HCPHC hosts Economic Development Leadership Training for Elected Officials
September 29, 2017
The Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission hosted a workshop at Stennis International Airport on September 26th to educate elected and community leaders how to successfully recruit companies and win jobs for their communities.
Carol Johnson, an economic development sales and marketing expert, facilitated the interactive, 90-minute workshop and offered best practices for job attraction and economic development success.
The workshop focused on the site selection process, how the community is being assessed, where public investment is required, the role of public or private leaders in economic development, the appropriate do’s and don’ts of site visits and how to win projects. This workshop was offered at no cost to elected officials and community leaders.
The instructor, Carol Johnson, is a highly respected economic development sales expert and founder of Continuous Dialog. Her finance and marketing skills were developed at Kraft Foods in New York. She holds a BA in Marketing from Florida State University and a MBA in Finance from Indiana University. Johnson’s workshops are widely sought after by major corporations, site selectors and economic development organizations, including states, regional partnerships, communities and utilities. Her entertaining and interactive workshops allow communities to keep existing jobs and grow and recruit new jobs.
“The workshop gives Hancock County leadership the tools and knowledge to go out and win projects. We have a continuous dialogue throughout our elected officials, educators, and governmental entities,” said Bill Cork, chief executive officer of HCPHC.
The Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission was established in 1963 to lead the county’s economic development activities. Stennis International Airport and Port Bienville Industrial Park are home to 30 companies with more than 1,000 employees. For more information visit www.portairspace.com, or contact the chief development officer, Janel Carothers, at jcarothers@hcphc.ms or 228.467.9231.