STARKVILLE, Miss. -- A Mississippi State University Extension Service educator has been selected to participate in the nation’s second oldest statewide leadership training program aimed at strengthening Mississippi’s quality of life.

Ann Sansing, an Extension community health coordinator, is among 48 Mississippi community and business leaders completing the Mississippi Economic Council’s 2020 Leadership Mississippi program.

“It is an honor to learn among this group of Mississippi professionals,” said Sansing, who is an Extension instructor in the MSU Department of Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion. “From over 150 applicants, I was lucky to be chosen as a cohort for 2020 Leadership Mississippi.”

Class members are selected based on demonstrated leadership abilities in their careers and communities. Participants attend five class sessions during the year to learn about the state’s current challenges and build their leadership skills as they work on problem-solving activities related to current issues. As graduates, they become members of a statewide network dedicated to making life better in Mississippi.

In her role as an Extension instructor, Sansing coordinates the Rural Medical and Science Scholars program and the Junior Master Wellness Volunteer program.

Leadership Mississippi has more than 1,500 graduates serving as business executives, community leaders and elected officials throughout the state. The program, which began in 1974, is conducted through the M.B. Swayze Foundation. It is funded through an endowment made possible by the late J.C. and Annie Redd. J.C. Redd served as Mississippi Economic Council chairman in 1973 and 1974.

The council, made up of independent business and community leaders from across the state, is focused on policy advocacy and leadership development meant to make the state a better place to live and work.