Southern Mississippi Planning and Development District

07/15/2026

Congratulations to Julius Wilson and Cenniyah Taylor! ✨🎉

The Jefferson Davis County Board of Supervisors is proud to celebrate these outstanding students for receiving the SMPDD Scholarship of $1,000 each to attend Pearl River Community College this Fall! 📚💙

Your dedication, hard work, and bright futures inspire us all. We are excited to see the incredible things you will accomplish in this new chapter of your lives. Keep striving, dreaming big, and making us proud!

Wishing you both the very best on this exciting journey ahead! 🎓🌟



Pearl River Community College

07/08/2026

⭐️✨Celebrating Heidi Thornhill & David Woodson🌟✨

The Marion County Board of Supervisors is proud to honor you both for earning the SMPDD Scholarship — a $1,000 award to support your studies at Pearl River Community College this fall! 🎓💙

Your dedication and ambition are truly inspiring, and we can’t wait to see all the amazing things you’ll achieve. 🎉🎉🎉

07/07/2026

🚨 New Opportunity for Justice-Impacted Residents! 🚨

SMPDD is proud to offer FREE Reentry Career Readiness Services for justice-impacted residents in Harrison, Hancock, and Jackson Counties.

If you're looking for support with:
✅ Resume development
✅ Interview preparation
✅ Career coaching
✅ Job placement assistance

Our Reentry Career Coaching program can help you take the next step toward meaningful employment.

Eligibility Requirements:
• Resident of Harrison, Hancock, or Jackson County
• Have a felony conviction
• Currently unemployed or underemployed

📍 Reentry Specialist Hours:
Mondays | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Gulfport WIN Job Center

Ready to invest in your future? Apply today by scanning the QR code!

***Schedule is subject to change***

07/06/2026

🌟🎉🌟 Congratulations to Wayne County students, Raven Miller and Jalyn Cochran for receiving SMPDD’s $1,000 Scholarship for the Fall 2026 semester!

Big Thank You to Keith Clay and the Wayne County Board of Supervisors for supporting these deserving students! Wishing them the Best of Luck in their future endeavors at Jones College! 🌟🎉🌟

06/30/2026

Congratulations to SMPDD Career Coach Keyshon Hinton!! We are proud to have you on our team!

Behind every student who discovers a career pathway is someone helping them see what's possible.

We're proud to recognize the inaugural recipients of the AccelerateMS Career Coach Catalyst Award:

🏆 Iris Andrews – Northeast Jones News
🏆 Lorene Haymer – Holmes County Central High School
🏆 Keyshon Hinton – Richton School District
🏆 Karen Walden – Falkner High School

Thank you for helping prepare Mississippi's next generation of talent. Read more: https://buff.ly/u0UNEyJ + SMPDD Career Coaches Jones County Chamber of Commerce Three Rivers Planning & Development District

06/26/2026

🎉🌟🎓🌟🎉 Congratulations to Sarah Williams and Hallie Creel on receiving the 2026 SMPDD Scholarship!

A BIG thanks to the Perry County Board of Supervisors and Supervisor Kevin Shows for the support in making a difference in the lives of these exceptional students.

Wishing you both the Best of Luck at Jones College in the Fall!! 🎉🌟🎓🌟🎉

06/24/2026

🎉 Grant Award Announcement 🎉

The Southern Mississippi Planning and Development District (SMPDD) has been selected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to lead a $1.5 million Brownfields Assessment Coalition Grant!

This funding will support:
✅ Site inventories
✅ Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments
✅ Cleanup planning
✅ Reuse planning
✅ Community engagement activities

Assessment efforts will focus on the Towns of Prentiss and Bassfield, as well as the Mobile Street/Twin Forks Rising Community in Hattiesburg.

We are proud to partner with our coalition members, the Town of Prentiss and the Town of Bassfield, to help identify opportunities for redevelopment and community revitalization.

This marks the third EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant awarded to SMPDD since 2019, reflecting our continued commitment to supporting economic growth and sustainable community development throughout our region.

06/23/2026

Gavin Garcia and Carson O’Quinn were recognized for their hard work and accomplishments In Hancock County!

Gavin and Carson were nominated by the Hancock County Board of Supervisors to receive a $1,000.00 scholarship from Southern Mississippi Planning & Development District (SMPDD) to attend Pearl River Community College this Fall!

🎉🎉🎉 Congratulations to these two students, we wish you the best of luck!

Hancock County MS Government

06/22/2026

A very successful Career Coach Professional Development Day!

06/19/2026

Congratulations to these very deserving students in Picayune for their achievements! 🎉🎉🎉