Basic Economic Course Helps City Officials with Strategic Planning
Wed, 04/25/2012 - 09:27am | By: Van Arnold
Elected officials from practically every corner of Mississippi were on hand for the “Basic Community Economic Development” course held April 24 at the Trent Lott National Center for Excellence in Economic Development and Entrepreneurship.
Held on The University of Southern Mississippi campus in Hattiesburg, the introductory course emphasized elected officials' role in community and economic development. The participants included Mississippi mayors, aldermen and alderwomen, financial officers and other city/county government officials.
“A course such as this is extremely important for communities throughout the state who are looking at ways to improve their economic situation,” said Canton Mayor William Truly. “It has been a tremendous benefit to me hearing from so many experts on financial structuring, economic development, balancing budgets and other relevant topics.”
The first of its kind to be offered in South Mississippi, the course took a comprehensive look at the steps that set the stage for broad job creation opportunities. Other topics included regionalism -- sharing scarce resources and accomplishing economic development activities, which is a growing trend around the country.
Partners that joined the Trent Lott National Center in making the event possible included the Mississippi Municipal League; Mississippi Association of Supervisors; Mississippi Manufacturers Association; Gulf Coast Business Council; Mississippi Economic Council and the Mississippi Main Street Association.
For more information about the Trent Lott Center, call 601.266.5090 or visit: https://www.usm.edu/trent-lott-national-center
