "Not only is it [Blair E. Batson] the state's only children's hospital, but the sheer number of children the hospital cares for is amazing. And that is what the Sanderson Farms Championship is all about."
Sanderson Farms, Inc. is an MEC member.
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2013 Welcomed 6,200 New Jobs, $1.03 Billion in Private Sector Investment to Mississippi
Led by Gov. Phil Bryant, Mississippi's aggressive efforts to create jobs and attract new investment produced significant results, with 2013 more than doubling the jobs and investment generated in the state in the previous year.
Projects supported by Mississippi Development Authority over the past year created 6,265 new jobs for the state's workers and more than $1.03 billion in new investment. In 2012, state-assisted projects accounted for 2,664 new jobs and $455,560,000 in new investment.
"Strong leadership and direction from Gov. Bryant along with a growing economy and great teamwork at the local and state levels are largely responsible for our strong job creation and investment throughout the state in 2013," said MDA Executive Director Brent Christensen. "While the large manufacturing announcements are exciting and important in building our economy, the expansion projects announced by our existing businesses, both large and small, are critical to the overall health and diversity of Mississippi's business climate. Our goal is to continue down this road of successful growth in 2014." Read More Click Here for a Full List of 2013 Economic Announcements in Mississippi
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Edenzon Announces Retirement as President of Ingalls Shipbuilding
Brian Cuccias to Succeed Edenzon April 1
Huntington Ingalls Industries announced today that Irwin F. Edenzon will retire on Dec. 1, 2014. Edenzon is currently corporate vice president and president of Ingalls Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries. Although Edenzon will not officially retire until December 2014, he will step down as president on March 31, 2014, and the HII Board of Directors has elected Brian Cuccias to succeed Edenzon in the position of corporate vice president and president of Ingalls Shipbuilding, effective April 1, 2014.
Edenzon was named as Ingalls Shipbuilding president in 2011 and is responsible for all programs and operations at Ingalls Shipbuilding. Prior to this position and since 2008, he served as sector vice president and general manager for Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding-Gulf Coast. Prior to this appointment, he held several positions of increased responsibility, to include director of future carrier programs and senior vice president of technology development and fleet support for the former Northrop Grumman Newport News.
Ingalls Shipbuilding is an MEC member.
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Huntington Ingalls Industries Acquires
The S.M. Stoller Corporation
Huntington Ingalls Industries announced today that it has acquired The S.M. Stoller Corporation, a leading provider of environmental, nuclear, and technical consulting and engineering services to the Department of Energy, Department of Defense and the private sector. The value of the transaction was not disclosed. Stoller is a privately held company and performs work in 29 states from 18 offices nationwide.
Stoller has provided environmental and technical support to the U.S. government and nuclear power industry for more than 54 years. It provides a full range of services in support of managing environmental issues, from highly complex multi-year remediation projects to short-term evaluations of local groundwater quality in anticipation of commercial construction.
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Mississippi Silicon Creating
200 Jobs in Burnsville
Gov. Phil Bryant and officials announced recently that Mississippi Silicon will locate a new silicon metal production facility in Burnsville. Silicon is investing $200 million in the project, which will create 200 jobs.
The new Mississippi-based facility will produce silicon metal for a broad range of industries in the United States including the aluminum, automotive and chemical industries. Mississippi Silicon's high-tech facility is expected to be one of the most efficient and cost competitive silicon metal production facilities in the world.
Mississippi Silicon is a strategic partnership between Rima Holdings USA, Inc., and domestic investor group Clean Tech I, LLC.
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We Mourn the Loss of Long-Time
MEC Executive Peggy Howard
Greetings!
Although she retired in 2005, long-time MEC staffer Peggy Howard's presence and contributions are still very much felt at MEC and in the business community in general. She passed away on New Years Eve after a long illness, throughout which she remained a positive beacon as she was each day of her nearly 40 years on staff here at MEC.
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Howard
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Peggy is the only MEC staffer to have worked with all three presidents of the organization in its more than 60 year history - M.B. Swayze, Bob Pittman and me. It was truly a privilege to have had the opportunity to work with such a committed professional. She made my transition here at MEC much easier - and she accepted the changes we brought with the most positive and professional of attitudes.
She was a consummate professional and her reach extended beyond her work at MEC to the Jackson Chapter of Executive Women International (EWI), where she played an active role, including as president. When she retired, she was Senior Vice President of MEC and COO of the MEC's MB Swayze Foundation, where she served admirably. She directed the STAR Student Teacher Achievement Recognition Program and many economics education efforts once offered as part of MEC's program of work. The now independent Mississippi Council on Economic Education today continues much of the economics education work that she pioneered. She also worked with a team of dedicated volunteer educators and business leaders in creating Imagine U - The Quest for Character, one of the first character curriculum programs used in Mississippi public schools. When the Public Education Forum of Mississippi became an operating partner of MEC, Peggy took over the operational responsibility for the organization and launched the successful Mississippi Scholars program, which encourages high school students to take a more rigorous course of study and recognizes them for their accomplishments. Since its inception nine years ago, the program has recognized over 23,000 high school students in Mississippi, who were better prepared to follow a STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering and Math - course of study. Peggy also directed the MEC's Leadership Mississippi program for several pivotal years, transitioning the program to involve more alumni. In her history with MEC Peggy left an indelible mark, particularly with the STAR program. Every spring as hundreds of STAR students and their STAR teachers gather to be recognized for achievement, we fondly remember the care and attention Peggy brought to this program to make it the success it is today. Thanks to her dedication and hard work in developing the STAR program over the years, it has continued to improve with each passing year, becoming one of the premier student-teacher recognition programs in Mississippi. When Peggy retired, MEC gave her flowering trees to be planted in her new home in Nashville, TN so that she would be reminded of many students who blossomed as the result of the STAR program over the many years. We will continue each year to remember Peggy's wonderful contributions to MEC - particularly in the springtime as the STAR program is conducted - and recall her nurturing approach that helped MEC and all of us as staff members blossom over the years. It is in this spirit that we offer our most heartfelt condolences to her son, Dr. Todd Howard and the rest of her family. Keep the faith. Blake P.S. For Peggy's obituary printed in the Clarion-Ledger, Click Here.
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ABOUT US
The Mississippi Economic Council has been the voice of Mississippi business since 1949. MEC deals with broad issues that relate to businesses through advocacy, research, resources and leadership. MEC has 8,600 members from 1,100 member firms in 2,400 locations throughout Mississippi.
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Mississippi Economic Council - The State Chamber of Commerce
248 E. Capitol Street, Suite 940 - Jackson, Mississippi 39201
P.O. Box 23276 - Jackson, Mississippi 39225-3276
Phone: 601-969-0022 - 1-800-748-7626
Fax: 601-353-0247 - 1-888-717-2809
Click Here for MEC Web Site
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