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Mississippi Economic Council MEC Snapshot
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MEC Legislative Scrambler Focusing on Education Set For Feb. 19
The Mississippi Economic Council will host its second Legislative Scrambler of 2014 focusing on Education on Wednesday, Feb. 19 at the Mississippi Museum of Art. The breakfast will begin at 7:30 a.m., and attendees will hear from Senator Gray Tollison, Chair, Senate Education Committee and Representative John Moore, Chair, House Education Committee.
You can attend in person, or dial in by calling 800-771-7943.
There is no cost to attend MEC's Legislative Scrambler thanks to the generous sponsorship of the Mississippi Professional Educators.
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MEC Legislative Scrambler Focusing on Transportation Set For Feb. 26
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Simmons
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Johnson
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After initially being delayed due to inclement weather, the Mississippi Economic Council will host its Legislative Scrambler focusing on Transportation on Wednesday, Feb. 26 at the Mississippi Museum of Art. The breakfast will begin at 7:30 a.m., and attendees will hear from Senator Willie Simmons, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee and Representative Robert Johnson, Chair, House Transportation Committee.
The Scrambler is sponsored by the Mississippi Road Builders' Association.
You can attend in person or dial in by calling 800-771-7943.
MEC's Legislative Scramblers are a great way to have a voice at the Capitol without ever leaving your desk.
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MEC's Blueprint Mississippi Pathway To Progress Tour Continues
Road Show Makes Next Stop in Picayune Feb. 18
The Blueprint Mississippi Pathway to Progress Tour will make its next stop in Picayune on Tuesday, Feb. 18, after visiting Corinth, Ripley, Tupelo, Natchez, Brookhaven and Hattiesburg in January.
The tour will stop in Picayune at Paul's Pastry, located at 1 Sycamore Road, from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. with Rotary. It will stop in Bay St. Louis at the Bay-Waveland Yacht Club, located at #1 Yacht Club Drive from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. with Rotary. The tour will stop in Gulfport at the Great Southern Club, located at 2510 14th St, #1480 in conjunction with Rotary from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. The three 90-minute sessions will include lunch. These meeting are a great opportunity to gain valuable insight on Blueprint Mississippi.
The Blueprint Mississippi Pathway to Progress Tour will continue in February with stops in Meridian, Gautier and will conclude on March 4 in Laurel.
Education has been a hot topic, with voters naming it their top priority among Blueprint Goals. Transportation Infrastructure was rated highly, with 87% of attendees ranking it as very important to economic development, with West Point voters ranking it at a Tour-high 92.45%. The majority of voters on the tour had a positive outlook for Mississippi's future, with 60% voting that it would be a hot economic development location 10 years from now.
The MEC Pathway to Progress Tour will visit 19-city tour across Mississippi and focus on ways Mississippi can sharpen its competitive edge by implementing the goals and recommendations of Blueprint Mississippi. The sessions will be 90 minutes long and include lunch. There is no cost to attend thanks to a generous sponsorship from Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi. The event is open to the public, however, pre-registration is required.
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Waller, Powell Receive MEC Promotions
The Mississippi Economic Council has announced the promotions of Scott Waller and Vickie Powell to new leadership positions.
 Scott Waller is now Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO), after serving MEC as Senior Vice President, Public Affairs. A Shubuta native, Waller joined MEC in 2006, where he oversaw public affairs, policy and communications. He has worked to build coalitions and strengthen alliances between MEC members and other organizations to make the Chamber a policy leader on key issues of economic development, education, workforce training, taxes, tourism and business climate. He is a graduate of Mississippi State University, and graduated from the Institute of Organizational Management in 2011. Prior to MEC, Waller enjoyed a 20-year career as a newspaper journalist, including serving as Business Editor of The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson and Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch in Columbus.
 Vickie Powell is now Senior Vice President, Foundations. She joined MEC in 2006 as program manager, later serving as Vice President, Foundation Programs. As Vice President, Foundation Programs, Powell had primary responsibility for the Public Education Forum of Mississippi and M.B. Swayze Educational Foundation - Student Achievement Recognition (STAR) programs. The STAR program has saluted the academic achievements of the state's outstanding high school students and teachers from more than 300 public, private, and parochial schools for over 45 years. Additionally, she oversees Mississippi Scholars in more than 80 school districts and over 160 high schools both public and private across the state and the recently-announced Mississippi Scholars Tech Master Program, launched in 7 pilot counties in 2014. Her work experience includes more than 15 years in human resources, business development and corporate affairs. Powell is a 1980 graduate of Jackson State University with a degree in mass communication. She is a native of Jasper County.
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Butler Snow Law Firm Expands Into
New York, Denver and Atlanta
Butler Snow has expanded into New York, Atlanta and Denver, and is pleased to announce that Stanley G. Ladner has joined the firm. Ladner joins recent addition David M. Cohen, a member of the firm's Product Liability, Mass Tort and Environmental Group.
The firm has grown to more than 270 attorneys representing local, regional, national and international clients from 16 offices globally, and will continue strategic growth in existing markets.
Butler Snow's New York office is located at 1700 Broadway, 41st floor, New York, 10019, and can be reached by calling (646) 606-2996.
"Butler Snow has placed a high level of importance on building a public finance practice with a national footprint," said Donald Clark, Jr., Chairman, Butler Snow. "These additions strengthen that position and provide a level of service and value to our clients that many firms cannot offer."
Butler Snow LLP is an MEC member.
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Caterpillar Inc. Creates 30 Jobs in Corinth
Caterpillar Inc.'s Corinth plant is expanding to produce C175 remanufactured engines. The project represents a corporate investment of $14.8 million and will create 30 jobs. The Corinth facility is Caterpillar's lead facility for large engine remanufacturing worldwide.
The C175 engines are used in Caterpillar's mining trucks and electric power applications. The first C175 engine assembled in Corinth was unveiled today during an event attended by Gov. Bryant, Caterpillar executives and local officials.
Remanufacturing is the process of returning an end-of-life, broken or blemished product to like-new condition. This provides customers with the same performance and reliability at a fraction of the cost of a new product, while also reducing the impact on the environment.
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Positioned for Progress Conference Set for April 29-30 in Jackson
Strengthening Mississippi's Charitable and Creative Economies
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SAVE THE DATE!
April 29-30, 2014
Jackson Convention Center
Jackson, Mississippi
Positioned for Progress is a statewide conference focused on aligning the work of the volunteer, nonprofit, corporate, and government sectors to maximize the social, health, and economic well-being of all Mississippians. The conference is focused on identifying, promoting, and recognizing collaborative efforts that better the lives of Mississippi citizens.
Through plenary sessions, interactive workshops, exhibits, networking, and more, you will learn about and participate in efforts to leverage Mississippi's POWER FOR GOOD, and strengthen your ability to be part of Mississippi's Charitable and Creative Economies. By attending the Positioned for Progress Conference, you will be learn how to leverage multiple resources - financial, personal and intellectual - to build a better, stronger Mississippi TOGETHER!
Click Here for More Information
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MDA to Sponsor Western Europe Multi Sector Business Development Mission
The Mississippi Development Authority recently announced their sponsorship of a Multi Sector Business Development Mission to Western Europe from March 31 to April 4, 2014. The trip will include stops in the United Kingdom and France. Participating companies will also have the opportunity to make a third stop if they have business prospects in a neighboring market.
The preliminary market research is completely free. In addition, for STEP eligible companies, the Mississippi Development Authority and U.S. Small Business Administration will provide financial and administrative support and will subsidize 75% of the business matchmaking service (4 to 6 meetings with prospective partners/buyers in each market) and reimburse up to 50% of their travel/airfare expenses, hotel accommodations, and meal per diem rates.
If interested in participating, please contact European Trade Specialist Aggie Sikora no later than Feb. 14, 2014. She can be reached at [email protected] or by telephone at (601) 359-2952 (office).
Click Here for More Information
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Fairness, Competitiveness
at Heart of Vital Tax Legislation
Mississippi has raised the bar when it comes to competing with other states in economic development. We are not just holding our own - we are out pacing other states and are compiling a lengthy list of major victories. We can't afford to lose this momentum! Unfortunately, due to policies being pushed by the Mississippi Department of Revenue, Mississippi is viewed negatively by many multi-state companies and the tax professionals that represent those companies. Many of these issues - such as a fair and open appeals process, and the changes to the rules in how some taxes are determined - are issues that the Mississippi Legislature has fought successfully in past years to protect. Unable to win with the Legislature - the Department of Revenue went ahead and took the issue to court. Now, due to a recent Mississippi Supreme court ruling, our state has become out of step with other states. Mississippi is starting to get some very negative national attention. Check out the Forbes article from last week to see the impact this is having nationally. Click Here for the story. Some of you might remember this is the same way our then out-of-control tort climate attracted negative national attention nearly 15 years ago. First there were concerns expressed by general counsels from multi-state companies - it impacted Wall Street first...but then hit Mississippi's Main Street with small companies impacted as well. The Forbes article points out that "being labeled business friendly matters." When companies view us as hard to deal with they will quit looking at us and all the progress we have made will quickly unravel. In addition to the negative press, in December the Council of State Taxation's "The Best and Worst of State Tax Administration" scorecard lowered Mississippi's rating a full letter grade to a C+ in light of these issues. This puts Mississippi among the worst states for the taxpayer being assured of fairness in dealing with the Department of Revenue. There is legislation to address these issues making its way through both the Mississippi House of Representatives and Mississippi Senate. Thanks to the leadership of House Ways and Means Chairman Jeff Smith and Senate Finance Chairman Joey Filingane, work continues and MEC is committed to finding ways to correct these problems. At the same time, it is important that the Department of Revenue still have the ability to go after a taxpayer that is deliberately trying to avoid paying taxes. These changes don't just impact large companies, but small businesses and even individual taxpayers are at risk. They now face a playing field that is no longer level. We must act now to make sure businesses and individual taxpayers are not subject to unfair treatment that did not exist previously. For more information on this vital legislation, Click Here.
Keep the Faith
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You are receiving this newsletter because of your past involvement with the Mississippi Economic Council. For more information about MEC, please visit our website at www.msmec.com.
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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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