May has already been a busy month for the Gulf Coast Business Council, as the closing of 2016's Legislative Session has brought with it the possibility that the appropriation of the State Economic Damages Settlement from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill could be dealt with in a specially-called session of the state legislature later this summer.
With nearly $110 million at stake, this potential special session will be especially important for the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and The Gulf Coast Business Council is hard at work preparing for this opportunity.
During the legislative session, the Gulf Coast Business Council's top priority was ensuring that the vast majority of the settlement funds would be spent on the Coast. With the looming possibility of a special legislative session to decide these matters, the Gulf Coast Business Council will be asking its membership to stay engaged to ensure the Coast's voice is heard.
This is arguably the single biggest opportunity since Hurricane Katrina for the Coast to leverage the resources necessary to help drive transformational economic change in our region. We must stand ready to do our part to take full advantage of this occasion. The Gulf Coast Business Council will provide frequent updates regarding the status of any potential special legislative session and will be working to build a consensus around a shared strategy that aims to ensure that the Coast is successful in securing its fair share.
We look forward to working with all of you as we move forward with this important effort.
Ashley Edwards
President
Ashley Edwards | Gulf Coast Business Council | 228.897.2020 |
[email protected]
REMINDER
General Membership Meeting
Tuesday, May 23 8:00 a.m.
Our speaker will be:
Glenn McCullough, Executive Director, Mississippi Development Authority
RESEARCH UPDATE
Also included in the report are updates on Tourism,
It was a pleasure hosting State Treasurer Lynn Fitch as our speaker on April 26
Treasurer Fitch enlightened our membership on the status of
State fiscal matters.
Welcome New Members
Join us in welcoming the following new members for
April & May:
Nick Ladner, Owner, Ladner Drugs
Natalie Guess, Director, Magnolia Business Alliance
Jim Lewis, Plant Manager, Calgon Carbon
Jim Thriffiley, CEO, Thriffiley & Company
The Mission of the Gulf Coast Business Council is to grow a sustainable diversified economy, recognized for its creativity, highly skilled workforce and favorable business environment that complements the livability of our communities and provides for opportunities and benefits to all citizens along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
