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Blake Wilson
President
| Dear Member:
Last week, the Mississippi House of Representatives voted to adjourn on deadline day -- rather than to stay and consider HB 1682 -- the Momentum Mississippi Incentive Bill. This bill advanced three high priority recommendations of Blueprint Mississippi. It focused: on providing incentives for existing industry to invest in technology to keep out-of-date plants operating...and jobs in Mississippi; on boosting high tech industries to come to Mississippi to exchange with our
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research universities...and to offer good paying jobs to keep our kids in Mississippi; and on giving greater flexibility to the MDA and local economic developers and more predictability to prospects, so that deals can be closed on projects that are small when compared with Nissan, but big for most local communities in Mississippi.
These deals are lost, today, because our competing states offer this kind of flexibility to their economic developers, but in Mississippi, we must wait for a special session of the legislature to be called. Legislators who oppose Momentum say we can't afford it. But passage will boost state revenue by increasing employment and tax collections -- each time we lose a job, Mississippi loses tax revenue...and value for the people of Mississippi.
It was very disappointing that the House chose not to consider the bill. Those who voted 'yes' on adjournment, in essence were voting not to stay and consider the bill -- those who voted 'no' on adjournment, wanted to stay and consider the bill.  to see how your State Representative voted.
But it isn't over.
The Senate on Monday suspended its rules so that Momentum issues can remain under consideration -- and opened the door for the House to do the same. Now the House will have another opportunity to consider Momentum -- crafted carefully after literally thousands of Mississippi business and community leaders had input -- and based on serious, foundational research by the four major research universities and out-of-state consultants.
Literally hundreds of MEC members flooded the House with phone calls and emails. We hope you will do so again -- and let your House members know how important it is that we stop losing existing industry because we don't have the tools to compete. We will be sending you specific instructions so that you can respond. |
Mississippi delegates to the NGA-ACHIEVE Summit on Education -- Gov. Haley Barbour, Superintendent of Education Dr. Henry Johnson, right, and First Lady Marsha Barbour, join State Farm CEO Ed Rust, a strong education proponent who keynoted an MEC Public Education Forum annual meeting a few years ago, in focusing on reform issues. | A final note: I was in Washington, DC over the weekend at the National Governors Association Summit on Education. It was interesting to hear other states calling on Mississippi for advice.
Although we continue to lag in performance, we are significantly ahead |
in putting tools in place for measuring and improving performance. Leading education experts wanted to hear what our State Superintendent of Education Dr. Henry Johnson is doing...and there was a great deal of interest, also, in Governor Haley Barbour's UPGRADE education program.
The summit was held jointly with the NGA and ACHIEVE, a national education improvement partnership that has grown out of the work of the National Business Roundtable in this area.
One of the interesting opportunities brought forth in other rural states was the "virtual classroom" -- in which technology is used to bring hard-to-find teachers to rural parts of their states...i.e. physics, calculus, foreign languages. Idaho is way ahead of the curve on this one.
This is another example of getting in place to field the puck...rather than chasing it. And if we continue to pay attention and do the right things for education in Mississippi...based on what I heard in Washington, I have to believe we will start pulling ahead of our competing Southern States...and closing in on some others. |
| Economic Center breaks ground at Southern Miss |
From left: Dr. Shelby Thames, president, Southern Miss; Anthony Topazi, member, MEC Board of Directors and president/CEO, Mississippi Power who chaired the Mississippi fundraising effort; Senator Trent Lott; Philip Dur, member, MEC Board of Governors and president, Northrop Grumman Ship Systems; and MEC Chair John McCullouch, president, BellSouth, Mississippi Operations. BellSouth, Northrop Grumman and Mississippi Power made significant donations to the Center. | A ceremonial groundbreaking has been conducted for the $23 million Trent Lott National Center for Excellence in Economic Development and Entrepreneurship at the University of Southern Mississippi.
The Center will bring the university's widely recognized multiple academic and |
| professional economic development programs together into a state-of-the-art educational facility, serving the academic and economic |
development profession throughout Mississippi, the South, the United States and the world.
The 53,000-square-foot, three-story facility, is expected to be completed in approximately two years. Prior to the groundbreaking, it was announced that Northrop |  |
| Grumman, one of more than 70 national companies who have contributed to the project, donated $1 million to help build the facility. |
| Donations help them call loved ones at home |
 | MEC members, in an effort to lift morale and strengthen family ties during these times of military separation, again have the opportunity to purchase and send prepaid calling cards through the Leadership Mississippi Troop |
Support campaign for Mississippi National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve troops serving in Iraq or Kuwait.
One thousand cards have been delivered to the National Guard and Reserve, bringing the total to more than 11,200 since October 2003. There are approximately 4,000 Mississippians now serving on active duty in Iraq or Kuwait.
Each card will allow a soldier a 25-minute call from any public phone in their area to talk with loved ones in Mississippi. They can make free telephone calls from military installations, but access and availability are limited. The cards allow soldiers to use public telephones -- with no long lines to stand in.
"This show of support for our men and women serving overseas, away from their jobs and their families, will let them know they are not forgotten and that we appreciate their sacrifice," said Peggy Howard, chief operating officer of the Mississippi Economic Council's M. B. Swayze Educational Foundation.
The need was first raised by the Clarksdale Chamber of Commerce, which organized a community effort to collect prepaid calling cards to send to local soldiers. Following Clarksdale's lead, the Swayze Foundation's Leadership Mississippi program took the idea statewide though MEC members.
Leadership Mississippi is a program of the M.B. Swayze Educational Foundation, a 501(c)(3) foundation and a non-profit subsidiary of the Mississippi Economic Council.
and help our troops call home. |
| Rolls-Royce opens machining center in Pascagoula |
Cutting the ribbon, from left: U.S. Senator Trent Lott; Shanna Luckett, director, Pascagoula High School show choir; and James Guyette, president and CEO, Rolls-Royce North America. | MEC member Rolls-Royce has opened the doors to a new machining center at its Propeller Center of Excellence in Pascagoula. The new facility, adjacent to the foundry, will improve manufacturing capabilities and production efficiency across a wide range of marine propellers and propulsors. Rolls-Royce has invested |
over $8 million in the local industrial base developing the facility.
The leading edge, 18,000 square foot facility will include 15,000 square feet of manufacturing space and house a new gantry milling machine. As a result, machining will be three times faster than the current rate, enhancing the foundry strengths to include: design and custom build capabilities; and capacity for propellers ranging in size from 60 inches to 33 feet. Currently the foundry manufactures propellers for US Navy nuclear aircraft carriers and various commercial vessels. It also casts propeller blades for US Navy Destroyers and US Navy Amphibious Transport Dock class ships. The machine center is positioned to manufacture components for the large waterjets used on the Littoral Combat Ship.
"This new facility demonstrates our commitment to product quality and process improvement," said Patrick J. Marolda, President of the Rolls-Royce naval marine business in North America. "We want to provide better products faster to our customers and are dedicated to maintaining our market leadership in quality and delivery. We have a long term relationship with the state of Mississippi and the city of Pascagoula, and are delighted to be increasing our presence and abilities here."
"Enhancing this facility also underscores our commitment to the US," said James M. Guyette, President and CEO, Rolls-Royce North America.
"The completion of the Pascagoula Foundry expansion highlights the ever-increasing commitment of Rolls-Royce to its U.S. business strategy", said George Freeland, Jr., Executive Director, Jackson County Economic Development Foundation, Inc. "We regard Rolls-Royce to be one of this community's premier corporate citizens and as such are committed to partnering with them to further their expanding operations in South Mississippi".
Earlier this month, Rolls-Royce announced that it had selected the National Aeronautics And Space Administration's John C. Stennis Space Center as the preferred site for relocation of its large engines outdoor test facility from the UK. |
| Oxford highlighted as retirement destination |
Christy Knapp, left, retiree attraction program director of the Oxford-Lafayette County Economic Development Foundation is shown with retirees Elizabeth and Stan Miesner, Pat Esswein, Alex and Linda MacCormack, and Jim and Sylvia Pryor. | Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine has named the City of Oxford as an ideal retirement destination in its March 2005 issue. The article highlights Oxford, MEC member The University of Mississippi and all |
the benefits of retiring to a college town. The story affectionately calls Oxford a "cosmopolitan Mayberry" and features photographs of the town's Square and William Faulkner's estate. It also highlights the reasonable cost of living in Oxford, high-quality medical care, an eclectic assortment of restaurants and other amenities important to retirees.
"The presence of a college provides any city, especially a small one, with youthful vitality, new ideas and a town-and-gown symbiosis that fosters the arts, restaurants, bookstores and high-quality medical facilities," wrote Patricia Mertz Esswein, contributing writer for Kiplinger's.
Oxford now has been featured in more than 40 periodicals because of the work of MEC member Oxford-Lafayette Economic Development Foundation's Retiree Attraction Program to promote Oxford as an ideal retirement destination. Since its inception in 1993, Oxford has attracted more than 530 retiree households. |
| Northrop Grumman to expand Moss Point facility |
 | MEC member Northrop Grumman Corporation is expanding the scope of work at its planned Jackson County, Miss., unmanned-systems center at Trent Lott International Airport to include the low-cost manufacture of subassemblies for the U.S. Air Force's RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned air |
vehicle. Originally slated to occupy 39,000 square feet and employ approximately 40 people to produce the Fire Scout UAV for the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Army, the company's Integrated Systems sector facility will now occupy more than 100,000 square feet and initially provide 100 high-tech manufacturing jobs. That figure could rise to about 160 jobs within the next few years should UAV production rates increase. Construction will begin later this month and be completed in November. Northrop Grumman will hire and train new employees starting in September. Production start-up is planned for January 2006.
"Throughout its history, the unmanned air vehicle has been an extremely cost-effective means for our military customer to execute certain operational missions," said Christopher Hernandez, sector vice president and general manager of Northrop Grumman's unmanned systems business. "Expanding operations at this low cost manufacturing center in Moss Point enables Northrop Grumman to directly respond to our customers' desire to manage UAV costs and provide the best-value solution for their acquisition dollar."
In addition to being an ideal location for building, testing and flying UAVs, the Trent Lott International Airport allows Northrop Grumman to expand opportunities for a local, well-trained workforce and leverage resources and systems-engineering skills at the company's shipbuilding operations in nearby Pascagoula.
Integrated Systems is the fourth Northrop Grumman organization to locate in Jackson County. Northrop Grumman's shipbuilding operations have been in Pascagoula since 1938. The company's Electronic Systems and Information Technology sectors also have facilities and employees in Jackson County.
In other significant news, the company has been awarded a contract to provide life-cycle engineering and support to the U.S. Navy's San Antonio class (LPD 17) of amphibious transport dock ships. The Ship Systems sector is constructing these ships at the Pascagoula shipyard, as well as in Gulfport and New Orleans. The contract, worth $26.9 million, combines the expertise of shipbuilder Northrop Grumman and electronic systems integrator MEC member Raytheon Company to manage critical life-cycle cost/performance ship-class drivers such as technology upgrades, software support and ship systems integration. This approach is designed to mitigate risk by managing ship-class hardware and software as a single entity.
"This contract supports the Navy's new acquisition strategy, combining many post-delivery support activities into one contract," said Philip A. Dur, member of the MEC Board of Governors and president of Pascagoula-based Ship Systems. "Northrop Grumman will utilize significant experience gained in earlier shipbuilding programs to support the U.S. Navy's vision for minimizing LPD 17 total life-cycle costs." To date, the first five ships awarded in the Navy's LPD 17 program are under contract to Northrop Grumman, each in various stages of construction at the company's three facilities. |
| BellSouth assists Delta State Honors Program |
From left, Gloria Harvey, Carolyn Manning, Dr. Greg Hospodor and Dr. John Thornell. | Carolyn Manning, Regional Manager for BellSouth, and Gloria Harvey, Manager, External Affairs in Jackson, presented Dr. Greg Hospodor and Dr. John Thornell, Vice-President for Academic Affairs, with a $5,000 gift from BellSouth in support of the University's Honors Program. The newly |
initiated Honors Program is under the direction of Hospodor who most recently directed a similar program at LSU.
"BellSouth is committed to excellence in education in Mississippi and seeks to support in a meaningful way opportunities to provide students with the leadership skills and knowledge base they will need as tomorrow's leaders," said Manning. "BellSouth is very proud to be among one of the first to support the newly formed Honors Program."
"We currently have seventeen recipients of Honors Scholarships who have an average ACT score of 28 and high school GPA of 3.75," said Hospodor. "BellSouth's gift will allow us to enhance the academic component of the program and build experiences for students from that curriculum," he stated.
Hospodor presented Manning with a commemorative Honors Program shirt inscribed with the word "Areté". "Areté was the most articulated value in ancient Greek culture," said Hospodor. "Often translated as 'virtue' or 'excellence,' the word actually means something closer to being the best you can be, or reaching your highest human potential. The Honors Program will encourage students to pursue areté," he stated.
The program is designed to accept a maximum of twenty new students per year. Hospodor, serving as a mentor, will personally work with each student. Students accepted into the Program receive full tuition, room and board for four years. For more information contact Hospodor at 662.846.4173. To make a gift to Delta State University contact George Miller, Director of Development, at 662.846.4708 or mailto:gmiller@deltastate.edu. |
OTHER STORIES
  Delta State ranks first in graduation rate
When compared to 15 similar institutions across the country, MEC member Delta State University ranks first in graduation rates with its 49.3%, according to The Education Trust's recently released Web tool, College Results Online. In a statewide comparison of six-year graduation rates of public institutions, DSU placed third, just behind MEC members Mississippi State University and The University of Mississippi, respectively.
Pickering joins Baker Donelson law firm
Judge Charles W. Pickering, Sr. is joining the law firm of MEC member Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz as of counsel in the firm's Jackson office. He will focus his practice on trial and appellate strategies, corporate compliance and internal investigations and alternative dispute resolution.
New Smithsonian traveling exhibit to stop at MUW
MEC member Mississippi University for Women will be the final stop in the state for "Key Ingredients America by Food," a new Smithsonian traveling exhibit. The exhibit opened Feb. 19 and will be on view through Saturday, March 19 at MUW's Fine Arts Gallery located in Shattuck Hall.
Jeff Anderson first with Omnicell system
MEC member Anderson Regional Medical Center has nearly completed the installation of the Omnicell MedGuard system, the first medical center in the nation to implement MedGuard hospital-wide. MedGuard automation utilizes bar code scanning technology throughout the continuum of care to help increase patient safety throughout the medication-use process.
UM Law School celebrates 150th anniversary with dinner
Attorneys, alumni and friends of MEC member The University of Mississippi School of Law celebrated the law school's 150th anniversary at a dinner in Jackson, the highlight of the law school's yearlong sesquicentennial celebration.
  
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