As the calendar reaches its halfway point, the Gulf Coast Business Council is taking stock of the work accomplished during the first six months of 2026—and looking ahead to what’s next.
During June’s General Membership Meeting, President & CEO Jamie Miller shared a mid-year update highlighting the conversations, partnerships, and initiatives that continue to strengthen Coastal Mississippi’s economy through regional collaboration.
“Our goal isn’t simply to host meetings,” Miller told members. “It’s to align around priorities where we can make a real impact.”
That mission has shaped every GCBC event and initiative this year.
Bringing Regional Priorities Into Focus
The year began with GCBC’s Regional Priorities Meeting, bringing together county leaders, economic developers, and regional partners to discuss shared opportunities and challenges facing South Mississippi.
In February, members heard from Mississippi Development Authority Executive Director Bill Cork, who emphasized the importance of regional organization and strategic alignment to maximize economic development opportunities and Gulf Coast Restoration Fund investments.
March focused on tourism, with updates from Coastal Mississippi and Visit Mississippi showcasing continued growth in one of the Coast’s strongest industries.
Following the legislative session, in April, state senators and representatives participated in a legislative recap panel where one message consistently emerged: the Gulf Coast is strongest when it presents a unified voice around shared priorities.
That same theme continued during May’s State of the Coast Symposium, where regional competitiveness took center stage. The event explored what it will take for Coastal Mississippi to remain competitive in the decades ahead, highlighting the importance of collaboration, strategic investment, and long-term planning.
Turning Ideas Into Action
Beyond hosting conversations, the Gulf Coast Business Council continues transforming ideas into initiatives.
StartUP Gulf Coast, launched through the 2024 Masters Leadership Class in partnership with Innovate Mississippi, continues building the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
This year’s Startup Gulf Coast Pitch Competition brought together founders from across South Mississippi to compete for funding, mentorship, and valuable connections with investors and business leaders. The annual event has quickly become one of the region’s signature entrepreneurship programs.
Mission 3, launched following the 2025 Masters Leadership Class, is another example of turning strategic conversations into lasting impact.
Created to strengthen the relationship between military installations, defense industries, and surrounding communities, Mission 3 has expanded the Gulf Coast Business Council’s efforts to support one of the region’s greatest economic assets—its military and defense economy.
Together, these initiatives reflect GCBC’s commitment to identifying regional opportunities and creating organizations capable of advancing them long after the Masters Leadership Class concludes.
Preparing Leaders for an AI-Driven Future
This spring also marked the launch of the Executive Leadership Academy, a new partnership between the Gulf Coast Business Council and The University of Southern Mississippi.
The inaugural nine-month program focuses on artificial intelligence, equipping executives and community leaders with the knowledge needed to navigate one of the most significant technological shifts facing businesses today.
Rather than focusing solely on AI tools, the academy examines how organizational leaders can strategically prepare their companies and communities for the opportunities and challenges artificial intelligence presents.
The Masters Leadership Class Tackles Regional Alignment
Each year, the Masters Leadership Class is challenged to tackle one issue with the potential to transform Coastal Mississippi.
This year’s class has taken on perhaps its most ambitious project yet.
Partnering with the Mississippi Artificial Intelligence Network (MAIN), the class is developing what has become known as the “Plan of Plans”—a regional framework designed to identify where cities, counties, and organizations already share common priorities.
Using artificial intelligence, the class is analyzing thousands of pages of comprehensive plans, strategic plans, interviews, and planning documents to identify opportunities for greater regional alignment.
Rather than replacing local plans, the initiative seeks to connect them, helping communities better coordinate efforts around workforce development, infrastructure, housing, economic development, transportation, education, and quality of life.
Once we have identified our shared priorities through the Plan of Plans, we will need to answer two important questions:
Do we have the right priorities for success?
Are we organized to accomplish them?
Those answers will help shape future conversations about regional competitiveness and public policy.
Looking Ahead
As work on the Plan of Plans continues, GCBC will soon ask members to help shape the organization’s next chapter.
This summer, members will receive a regional priorities survey designed to gather feedback from the business community on the issues most critical to the Coast’s future. The organization also plans to establish a select committee to help identify the region’s highest priorities ahead of the 2027 election cycle.
The goal is clear: create a unified business voice capable of advocating for the investments and policies that will position Coastal Mississippi for long-term success.
Halfway through 2026, one thing is evident—the Gulf Coast Business Council continues to serve as more than a convener of meetings.
It is bringing together leaders, building partnerships, launching initiatives, and creating the alignment necessary to move the region forward.
As Miller concluded, “The organization, at our core, isn’t about networking. It’s about getting the right people around the right priorities so we can make an impact for everyone who lives on the Gulf Coast.”
