Since my last column urging the launching of a regional Coastal Mississippi Economic Development Alliance, I’ve heard from state leaders, legislators, and business leaders.
Two Coastal Mississippi leaders sharpened our challenge. One said we need more Business Council board members who know, from experience outside this state, what’s possible. He stressed, “It’s not a passion unless you understand how much better it can be.” Another leader said, “The pushers aren’t pushing anymore. If there was one thing that got us through Katrina, it was leaders pushing. If we don’t have enough pushers at the table, we need to find them!”
Their words demand bold dreamers and fierce pushers to unite our region, because Coastal Mississippi’s political reality is that we must align county boards of supervisors to achieve regional outcomes.
Northeast Mississippi’s Golden Triangle has landed over $10 billion in economic development projects through visionary megasites and multi-county efforts led by Joe Max Higgins, who calls Coastal Mississippi “the 800-pound gorilla that doesn’t know it.”
Now, counties around Oxford are forging their own regional effort. In March 2025, Governor Tate Reeves signed House Bill 1897, enabling Tate, Panola, Lafayette, and Yalobusha counties to form the Northwest Regional Alliance. This law allows a special tax and bonds for projects too big for one county. Ryan Miller, CEO of Oxford-Lafayette County Economic Development Foundation, said, “As a group, we can focus energy, attention, and resources toward common goals of recruiting large-scale projects that make sense regionally.”
That’s exactly what we should say about Coastal Mississippi. It seems obvious to me and a growing number of others.
The Florida Panhandle’s beating us to it. Florida’s Great Northwest united 12 counties, aligning the governor, legislators, and local leaders to secure the 10,500-acre Shoal River Ranch Gigasite. They’ve raised significant funds to attract major businesses, including proposed aerospace facilities. Unfazed by hurricanes, they’re landing big projects, showing what a unified vision delivers. Their pushers and dreamers have united, and the proof’s in the pudding.
Coastal Mississippi isn’t moving fast enough, distracted by storm fears, complacency, and turf-protecting while rivals chase big wins. We need a Coastal Mississippi Economic Development Alliance, led by the Gulf Coast Business Council, to unite mayors, supervisors, CEOs, college leaders, economic development leaders, ports, and airports.
Pushers must align these groups, forging a shared vision for tech and manufacturing hubs. We proved after Katrina that we could come together regionally. It’s time to dream big again, or we’ll suffer for not thinking as one Coast on the big stuff. We’re behind the eight ball!
AI’s disruption and America’s industrial boom won’t wait. North Mississippi and Florida prove that unity triumphs. The Gulf Coast Business Council is well-positioned to rally dreamers and pushers. If not them, who? What are we waiting for? Let’s dream big, push hard, and make Coastal Mississippi a powerhouse. The clock’s ticking.
The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the views of SuperTalk Mississippi Media.
