South Mississippi Hosts Governors
South Mississippi recently hosted governors from across the U.S. for the National Governors Association’s (NGA) 101st Annual Meeting. The bipartisan group attended the four-day event to discuss various issues facing states and the nation, including the economy, education and emergency preparedness.
The conference was held at the newly expanded Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center on Biloxi’s beachfront and provided Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour an opportunity to showcase how far the state has come since Hurricane Katrina. “We are excited to welcome governors to Mississippi and, in particular, to the Mississippi Gulf Coast to showcase the great success our residents have achieved in rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina, the worst natural disaster in American history,” Gov. Barbour said. “These sessions are an important forum for comparing state experiences and discussing critical issues of the day and also provide an opportunity for a national audience to see why Mississippi is known for its hospitality.”
Several of the weekend’s sessions were dedicated to issues that have been extremely pertinent to South Mississippi over the past four years since Hurricane Katrina.
Infrastructure was a major focus of the weekend’s discussions. The meeting highlighted NGA Chair Pennsylvania Gov. Rendell’s yearlong initiative, Strengthening our Infrastructure for a Sustainable Future, which focuses on rebuilding, repairing and maintaining a national infrastructure system that supports America’s economic competitiveness, facilitates growth and is environmentally sustainable.
There was also a special plenary session on emergency preparedness. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano spoke and governors heard from Motorola CEO Gregory Brown, Travelers Chairman and CEO Jay Fishman, Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator W. Craig Fugate and Director in HORNE’s Disaster Compliance Division Bryan McDonald.
When not in meetings, the governors and other attendees were treated to true Southern hospitality. Gov. Barbour hosted several events, allowing them to network and further discuss the issues at hand.
