MBJ_Dec27_2019

INSIDE — Fleurty Girl branching out to Mississippi — Page 4

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BIG BUSINESS

YEARS

1979

www.msbusiness.com

Golding Barge Line upping its Vicksburg stakes by $20M

2019

Dec. 14 - 27, 2019 • Vo. 41 No. 39 • 28 pages

2019

— Page 2

MBJ FOCUS

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT {Section begins P12} » Graduates of USM’s Master’s in Economic Development in high demand » State’s 2019 top economic projects bring jobs, investments

{The List P14} » Top 20 Economic Development Projects

JACKSON {P5} » Petition to save Sun-n-Sand submitted to state agency

SPECIAL SECTION Begins page 15

http://msbusiness.com/mississippis-top-entrepreneurs/

2 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q Dec. 14 - 27, 2019 BIG BUSINESS

Golding Barge Line upping its Vicksburg stakes by $20M

Courtesy of Port of Vicksburg/MBJ

Golding Barge Line’s AngieSunset is among 24 barges the Vicksburg company deploys 24/7.

» New boats, barges and hires coming to family-owned company

By TED CARTER mbj@msbusiness.com Sustained growth in moving both raw crude oil and refined petroleum along America’s inland waterways has led Vicksburg’s Golding Barge Line to invest $20 million in new boats, barges and vessel hands.

The investment is expected to gain Golding Barge Line 25 workers.

Some will work from Golding Barge’s Vicksburg headquarters but the Goldking bulk of new hires will be deckhands and other crew on vessels plying waterways from Panama City, Fla., and Brownsville, Texas, to Memphis, St. Louis, Chicago and elsewhere, the company says.

Golding Barge has been adding to its specialized cargo business at about 10 percent yearly the last several years, said Austin Golding, president of the family business.

“This will be all new business,” Golding said of the additional freight capacity the $20 million will bring.

The Golding company history begins in 1965 with Thomas Golding’s starting

Courtesy of Port of Vicksburg/MBJ

Golding Barge Line’s tow boats are the movers behind the barges.

VICKSBURG GIVING PORT INFRASTRUCTURE CLOSE LOOK » Port Commission helping inland shippers hire, train worker

By TED CARTER mbj@msbusiness.com An infrastructure analysis expected to be finished in February will set a course for the City of Vicksburg’s future in the Mississippi River maritime business – and perhaps as home to an entirely new port.

While the $240,000 study

by Atlanta’s Jacobs Engineering Group will also look at the likely market return a $125 million port would bring, it will identify current infra- Diaz structure needs. “By mid-February we should know what direction we intend to go,” said Pablo Diaz, director of the Vicksburg-Warren Ports Commission.

“We do have a need for more port infrastructure,” Diaz said in an interview following the recent announcement that a major user of the current port – Golding Barge Line – is expanding both its workforce and vessel fleet.

As envisioned by Mayor George Flaggs and the Board of Aldermen, the 21st century port would be a centerpiece to a $55 million capital improvements

project aimed at creating more well-paying jobs.

The plan is to put up $26.5 million to match state and federal funds for the project.

Whether any of the capital improvements money materializes, however, hinges on Vicksburg voters approving a special penny sales tax.

More immediately, Diaz and the five-member Vicksburg-Warren Port Commission are at work helping to elevate the local maritime trade and enhance overall economic development for Vicksburg and Warren County.

They recently helped to persuade Mississippi legislators to enact a jobs tax credit that assists Mississippi-based inland maritime operators such as Golding Barge Line. The credits go to companies that carry cargo on inland waters and are limited to jobs that go Mississippi residents.

Diaz said about five Mississippi companies operate on the Mississippi while a couple more are based on the Tombigbee Waterway. “It’s a good number of jobs,” he said.

The Ports Commission is also helping to ensure Mississippi’s inland maritime outfits have an adequate supply of qualified job candidates. With the help of a U.S. Department of Labor grant, the commission teamed up with local barge operators and See INFRASTRUCTURE, Page 3

of Big River Shipbuilding, a shipyard and drydock service in Vicksburg. The owners of Big River Shipbuilding diversified into the operation of boats and tank barges in 1969 by forming Ole Man River Towing Inc., the company history says.

The family sold Ole Man River to Kirby Corp. in 1992 but re-entered the tank barge industry with creation of Golding Barge Line, Inc. in 1995.

The new incarnation came into the business as specialists in moving refined petroleum products, petro-chemicals, and chemical products throughout the nation’s entire inland waterway system.

“We’ve been building this business ever since,” Golding said.

“No doubt this has been a challenging year” for inland barge shippers, especially those whose crop transport business has slowed as a trade war with China continues. Last spring’s flooding along the upper stretches of the Mississippi River added to the challenges.

But shippers “on the energy side of things have excelled” this year, Golding said. “On the whole, I’m thinking the economy has been ginning. And hauling not associated with the trade war has been increasing.”

Still, it’s not increased enough to draw new petroleum haulers, Golding said.

“Our rate of return is not good enough to encourage new entries. But it is just enough you want to stay in the game and invest a little bit.”

Recent annual returns for the barge line have been from 5 percent to 20 percent, depending on the costs that are part of the See GOLDING BARGE, Page 3

Dec. 14 - 27, 2019

GOLDING BARGE Continued from, Page 2

calculation, according to Golding.

Golding Barge Line and its fleet of 24 tow boats and 63 barges make up a rarity in the petroleum logistics business – a standalone company.

Such competitors as Marathon Petroleum, Ergon Inc. and Enterprise Products have their hauling needs met through vertical integrations that give them their own tow-and-barge fleet. “They aren’t trying to make money off it,” he said. “They are in the business of servicing their companies.”

Golding said his company’s independence gives it business from foreign oil producers that want their crude blended “at the most advanced refineries in the world.” Those refineries are along the Gulf coast of the United States, he said.

The clients “are in places like Rotterdam and Singapore,” he noted. “We’re operating within that footprint.”

The foreign product in need of blending comes into ports from Tampa, Panama City and west to Houston. Golding Barge takes it along near-inshore waters of the Gulf to their refinery destinations. “Anywhere there’ is nine feet of draft, we can get there,” Golding said.

Golding’s 14,000 square-foot headquarters sits on 30 riverfront acres at 101 Lee St. The company’s current 220-person workforce is dispersed along Golding’s shipping routes.

At least 10 of the 25 new hires will be on-shore staff in Vicksburg, according to Golding. The remaining hires will be assigned to the new tow boats ad barges.

“We’re going to be 26 tow boats, 66 barges and 250 employees,” the company president said.

The two new tow boats will run about $7 million each and the barges $3.5 million apiece, Golding said.

The tow-boat-and-barge combinations – the tow-boats propel the barges – require a crew of between five and seven,

Courtesy of Port of Vicksburg/MBJ

The Port of Vicksburg could be in for a makeover or perhap a rebuild.

INFRASTRUCTURE Continued from, Page 2

Hinds Community College four years ago to establish a deckhand school.

The seven-to-15-day training gives candidates an entry to jobs that pay an average of $67,000 annually after “a couple of years” on the job, Diaz said. “They can pass $100,000 in 10 years.”

Diaz called the partnership with the college “one of their most successful training and placement programs. Pretty much everyone is waiting for them with a job” on completion, he said.

Students are enrolled after undergoing pre-employment assessment from a sponsoring barge line.

Designed to simulate life and work as a deckhand., the program puts students in a local hotel and provides instruction in shipboard cooking and cleaning in addition to basic tow-boating skills such as work-

“They work 24/7,” Golding said, “There’s another crew back home ready to relieve them.”

Golding, in an announcement of the expansion, said the revenue the investment generates will come out of client companies and into our community through payroll and our vendor partnerships.”

TECHNOLOGY

C Spire holds coding events for Mississippi students More than 60 students from seven high schools across Mississippi recently led Hour of Code events at C Spire retail stores and the Brandon High School library as part of a comprehensive program to encourage young people to pursue academic and professional careers in the information technology and computer science fields.

The students are participating in C Spire’s new Software Development Pathway and used the program to showcase their academic progress and recent course work in web and app development.

Participating were Brandon High School, Gulfport High School, Lafayette High School, Laurel High School, Meridian High School, Oxford High School and Starkville High School.

“These students have a tremendous amount of energy and enthusiasm and that was on full display at these coding events,” said C Spire CTO Carla Lewis.

Lewis said the C Spire Software Development Pathway prepares students with quality education and training in a relatively short time-frame – two years of high school and one year of community college – so they can pursue an exciting career in an area of high demand, significant salary and unlimited entrepreneurial opportunities.

ing lines and maintain safety.

“They experience everything that comes with the job,” Diaz said. “It’s a week to 15 days depending on the complexity of the training.”

With the early instruction given new hires, Diaz said, the barge lines see fewer on-the-job accidents and deckhand turnover.

The grant expired in 2017 but the companies and the college dipped into their own pockets to maintain the training. More help came in July 2018 with a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant awarded by the Delta Regional Authority.

Meanwhile, Hinds is working on plans to build a training center for deckhand candidates, Diaz said.

Diaz cited Golding Barge Line as an example of a maritime company benefitting from the workforce readiness effort. Testifying last March before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and

That prospect brings holiday cheer to Vicksburg Mayor George Flaggs.

“I could not imagine a better way to end 2019 than with the announcement of millions of dollars in new investment and the creation of 25 good paying jobs that will benefit residents in Warren County and the City of Vicksburg,” Flaggs

Workers with coding skills and computer science experience are in high demand and short supply. Mississippi employers currently have 1,089 unfilled job openings due to the shortage of trained IT workers. The average salary for qualified IT workers is over $72,000 a year, almost double the statewide average. Nationwide, the shortage is expected to reach 1.5 million by 2020.

SHOPPING

Shops join District at Eastover lineup Several retailers have opened at the District at Eastover in north Jackson.

Those shops are the District Drugs and Mercantile Holiday Pop-Up Shop and Elizabeth Clair’s, a fine-china and gift shop These openings follow the November opening of Nursery Rhymes, a baby and children’s boutique.

District Drugs & Mercantile’s pop-up shop offers a variety of gift items with a focus on Mississippi-made products.

District Drugs & Mercantile will open in January as the only independent pharmacy in Jackson. with a wide range of customer services District Drugs owner and pharmacist Whitney Harris has long dreamed of owning her own pharmacy.

“During my years as a pharmacist at Beemon Drugs, I loved building re-

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Transportation, Austin Golding noted the program’s contribution to Golding Barge’s success, “Our company alone has hired 312 graduates of this program since its inception,” Golding said. “We have seen improvements in our safety performance, as well as improved entry level retention.”

Military veterans especially find the industry “a perfect fit,” and an opportunity to capitalize on skills they developed in the Armed Forces, he said.

Golding used his testimony to urge more attention to the nation’s inland waterways infrastructure, warning that many of the locks and dams that barges travel are well beyond their economic design life.

“Many corners of this country are perilously close to losing their gateway to the world market,” he said.

Money for the infrastructure work comes from a 29-cents-a-gallon diesel fuel tax that goes into the Inland Waterways Trust Fund.

“We voluntarily increased that by 45 percent in 2014 from 20 cents to 29 cents because we want to see proper investment in the system,” Golding told the committee chaired by Sen. Roger Wicker, a Mississippi Republican.

“That 29 cents per gallon is the highest gas tax per gallon of any commercial surface transportation mode,” Golding said, but a lot more federal support is needed “to keep our waterways viable.”

Ultimately, the infrastructure deficit could force the cargo onto the nation’s overly burdened roads, rails and pipelines, Golding warned.

Diaz has the same worry. Congress, he said, should enact a bill that addresses infrastructure for ports. Getting products to market must be “made more effective, easier and faster,” Diaz said.

said in a press statement.

“The announcement is especially important because it is of a company that was started right here in our community and that reflects our community’s entrepreneurial spirit.”

lationships with customers. We’re looking forward to continuing Beemon’s tradition of personable customer service.” Beemon’s closed.

Based in Tupelo, Elizabeth Clair’s offers candles, jewelry, home décor, lounge attire and gifts, as well as an extensive bridal registry.

Nursery Rhymes co-owner Janice Fulton says the shop offers an extensive baby and gift registry for new mothers, with an online registry accessible via the store website.

MEDICAL

Fixed-wing ambulance service begins

Pafford AIR ONE will begin its fixed-wing air ambulance operation at Hawkins Field in Jackson on Wednesday.

Pafford AIR ONE currently serves the critically ill and injured of Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. The addition of Pafford AIR ONE Foxtrot allows destinations as far as Dallas Houston, Nashville, Atlanta and Tallahassee to be reached in about an hour.

“We could not imagine basing Foxtrot anywhere other than Jackson,” Keith Carter, senior vice president and chief operating officer, said in a release.

Carter called Jackson “the heart of Mississippi health care, a city rich in medical history.”

— MBJ Staff

4 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q Dec. 14 - 27, 2019 DINING

Coast chefs’ new coffeeshop takes off

By LISA MONTI mbj@msbusiness.com It just happened to work out that Thomas and Dana Hirsch-Barrett opened Coffee Culture, their new coffee shop in Bay St. Louis, on Small Business Saturday. “It was a coincidence but we were hoping to open on Nov. 30 because we truly are what a small business is,” Hirsch-Barrett said.

Coffee Culture is the chef couple’s first foray into operating a coffee shop and their first venture outside of Harrison County, and things are working out even better than they expected.

Working with contractors, the Barretts spent about six weeks transforming Can-nella, a German-Italian restaurant on U.S. 90, into a cozy coffeeshop with lots of wood and pops of colorful accents. After being open for just six weeks, the owners are ready to add more space.

“We realized it’s been doing so well that we are going to move on to phase 2 and expand,” said Hirsch-Barrett.

“We’ll make more room for customers to hang out and enjoy themselves.”

Courtesy of Coffee Culture

At left, Sage Barrett, the owners’ daughter, and Victoria Dahl greet customers at Coffee Culture, a new coffeeshop in Bay St. Louis owned by chefs Thomas and Dana Hirsch-Barrett.

Removing a wall between the coffee station and the unused back area of the build-ing will open up space for more

couches where customers can sit and enjoy their coffee, tea and pastries, she said. Some space with books will be set aside for chil-dren.

Coffee Culture is open daily from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and features coffee by the cup or bag from the well known Long Beach-based company Coast Roast, along with Chai and matcha tea, scones and bagels made mostly from scratch.

Customers can choose the indoor seating or on the screened-in pet-friendly porch or use the drive-through window. For now, service is provided by the staff of Sea Level, the Barretts’ popular Pass Christian beachside restaurant.

Sea Level, a tiny beach cottage on wheels, is known for its award winning burgers and tacos, hand cut fries and homemade spring rolls filled with spinach and arti-choke.

Sea Level operates seasonally and closed Oct. 30. It will be open again on Jan. 4 with limited hours until the days get longer.

The Barretts have extensive experience owning and running restaurants. Dana’s family opened Harbor View Cafe in 1994 in Pass Christian and rebuilt in Long Beach after Hurricane Katrina. They sold the restaurant a couple of years ago and opened Sea Level.

“We were a little nervous at first because none of us had done coffee but we’re ex-cited about how we have been received by the community. Local business people have become regulars and are so welcoming. It’s touching to us how people have come to support us.”

BAY ST. LOUIS

Fleurty Girl branching out to Mississippi

By LISA MONTI mbj@msbusiness.com

Fleurty Girl founder Lauren LeBlanc Haydel will open her first Mississippi location next year in the heart of downtown Bay St. Louis. It will be the eighth Fleurty Girl shop that’s known for clothing, gifts, home decor, jewelry and other items celebrating all things New Orleans, from the Saints and LSU football to Mardi Gras, beignets and red beans. Targeted opening is late summer or early fall of 2020.

Haydel is revamping a building on Main Street that for the last eight years has housed an outpost of another New Orleans-based business, California Drawstrings. Owner Linda Keenan, who has been selling apparel on Royal Street in the French Quarter for 36 years, is relocating the shop to 126 Main Street where it opened in the Bay 10 years ago.

Like many New Orleanians who are drawn to the coastal area, Haydel and her fam-ily have a second home in Bay St. Louis. She also recently purchased a small of-fice building a block up from the new store location. The combined investments show Haydel’s affection for the city. “It’s

Courtesy of BMH Architects

Renderings shown of interior and outside areas of new Mississippi location that will be in downtown Bay St. Louis.

always good when people fall in love with (a place) and want to live there and open a business,” she said.

Fleurty Girl has locations in New Orleans, Mandeville, Kenner, Metairie and Gretna, La. Haydel, who has worked as a radio DJ and TV News reporter, fa-mously started her successful string of shops using a $2,000 tax refund to launch an online T-shirt business in 2010. At the time she was a single mother of three. Six months later, she opened her first retail location, and the chain has continued to grow. In

addition to Bay St. Louis, another store is being added to the new Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.

Haydel has hired Cicada, a New Orleans architecture firm, to renovate the Main Street building’s retail space and the two residential units inside. She is installing a she-shed on the property which will be used as a pop-up venue for various events and activities.

Haydel said she’s already familiar with Old Town Bay St. Louis celebrations such as the Second Saturday Art Walks and

the Witches Walk and looks forward to Fleurty Girl’s involvement in the events. “I can’t wait to be a part of that,” she said.

The new location will have a staff of six and Haydel said she’s hearing from poten-tial employees. “We already have received applications from interested people wanting to work there,” she said. Anyone interested in applying for a job should send an email to hireme@fleurty.net. Put BSL in the subject line.

JACKSON

Twenty-six hundred signatures on an online petition effort to save the Sun-nSand motel in downtown Jackson were submitted to the state Department of Archives and History, according to Lolly Rash, executive director of the Mississippi Heritage Trust.

The mid-modern-style motel on Lamar Street was purchased by the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration early this year to be razed and used for parking for state employees.

The motel was opened in 1960 by legendary Mississippi businessman Dumas Milner and was frequented by lawmakers who often hashed out legislation in private before voting in public.

When the Legislature legalized liquor in 1965, “the Sun-n-Sand was one of the first bars to open in Jackson,” the Trust said in an earlier statement “Some legislators were voting dry and drinking wet” at the motel’s bar, the Trust said.

Famed Mississippi author Willie Morris wrote some of his book “My Cat Spit McGee” at the motel and noted it as the site of “many years [of] egregious political wheeling and dealing, not to mention secretive trysts.”

The Heritage Trust submitted 180 comments, including those from developers who suggested ideas for repurposing the motel, which has been vacant since 2001, according to Rash, who did not divulge what those ideas are.

“We’re not advocating any one particular use,” Rash said in an interview on Tuesday.

“We just want what’s best for the city of Jackson.”

Chuck McIntosh, spokesman for the Department of Finance and Administration, said in an earlier comment that several developers approached the agency but did not pursue the matter. The agency plans to preserve the distinct Las-Vegasstyle motel sign.

Rash noted there are tax credits and other economic development incentives available.

The Sun-n-Sand is under consideration by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History to be designated a Historic Landmark.

If it is given that status, the DAH board would hold its fate in its hands. Demolition then would require a permit from the agency.

Katie Blount, executive director of the

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JACK WEATHERLY/MBJ

Petition to save Sun-n-Sand submitted to state agency

By JACK WEATHERLY jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com

Dec. 14 - 27, 2019

Archives and History, said it is possible that the matter could be taken up at the next meeting of the agency board, which is Jan. 24.

Sun n Sand motel has been vacant since 2001.

A member of the Mississippi Press Association www.mspress.org

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MBJ PERSPECTIVE

Dec. 14 - 27, 2019 • www.msbusiness.com • Page 6

» OTHER VIEWS

» THE OUTSIDE WORLD

Website: www.msbusiness.com Dec. 14 - 27, 2019 Volume 41, Number 39

Love, understanding during the holidays

ALAN TURNER Publisher alan.turner@msbusiness.com • 364-1021 TAMI JONES Associate Publisher tami.jones@msbusiness.com • 364-1011

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ROSS REILY Editor ross.reily@msbusiness.com • 364-1018 FRANK BROWN List Researcher frank.brown@msbusiness.com • 364-1022 JACK WEATHERLY Staff Writer jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com • 364-1016

TACY RAYBURN Production Manager tacy.rayburn@msbusiness.com • 364-1019 MARCIA THOMPSON Business Assistant marcia.kelly@msbusiness.com • 364-1044 TED CARTER Contributing Writer mbj@msbusiness.com • 364-1018 BECKY GILLETTE Contributing Writer mbj@msbusiness.com • 364-1018

» INSIDE MISSISSIPPI

NASH NUNNERY Contributing Writer mbj@msbusiness.com • 364-1018

Money talks in Mississippi politics

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“W

ho will pay $250K to eat with Tate Reeves at inauguration dinner?” read the headline in the Clarion-Ledger.

The incoming governor’s inaugural committee is seeking “platinum sponsors” willing to ante up to have dinner with Reeves plus VIP access to all inauguration events. The article says that the identities of these donors and others paying for inauguration events will remain secret.

The money will actually be paid to a new 501(c)(4) non-profit corporation called For All Mississippi for which Mississippi, unlike states with transparency laws, provides no limits or disclosure requirements.

Hmmm.

The appropriate question would seem to be not who, but why would anyone or any organization pay $250,000 to eat with any Mississippi governor?

Reeves in the past has been accused of being a pay-to-play politician. More specifically, his opponent in the general election, Attorney General Jim Hood, claimed, “Tate Reeves passed appropriation bills as lieutenant governor that effectively carved out millions of dollars in nobid contracts for specific companies

and organizations. All together, these wasteful earmarks total $48.14 million between 2013 and 2019.

Reeves helped BILL CRAWFORD force these bills through the Legislature to benefit his corporate campaign contributors.”

Seems like a $250,000 dinner would be the ultimate pay-to-play opportunity, especially if the donors can remain anonymous.

You see, governors can have great influence on how millions, even billions of public dollars are spent.

For example, the legislature set up in 2018 the Gulf Coast Restoration Fund to allocate $1.6 billion in future BP settlement funds for projects in Gulf Coast counties. These funds will be controlled by the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) with advice from a seven member advisory board. MDA, of course, is controlled by the governor so he will have a lot of sway over which projects get funded. Developers of said projects will want a friendly ear in the See CRAWFORD, Page 7

he arrival of the holidays, which includes celebrations and observances beyond the familiar Christmas and New Year’s gatherings and rituals, always focuses externally on festivity and unity and good will.

Indeed, those are the conventionally desired outcomes of holidays as a family, a group, a community, a tradition.

Almost all holidays can also have a down side, becoming a bittersweet time. Many people struggle with inner turmoil and sadness as others around them remain at least outwardly free of sadness. Many people struggle during the holiday season when expectations are high and disrupted routines can feel overwhelming.

The possibility of holiday depression includes people of faith, and people of faith should remain sensitive to sometimes different expectations.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), among others, takes seriously the consequences of holiday-related depression.

According to a recent survey, NAMI reports that approximately 64% of people are affected by the holiday blues. The association says many factors cause the “holiday blues”: stress, fatigue, unrealistic expectations, financial constraints, and the inability to be with one’s family and friends.

Often holidays are filled with hours waiting in an airport, commuting three hours in traffic on what is usually a 45-minute drive, or having to cook a large dinner. We expect all things to go well and have a perfect holiday season. But, life, as we learn continually, is real.

We need to give voice to both our joys and our pains, and we need to help others do so as well. We need to be grateful for life itself.

Faith, hope and love are the essence, the Apostle Paul said, concluding, “The greatest of these is love.”

— The Daily Joiurnal

» HOW TO WRITE US Letters to the editor are one of the most widely read features of the Mississippi Business Journal, and they give everyone a chance to voice their opinions about current affairs. We’re interested in what you think and we welcome Letters to the Editor for publication. Here are the guidelines: >> Letters should not exceed 300 words in length as a general rule. >> All letters must bear the writer’s address and telephone number.

Street addresses and telephone numbers will not be published, but may be used for verification purposes. Letters may not appear without the author’s name. >> Form letters, thank you letters and letters to third parties generally are not acceptable. >> Letters must be typed or e-mailed. >> Letters must conform to good taste, not be libelous and not involve personal attacks on other persons. >> All letters are subject to editing, and become the property of the Mississippi Business Journal. >> Letters can be sent to The Editor, The Mississippi Business Journal, 200 North Congress, Suite 400, Jackson, MS 39201, delivered to the newspaper during regular business hours or e-mailed to editor@msbusiness.com. They may also be faxed to Ross Reily at (601)-364-1007.

Perspective

» HOLIDAYS

Dec. 14 - 27, 2019

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CRAWFORD

Continued from, Page 6

governor’s mansion.

There’s also this. According the Mississippi Today, Reeves recently “warned” legislators not to consider any expansion of Medicaid. This comes as word spreads that a majority may be coalescing in the legislature behind a plan like Vice President Pence implemented in Indiana to add Medicaid coverage for the working poor. It would also help save rural hospitals. Two Republican candidates who challenged Reeves, state Rep. Robert Foster and former Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice Bill Waller, promoted such a plan proposed by the Mississippi Hospital Association. Allegedly, Reeves already thwarted a similar plan as Lt. Governor.

The Division of Medicaid, like MDA, is controlled by the governor.

Contracts to “manage” Medicaid provided care in Mississippi generate huge profits. Centene Corporation, the owner of one the three outof-state companies providing such care, Magnolia Health, has already been a major campaign contributor to Reeves. The three current providers are not likely to want a Mississippi hospital owned competitor to get into this market. They, too, will want a friendly ear in the governor’s mansion.

Still and all, no one and no organization may choose to dine with the new governor. But, there will be plenty of other ways to gain that friendly ear, including a $25,000 breakfast and photo opportunity.

Yes, money talks in Mississippi politics.

“From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded” – Luke 12:48. » Bill Crawford (crawfolk@gmail.com) is a syndicated columnist from Meridian.

» UNDER THE CAPITOL DOME

Defeated lawmaker questions validity of election

A

one-term state lawmaker in Mississippi is contesting her narrow loss in the general election, saying she believes voting irregularities raise questions about the fairness of the election process.

Republican Ashley Henley has filed a petition asking the House of Representatives to toss out the election results and declare the seat vacant. That declaration would lead to another election.

On Nov. 5, Henley lost by 14 votes to Democrat Hester Jackson McCray, according to certified results posted to the secretary of state’s website.

The women ran in House District 40, which encompasses a portion of DeSoto County in the northwestern corner of the state. DeSoto has been Mississippi’s fastest-growing county for years, and it’s just a stone’s throw from Memphis, Tennessee.

DeSoto is a Republican stronghold. Census figures show the county’s overall population is about 68% white and 29% African American, although those percentages could be different inside District 40.

McCray is poised to make history: She will be the first African American woman to hold a state legislative seat from DeSoto County.

“I won the election fair and square,” McCray told The Associated Press on Friday.

McCray has worked as a nurse and said she is now disabled and is no longer able to do that job. She campaigned on promises to improve public education and expand access to health care.

Henley taught social studies before she was elected to the House in 2015. Because rules prohibited teachers from serving in the Legislature, she left that job just before she

Republican Rep. Philip Gunn is expected to easily win a third term as speaker of the Republican-majority House when the legislative session begins Jan. 7. took office. She ran with a broad promise to watch how tax dollars are spent and a narrower pledge to ensure teachers can be paid twice a month rather than once.

The 2019 election was a rematch.

In 2015, Henley defeated McCray by a wide margin in District 40. Henley received 1,173 votes to McCray’s 544.

In 2019, McCray received 1,553 votes to Henley’s 1,539.

McCray received campaign help this year from Democrats who saw an opportunity to flip the House seat from R to D. In a separate interview, Henley told the AP that she is not accusing McCray or McCray’s campaign of any sort of wrongdoing.

“My petition does not even mention the other candidate,” Henley said. “It’s about the proper conducting of an election, according to law. That’s the most important thing, in my opinion.”

The petition says several people voted using addresses

where they no longer live; one person who owns multiple properties voted at a property that’s not where the person claims to live; another person voted in District 40 despite living in a different district; and one person voted at the wrong precinct.

Henley’s petition says election officials failed to get some voters’ signa- Emily Wagster Pettus tures. It also says two ballots marked in favor of Henley were found in an equipment bag, apparently discarded.

Henley said she is contesting the outcome because she promised her constituents she would represent them to the best of her ability, and that includes ensuring election rules are followed.

Republican Rep. Philip Gunn is expected to easily win a third term as speaker of the Republican-majority House when the legislative session begins Jan. 7. Early in the session, he will appoint a committee to consider Henley’s complaint.

Four years ago, a House committee considered two election contests, upholding the result in one race and reversing the result in the other. The race that was reversed was significant because the new outcome gave Republicans a 60% supermajority — a margin that allows them to enact tax changes without seeking any votes from Democrats.

Republicans still have that margin, regardless of what happens with the District 40 challenge. » Emily Wagster Pettus covers Capitol matters for the Mississippi Associated Press in Jackson.

Perspective

8 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q Dec. 14 - 27, 2019 » FROM THE GROUND UP

End of year bonuses

O

ne of the most heart-warming stories I’ve come across this holiday season is about a company that gave its employees end-of-year bonuses based on tenure with the company. In this age of high employee turnover and lack of company and employee loyalty, it was refreshing to see that length of service with a company still matters. Did I mention that the average bonus was $50,000?

It was a very good year for St. John Properties, a commercial real estate firm headquartered in Maryland that began operations in 1971 as a small real estate company.

This year, it hit a target of developing 20 million square feet of real estate. St. John Properties President Lawrence Maykrantz wanted to show appreciation to its employees by doing something extra special. According to CNN reports and other news sources, the company flew in all outof-state employees and their guests to the company’s holiday party. There, all 198 employees received a surprise red envelope containing their bonus. Each employee received money based on the number of years they have been working at the company. The smallest amount, $100, was for an employee who was just hired and hadn’t even started at the company yet. The largest bonus was $270,000. In all, $10 million was paid in bonuses.

“It was truly one of the most amazing things I’ve ever witnessed in my life. Everyone was all overwhelmed with emotions. They were screaming, crying, laughing, hugging,” Maykrantz said.

Although I mentioned that this was a heart-warming story, it should be noted that end-of-year bonuses come in

all sizes and types and are not necessarily appropriate for all companies. But who cannot be inspired by the above story?

Phil Hardwick Length of service, or tenure, is just one way of calculating and distributing bonuses. Also, there are pros and cons for each type, and whether to even give out bonuses. The bonuses discussed here are end-of-year bonuses based on the company’s performance, not incentive or performance bonuses. Even though they may be awarded at the end of the year, performance bonuses are another matter.

Bonuses based on tenure can be calculated in a variety of ways and should be based on the company’s values and what it wants to reward. Tenure bonuses can also be twofold. For example, every employee might receive a minimum bonus, plus an additional amount based on length of service. To illustrate, every employee might receive $1,000, plus $500 per year of service. Thus, a new employee who has been with the company for less than one year would receive $1,000, while someone with the company for 12 years would receive $7,000 ($1,000 plus 12 x $500). A variation on this method would be that every employee receives $1,000 plus $500 for every five years of service. A 12-year employee under this scenario would receive $2,000.

Equally distributed bonuses are another way to share the wealth. Under this method, every employee gets the same amount of bonus. It may be based on some formula or set by management. For example, the company may say that everyone receives a $1,000 bonus.

Percentage bonuses are based on the employee’s current salary. Everyone receives a bonus of five percent of annual salary, for example.

Bonuses don’t necessarily have to be given as cash. The company might make a contribution to the employee’s 401-K account. Some companies have chosen to make a contribution to a certain charity in the name of, or honoring, employees. Giving stock, stock options, or some form of equity in the company is another type of bonus. And then there are things like highly-sought-after tickets to events, trips to desirable locations, gift cards, etc.

What’s the best way to distribute bonuses? Again, it depends on what the company wants to accomplish. One way is for department heads to distribute the bonus as cash in an envelope. This reinforces the connection with immediate supervisors. Other ways are presentations at company-wide meetings and celebrations, individual letters to employees and - yes, but not recommended - by email.

Unfortunately, there may be some employees who gripe and complain and find fault no matter how bonuses are handled. That’s an employee who needs special attention.

Every company is different, so what is appropriate for one company might not be right for another company.

Paying bonuses is a good way to show employees that they are appreciated, but caution must be used. Some employees are sensitive about who gets paid what and may cause controversy about why some employees weren’t paid the same as others. Also, companies must use caution in creating expectations for annual bonuses.

In general, employee bonuses can improve performance, reduce turnover, attract new candidates and instill company pride. » Phil Hardwick is a regular Mississippi Business Journal columnist. His email is phil@philhardwick. com.

» FROM THE SENATOR’S DESK

Country’s economy booming, no sign of stopping

A

merica is currently experiencing its longest economic expansion in history. However, even after 125 months of positive news, November’s jobs report was a stunning blockbuster. According to the Department of Labor, wages are rising while we added 266,000 new jobs, well over the expected 180,000. Ten years after the Great Recession, policies like tax reform, regulatory rollback, and energy independence are putting Americans back to work in higher numbers than ever.

Today’s unemployment rate is just 3.5 percent, a remarkable 50-year low. That means that more Americans are providing for themselves, their families, and their communities. To put this number in context, for every percent the unemployment rate decreases, 1.3 million more people have jobs and opportunities. With the right policies from Washington and innovations from the private sector, America’s economy can continue to grow.

Building on historic progress — This upward trend did not seem possible to many in 2009, when some thought that the economic crash signaled a “new normal” of slow growth and possibly decline. In November of that year, Mississippi’s unemployment rate stood at 10.5 percent, and it rose for months after.

America has reversed course. When the closing bell rang for the final time last decade, the Dow Jones In-

dustrial Average was at a dismal 10,428 points. That was 1,000 points lower than it had been at the end of 1999.

As we close this year, the Dow hovers around 28,000 points, increasing the value to workers’ pension plans and 401(k)s. Ten years ago, our country relied on foreign and sometimes hostile markets for our oil. This September, the U.S. exported more crude oil and petroleum products than we imported – the first time that has happened since our government started collecting the data in 1949. Small business owners are reporting record-high optimism. The pro-growth policies of the last three years have proven the naysayers of a decade ago wrong.

More to be done — With work, these positive developments should continue. The most immediate step is the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, a vital revision to the outdated NAFTA that will affect more than $3.4 billion of Mississippi exports. I am encouraged that Speaker Pelosi now seems to be moving forward with this bipartisan win for the American people. More than $68 billion in economic growth is waiting, and I hope Congress can get this done soon.

Another opportunity is jobs training. Apprenticeship programs have track records of providing necessary onthe-job experience. I have supported these programs throughout my time in Congress, providing addition-

al funding and advocating for rules changes that would streamline approvals and increase flexibility.

Additionally, closing the digital divide by expanding internet access will help unlock rural America’s potential.

The Chamber of Commerce estimates that this effort could create almost Roger Wicker 20,000 jobs and billions of dollars in economic growth in Mississippi. As chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, I am working to get more businesses in our state online and able to access markets around the world.

The American Dream is alive and well — As the United States continues to come roaring back from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, those who were so pessimistic 10 years ago can breathe sighs of relief.

The task now is to expand economic opportunity to more of our fellow Americans and lay strong foundations for the future. That will ensure that the American Dream of passing on a better life to our children and grandchildren will continue for generations to come.

» Roger Wicker is a U.S. Senator from Mississippi. Readers can contact him at 330 W. Jefferson St., Tupelo, MS 38803 or call (662) 844-5010.

Dec. 14 - 27, 2019

Q

Mississippi Business Journal

Q

9

LAW ELEVATED

Update on PFAS regulatory actions for drinking water

T

he EPA is moving forward on the drinking water component of its PFAS action plan by requesting the Office of Management review its proposed regulatory determinations for two types of PFAS. This is a definite step toward developing formal drinking water standards called Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs). Under the Safe Drinking Water Act, the EPA can legally enforce how much of a chemical is allowed in drinking water supplies only if there is an established MCL. To date, the EPA has not set an MCL for any type of PFAS but has established a lifetime Health Advisory Level for drinking water at 70 parts per trillion for two of the PFAS chemicals, perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Health Advisory Levels are non-enforceable and non-regulatory and provide technical information to state agencies and other public health officials on health effects, analytical methodologies and treatment technologies associated with drinking water contamination. In the interim, some states have set their own state-specific enforceable drinking water standards that are as low as 10 parts per trillion for some types of PFAS. The EPA regulates public drinking water through the Safe Drinking Water Act by monitoring for more than 90 drinking water contaminants with MCLs – that list has never included any of the PFAS compounds.

However, as a component of its PFAS action plan released in February 2019, the EPA stated that it would begin the administrative process for establishing enforceable drinking water standards by the year’s end. In November,

the EPA initiated this process by sending its proposal for a regulatory determination to the Office of Management and Budget. In this proposal EPA stated that it “intends to make preliminary regulatory determinations for PFOA and PFOS . . . by the end of 2019.” In the proposed regulatory determination that is to follow, EPA will consider three primary factors: 1. Whether the contaminant may have adverse effects on the health of persons.

2. Whether the contaminant is known to occur or there is a high chance that the contaminant will occur in public water systems often enough and at levels of public health concern 3. Whether regulation of the contaminant presents a

meaningful opportunity for health risk reductions for persons served by public water systems in the sole judgment of the EPA Administrator.

Having a proposed regulatory determination enables the EPA to solicit comment and gather information to decide whether to set the MCLs and, if so, the appropriate level for the MCLs. Following the Office of Management and Budget’s review, the EPA is expected to publish a preliminary regulatory determination in the Federal Register and provide an opportunity for public comment. After review and consideration of public comment, the EPA publishes final Federal Register notice with the regulatory determination decisions. If the EPA makes a decision to regulate a particular contaminant, the agency starts the rulemaking process to establish the national primary drinking water regulation and MCLs. There will be opportunities for the regulated community to monitor and have meaningful input into the regulatory determination process to come. Stay tuned for further updates.

Trudy D. Fisher is an attorney at Butler Snow’s Ridgeland office who focuses her practice on environmental, energy, economic development, disaster assistance and catastrophic events litigation. She has a proven record of navigating regulatory structures and issues relating to environmental permitting, compliance and enforcement. Laura D. Heusel is an attorney at Butler Snow’s Ridgeland office who focuses her practice on environmental regulations, counseling and litigation, catastrophic events and government relations.

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK

Miracles in a season of miracles T

he Oxford American was founded 25 years ago. Which doesn’t mean this is its silver anniversary.

It seems a miracle, to use a word overused and misused so often in this season and secular age.

The final performance of the 50th annual Candles by Candlelight at Jackson’s First Baptist Church was held Sunday night.

A gentleman dressed in formal black, designating him as a choir member, was crossing the street after exiting the cavernous auditorium in the Tudor-style edifice in downtown.

He spoke with a slight hitch in his voice, a stutter, lifted by the spirit of the evening.

His was one of so many in the 250-member choir, not to mention 3,000 in attendance, who had rendered a glorious program – including a most astounding version of a song not usually associated with Christmas.

Surely, “Amazing Grace” has never been sung with more power and grace than on this night. At least not to these ears.

Some people seemed stunned and trans-

fixed. Not ready to leave. Others were clearly uplifted as the 3,000-seat sanctuary emptied.

Were there stars of the “show”?

Not so you could name them.

“It is our prayer that all glory be given to God alone. For this reason, no names

appear in this program,” states the printed program.

Except for the composers – such as George Fridrick Handel – are so long established they seem to spring from the pages of the Bible itself.

The man who in 1969 founded Carols

by Candlelight, Larry Black, was there – in video, and in person as he led the choir and orchestra for some of the show.

Clearly a moving part of the program was Jack Weatherly a dramatic recitation of prophecies of the Christ in all 66 books of the holy canon.

Who was that gentleman?

I, reared and baptized a Southern Baptist, humbly but confidently suggest that he and others with roles other than en masse be identified in the program.

Those wonderful ballet dancers? Everyone knows that they are part of the Ballet Magnificat troupe. Or does everyone know?

Identities aside, it is not too late to experience the performance. » Contact Mississippi Business Journal staff writer Jack Weatherly at jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com or (601) 364-1016.

Newsmakers

10 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q Dec. 14 - 27, 2019 “Meeting the specific needs for pro bono services in each of our local markets is a key element in ensuring Baker Donelson is addressing broader needs across our geographic footprint,” said Bowman. “Sam is among the many talented and committed people we have at Baker Donelson who are enthusiastic about strengthening our communities by providing vital legal services to the underserved. Because of the leadership that Sam and our other office chairs bring, I believe our Pro Bono Committee is second to none, and I look forward to working with them in our ongoing efforts to offer pro bono services to those who need it most.”

An associate in the Firm’s Jackson office, Gregory works with clients on construction and commercial litigation matters. He was a recipient of the Baker

Gregory named Baker Donelson’s Pro Bono Committee Office Chair Baker Donelson has appointed Samuel D. Gregory to serve as Pro Bono Committee Office Chair for the firm’s Jackson office.

As the Jackson Pro Bono Committee Office Chair, Gregory will work to identify and address local pro bono needs while coordinating with Baker Donelson Pro Bono Shareholder Samuel T. Bowman for global pro bono initiatives.

Gregory

Donelson Pro Bono Service Award in 2016 and of the Jackson Young Lawyers Association’s Outstanding Service Award in 2015. Gregory has also served on the board of directors for a local 501(c)(3) non-profit since 2015.

Origin Bancorp appoints Goff to Board of Directors Origin Bancorp, Inc. announced the appointment of Stacey Goff to the Boards of Directors of Origin and Origin Bank, effective Jan. 1.

Goff is Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer for CenturyLink, Inc. where he is responsible for CenturyLink’s legal,

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corporate strategy, business development, mergers and acquisitions, investor relations, internal and external communications and public policy functions.

Goff holds a Bachelor’s Degree in business from Mississippi State University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi.

Goff

3 named to Methodist Rehabilitation Center Board Methodist Rehabilitation Center in Jackson has added Dr. Jasmin Owens Chapman, Bob Rambo and Phillip W. Bowman to its board of directors.

Since 1998, Chapman has served as chief executive officer of the Jackson-Hinds Comprehensive Health Center (JHCHC), with 27 locations, 300 employees Chapman and an annual budget over $26 million.

The first female and first dentist to be CEO at JHCHC, Chapman has twice been recognized as an Outstanding CEO by the Mississippi Primary Healthcare Association. She serves on the boards of the Governor’s Mississippi Healthcare Institute, Merit Rambo Health Central Hospital in Jackson and the Mississippi Primary Healthcare Association.

Chapman has a bachelor of science degree in biology from Jackson State University and was the first black female to earn a doctorate of dental surgery from the University of Iowa School of Dentistry. A Terry native, Bowman Chapman is married to retired Judge Clyde Chapman and has two children and two grandchildren.

Since 2013, Rambo has been lead pastor of Christ United Methodist Church in Jackson.

The West Point native attended Wood College and Mississippi State University before obtaining a master of divinity and doctor of ministry from Memphis Theological Seminary.

Since 1980, he has led churches small and large from Mathiston to Wren, Meridian to Clarksdale and Ripley to Starkville. He also has been District Superintendent of the Starkville District of the Mississippi Conference.

For the past 20 years, Rambo has been an adjunct professor for The Jerusalem Center for Biblical Studies in Jerusalem, Israel. He is married to Susie Baldwin Rambo of West Point, and they have two sons and five grandchildren.

Jackson native Bowman has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Mississippi.

Since 1995, he has been the chief executive officer and owner of Specialty Metals Supply Inc. He is married to Audra Armstrong Bowman, and they have three children — one at Southern Methodist University and two at Jackson Academy.

A member of Bellwether Church, Bowman enjoys spending time with family and duck hunting and farming in Clarksdale.

Nov. 2019 sales tax receipts/year to date, July 1 MISSISSIPPI STATE TAX COMMISSION Here are cities’ earnings through sales tax collections. Sales tax has a three-month cycle.

Month 1 — Tax is collected by the retailer. Month 2 — Tax is reported/paid to the Tax Commission by the retailer. Month 3 — Sales tax diversion is paid by the Tax Commission to the cities.

This report is based on the month the tax is collected at the Tax Commission (Month 2).

November November Year to date YTD CITY 2019 2018 2019 2018 Abbeville $4,180.36 $4,407.77 $21,724.14 $24,279.63 Aberdeen 67,423.60 67,636.77 352,596.55 351,815.02 Ackerman 24,103.37 24,889.01 123,523.86 123,134.13 Alcorn State University 3,264.25 3,264.25 Algoma 3,402.07 2,483.55 21,926.23 13,117.22 Alligator 130.77 272.28 872.67 1,635.68 Amory 156,382.59 180,169.99 808,918.76 822,926.74 Anguilla 1,538.62 1,850.69 8,571.10 8,873.74 Arcola 671.22 703.29 5,056.43 4,008.27 Artesia 2,068.81 668.89 18,016.50 3,532.63 Ashland 11,747.88 12,346.23 59,080.94 62,172.84 Baldwyn 41,288.18 44,331.74 223,292.63 218,819.23 Bassfield 12,284.61 12,916.61 62,790.47 67,499.69 Batesville 375,908.26 374,109.00 1,890,859.78 1,899,483.26 Bay Springs 58,206.30 53,754.26 292,363.29 280,818.64 Bay St. Louis 139,286.56 146,257.29 733,222.17 709,971.27 Beaumont 9,053.23 8,525.62 45,586.20 46,839.36 Beauregard 307.69 223.34 1,606.93 1,163.25 Belmont 28,758.92 28,552.68 141,678.97 139,145.23 Belzoni 31,653.68 32,803.65 170,794.68 173,175.85 Benoit 1,898.59 2,318.17 10,009.57 13,227.66 Bentonia 11,046.24 9,768.79 54,330.08 55,711.03 Beulah 264.86 318.53 1,308.57 1,708.44 Big Creek 240.97 296.69 1,311.12 1,545.90 Biloxi 1,017,624.24 1,047,939.06 5,393,191.49 5,575,037.47 Blue Mountain 9,540.79 10,865.01 51,253.82 51,539.42 Blue Springs 2,183.59 1,841.20 11,045.92 10,459.82 Bolton 15,901.20 15,135.83 74,281.61 73,043.30 Booneville 188,280.64 157,916.19 812,422.23 802,417.51 Boyle 16,962.33 19,709.89 105,550.14 113,865.10 Brandon 480,105.30 530,101.77 2,496,221.90 2,546,519.65 Braxton 1,398.49 1,368.38 6,620.79 7,321.33 Brookhaven 468,958.49 497,562.35 2,408,195.40 2,360,270.30 Brooksville 7,575.74 8,708.98 45,166.20 46,604.64 Bruce 42,089.68 45,202.92 202,868.73 201,533.57 Bude 12,005.38 12,128.65 56,291.82 56,490.16 Burnsville 14,616.83 14,271.88 72,516.77 73,795.79 Byhalia 85,706.74 61,850.55 403,641.34 323,380.80 Byram 236,774.93 230,383.60 1,245,184.76 1,184,938.06 Caledonia 14,194.16 14,859.77 72,599.82 75,768.58 Calhoun City 19,898.28 23,832.91 113,524.78 116,324.40 Canton 239,326.27 266,004.48 1,227,636.18 1,280,325.18 Carrollton 5,918.40 6,089.20 30,599.84 33,379.21 Carthage 141,134.06 139,856.32 720,465.41 728,426.04 Cary 1,185.32 2,194.36 4,992.49 7,820.54 Centreville 15,977.85 18,731.39 84,711.09 94,306.25 Charleston 27,149.74 30,188.63 141,714.56 147,065.71 Chunky 434.54 578.78 2,632.66 3,511.53 Clarksdale 221,703.75 218,751.18 1,098,205.82 1,066,991.45 Cleveland 335,353.60 325,761.07 1,630,024.12 1,543,599.75 Clinton 388,667.88 415,452.63 1,984,407.42 1,938,641.25 Coahoma 459.10 504.85 2,202.55 2,350.10 Coahoma Community College 155.07 0.46 951.74 894.74 Coffeeville 8,749.86 10,347.34 48,892.37 53,198.69 Coldwater 18,769.97 20,517.29 102,819.36 107,990.85 Collins 142,164.63 139,231.81 749,885.78 711,853.61 Columbia 259,891.53 260,580.72 1,348,540.69 1,328,763.65 Columbus 788,697.24 773,916.28 4,002,031.46 3,929,106.96 Como 16,688.89 15,305.18 75,905.41 83,432.70 Corinth 498,832.91 497,574.18 2,588,364.61 2,552,586.46 Courtland 1,108.08 1,284.04 5,412.93 6,755.70 Crawford 1,421.98 1,422.69 7,236.08 7,547.76 Crenshaw 5,216.17 5,119.74 26,366.94 27,230.94 Crosby 1,352.98 1,190.15 3,887.64 5,353.51 Crowder 1,906.23 2,287.10 9,502.87 10,267.40 Cruger 307.64 324.96 1,615.69 1,788.48 Crystal Springs 63,979.70 63,425.15 330,541.10 325,879.18 D’Iberville 642,226.63 611,082.66 3,351,399.23 3,179,273.51 D’Lo 1,123.93 1,667.05 6,900.40 43,896.75 Decatur 12,408.45 14,117.47 64,954.76 66,054.22 Dekalb 14,344.23 18,530.06 82,718.14 93,804.96 Derma 8,891.28 8,724.85 49,784.98 46,069.57 Diamondhead 55,582.97 58,324.24 285,575.14 298,601.57 Doddsville 623.80 627.65 3,044.71 3,241.94 Drew 6,226.21 6,757.81 30,937.71 33,877.77 Duck Hill 3,167.54 3,829.22 17,021.54 21,178.85 Dumas 1,996.50 913.94 10,638.74 4,866.52 Duncan 83.80 512.95 83.80 4,239.55 Durant 37,238.38 32,861.79 179,372.55 197,199.45 East Mississippi CC 41.82 85.07 1,306.94 1,413.87 Ecru 10,615.19 9,514.17 57,801.72 50,688.40 Eden 248.36 85.16 1,248.43 423.64 Edwards 5,680.58 6,097.62 31,695.27 31,543.58 Ellisville 84,029.04 80,062.32 432,685.04 396,246.48 Enterprise 5,002.35 5,115.58 27,062.06 27,581.43 Ethel 2,091.02 2,039.03 11,050.26 11,595.41 Eupora 30,174.26 37,264.32 173,742.23 175,051.98 Falcon 58.64 98.26 307.14 939.06 Falkner 6,400.88 5,717.33 28,645.32 27,319.58 Farmington 5,229.21 5,370.43 28,266.18 28,371.19 Fayette 15,797.02 15,600.52 82,768.28 78,574.84 Flora 20,696.15 30,706.84 136,743.05 160,692.97 Florence 63,461.81 76,612.04 327,456.95 373,352.99 Flowood 997,062.08 988,247.98 4,936,671.12 4,955,689.93 Forest 187,734.29 182,885.93 960,365.50 949,458.27 French Camp 1,881.05 1,407.93 8,548.01 6,668.12 Friars Point 2,456.21 3,091.67 11,423.52 18,763.74

Fulton 127,337.05 Gattman 93.27 Gautier 178,956.88 Georgetown 3,579.68 Glen 4,722.51 Glendora 323.26 Gloster 13,187.13 Golden 3,620.66 Goodman 3,970.68 Greenville 472,964.59 Greenwood 385,794.66 Grenada 376,465.02 Gulfport 1,829,058.78 Gunnison 753.10 Guntown 15,956.25 Hatley 1,531.91 Hattiesburg 1,845,824.54 Hazlehurst 116,251.05 Heidelberg 13,912.89 Hernando 324,747.28 Hickory 6,200.24 Hickory Flat 7,351.47 Hinds Community College 570.46 Hollandale 14,129.46 Holly Springs 107,747.33 Horn Lake 452,558.42 Houlka 8,071.12 Houston 95,323.67 Indianola 158,708.09 Inverness 4,518.63 Isola 2,074.01 Itta Bena 14,544.97 Iuka 68,431.78 Jackson 2,324,162.66 Jonestown 2,769.83 Jumpertown 1,578.51 Kilmichael 5,562.41 Kosciusko 177,098.77 Kossuth 3,459.06 Lake 24,886.60 Lambert 2,113.23 Laurel 730,673.34 Leakesville 24,561.31 Learned 1,069.12 Leland 41,604.21 Lena 1,702.00 Lexington 30,648.45 Liberty 20,988.22 Long Beach 137,706.75 Louin 2,985.70 Louise 1,878.86 Louisville 144,657.58 Lucedale 194,629.75 Lula 1,288.20 Lumberton 12,864.30 Lyon 1,877.49 Maben 8,139.33 Macon 46,794.68 Madison 741,778.60 Magee 188,233.70 Magnolia 42,868.65 Mantachie 16,497.57 Mantee 1,755.65 Marietta 4,248.10 Marion 19,620.58 Marks 14,286.02 Mathiston 16,955.43 Mayersville 667.21 McComb 438,998.73 McCool 274.55 McLain 3,438.26 Meadville 11,134.52 Mendenhall 58,770.09 Meridian 1,146,782.26 Merigold 6,609.20 Metcalfe 846.12 Mississippi Gulf Coast CC 531.10 Mississippi State University 30,537.51 Mississippi Valley State Univ. 2,318.05 Mize 5,934.27 Monticello 38,506.15 Montrose 633.74 Moorhead 7,833.00 Morgan City 522.18 Morton 18,624.61 Moss Point 172,443.05 Mound Bayou 4,063.07 Mt. Olive 8,238.33 Myrtle 3,794.81 Natchez 435,141.36 Nettleton 36,154.98 New Albany 273,637.44 New Augusta 10,981.35 New Hebron 6,349.61 Newton 83,285.62 North Carrollton 14,569.62 Noxapater 7,372.12 Oakland 6,027.08 Ocean Springs 467,644.67 Okolona 25,701.87 Olive Branch 912,018.85 Osyka 4,752.27 Oxford 913,928.83 Pace 416.42 Pachuta 3,521.98 Paden 156.92

129,472.99 127.11 183,692.75 3,531.42 4,444.48 315.55 11,111.95 4,335.66 3,263.46 475,815.17 377,057.78 366,994.84 1,858,946.50 930.62 19,284.91 1,530.28 1,843,441.43 108,296.22 17,437.43 309,005.17 9,629.00 6,320.36 1,035.40 13,498.78 112,774.62 454,009.86 7,760.23 90,831.34 151,937.05 4,046.39 1,807.55 12,899.89 69,082.59 2,439,756.97 2,734.72 1,506.93 5,455.93 186,113.60 4,455.12 22,313.58 2,444.97 748,830.28 25,328.96 854.45 54,916.81 2,212.53 29,061.97 21,121.99 145,429.58 2,459.78 1,778.06 144,268.07 184,177.84 1,431.46 11,921.97 1,700.71 7,550.46 47,809.55 716,349.71 177,650.44 41,512.51 16,747.42 1,904.00 4,342.26 19,092.53 15,695.83 15,594.67 679.13 438,078.31 560.68 3,709.83 12,081.21 53,413.25 1,136,163.71 6,885.63 991.51 523.86 20,065.42 1,297.87 11,264.75 39,405.04 154.93 7,162.67 549.90 39,276.57 180,379.23 4,265.80 8,276.92 3,846.02 434,931.16 28,493.51 280,535.25 11,428.56 6,141.67 80,411.39 2,597.00 8,200.15 6,406.14 441,245.54 24,153.41 907,727.32 5,375.46 919,315.46 470.26 3,092.93 67.82

646,413.40 477.21 953,806.68 18,858.69 20,890.14 1,460.43 67,401.42 19,435.29 20,885.39 2,392,912.65 1,888,491.74 1,923,411.27 9,515,127.28 3,405.34 80,521.92 8,252.86 9,303,457.87 579,712.11 74,414.11 1,614,394.09 49,498.00 33,343.89 3,997.10 71,854.68 555,456.01 2,369,804.68 41,150.70 463,885.74 780,685.52 25,296.38 10,053.61 62,742.59 368,506.74 11,528,212.40 14,962.28 9,086.62 28,910.08 885,794.58 19,048.46 123,529.28 10,988.83 3,810,636.75 130,738.94 5,205.23 229,599.50 9,073.62 158,328.75 104,556.34 646,451.42 15,257.27 9,508.26 739,354.79 965,341.21 4,633.43 67,213.89 9,184.58 37,074.88 245,166.88 3,741,767.57 952,818.15 214,928.89 84,132.69 9,690.31 22,290.88 97,925.48 73,857.06 85,396.41 3,391.02 2,279,370.35 1,318.36 21,056.10 55,676.02 303,725.29 5,806,024.82 35,990.97 4,330.12 2,257.58 160,486.20 4,272.06 40,907.12 196,475.42 4,024.24 37,282.31 2,366.20 187,165.97 873,177.42 19,947.67 43,429.11 20,969.06 2,141,328.35 172,937.11 1,435,275.37 58,104.65 31,544.37 416,540.20 25,127.93 38,680.65 33,628.68 2,225,438.26 122,519.95 4,753,163.11 25,954.19 4,062,882.15 2,127.31 18,690.53 763.04

638,645.99 660.97 939,762.56 18,558.61 27,723.51 1,958.57 57,890.87 19,943.21 17,205.22 2,468,526.70 1,874,808.80 1,878,140.06 9,379,530.35 3,841.33 87,320.86 8,616.65 9,363,073.81 559,936.22 87,913.32 1,539,451.75 40,244.58 33,774.21 4,057.44 74,186.35 571,672.67 2,203,585.91 41,485.39 446,115.53 753,421.61 23,738.51 9,602.66 59,327.89 384,338.31 12,063,085.54 14,503.26 8,455.23 29,349.78 895,581.27 23,646.90 110,293.56 10,367.55 3,719,044.04 132,018.31 4,487.90 257,465.46 11,412.56 158,007.03 107,316.10 630,387.15 11,670.76 6,468.83 743,892.64 929,540.48 5,484.76 68,167.33 9,072.85 38,018.13 237,700.22 3,565,643.36 905,123.51 215,213.52 92,022.84 10,707.54 22,729.99 95,241.21 78,288.65 79,524.32 3,691.57 2,278,337.98 2,800.19 19,577.60 56,267.80 284,344.08 5,754,824.75 34,551.50 4,858.08 3,275.02 156,562.41 4,345.34 56,369.78 201,776.80 948.80 37,147.07 2,654.35 199,074.05 891,717.11 19,605.95 43,062.61 21,422.95 2,136,615.79 153,427.08 1,434,660.78 59,427.91 30,527.23 404,175.72 16,799.26 41,509.96 34,525.37 2,156,291.79 119,691.62 4,444,888.39 25,978.79 4,084,813.48 2,252.08 16,730.51 324.37

Dec. 14 - 27, 2019

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Mississippi Business Journal

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11

Pascagoula 447,728.28 453,462.57 2,268,626.29 2,227,950.77 Pass Christian 128,105.81 122,063.13 648,556.04 635,721.55 Paulding 56.27 102.18 281.96 565.19 Pearl 912,443.29 835,254.95 4,627,678.84 4,257,889.73 Pelahatchie 28,219.98 31,306.07 153,639.91 166,303.68 Petal 221,262.78 220,021.83 1,130,476.22 1,122,855.75 Philadelphia 344,799.74 333,419.18 1,768,907.18 1,729,557.71 Picayune 383,223.16 407,843.32 1,986,432.49 1,993,021.51 Pickens 7,553.79 7,004.04 29,844.75 34,070.12 Pittsboro 694.43 1,528.83 7,825.54 8,452.96 Plantersville 4,799.86 8,184.99 33,480.90 39,271.83 Polkville 1,191.05 1,256.04 6,879.04 6,736.92 Pontotoc 213,605.60 204,347.77 1,057,040.30 1,026,840.90 Pope 4,189.81 4,327.36 22,671.04 24,810.92 Poplarville 79,156.01 83,073.23 419,536.14 410,426.68 Port Gibson 28,502.60 28,558.98 152,193.48 140,740.26 Potts Camp 6,938.57 8,017.25 33,902.26 36,458.89 Prentiss 29,959.58 30,050.62 156,636.73 162,941.34 Puckett 9,383.08 8,554.76 46,574.61 43,189.55 Purvis 70,538.29 68,843.04 377,494.05 342,125.17 Quitman 47,893.33 46,109.30 239,451.00 232,147.75 Raleigh 16,690.76 17,979.24 86,471.90 87,754.32 Raymond 19,772.30 19,539.73 102,190.99 101,494.26 Renova 4,486.90 4,632.05 20,135.22 19,978.90 Richland 538,867.66 507,371.17 2,792,005.14 2,525,757.29 Richton 25,823.00 27,951.02 142,934.50 142,032.77 Ridgeland 1,058,749.19 1,104,680.24 5,548,673.39 5,477,711.70 Rienzi 3,349.59 3,480.49 17,762.90 20,447.93 Ripley 120,635.22 117,284.74 597,924.49 607,151.76 Rolling Fork 39,504.43 35,783.17 174,185.35 168,019.68 Rosedale 9,468.81 10,189.08 46,901.10 50,538.57 Roxie 2,968.14 3,220.97 15,430.55 15,561.02 Ruleville 21,069.06 20,369.27 105,865.60 102,614.82 Sallis 532.65 1,326.06 2,783.59 7,217.34 Saltillo 73,389.40 69,111.09 431,391.38 366,482.54 Sandersville 8,442.94 26,264.16 69,738.18 81,124.86 Sardis 24,249.05 25,014.25 132,837.03 136,495.82 Satartia 100.02 136.26 490.98 1,243.73 Schlater 901.05 1,160.92 5,694.83 5,743.80 Scooba 7,228.86 8,042.23 37,873.45 39,341.16 Sebastopol 15,595.67 16,443.64 79,807.53 82,421.14 Seminary 13,628.89 13,395.96 67,627.87 70,573.58 Senatobia 191,880.61 186,504.75 957,796.41 955,606.83 Shannon 9,324.64 10,551.44 54,333.13 55,408.47 Shaw 5,897.75 5,792.52 15,107.91 31,531.06 Shelby 10,839.61 9,569.47 52,331.20 50,009.53 Sherman 42,120.44 37,994.58 232,212.23 198,603.03 Shubuta 3,462.94 3,104.41 17,725.56 17,235.59 Shuqualak 1,992.79 1,832.48 11,517.14 8,972.71 Sidon 383.49 420.45 2,017.35 3,658.09 Silver City 270.40 344.59 1,403.88 1,785.66 Silver Creek 2,186.06 2,324.41 10,690.12 12,386.01 Slate Springs 220.89 287.18 845.37 1,237.18 Sledge 1,528.31 1,562.99 6,731.38 7,386.83 Smithville 5,502.87 5,780.73 29,252.92 29,640.45 Snow Lake Shores 140.18 158.02 621.92 690.80 Soso 9,834.94 9,146.15 50,548.03 53,107.60 Southaven 1,209,167.61 1,181,006.19 6,156,270.15 6,190,111.62 Southwest Mississippi CC 104.89 123.14 554.71 577.38 Starkville 609,687.48 595,426.36 3,081,417.99 3,089,512.02 State Line 8,593.40 9,136.04 46,613.29 49,828.96 Stonewall 4,958.65 5,164.02 27,035.41 28,101.75 Sturgis 2,357.83 2,556.53 13,638.43 17,221.81 Summit 36,012.74 36,831.28 183,591.32 188,413.72 Sumner 2,571.09 3,121.11 14,371.59 18,082.33 Sumrall 50,522.70 49,331.62 252,166.20 253,140.60 Sunflower 2,375.41 2,274.08 12,377.46 13,675.81 Sylvarena 303.19 619.13 977.82 1,379.12 Taylor 2,353.48 1,470.49 10,427.96 10,720.75 Taylorsville 20,961.32 23,504.16 112,044.47 120,400.78 Tchula 4,791.38 5,795.11 25,446.82 32,094.56 Terry 22,261.59 28,041.81 115,969.15 130,364.15 Thaxton 3,465.16 3,634.90 19,895.31 20,226.89 Tishomingo 12,986.38 14,351.76 68,603.42 69,293.68 Toccopola 629.12 663.39 3,231.91 3,540.27 Tremont 1,842.40 2,062.14 10,567.63 9,750.78 Tunica 27,409.61 32,064.06 126,300.70 171,402.20 Tupelo 1,755,158.08 1,743,488.06 8,833,936.53 8,727,568.39 Tutwiler 5,891.61 4,800.44 27,577.07 23,751.43 Tylertown 47,994.41 49,798.41 263,119.90 269,850.31 Union 23,430.46 23,521.28 120,922.30 118,445.12 University Of Mississippi 19,322.06 15,682.33 247,246.77 53,190.47 Utica 7,190.95 8,379.44 38,463.68 40,357.63 Vaiden 8,665.79 10,077.04 51,331.45 42,267.54 Vardaman 12,247.91 11,993.16 57,089.65 58,400.82 Verona 19,702.78 20,058.88 105,859.73 99,975.15 Vicksburg 625,768.63 663,418.23 3,199,956.74 3,261,937.99 Walls 8,446.88 6,858.09 49,997.08 42,114.11 Walnut 20,877.58 21,298.50 107,498.62 108,439.21 Walnut Grove 4,230.70 4,817.02 23,295.21 25,656.89 Walthall 2,393.64 1,212.41 15,272.97 6,862.19 Water Valley 38,576.80 40,797.30 207,169.79 218,664.90 Waveland 192,191.12 202,219.32 1,063,425.86 1,070,954.81 Waynesboro 169,899.56 175,421.74 879,418.78 904,836.03 Webb 6,953.33 7,356.70 38,058.69 36,911.71 Weir 3,234.84 3,123.04 18,943.70 17,222.07 Wesson 14,873.52 13,952.40 72,233.86 68,387.21 West 814.78 944.90 4,276.22 4,810.32 West Point 211,847.67 176,491.22 972,269.70 849,539.01 Wiggins 164,325.76 156,850.92 821,812.39 792,426.94 Winona 72,351.31 78,352.37 371,972.69 386,383.19 Winstonville 241.31 272.92 1,285.50 1,139.30 Woodland 5,975.11 3,566.28 33,238.45 29,705.94 Woodville 24,364.77 28,304.54 134,543.78 147,161.74 Yazoo City 176,332.94 164,489.92 865,511.32 837,321.24 Total $36,770,387.36 $36,863,498.89 $186,919,288.90 $184,919,678.16

Dec. 14 - 27, 2019 • MISSISSIPPI BUSINESS JOURNAL • www.msbusiness.com

AN MBJ FOCUS: Economic Development

Graduates of USM’s Master’s in Economic Development in high demand

By BECKY GILLETTE mbj@msbusiness.com For the past 40 years, the University of Southern Mississippi has been offering a Master of Science in Economic Development (MSED) program aimed at honing the talents of people who work to help communities prosper and grow. Graduates are working at many of the most successful economic development organizations in Mississippi and other states.

“The master’s program in economic development at Southern Mississippi has a rich history and is highly regarded around the [country] among economic development practitioners,” said Chad E. Newell, president of the Edwards Area Development Partnership in Hattiesburg. “The firm foundation was laid by Dr. Ron Swager, who led the program for 20 years.

Many professors, students, and alums have invested significantly in the program to help build and maintain its reputation over the last 40 years. As a graduate of the program, I am proud of the lineage and look forward to the program’s Miller prosperous future.”

The MSED is the only program like it in the state, and one of only about a half dozen in the United States that focus on local economic development, said Chad R. Miller, Ph.D, director of the program in the USM College of Business & Economic Development. The program has a 100 percent placement rate.

“We just really can’t get enough good people coming in to meet the demand,” Miller said. “I hate to turn away these good job opportunities.

The students who come in with good soft skills are really employable after graduation. We do internships and regularly I don’t have enough students to fill these, many of which are in rural communities.

We are trying to get these communities to identify the sharp kids who are going away to college who might be interested in economic development, and educate them so they can turn around and come back home to make a difference.”

Another graduate of the program, Ashley Edwards, president and CEO of the Gulf Coast Business Council, said the curriculum prepared him to be a thought leader for the new economy--one that combines a variety of innovative approaches aimed at creating holistic economic sustainability in a region.

Courtesy of University of Southern Mississippi

Classroom for the ED 646 Business Attraction and Retention course.

“I use the lessons learned at USM every day … in our ongoing work to promote the attraction of talent and capital to Coastal Mississippi,” Edwards said.

Economic development is much more competitive today, particularly for rural communities.

Miller said it is a real challenge to compete. Talent management and quality of place have become huge factors.

It used to be that companies would locate in a community and the work force would follow.

But Miller said these days it works the other way around: Companies follow the talent.

“So, you need to be attracting and retaining a skilled workforce,” Miller said. “It is important to look at what companies prioritize as the most important site selection factor, which is usually having a skilled workforce. You need to have that environment where the skilled workforce wants to go because they can go about anywhere and get a job.”

The economic development field has evolved a lot in the past 20 years. There is a lot more science to it than before.

“It used to be cigars and backroom deals,” Miller said. “Now companies and site selectors are becoming very sophisticated with data analysis. They will come to a community knowing everything about that community before they come. That is why websites are so important. Most communities are getting screened out before they even know

about it because they don’t have good data on their websites.”

It is important, also, to show that you have done your homework on the companies before they come for a site visit. An example Miller gives is the preparation done by Joe Max Higgins to attract the Yokohama tire plant and 2,000 jobs to the Golden Triangle.

CBS News 60 Minutes reported that Yokohama evaluated 3,100 counties across the U.S. “It was Higgins’ job to prove to Yokohama’s chairman that the Golden Triangle was the company’s best bet,” 60 minutes reported. “He had his employees learn about Japanese culture, and he personally studied up on tire manufacturing, so he could speak to Yokohama workers about the process.”

Higgins also made sure that each of his employee’s vehicles used to transport the Yokohama officials was outfitted with Yokohama tires.

An advantage of the MCED program is that most of it is done online in the evening allowing people who are employed regular office hours to attend. The core classes are delivered with a weekly evening webinar.

“With the webinar, we can bring in speakers from across the country or the world,” Miller said. “Students also come in one weekend in the fall and one See MSED, Page 14

Economic Development

Dec. 14 - 27, 20199

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Mississippi Business Journal

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State’s 2019 top economic projects bring jobs, investments

By LYNN LOFTON mbj@msbusiness.com As 2019 comes to a close, a look back reveals the state’s top economic development projects that are bringing jobs and investments to several counties.

Among the top eight projects listed by the Mississippi Development Authority, 2,205 new jobs were created with an investment of $469.5 million. Locations in the state receiving these boosts include the counties of DeSoto, Lee, Hancock, George, Jackson, and Newton. The industry sectors include ship building, aerospace, health care, timber and technology.

The largest eight projects of 2019 include the following: » Amazon, $100 million capital investment, 500 jobs » Fresenius (Spectra Labs), $88 million, 300 jobs » Enviva, $85 million, 90 jobs » Relativity Space, $59 million, 190 jobs » ESCO, $50 million, 150 jobs » General Atomics, $50 million, 75 jobs » VT Halter Marine, $37.5 million, 900 jobs The Amazon consumer fulfillment center in Olive Branch is the second such facility in north Mississippi. A center was opened in Marshall County in 2018. At the time the announcement was made for the new center, Gov. Phil Bryant called it “a tremendous milestone for DeSoto County and our entire state.”

Another new company, Spectra Laboratories, a wholly owned subsidiary of Fresenius Medical Care North America, also broke ground in Southhaven this year. The nation’s leading provider of kidney care products and services is locating a 200,000-square-foot laboratory that is expected to create more than 300 jobs over the next three years strengthening the state’s foothold in the health care industry.

Aerospace company Relativity is expanding its rocket component production and rocket engine testing operations at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Hancock County. Jobs created by this project will increase Relativity’s Stennis Space Center employment to 200 workers. Relativity is

the first and only company to integrate metal 3D printing, robotics and software to build and launch rockets in days instead of years. The company develops its own launchers and rocket engines for commercial orbital launch services.

“We look forward to working together to bring more innovation, economic development and job growth to the Gulf Coast and progressing American space leadership. The integration of our 3D printing rocket production and testing facilities on one site will enable Relativity to offer greater flexibility to commercial and government entities needing faster, more frequent and lower cost access to space,” said Jordan Noone, cofounder and CTO of Relativity.

Scotland-based mining equipment

manufacturer The Weir Group is investing an additional $15 million in its Newton manufacturing facility as part of a total $50 million plan. When the investment plan is complete, employment will increase to more than 400 workers.

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems is increasing its manufacturing capacity in Shannon to accommodate the addition of a new product line. It’s the company’s 11th expansion in 14 years.

“General Atomics’ continued investment in Lee County and creation of so many jobs over the years speaks to the fact that we have a top-notch manufacturing work force,” Bryant said.

Enviva’s Wood Pellet plant in George County is creating 300 construction

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jobs and 250 indirect timber-related jobs in addition to the 90 full-time jobs with the plant. Enviva will produce nearly 700 thousand tons of wood pellets a year. A planned shipping terminal will take the product to Pascagoula.

Thanks to a $745 million contract with the U.S. Coast Guard, VT Halter Marine is expanding its Pascagoula shipyard and its workforce. The 900 jobs will be created over the next five years. The contract with the Coast Guard is for the design and construction of a Polar Security Cutter, the first heavy icebreaker constructed in the last four decades. VT Halter Marine expects to deliver the Polar Security Cutter to the U.S. Coast Guard in 2024.

“For the most part, our facility was already sufficient to build it. We had the depth to build it. But we have to reinforce a lot of the things we do. At the same time we want to modernize our shipyard,” said Ron Baczkowski, president and CEO of VT Halter Marine.

“We are looking at this as a transformational opportunity. To not just make the ice breakers but modernize Halter Marine.”

The Mississippi Development Authority is making a significant investment in the project by providing a $12.5 million grant for a dry dock and $1.5 million for workforce training.

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Economic Development

14 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q Dec. 14 - 27, 2019

Top 20 Economic Development Projects

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weekend in the spring and have a faceto-face gathering. People will ďŹ&#x201A;y in for the weekend. Networking and personal connections are so important in economic development, so you need to keep some of the face-to-face. For the in-person training, students do group projects and guided exercises where get to work with their colleagues. It is likely the people in the class will be working closely and relying on each other for many years.â&#x20AC;?

One take-home lesson is economic development is a team sport. Economic developers need to be team leaders to get local, county and state elected officials, school board members and utility companies to make the best appeal to potential new or expanding businesses.

Part of that effort is to enhance the areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quality of life. Businesses want to locate in areas that have good schools, prepared sites, shopping and entertainment options, and a reasonable cost of living.

One place where Mississippi can sometimes have an edge is in the cost of living.

Students are also taught the ethical code. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You need to act and have the best interests of the community in mind,â&#x20AC;?

Miller said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If do something and it comes out in the paper, will you be happy about it? Unfortunately, there have been a few ethical issues involving conďŹ&#x201A;ict of interests

Courtesy of University of Southern Mississippi

Class on tour at facility.

with economic developers. You hear about them every so often when people abuse their civic duty. We emphasize ethical behavior and doing what is right for the community.â&#x20AC;?

While the economic development arena in Mississippi is largely dominated by white men, Miller said that is changing.

He is seeing more women and African Americans in the MCED program and is

seeing more advance in economic development organizations. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is going to be a lot of retirement coming up,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m optimistic we will see more diversity in the profession with women and African Americans. The profession is becoming more diverse, but it just takes time.â&#x20AC;?

USM has also joined with three other universitiesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Clemson University in

South Carolina, Texas Christian University and the University of Alabama--to create the Advanced Economic Development Leadership executive education course, an experiential two-week program designed speciďŹ cally for mid- and senior-level economic developers who want to examine contemporary issues on a deeper level. For more information, see https://advancedeconomicdevelopmentleadership.com/.

Nonprofit Awards

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Dec. 14 - 27, 2019

Q

Mississippi Business Journal

2019 CLASS

2nd Chance Mississippi ................................................... 17

Lynn Meadows Discovery Center ..................................22

American Heart Association ........................................... 17

Madison County Business League and Foundation ....22

Baddour Center ................................................................. 17

Methodist Children’s Homes of Mississippi ................22

Bradley Foundation .......................................................... 17

Mississippi Alliance of Nonprofits and Philanthropy ..22

CASA of Hancock County ...............................................18

Mississippi Center for Justice ........................................23

Catch-A-Dream Foundation............................................18

Mississippi Children’s Museum ......................................23

Columbus Arts Council ...................................................18

Mississippi Coding Academy .........................................23

Columbus-Lowndes Habitat for Humanity ...................18

Mississippi Council on Economic Education ...............23

Community Foundation of East Mississippi ................ 19

Mississippi Heritage Trust ..............................................24

Crossroads Ministries ..................................................... 19

Mississippi Nurses Foundation ......................................24

Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi............................... 19

Mississippi Society for Disabilities, Inc. ........................24

Ever Reaching Community Outreach ........................... 19

Mississippi Tourism Association ...................................24

Extra Table ........................................................................20

Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project .........................25

For Brown Girls ................................................................20

R3SM, Inc..........................................................................25

Girls Scout of Greater Mississippi.................................20

Ridgeland Chamber of Commerce ...............................25

Goodwill Industries of Mississippi .................................20

Stewpot .............................................................................25

Harbor House ....................................................................21

United Way of Lowndes & Noxubee County ................26

Innovate Mississippi .........................................................21

Womens Resource Center..............................................26

Jackson Heart Foundation ...............................................21

Event photos .................................................................... 16

Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain ................21

TO NOMINATE FOR FUTURE CLASSES PLEASE GO ONLINE www.msbusiness.com/events/mississippi-nonprofit-awards

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16 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q Dec. 14 - 27, 2019

Nonprofit Awards

2019

Special event of the Mississippi Business Journal

Photos by Stegall Imagery

Nonprofit Awards

Dec. 14 - 27, 2019

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Mississippi Business Journal

2nd Chance Mississippi

American Heart Association (Jackson)

nd Chance Mississippi raises awareness and funds for adult education and work skills in Mississippi. Specifically, it develops and funds programs that provide needed support and removes barriers for lower-income adults who need a high school equivalency and/or a world force credential.

Unfortunately, Mississippi currently has the highest percentage of adults in the United State without a high school diploma (18 percent) and the second lowest labor participation rate (53 percent).

However, Mississippi has the best community college system in the nation and ranks first in charitable giving. The focus and 2nd Chance of Mississippi is to use these advantages to increase the education, skills and employability of Mississippi’s adult work force.

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Baddour Center

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings Charitable Foundation

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aul Baddour passed away in 1973, leaving a generous sum of money and a charge to his family for them to use the money for a charitable purpose. With gifts from business associates, friends, and family, Baddour Memorial Center was founded in 1978.

It has been pouring its heart into serving adults with intellectual disabilities ever since.

Baddour Memorial Center – now simply called The Baddour Center — began with five residents but now serves 150 men and women who live on campus and additional day clients who live in the surrounding communities. Baddour residents represent many states across our nation. And the Baddour Center is celebrating its 40th anniversary in December and looks forward to many more years of serving residents and their families.

he American Heart Association works tirelessly to bring awareness and education to Mississippians about overall health. Through events like the Heart Walk, Heart Ball and the Go Red For Women Luncheon, the AHA brings the community together, raises funds for life-saving research, and educates people about how to incrementally decrease their risk for cardiovascular diseases.

Funding research is at the heart of what they do. By funding more than $3 million of research right here in Mississippi, they’ve propelled breakthroughs that have saved and improved thousands of lives.

The AHA depends on the generosity of its donors and sponsors, and the time and talent of our many volunteers, to help move them toward a world free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

radley is committed to and has a long history of supporting charitable, educational, and civic organizations that serves the communities in which it lives and works. In 2017 alone, Bradley contributed more than $885,000, and its attorneys and staff volunteered more than 17,100 hours to organizations serving the community and the underprivileged in the areas of education, health care, medical research, poverty relief, homelessness, and the arts.

Established in 2010, the Bradley Arant Boult Cummings Charitable Foundation coordinates the firm’s charitable giving and encourages engagement by its attorneys, staff, and clients in the charitable and civic organizations that it is proud to support.

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18 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q Dec. 14 - 27, 2019

Nonprofit Awards

CASA of Hancock County

Catch-A-Dream Foundation

ASA of Hancock County recruits, trains and supports a diverse volunteer base of community members who advocate for the abused and neglected children of Hancock County. CASA of Hancock County has increased its number of volunteers by 400 percent over the last five years.

Currently, CASA is serving 84 percent of the children in foster care with a goal a providing every child a CASA by the end of this year. CASA maintains diversification in terms of funding and maintains fiscally sounded business practices. CASA of Hancock County also works closely with the Youth Court, Mississippi Child Protection Services and other stakeholders in terms of child welfare training and best practices.

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Columbus Arts Council

Columbus-Lowndes Habitat for Humanity

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he Columbus Arts Council supports and promotes individual creativity, cultural preservation, and lifelong learning through the arts, both locally and throughout the region. Its goal is to inspire a diverse audience and create a sense of community by engaging all forms of art. The Columbus Arts Council provides several services to the community and the Golden Triangle.

It is one of the largest facilities in the state. Its long-time commitment to the arts in Lowndes County has provided quality programming to enhance the quality of life in the community. It continues to evolve and strive to make Columbus a better place to live through the arts.

Organized in 1965 and incorporated in 1971, the Columbus Arts Council is located in the heart of Downtown Columbus in the Rosenzweig Arts Center. Its facility features, a sales and exhibit gallery, classroom spaces, state of the art theater and meeting rooms.

he Catch-A-Dream mission provides not only the opportunity to “catch an outdoor dream,” but also to provide spiritual encouragement that is often so badly needed by children and youth. It is this very message of Christian hope, promised in Isaiah 40:31, that seeks to instill in these children and their families. Catch A Dream uses hunting and fishing as opportune tools to expose these children to the wonders of God that await them in the outdoors, away from the bleak and sterile world of medical facilities, treatments, and hospital gowns, but in the presence of the Creator who is the Author of real Hope.

On each trip, these children and the family members who accompany them are surrounded by outdoors-minded people who understand these children are often “…sick and tired of being sick and tired!” A designated and specially trained Catch-ADream Volunteer Host accompanies each family and, together with the outfitters and local volunteers, facilitates their dream experience. They love and nurture them through the strong personal relationships that inevitably are forged in the lodge, on the stream, or in the woods.

he goal of Columbus-Lowndes Habitat for Humanity (CLHFC) is to eliminate poverty housing in Lowndes County by increasing the number of families who receive the keys to their new homes. Those keys represent safety, security and a reasonable chance at a better future. The new homes families help build will affect their trajectory for generations.

With an affordable, stable home, families have more to spend on food, medicine, childcare, education and other essentials.

In addition to building decent, safe, affordable housing in our community, CLHFH is very proactive in seeking new ways to improve the lives of our residents in terms of decent and safe shelter.

CLHFH collaborates with grassroots organizations and other non-profits, to local, state and federal agencies to address housing needs in our community. From wheelchair ramps to disaster relief following tornados, CLHFH initiates work or is called upon as a reliable partner to respond.

Nonprofit Awards

Dec. 14 - 27, 2019

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Mississippi Business Journal

Community Foundation of East Mississippi

Crossroads Ministries

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Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi

Ever Reaching Community Outreach

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he Community Foundation of East Mississippi (CFEM) is a public charity dedicated to maintaining, improving and enriching the quality of life in East Mississippi by supporting worthy causes, providing philanthropic services, and encouraging and providing leadership in response to changing community needs. We are a catalyst for charitable giving where civic-minded individuals, families, and businesses can meet their philanthropic goals. The Foundation meets this mission by developing and managing a comprehensive base of funds— an expanding pool of charitable dollars, permanently committed to meeting the needs of the people of East Mississippi.

CFEM serves a five-county area, Lauderdale, Kemper, Neshoba, Newton and Clarke.

CFEM is supporting and enhancing a wide variety of programs and initiatives required to maintain a vibrant and vital community. Acting as a convener of divergent interests, CFEM encourages cooperation and collaboration to move projects forward. Partnerships may include private and corporate foundations, businesses, civic groups, nonprofits, and local, state and federal agencies.

he Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi has championed the health of Mississippi children and adults with diabetes since 1965. The goal of the DFM is to care for the 373,000 Mississippians who have type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

That is accomplished through diabetes awareness and advocacy campaigns in Mississippi, through educational programs for health professionals and the lay public, emergency medical assistance for patients with diabetes, and diabetes training programs for schools, daycare and the workplace.

It also operates Camp Kandu, a camp for children and their families, to become more educated about managing diabetes while the children of all ages make new friends and learn about diabetes; We Care 2 is a program where they visit newly diagnosed children and their families in the hospital and provide a backpack including fun toys, information for the parents, and diabetes supplies to help families have the supplies to test and treat the highs and lows of diabetes.

rossroads Ministries offers a primary care home that focuses on physical, emotional and spiritual healing. The ladies attend several hours of classes for instruction to achieve the goals they have for their lives. Crossroads has an after care home that helps with getting the ladies jobs and saving money.

It helps with transportation to their jobs, doctor visits and attending weekly Celebrate Recover meetings.

It also operates a Thrift Resale Store which helps the ladies and serves the community.

ver Reaching Community Outreach is a faith-based nonprofit whose mission is to reach out to help individuals and families in need. Donations it receives of baby items, clothes, food, housewares, furniture and appliances are collected, sorted and housed at two locations, and offered freely to those who need them. It also serves as a food pantry at both locations, and provide assistance to individuals, families, elderly, widows and veterans in multiple counties across the state.

It partners with and shares a location with Mississippi Community Education Center’s FAMILIES FIRST OF MISSISSIPPI, serving as their Rankin County resource center. When individuals come to ERCO for physical items and food assistance, they are made aware and have access to Families First’s programs that stimulate employment through job readiness, support family financial stability, promote literacy, increase graduation rates, support positive youth development, and promote parenting skills development.

It is part of a large network and hopes to continue finding ways to reach out and help those in need. Since 2012, it has relied solely on private donations.

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Nonprofit Awards

20 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q Dec. 14 - 27, 2019

Extra Table

For Brown Girls

xtra Table is a partnership launched by well-known restaurateur Robert St. John, in 2009, making a difference in the lives of Mississippians by fundraising in order to stock food pantries and soup kitchens across the state with wholesome nutritious food.

In 2009, St. John received a call from the Edwards Street Fellowship Center in Hattiesburg. Simply put, they had run out of food. Being a 30-year veteran of the restaurant industry, he figured the fastest, easiest way to get food to the pantry would be to call his Sysco sales representative, place an order, and have the truck drop the order at the agency’s doorstep the next day. St. John quickly realized that there were other feeding agencies throughout the state with the same need and decided to approach Sysco...and Extra Table was born.

St. John says: “At the end of the day, do I want to be the guy who fed people filet mignon, or do I want to be the guy who fed people canned tuna? It’s an easy answer. Canned tuna wins every time.”

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Girl Scouts of Greater Mississippi

Goodwill Industries of Mississippi

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irl Scouts are much more than cookies. Girl Scouting helps build girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place. Girl Scouts of Greater Mississippi has approximately 10,700 members of which almost 7,900 are under the age of 14. The educational programs include anti-bulling and financial literacy.

Adapting to the times with working parents, the InSchool Program is a way to allow girls who stay after school to participate in a well-guided after-school program.

n 2015, Kia Monique Jones envisioned a group of women consuming knowledge and strategically assisting in advocating for those who are disadvantaged in Mississippi.

On that day, For Brown Girls, Inc. was born. For Brown Girls represents a group of women from all walks of life. The mission is to uplift, motivate, and cultivate the minds of women of color. For Brown Girls empowers women to fulfill their dreams and promote positive change in their communities.

For Brown Girls is dedicated to empowering women and girls to lead, create a future, and transform their world. Too many good ideas for making the world a better place go unheard or unrealized. For Brown Girls wants to address these ideas.

It provides safe learning environments where people receive opportunities in the significance of health, education and leadership benefits. Projects might be hands-on or they could be projects that are supported by our organization raising money and awareness.

From poverty to health, to education, the areas of focus offer the opportunity to dramatically improve the quality of life.

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oodwill was founded in Boston, in 1902 by Rev. Edgar Helms offering jobs to people with disabilities and other barriers by refurbishing donated goods. In 1957, Goodwill of Mississippi was created through a partnership with the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services. Over those 62 years, Goodwill of Mississippi has thrived, covering 59 counties throughout Mississippi.

While perceived as a thrift store, it is much more.

Goodwill is a social enterprise company that creates jobs, provides work force development opportunities that result in life-changing job opportunities and training to Mississippians with disabilities or other barriers to employment. Goodwill of Mississippi is comprised of a local Board of Directors, a local CEO and management team, local employees and a local all-volunteer auxiliary – Goodwill Industry Volunteer Services (GIVS).

Goodwill of Mississippi exists because of caring Mississippians. There is no Goodwill without the community it serves.

It cannot exist without its donors, shoppers, or employees. By donating and shopping from the community, vital job training and employment opportunities are provided to Mississippians who need it most.

Nonprofit Awards

Dec. 14 - 27, 2019

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Mississippi Business Journal

Harbor House Chemical Dependency Services

Innovate Mississippi

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Jackson Heart Foundation

Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain

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arbor Houses of Jackson Chemical Dependency Services, was founded in 1973 to provide residential treatment services for adult men and women. The Mission is to offer a continuum of high quality, affordable, and effective chemical dependency treatment services and programs for adults and their families, including those who cannot afford private treatment facilities.

In 2000, Harbor House moved all program services to our 9-acre main campus located at 5354 I-55 South Frontage Road East, Jackson. It currently has a 90bed capacity, which includes 20 female residential beds, 43 male residential beds and 27 beds for the Sonny Montgomery VA Medical center. In the 45 years Harbor House has been operating, it has treated more than 16,000 patients and their families.

ackson Heart Foundation was founded in August 2009 by Dr. Harper Stone, with the idea of improving cardiovascular health and awareness in the Jackson Metro area. Funds raised through efforts of the JHF are guaranteed to be used for local improvements in cardiovascular health. Such programs implemented by JHF include replacing fryers in school kitchens with combi ovens, CPR training in schools and local businesses, and educational gardens, among other programs.

JHF is excited as it passes the 10-year mark, as it has made a real impact in cardiovascular health in the community.

JHF does not offer any products or services. As a non profit organization, it serves the community through philanthropic support and funding of local community projects that align with the mission to lead the fight against heart disease in our community through education, prevention and early detection.

nnovate Mississippi helps strengthen and grow the culture of innovation throughout Mississippi. Through accelerating startups and driving entrepreneurship, Innovate Mississippi has had a significant economic impact on the state of Mississippi. Innovate Mississippi provides free assistance to entrepreneurs who need advice and connections to investor, service providers and mentors. Innovate Mississippi has helped create over 1,300 new companies and connected them with over $176 million in seed and venture capital. Over 3,220 jobs were created by those companies with a state cost of $1,550 per job.

Innovate Mississippi was formed in 1998 as Mississippi Technology with the mission to champion technology–based economic development in Mississippi. The following year 1999, the first Mississippi Conference on high technology was held in Jackson. In 2000, the legislative approved funding of MTA. 2001, the name was changed to Mississippi Technology Alliance. In 2008, MTA held the first Innovators Hall of Fame Gala and a Business Plan Competition. In 2012, MTA rebranded as Innovate Mississippi.

he Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain (LTMCP) has worked for almost two decades to preserve open and natural spaces in a mostly urban setting. In that time, LTMCP has protected over 10,400 acres of open space including properties of ecological, cultural, and scenic value.

Lands are restored to their natural native ecology and, when possible, made available for public access.

This work is completed mostly by volunteers who are training for future jobs and gaining valuable work experience. Throughout its existence, LTMCP has maintained a low overhead with a maximum of 3 full time and one part time paid employees.

In 2000, environmental groups and business leaders sponsored a workshop for private citizens, corporations, and public agencies to discuss the importance of protected lands to the coastal communities. The direct result of this workshop was the formation of LTMCP whose mission is to conserve, promote, and protect open spaces and green places of ecological, cultural, and scenic significance in the Mississippi Coastal Plain.

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Nonprofit Awards

Lynn Meadows Discovery Center

Madison County Business League and Foundation

oday, more than 400 children’s museums throughout the United States break the rules of traditional museums by encouraging visitors to touch, talk, interact and have fun.

The exhibits are catalysts for questions, exploration and discovery, and the entire facility is a playground for the mind. Lynn Meadows Discovery Center is happy to be among those many museums and is proud to have been the first children’s museum in Mississippi.

Located in the renovated Mississippi City Elementary School, constructed in 1915 and an architectural exhibition itself, Lynn Meadows Discovery Center offers 15,000 square feet of indoor exhibit space, seven and a half acres of outdoor play space, a spacious theatre, Viking kitchen and other great facilities for community use.

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Methodist Children’s Homes of Mississippi

Mississippi Alliance of Nonprofits and Philanthropy

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hrough Jesus Christ, Methodist Children’s Homes brings hope and healing to hurting children in Mississippi.

Methodist Children’s Homes seeks to bring restoration to children and youth who have been neglected or abused. By the end of their time with us, we hope to see that they find reconciliation with their biological families, love within an adoptive family or success as a productive, independent individual.

For more than a century, Methodist Children’s Homes has cared for Mississippi’s most vulnerable children. During this time, we have worked to help and provide for thousands of children who have suffered complex trauma.

By the end of their time at MCH, they hope to see them find reconciliation with their biological families, love within a foster family or achieve success living independently.

he Madison County Business League and Foundation created its 501c3, the Madison County Community Trust (MCCT), in 2014 to support the needs of education and workforce development in Madison County.

Since 2014 thousands of dollars in grants have been awarded to the Madison County Schools and Canton Public Schools to facilitate dual enrollment in local community colleges, financial literacy training for teachers, master teacher of entrepreneurship training, socio-economic soft skills teacher training, and a Madison County Mobile Media Lab (bookmobile). MCBL&F membership assisted in efforts for Madison County to achieve ACT Work Ready certification by awarding a grant to facilitate ACT Work Keys assessments for all of the Career Technical students In MCS and CPS enabling them to receive the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC).

In addition, scholarships for every graduate of each year’s youth leadership class, funding for the N. Madison County Excel By 5 projects and numerous other grants to improve the educational, health, economic and social status, and well-being of the citizens of Madison County.

he Mississippi Alliance of Nonprofits and Philanthropy serves, builds the capacity of, and fosters collaboration among and between Mississippi’s nonprofit and philanthropic communities.

By providing high quality training, technical assistance, and resources, we are helping improve the health and well-being of individuals, children and families and supporting the advancement of positive social and economic conditions within communities across the state.

A state-wide service and support organization, we serve nonprofits and philanthropy as “two sides of the same coin”, both sides striving to improve conditions and outcomes for children, families and communities through their good works and investments.

The Mississippi Alliance of Non Profits and Philanthropy was founded as a result of the merger of the Mississippi Center of Non Profits, which was founded in 1992, and the Mississippi Association of Grantmakers.

Nonprofit Awards

Dec. 14 - 27, 2019

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Mississippi Business Journal

Mississippi Center for Justice

Mississippi Children’s Museum

he Mississippi Center for Justice is a public interest law organization founded in 2003 in Jackson and committed to advancing racial and economic justice. Supported and staffed by attorneys and other professionals, the Center develops and pursues strategies to combat discrimination and poverty statewide. The Center concentrates its work in the areas of access to health care, educational opportunities, access to fair and affordable housing, access to public benefits and fair lending. By attacking obstacles faced by people living in poverty in a variety of areas, MCJ is able to assist families from a variety of directions.

MCJ has developed the infrastructure needed to manage a $3.4 million annual budget, and it leverages its resources with pro bono attorneys, volunteer students and national partners to increase its effectiveness.

The people MCJ represents often do not know that their rights have been violated. MCJ tries to offer them a voice to have the ability to better their lives. It believes in working with policy makers to craft reasonable solutions, but it is not afraid to advocate hard for our clients.

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Mississippi Coding Academy

Mississippi Council on Economic Education

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ississippi Coding Academy started as part of Innovate Mississippi and its launch funding was via Mississippi Works. It commenced training its first participants in October 2017 in Jackson. A few weeks later it started a cohort in the Golden Triangle. MCA graduated its first 20 coders 11 months later; graduated 33 more in May to June 2019 and have 54 in its third cohort.

MCA spun out of Innovate Mississippi and became an independent entity in 2019, with Innovate providing administrative support.

MCA was first to brand this model as a workplace rather than a classroom, replacing education words with workplace words (coders vs. students) and highlighting business concepts more than educational ones (scrum vs. classroom). It is informally educating using the “workplace” and preparing the coder/ developers for lifetime learning in the tech workplace.

ississippi Children’s Museum was born in 1994 from a visionary group of community volunteers who recognized the urgent need to improve the health, literacy and well-being of Mississippi’s children. In 2003, this group brought their ideas to the Junior League of Jackson and it became their signature project. The Junior League undertook a $26.6 million capital campaign and led a statewide effort to build a children’s museum.

Completed in 2010, the 40,000 square foot museum houses five galleries of educational, interactive exhibits and enriching weekly programs that focus on literacy; health and nutrition; the cultural arts; science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM); and Mississippi heritage. In 2014, MCM opened a sixth, outdoor, 13,000 square foot gallery, the Literacy Garden, which combines experiential artworks with unique landscape architecture that encourages early language and reading skills development.

MCM has consistently been recognized for excellence by Trip Advisor, AAA Southern Traveler, and numerous local and statewide media outlets.

CEE works tirelessly around the state to increase the economic and financial literacy of Mississippi students. It knows that 100 percent of its students will make economic and financial decisions during their lifetime.

The quality of the decisions they make is directly attributable to the quality of economic and personal finance education they have received or the lack thereof. It achieves its goals by equipping K-12 teachers with quality instruction and proven curriculum to use in the classroom.

The education its providing its teachers and students is seen as the best in the nation, as proven by the “Outstanding State Council” award received in 2017. This education is an important part of helping citizens reduce the level of poverty in Mississippi via education on decision making skills, opportunity cost, money management, risk management and proper planning for the future to include post-secondary education.

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Nonprofit Awards

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Mississippi Heritage Trust

Mississippi Nurses Foundation

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Mississippi Society for Disabilities, Inc.

Mississippi Tourism Association

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he Mississippi Heritage Trust works to save and renew places meaningful to Mississippians and their history.

The Mississippi Heritage Trust was formed in 1992 to be an independent voice for historic preservation in Mississippi. Since that time, the Mississippi Heritage Trust has engaged in numerous educational outreach programs and advocacy efforts to help communities find preservation-minded outcomes for historic schools, churches, theaters and commercial buildings.

Programs of the Mississippi Heritage Trust include the 10 Most Endangered Historic Places in Mississippi, which was started in 1999 to help local advocates in their efforts to preserve the places that tell the story of Mississippi, the Preservation Toolkit program, designed to educate developers about incentives such as state and federal historic tax credits, which educates people about the many values of Mississippi’s newest historic places and the biennial Heritage Awards, which celebrates Mississippi’s many preservation victories.

he Mississippi Society for Disabilities, originally chartered as the Mississippi Easter Seals Society, continues to seek ways to make the lives of Mississippians with disabilities better. Accessibility is always a challenge and one the Mississippi Disability Society tackles daily. Equipping parks and other recreational areas with handicap accessibility is something they pride themselves on doing. Working collectively with public and private concerns and supporters, Mississippi Society for Disabilities operates statewide seeking to make a difference for all Mississippians.

cholarship and educational support are the hierarchy of the Mississippi Nurses Foundation which has a goal of reaching nearly 60,000 Mississippi nurses, plus students interested in pursuing a career in nursing.

MNF awards nearly $200,000 annually in scholarships to nursing students enrolled in degree programs that span the associate degree level to doctoral degree level.

This is achieved through donor contributions and the car tag scholarship program which provide financial awards to students studying to become an entry level nurse and existing nurses pursing advanced nursing education.

Additionally, MNF serves as a clearinghouse for nurses and nursing students in need of financial support for (non-degree) continuing education hours. MNF is also proud to support nurses attending conferences and workshops to expand their body of knowledge and the delivery of best practice care to patients. Annually, MNF approves nearly 3,000 CE hours for nurses that corresponds to more than 20,000 hours of instruction time.

he Mississippi Tourism Association is proud to be the voice for advocacy, education and promotion in the state of Mississippi. We provide an environment for our industry members to thrive and succeed in their local communities and foster continuous improvement in industry standards through supporting the appropriate programs and events.

The Mississippi Tourism Association was established in 1988 as a trade association composed of tourism professionals and allied businesses. The organization strives to support and empower the tourism industry to promote Mississippi as a tourism destination. Tourism is the fourth largest industry in Mississippi, employing more than 124,000 people and it generates more than $6 billion in visitor spending. Last year, 23 million people visited Mississippi and the goal is tell the Mississippi story to many more.

Nonprofit Awards

Dec. 14 - 27, 2019

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Mississippi Business Journal

Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project

R3SM, Inc

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Ridgeland Chamber of Commerce

Stewpot Community Services

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he Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project is a statewide non-profit legal aid organization that provides free legal assistance to Mississippi residents who are at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty guideline. Formed in 1982, MVLP is the nation’s first formal association of a state bar association and the Legal Services Corporation. Even before completing its first year of operation, the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project was cited by the American Bar Association and the National Legal Aid and Defender Association as the country’s single most outstanding program among state bar associations.

Since 1982, MVLP has helped nearly 45,000 clients with a wide array of legal matters. MVLP provides legal services accomplishing five target areas: Strengthening Families and Children; Stabilizing the Economy; Protecting Vulnerable Populations; Providing Access to Courts; and Continuing Legal Education for Attorneys and Judges.

In 2018 alone, more than 5,000 individuals and their families were impacted by MVLP’s assistance; 362 individuals were assisted at legal clinics; 32 legal clinics were co-hosted by MVLP and more than 270 judges and attorneys received continuing legal education. MVLP works hard to live up to its motto of Changing Lives, Creating Opportunities, Advancing Justice.

s many members and residents believe, there is no better place to live or do business than in Ridgeland. The Ridgeland Chamber is recognized as one of the most dynamic organizations in Mississippi. Its dedication to its members in providing unique programs and events such as Business After Hours, Ribbon Cuttings, Ground Breakings and Grand Openings, Ridgeland Under the Stars, the C Spire / Ridgeland Chamber Golf Classic, Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast, Shop Local – Buy Local, Make A Difference Day and New Member Luncheons keep our Chamber and businesses in constant motion to succeed.

The Ridgeland Chamber serves as a catalyst by uniting member businesses, community agencies, education and government to make Ridgeland a great place to live, work and play.

It provides members with networking, referral, and promotional opportunities, and present quality programs. The Ridgeland Chamber also advocate for business on a variety of issues on the local, county, federal and state levels, and work diligently to support new and expanding businesses.

ince 2006, R3SM, Inc. has generated over $22 million in value to the Pinebelt: $11.7 million in grants and private donations; and more than $10.5 million in volunteer labor which completed homes, rebuilds, and fully renovated the historic 10,000 square-foot Volunteer House. The Lucas-Varnado Volunteer House at 301 Buschman St. in Hattiesburg can house 60 volunteers, houses its offices, hosts community events, and has been utilized for transitional housing.

Almost 600 homes have been renovated and more than 40 new construction projects have been completed through its programs. Currently its agency is completing work from the 2017 EF3 Tornado and beginning work on the January 2019 Flooding throughout Mississippi. In additional R2SM has started a Purple Heart Homes Pine Belt Mississippi chapter to assist with Veterans and continue to support service/training opportunities for youth and adults.

tewpot provides food, shelter, clothing, care and support to people who are homeless or are living in deep poverty.

The 14 ministries include: a Community Kitchen; a Meals on Wheels delivery service; a Food Pantry; a Clothing Closet; an After School Program and Summer Camp for K-12th graders; two emergency shelters, one for men and another for women and women with children; a day shelter for people who are homeless; a Rapid Rehousing Program, which helps people move from shelters into stable housing; a chapel service; the HeARTWorks art program; the St. Dominic Community Health Clinic; and a Legal Clinic.

Through these various ministries, it serves between 500 and 600 people every day, depending on the season. It can do these things because it has a wide base of support: nearly 200 congregations now contribute their time, energy; and/or money; also there are numerous local and federal grants. According to the most recent audit, 87 percent of every dollar goes directly to programs, to helping the people we were founded to help.

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Nonprofit Awards

26 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q Dec. 14 - 27, 2019

United Way of Lowndes and Noxubee County

Womens Resource Center

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n 1954, a small group of local residents organized the Columbus Lowndes Community Chest with a mission of assisting Lowndes County charities with their fund raising efforts. The efforts of these volunteers provided charities with more time to focus on their missions of serving the people of Lowndes County.

Over time, more community needs were recognized. In the mid-1970s, the Columbus Lowndes Community Chest became incorporated as United Way of Lowndes County.

It remains a volunteer-driven organization governed by a Board of Directors made up of men and women from throughout Lowndes County who represent our community at-large.

While the primary purpose is to provide funding that is critical to the success of local organizations, its mission has grown in recent years to include community outreach and partnerships with local resources to address emerging issues and unmet needs that affect the quality of life for Lowndes County residents.

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he mission of the Women’s Resource Center of Gulfport is to uphold the sanctity of life while encouraging the physical, emotional, educational, and spiritual well-being of the whole person. Through collaborating with organizations that share similar values, the Women’s Resource Center works to promote personal health, strong family units, and thriving communities.

Young mothers can also find solid advice, support and services. At the Women’s Resource Center, ultrasounds are free thanks to donations and longtime volunteers like professional nurse Suzanne Packard. There are also free printed materials available

Dec. 14 - 27, 2019

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Mississippi Business Journal

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THE SPIN CYCLE

Google reveals most searched phrases of 2019

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et’s face it, we live in an online search world. Need a quick answer to anything under the sun or around the world?

It’s only a click away on your web browser. What did we do before Google? Or Bing? Or Yahoo? Or Wikipedia?

We were constantly dashing for the encyclopedia, searching for the World Book – or forgetting about it altogether.

This year’s plugged-in, on the go, digital device-addicted world brought its share of scandal, disaster, joy hope – and yes, dizzying new tech devices to fuel our daily binge.

Some of the top news stories, according to media reports, included the Jussie Smollett incident involving Chicago police, Hurricane Dorian wreaking havoc on the Bahamas and much of the Gulf Coast, the devastating Notre Dame Cathedral fire and the women’s World Cup. Oh yeah, and Apple released a pro-level iPhone with three lenses that took social media by storm,.

In that vein, Google has released it yearend roundup of the hottest search topics in the land. The list highlights queries that had a long-lasting spike in search traffic compared with 2018.

It reveals some of the top news events, people and entertainment searches, and it includes the year’s most asked questions and vacation destinations.

From the viral sensation of Lil Nas X’s song “Old Town Road” to Billy Porter’s extravagant red carpet ensembles, the year’s most popular searches gives a glimpse into the soul of public opinion and behavior.

The list includes everything from news and entertainment to the classic, “What is...” query.

Here’s a look at the most popular Google searches in 2019: Searches 1. Disney Plus The hottest streaming service of the year claimed the top spot in Google searches this year. The concept is by no means revolutionary, but its almost never-ending list of nostalgic and new titles appeals to the masses.

And don’t forget, Disney Plus gave us the gift of the year – Baby Yoda from “The Mandalorian.”

3. Nipsey Hussle Influential rapper Nipsey Hussle was shot and killed in front of his clothing store May 31, sending waves of shock through the rap community.

The rapper founded his own record label, All Money In, in 2010, according to IMDB. He had also worked with dozens of successful artists, including Kendrick Lamar, Drake, YG, Ty Dolla Sign, Meek Mill and Young Thug.

2. Cameron Boyce The sudden death of the 20-year-old actor Cameron Boyce struck a chord with many searchers this year. Boyce was found unresponsive in his California home in July. An autopsy confirmed he died in his sleep after a seizure related to epilepsy. He starred in the Disney Channel show “Jessie” from 2011 to 2015. He also appeared in “Mirrors,” “Eagle Eye” with Shia LaBeouf and “Grown Ups” with Adam Sandler, and in the Disney Channel’s “Descendants.”

8. ‘Game of Thrones’ HBO’s “Game of Thrones” released its final season, sending fans into a downward spiral of unmet expectations and withdrawal. Many felt the storylines were rushed and sloppy, while others were just going through it without their beloved show.

4. Hurricane Dorian It’s been a whirlwind year for extreme weather, and Hurricane Dorian was no exception. The storm slammed the Bahamas, United States and Canada in September, killing at least 30 people in the Bahamas.

Numerous cities up the coast declared states of emergency and issued mandatory evacuations as hurricane-force winds battered the seaboard. The storm left extensive damage across the area.

5. Antonio Brown The former NFL player was released from the New England Patriots following accusations by two women of sexual misconduct, including rape – and Brown has vehemently denied the allegations. The Patriots were the third team to let go of Brown in 2019. Days after being released, he said on Twitter that he “will not be playing in the NFL anymore.”

6. Luke Perry Former “Beverly Hills 90210” star Luke Perry died March 4 after suffering a massive stroke. Perry was launched into fame as the wildly popular character Dylan McKay. He also had roles in the hit television series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Riverdale,” and appeared in the Quentin Tarantino film, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” which premiered after his death.

7. ‘Avengers: Endgame’ The Disney and Marvel film vaulted “Avatar” to become the highest-grossing film ever. The film, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans, made more than $2.79 billion worldwide by the end of July.

9. iPhone 11 iPhone dropped their iPhone 11 and 11 Pro, boasting updated cameras and flashy new colors, leaving users to decide wheth-

er or not they would upgrade for the minor new features it offers.

10. Jussie Smollett The “Empire” actor became embroiled in controversy after the actor reported a hate Todd Smith crime attack in January which investigators later concluded had been a false claim meant to boost his public profile.

The City of Chicago later filed a lawsuit against him, seeking to recover more than $130,000 to cover police overtime during the investigation.

Here are the rest of Google’s trending searches by category below.

News 1.

Hurricane Dorian 2.

Notre Dame Cathedral 3.

Women’s World Cup 4.

Area 51 raid 5.

Copa America 6.

El Paso shooting 7.

Sri Lanka 8.

Government shutdown 9.

Equifax data breach settlement 10. California earthquake People 1.

Antonio Brown 2.

Jussie Smollett 3.

James Charles 4.

Kevin Hart 5.

R. Kelly 6.

21 Savage 7.

Lori Loughlin 8.

Jordyn Woods 9.

Bryce Harper 10. Robert Kraft What is...?

1.

What is Area 51?

2.

What is a VSCO girl?

3.

What is momo?

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

What is a boomer?

What is quid pro quo?

What is camp fashion?

What is Disney Plus?

What is “Bird Box” about?

What is a Mandalorian?

What is Brexit?

TV is Primary News Source According to New Poll A new Hill-HarrisX poll found that TV is still the most widely used news platform among Americans, despite the rise of the internet and social media.

The survey released last week showed that 53 percent of registered voters across the United States named TV as their primary source for news. Less than a quarter — 21 percent — said they prefer to get their news from the internet.

An equal amount — 9 percent — said they’d rather turn to social media or newspapers for the latest news updates.

Six percent said they rather listen to the radio, while 1 percent said they prefer to get their news from magazines.

Older generations were more inclined to name TV as their preferred mode for news, according to the poll.

Sixty-nine percent of those between the ages of 50 and 64 said they preferred to get their news by watching TV, compared to 34 percent of those between the ages of 18 and 34 who said the same.

The survey comes as the news media is under renewed scrutiny, particularly in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary race.

Todd Smith is president and chief communications officer of Deane, Smith & Partners, a full-service branding, PR, marketing and advertising firm with offices in Jackson. The firm — based in Nashville, Tenn.

— is also affiliated with Mad Genius. Contact him at todd@deanesmithpartners.com, and follow him @ spinsurgeon.

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