Jackson Jambalaya

Oh great. Just another lifelong political bureaucrat that can’t seem to find a job other than a political appointment.

John's a good guy. Done well with Rural Development. He is a great choice to lead MDA.

I misread the title and was fired up for a minute.

(I thought it said MDE Director)

Why isn't private sector experience a requirement to lead the MDA?

Why do we need this agency?

It’s a boondoggle

Waste of money!

Liberate it!

And this guy is a professional nothing.....get a job dude.

Appointing a lifelong political good ole boy with no economic development experience will work out great for the agency responsible for attracting economic development. Just you see.

Do you ever see business owners and entrepreneurs take these agency director jobs? MDA? Innovate?

Get a grip, he has leadership experience which is needed in that agency right now. He is filling a roll, to give time to find an experienced developer to run the agency. No I don’t work in government or connected to tator. Once this covid crap is over an experienced economic developer is needed to bring in new business and expand existing companies on a larger scale.

The people are demanding blood over the $94 million wasted by the welfare department.

Those be rookie numbers compared to the MDA failures. From the beef plant to solar panels, they blow through our money faster than democrats giving it to illegals.

Solid pick. That agency is in such separate need for reform the Feel had to use TANF money for economic development. Go get 'em.

With virtually every agency in this state either crippled, ineffective or mired in waste and fraud...It's great to see the governor making a move. No matter that this is an interim appointment to a do nothing agency.

Meanwhile: MDES, Welfare, Highway Patrol, Department of Corrections and Medicaid twist in the winds of poor service and continued inefficiency.

John is very talented, hard worker and not a self-promoter. Has a wonderful family- grew up on a farm. He also has a law degree and serves in the JAG at the Mississippi National Guard. Has worked in both private and government sector. Thank goodness for people like John willing to serve.

7:05- no, business owners and entrepreneurs donate to the governor and tell him who they want and what they want the agency to do. Can you say Nisson and Toyota and the new tire plant in Clinton. Industrial and business development is a crap shoot- you win some and you loose some!

John’s a really good guy. Hopefully he’ll be forward thinking and can do something with MDA beyond “buying” jobs from companies selling factories/warehouses to the highest bidding state.

Coupled with the DOR “money grabbing” because they want to keep their paychecks flowing, our state has a corrupt group. I speak to others in different states and we are a joke. We have a Capital City that has disintegrated into what is equivalent to a third world developing country and now we have state officials who think they know more about business than business men do. You cannot put a public sector employee over an agency that has an impact such as this position will have. We need to get more business oriented private sector appointments. Now, you think things have been rough with Covid? Just wait until the money grabbers (see first sentence above) start sending letter after letter after letter. Revenues are down and businesses were closed and probably a drastic number will go out of business soon because they cannot pay their bills much less anything else. But, we have this mindset that we need large state government. That’s the one fallback in this state that will not change. Simply put, when you are a public sector employee you don’t have the accountability and drive that a person in the private sector has. Sorry to hurt y’alls feelings. Might be painting with a broad brush here but that has been my overall experience with state and federal government all my life and I’m 69....and I’m still working everyday. No retirement for me anytime soon because as a business owner I have people who work for me that are dependent on me to keep them employed and they all give it 100% everyday. That’s the rewarding part of being in the private sector.

How many people at MDA do you think have business degrees? I’d put hard money on not many at all.

On the other hand, 7:41, just as an example, Governor Bryant put his best bud and fellow alumnus, Huff, the Hattiesburg multi-millionaire and private sector lifer on committees and boards. Same with his appointments and REappointments to Wildlife and other Commissions.

The departure from Commissions filled from the private sector began with Barbour. Although it was always a fact, even when filled with private sector people...they had to belong to and follow a specific party line.

But, back to the present: Tate Reeves cares nothing about business and industry development. And that's primarily because he KNOWS nothing about it.

Does Mr Rounsaville have any specialized frontage road experience? ISpeciafically the subdivision accessing type of frontage road? Design, construction, financing, getting gubmint funding for etc?

TIA- My friend who I'm asking for is trying to get an old self propelled mower started so he can donate it- will check back later..

When is he going to name a DPS commissioner or MBN Director?

Great pick--that agency needs reform!!!

8:41 AM. I'll take your bet. At one time I worked at MDA after coming from the private sector. I managed 8 people. These included three CPAs, two with a BS in marketing and MBA, one with BS in finance and MBA, one with BS in marketing, and one with BS in accounting. All of these people had also worked in the private sector. The gentleman with the BS in marketing also ran a major part of a nationally known food manufacturer. The gentleman with the BS in accounting also worked for many years for a national manufacturer. Most of the MDA employees with the exception of those in IS, personnel, etc. had business degrees. If you don't know what you're talking about, you should keep your mouth shut.

12:32 a.m. - That's impressive. Now, name five companies that group brought to Mississippi while you managed them. Four?

Just a question for thought- why would a federal appointee leave a Top executive spot for a “temporary” state appointment? Point being that doesn’t happen unless you are running from something.

Rounsaviile’s background appears more suited to USDA than MDA. People keep saying MDA needs reform, yet nothing in the Governor’s announcement mentions any reforms that Rounsaville has implemented or been responsible for at any prior jobs.

Waiting on last midnight's list of accomplishments. Tic Tock.

Haters are out in full force on this one.

I just hope he can attract those fancy beef plants, call centers and solar farms that we love to waste money on!

6:18 AM: Not everybody at MDA works to bring companies in from out of state. My group only worked with new small business start-ups and small business expansions. Name four or five companies? I can probably name four or five thousand.

Uh Uh ohh, Kior , Beef plant, Stion, Twin Creeks, green tech, Southern Airways, Eco Elite, Alphagen, MS Forge, WPG, Sanderson Plumbing , what else do I have to say...!

Decisions made by a handful of pricks on the 15th floor....