The MEC has their “new” president, and it’s a familiar face.
Scott Waller served as the interim president of the Mississippi Economic Council for six months and recently had that interim tag removed. While he said he is excited about the opportunity, Waller says nothing changes and its business as usual for the organization.
“I’m really excited about what’s ahead for us. From MEC’s perspective, our goals and our efforts don’t change, they continue to focus on how we drive a business climate in Mississippi, and not only our members but for all businesses to succeed and be successful in creating jobs and opportunities to help grow our state,” Waller said.
The organization has more than 11,000 members from 1,100 member firms throughout Mississippi. The MEC “deals with broad issues that move Mississippi forward through Advocacy, Research, Resources, and Leadership,” according to their website as they aim to develop strategies for business growth in Mississippi.
Waller says that he worked alongside the board of trustees to ensure that ahead of the 2018 legislative session, he was focused on a plan for the organization, not a title.
“Regardless of who would be in charge, our goal is the focus on the key issues. We are really focused on making sure that we are in a position to talk about why we have to have improvements in workforce development, why we have to make sure we’re providing a workforce that has the skills our employers need, and why we’re focused on transportation, job creation, and business climate,” Waller said. “As the interim, my goal was to make sure we were putting those things in place, following the plan, and putting us in a position to seize the opportunities that would be coming to Mississippi.”
At the end of the day, the MEC works to promote businesses in the state, while also helping Mississippians provide for their families.
“We are promoting Mississippi businesses, we’re promoting opportunities to start and grow a business in Mississippi, and more importantly creating workforce training opportunities for our citizens so that the can be successful and have long-term sustainable careers to provide for themselves their families and others,” Waller said.
Waller says that while workforce development will continue to be a topic during the legislative session, he is encouraged to see the programs in place already paying dividends.
