Governor Barbour presented Blueprint recommendations

Members of the Steering Committee presented Gov. Haley Barbour, center, Blueprint Mississippi recommendations at a luncheon attended by more than 500 business leaders. Committee members, from left: Patricia A. Nichols, plant manager, Dupont Titanium Technologies - DeLisle Plant; Carolyn Shanks, co-chair, economic development, president and CEO, Entergy Mississippi; Blake Wilson, president, Mississippi Economic Council; John McCullouch, chair, business climate, president, BellSouth - Mississippi Operations; Gov. Barbour; Dr. Robert C. Khayat, chair, Blueprint Mississippi, chancellor, The University of Mississippi; Richard Hickson, chair and CEO, Trustmark Corporation; Aubrey B. Patterson, chair, education, chair, BancorpSouth; and Anthony Topazi, co-chair, economic development, president and CEO, Mississippi Power Company.

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High Priority Blueprint Mississippi Recommendations

VISION
A prosperous, vibrant and resilient Mississippi, built upon a foundation of economic opportunity for all its citizens.

MISSION
To create a strategic business plan, a blueprint, that provides opportunity for continuous and significant improvements in the standard of living across all regions of Mississippi. This sustainable, trackable program of work will serve as a road map to success by nurturing the business climate, improving education and advancing economic development through a partnership among business, education and government.

Goal
Establish and sustain an economic development vision and strategic plan for Mississippi.
Recommendation
Activate and strengthen the Statewide Economic Development Planning Act of 1987.

Goal
Strengthen Mississippi's business image.
Recommendation
Initiate an image study to identify internal and external perceptions of Mississippi.
Develop and implement a coordinated, sustained internal and external marketing plan; monitor progress on a recurring basis.
Promote urban revitalization programs to improve the quality of life in cities.

Goal
Enhance competitiveness of legal environment.
Recommendation
Promote recent enhancements to Mississippi's legal and liability system.
Maintain ongoing efforts to ensure recently enacted legislative reforms are properly implemented and maintained.

Goal
Better prepare children for school.
Recommendation
Expand and improve pre-Kindergarten programs in all areas of the state.

Goal
Maximize the number of people graduating from high school.
Recommendation
Underscore the linkage between education and employment, targeting middle school students.

Goal
Diversity and improve Mississippi's economic base.
Recommendation
Identify and pursue high value, high growth industry targets in both manufacturing and services; align incentives and resources around these targets.
Increase public and private research and development funding and improve the effectiveness of technology transfer and capital accessibility programs to help commercialize innovations.

Goal
Train, mentor, and retain more and better teachers.
Recommendation
Establish a system to retain the best teachers and increase the supply of teachers in high-demand subject areas.

Goal
Increase support for existing firms.
Recommendation
Improve the productivity and profitability of existing businesses through programs that support innovation, technology, and process improvement.

Goal
Increase participation in adult lifelong learning, worker training and professional development activities.
Recommendation
Reorganize and consolidate lifelong learning programs around relevant and projected workforce needs; increase number and use of computers in Mississippi homes, businesses, schools and libraries.

Goal
Strengthen physical infrastructure
Recommendation
Expand and/or improve Mississippi's highway, rail, air and seaport capabilities in support of the state's economic development objectives.