A new executive director has been announced to take charge of Mississippi’s premier workforce development office — and the hire was made from within.
The State Workforce Investment Board promoted Dr. Courtney Taylor as the new executive director of AccelerateMS. Taylor joined AccelerateMS in November 2021 as deputy director for strategy and programs, tasked with overseeing strategies and initiatives that contribute to the growth and development of the workforce and the overall economic health of Mississippi.
“Over the past four years, we’ve overhauled our approach to workforce development in Mississippi. Thanks to those efforts, we’ve seen record investment in high-quality training programs, better coordination amongst our state partners, and thousands of high-paying jobs created for Mississippians,” Gov. Tate Reeves said.
“I’m pleased the State Workforce Investment Board selected Dr. Courtney Taylor as the next Executive Director of AccelerateMS. She’s a highly capable and proven leader in workforce training and she will no doubt build upon the successes of her predecessor as we work collectively to grow Mississippi’s economy.”
Taylor has served in higher education for over 15 years, most recently as the vice president for workforce and economic development at East Mississippi Community College. Prior to her time with the community college in Scooba, she was the regional director of workforce and economic development for the Alabama Community College System and has served as the director of workforce solutions at Calhoun Community College.
She previously served as assistant director at Troy University’s Center for International Business and Economic Development, holding a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of West Alabama and a Master of Human Resources Management from Troy University. She holds a Ph.D. in Human Capital Development from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Taylor will officially take over for Ryan Miller, who served as director since AccelerateMS’s inception in 2021, on March 16. Miller is set to take on the position of CEO of the Oxford-Lafayette Economic Development Foundation.
