City and County Government
The Center for Government and Community Development (GCD) is a unit of the Mississippi State University Extension Service, which is located within the Division of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine at Mississippi State University.
The center’s staff design and deliver educational programs, training activities, information, and technical assistance in response to the high priority economic and community development needs of Mississippi communities and their citizens. Participants in GCD programs include local government leaders, community-based organizations, state and local agencies, and business enterprises.
The activities of the center help the university build strong partnerships with agencies, institutions, organizations, and foundations that have a shared commitment to strengthening the well-being of Mississippi communities and the work of local government officials.
The GCD mission also includes providing community leaders, organizations, agencies, businesses, and citizens with high quality, science-based information on economic and community development topics. This is accomplished through a variety of communications channels, including newsletters, websites, trade magazines, and special reports.
See The Center for Government and Community Development website for more information.
Featured Resources
Publications
News
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Individuals who are interested in running for municipal office in 2025 have three opportunities to learn more about the roles of elected officials and the election process during a free, virtual workshop. The Mississippi State University Extension Center for Government and Community Development is offering Ready to Lead: A Workshop for Aspiring Municipal Leaders in Mississippi.
October marks an exciting milestone for Mississippi tourism professionals who will complete training in a one-of-a-kind program. Trainees in the second annual Excellence in Tourism Leadership Program will receive their certificates of completion at the 2024 Governor’s Conference on Tourism, an annual event hosted by the Mississippi Tourism Association. Registration is now open to those that want to be part of the next class, which begins in January 2025.
RAYMOND, Miss. -- Volunteers, employees and board members of the tourism sector or related organizations can get training and build networks with other tourism professionals in an upcoming certificate program. The Excellence in Tourism Leadership Program is offered by the Mississippi State University Extension Service Center for Government and Community Development in partnership with the Mississippi Tourism Association. The program will help tourism professionals learn how to market and increase tourism while gaining insight about leadership, advocacy, public policy and administration. The two-year program offers the opportunity to earn two separate certificates -- an associate certificate and a master certificate.
Success Stories
Fenton Pope looked around his native Covington County a quarter-century ago and saw what he believed was an alarming amount of farmland out of production.
Being a municipal clerk isn’t easy. In Mississippi, these city officers are appointed by local aldermen and the city mayor, who hire and fire these financial recordkeepers at will. When voters elect different leaders, those officials can appoint new municipal clerks, who may know only a little about what the job entails.
The Excellence in Tourism Leadership Program is training volunteers, employees, and board members involved in Mississippi’s tourism sector and related organizations as they build networks with fellow tourism professionals.
