Mississippi Economic Development News – July 27, 2009

MEDC Elects Officers and Directors
Congratulations to the new officers and board members elected during the Membership meeting on Friday at the 2009 MEDC Summer Conference.
http://www.medc.ms/2009%20Officers%20Directors.pdf

Mississippi firms were awarded the Governor’s Cup for work in their communities. Entergy Mississippi, based in Jackson, was honored in the large business category and Metal Tech of Gulfport won in the small business category.  The awards are presented Thursday night during the Mississippi Economic Development Council’s annual convention.  http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20090724/BIZ/90724013/Two+companies+win+Governors+Cup+honors

Winners of the prestigious Community Economic Development Awards were announced at the recent Mississippi Economic Development Council 2009 Summer Conference in Biloxi.  The CEDA honors communities throughout Mississippi for their efforts to advance their economic viability through economic and community development programs during the 2008 calendar year.
http://www.medc.ms/2009%20Press%20Release%20CEDA.html

The 2009 Neshoba County Fair began Friday and runs through July 31 with political speaking scheduled Wednesday and Thursday.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20090725/OPINION01/907250326

Alabama town tours Columbus for pointers – “I am very impressed with Columbus,” Peterson added. “I am especially impressed with the public and private aspect of it. Everyone here seems to work together to get things done.”
http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=2260

Members and supporters of the Jones County Economic Development Authority (EDA) gathered Tuesday morning at The Reserve to discuss the future of the area.
http://www.leadercall.com/local/local_story_203110927.html

Hosted by the LSU AgCenter and Mississippi State University Cooperative Extension, the 2009 Miss-Lou Regional Tourism Summit will bring together tourism professionals and others from throughout the two-state region.
http://deltafarmpress.com/news/rural-tourism-0722/

Coast Electric Power Association has broken ground on the electric cooperative’s headquarters facility in Kiln.
http://www.msbusiness.com/article.cfm?ID=866

Northcentral Electric Power Association will spend $13 million to locate its headquarters in Olive Branch.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20090715/BIZ/90715003/NEPA+plans++13M+Olive+Branch+site+

U. S. Postal Stamps Honor Lighthouses That Stood Defiant to Gulf Coast Hurricanes – The dedication ceremony took place at the Biloxi Lighthouse under conditions in stark contrast to 2005’s Hurricane Katrina . . . .
http://www.sunherald.com/prnewswire/story/1499465.html

MEDC members have a special invitation to attend Mississippi Main Street’s Managers Training in August in Tupelo.   The featured speaker, Sylvia Allen, is a national speaker that has appeared at the National Main Street Conference.  She focuses on how to sell sponsorships, selling sponsorships in tough times and fundraising.   
http://msmain.pmhclients.com/images/uploads/BlastAgenda.pdf

The SEDC 2009 Annual Conference is August 15-18 at the Grant Hotel Marriott Resort and Spa in Point Clear, Alabama. 
http://www.sedc.org/displayconvention.cfm?conventionnbr=7031

The South Mississippi Contract Procurement Center, Inc. is hosting a Small Business Certifications Workshop on August 4^th. 
http://www.mscpc.com/Events/tabid/57/vw/3/ItemID/68/d/20090804/Default.aspx

The MEDC 2009 Summer Conference featured outstanding speakers and fun activities.  See https://medccarol.wordpress.com/ for information about each session.  Photos will soon be on the website at www.medc.ms. 

Special thanks to the conference committee chaired by Larry Barnett for putting on an first-class conference –
Deborah Reynolds, Dianne Carson, Christy Knapp, Cliff Brumfield, Tim Mood, Blake Wallace, Joy Foy, Alecia Crawford, Chuck Ueltschey, Barbara Smith, Aaron Ray Akers, Marcia Crawford, Charlotte Koestler, and Frank Howell. 

Thanks also to others who volunteered during the conference –
Bill Webb, Joi Olive, Mike Turner, Rebecca Ferguson, Larkin Simpson, Gerald Mills, Wiltz Cutrer, Ken Ray, Ken Holms, Adam Hubble, Kathy Steen, Kyle Brown, Mark Weilenman, Elizabeth Taylor, Valerie Crout, Jack Curry. If you would like to volunteer during the 2010 Winter Conference, contact carol@medc.ms.

What topics and speakers do you want to hear at Winter Conference in February?
. . . or at the Member-to-Member Seminar in September?
Send your suggestions to carol@medc.ms.

Carol Hardwick, Executive Director
Mississippi Economic Development Council, Inc. (MEDC)
601-352-1909 . carol@medc.ms . www.medc.ms