Congrats to Jackson's New Mayor Tony Yarber

GJCP's President and CEO Duane O'Neill congratulates Jackson's new Mayor Tony Yarber at Mayor's Inauguration April 24 at City Hall! 

Click here to read the story from Clarion Ledger!

A special thanks to our WIN Sponsor!

2014 Tee It Up!

 A special thanks to all the golfers who played in the GJCP "Tee it Up" Golf Tournament March31! A big congrats to Watkins Construction for winning first place and Taylor Power Systems for winning second! Also congrats to Parlor Market's Matthew Kadjen for winning the Jackson Area Federal Credit Union's Putting Contest!! Thank you to all of our sponsors including CN! We appreciate you!

Welcome Expeditors!!

The GJCP celebrated the grand opening and ribbon cutting of Expeditors March 25. Expeditors is located at 710 Airport Road, Ste. 15B in Jackson.

Expeditors International of Washington Inc. is a Fortune 500 Company with that employs a staff of 13,000 plus and has established a network of more than 250 offices scattered across six continents.

Expeditors is one of the largest U.S. - based air freight forwarders of goods from the Far East.

Spencer Errington will run the Jackson office with Dustin Winkler as sales executive.

Jackson Delegation attends CPLI

A delegation from Jackson attended the 2014 Community Progress Leadership Institute (CPLI) at Harvard Law School March 18-21.

Jackson, MS was chosen as one of eight cities to attend this training program focused on equipping leaders with the skills to address large inventories of blighted and vacant properties for the benefit of their communities. CPLI is a program of the national Center for Community Progress (Community Progress).

The delegation included (from left) Jim Johnson (community volunteer); Mukesh Kumar (Professor, Urban and Regional Planning, Jackson State University); Joann Jordan (Code Enforcement Officer, City of Jackson); Jade Craig (Lawyer, Community Progress Leadership Institute Liaison for Jackson); Carrie Johnson (Deputy City Attorney, City of Jackson); Nia Umoja (Coordinator, Cooperative Community of West Jackson); Gerald McWhorter (Assistant Secretary of State, Public Lands Division); (not pictured) De’Keither Stamps (City Councilman, City of Jackson).

Jackson was selected as a direct result of the efforts of the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership’s Vision 2022 Core City Committee. Vision 2022/ONE Voice is a bold, multi-year plan to transform the Greater Jackson Region into a destination community attracting businesses, families and tourists for its quality of place and economic opportunity.

Jackson delegation attends Community Progress Leadership Institute

Jackson, MS was chosen as one of eight cities to attend the 2014 Community Progress Leadership Institute (CPLI), a training program focused on equipping leaders with the skills to address large inventories of blighted and vacant properties for the benefit of their communities. CPLI, a program of the national Center for Community Progress (Community Progress), will be held at Harvard Law School March 18-21, 2014. The delegation left March 18.

Jackson was selected as a direct result of the efforts of the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership’s Vision 2022 Core City Committee. Vision 2022/ONE Voice is a bold, multi-year plan to transform the Greater Jackson Region into a destination community attracting businesses, families and tourists for its quality of place and economic opportunity.

Kimberly Hilliard, Dr. Jim Johnston and Mary Elizabeth Evans worked together along with other key players in this effort to be selected.  

"The CPLI selection demonstrates the power of collaboration between Vision 2022 volunteers and city leadership to secure untapped resources,” Hilliard said. “The training will allow Jackson to be parallel with other cities nationwide applying innovation approaches in dealing with blight and abandonment." 

According to Jeff Good, Chair of the overall Core City Committee, the Harvard scholarship award is proof positive that Vision 2022 is working.  

“Kimberly Hilliard, Jim Johnston and Mary Elizabeth Evans have worked tirelessly to advocate for Jackson’s inclusion in the program,” Good said. “It was very competitive and they fought hard for our city.  As the chair of the overall Core Committee, I could not be prouder of them.  As a Jacksonian, I could not be more enthusiastic about the future.

Delegations of up to seven people from each of the following cities will participate: Wilmington, Del.; Springfield, Mass.; Battle Creek, Mich.; Detroit, Mich.; Jackson, Miss.; Oklahoma City, Okla.; Huntington, W.Va.; Milwaukee, Wis. Cities were chosen through an invitation-only, competitive application process.

The selected cities range in population from 50,000 to over half a million and have citywide vacancy rates of 10-29%, while also facing high rates of foreclosure, tax delinquency and other property challenges. The cities were selected for CPLI because they also demonstrate strong leadership and a commitment to developing new solutions for blight.

Community Progress Leadership Institute sessions will address how to prevent blight and vacancy and how to return vacant buildings and land to productive use. Some of the technical tools that will be explored are market analysis, reuse planning, delinquent tax enforcement reform, strategic code enforcement and land banking. In addition, Cambridge Leadership Associates will lead sessions on effective leadership.

 “When these eight teams enter the CPLI classroom on the first day, their stories will illuminate how blight is impacting communities across the United States,” said Tamar Shapiro, president and CEO of the Center for Community Progress. “And when they head back home, there will be a new chapter to write: how they’re part of a national movement to reclaim our communities, a movement that is forging new connections and sparking fresh ideas.”

2014 marks the third time Community Progress has brought together a Community Progress Leadership Institute class since 2010. Past graduates of CPLI have worked with legislators and other stakeholders to draft, advocate for, and pass state and local laws; improved local code enforcement operations; held statewide leadership institutes; and developed new systems that enable cross-agency coordination on blight remediation.

GJCP's 19th Annual Metro Teacher Recognition Luncheon

Twelve metro teachers were recognized at the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership’s 19th Annual Metro Teacher Recognition Luncheon February 20 at the Old Capitol Inn. David Gates, GJCP Chairman Elect and president of Atmos Energy, Brad Maley of Bancorp South, Emcee Jeff Good of Bravo! Broadstreet & Sal and Mookies and Susan Hart of Sylvan Learning Center spoke at the event. Gates and Maley gave out awards to the teachers.

Sponsored by BancorpSouth, this program is not an attempt to select the "best" teacher, but is a means of honoring individuals who represent the excellent teachers in the metro area.

A program that began in 1995, the Metro Teacher Recognition Program is an initiative of the Regional Quality of Life Division designed to honor truly outstanding teachers from the metro area. Each November, Principals and PTA’s for metro area K-12 schools (private/parochial/ public) are sent nomination forms with instructions to select a member of their faculty that best defines the role of an outstanding educator. Based on criteria set forth by a teacher selection committee, thirteen teachers were selected and named as the Metro Teacher Recognition honorees.

This year’s winners include:

Susan Bender – Jim Hill High School
Jamie Dickson – Germantown High School
C. Monique Lastique – Davis Magnet School
Lexie Gosselin – StoneBridge Elementary
Deborah Lightsey – Ridgeland High School
Vicki Mercier – Pelahatchie Attendance Center
Barbara Neely – Jackson Academy
Michelle Robinson – Madison Central High School
Diane Smith – Power APAC
Kimberly Van Uden – Jackson Preparatory School
Charlotte Walker – Clinton High School
Heather Westerfield - Pearl High School

GJCP provides Candy Bars to Murrah's Career Day

The Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership provided the “Payday” and “Zero” candy bars that will be used in Murrah High School’s annual Reality Fair on February 26 and 27, 2014. Murrah High School is one of two schools “adopted” by the Partnership.

A Reality Fair is a simulated real world experience that demonstrates to students the importance staying in school and getting a good education if they want to have a high quality life in their future. Students successfully completing the Reality Fair get a “Payday” and those that fail it get a “Zero” candy bar.

Pictured (from left): Lewis Slater with the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership, Shemeka Hawkins, Murrah High School Counselor and Reality Fair Coordinator; Connie Navarro-Allen, teacher at Murrah; Damian Davis, teacher at Murrah; Shirley Tucker with the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership; and Niki Lowery with the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership

GJCP 2013 Annual Meeting was held Jan. 22

Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership Annual Meeting Jan. 22

The Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership’s 2013 Annual Meeting was held at the Jackson Convention Complex Jan. 22.  
 
The event featured Governor Phil Bryant and Get on Up Director and Jackson native Tate Taylor. Socrates Garrett, 2013 Chairman, gave a review of the activities and accomplishments of 2013 and 2014 Chairman Andy Taggart discussed priorities for the coming year.
 
Award-winners included:
 
Nissan received Outstanding Business of the Year. This award is given to the metro area business that has gone about and beyond in support of the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership and its programs.
 
Howard Catchings with Catchings Insurance Agency received the Lifetime Achievement Award. The Lifetime Achievement Award honors individuals who have "made a difference" in  the community. The award provides special recognition to individuals who have provided outstanding service over a sustained period of years to the community.

Rosemary Maxey with the Capital City Convention Center Commission, won Ambassador of the Year. Ambassadors volunteer their time to carry out several tasks on behalf of the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership while also representing their own company. Ambassadors vote on who they feel is most deserving of the honor.
 
Socrates Garrett, 2013 Chairman of the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership, passed the gavel to the 2014 Chairman Andy Taggart of Taggart, Rimes & Graham, PLLC.
 
Ambassadors in the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership’s 2013 Chairman’s Council include Lashanda Alexander, Paul Bowers, David Broadaway, Vanda Crowe, Penny Danford, Jason Duren, Fran Flood, Amanda Fontaine, Diann Fulgham, Carolyn Harrison, Pat Ladnier, Rosemary Maxey, Lanet McCrary,  Pam McGee, Derrel Palmer, Pam McGee, Derrel Palmer, Willie Robins, Eric Sokolsky, Ouida Watson, Amber Williams, and Jamie Woods.

  

GJCP 2013 Chairman's Council

Vision 2022 Campaign Update

The funding campaign supporting Vision 2022 continues to make great strides.

Nearly $3 million has been raised to date as the business community, individuals and local foundations line up to be a part of this bold multi-year plan to transform the Greater Jackson Region into a destination community that attracts businesses, families, young professionals and tourists for its quality of place and economic opportunity.

“This 10-year plan is the most comprehensive and forward thinking plan Greater Jackson has ever undertaken,” said Bill Lampton, Chairman of the Vision 2022 Campaign Cabinet.  “Every dollar raised goes to support the goals and objectives of the plan.  The excitement in the community and among our local elected officials continues to build and we are very optimistic about a successful end to the campaign later this year.”

Duane O’Neill, President and CEO of the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership explained, “Companies and organizations of all sizes are getting behind this effort and making campaign commitments because they realize that a vibrant and growing Greater Jackson Region is critical to their future and their children’s future.”

“We are well positioned to reach our goals, but we are not there yet,” said Bill Lampton.  “We are looking to close this campaign out over the next few months and need everyone to get on board.”

If you have an interest in making a commitment to support the Vision 2022 funding campaign and would like to learn more, please call Debi Green at the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership at (601) 948-7575 or email her at dgreen@greaterjacksonpartnership.com.

Medical Community News

"The first lung transplant, the first heart transplant and now the first time a baby has been cured of an H.I.V. infection - this news from the University of Mississippi Medical Center is proof that the Mississippi medical community continues to lead the nation in innovative research and surgery! Congratulations to UMMC and the Blair E. Batson Hospital for this amazing news. This puts our state on the map for leading health care initiatives throughout the country." - Duane O'Neill, President & CEO of the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership

Click here for the article!

Vision 2022

Click here for the Vision 2022 Plan!