Mississippi’s Momentum: Building on a Decade of Progress in 2025

The holiday season is a time to meditate on our many blessings. During the course of any given day, it is easy to get caught up in our immediate problems and take for granted the good things around us. Often, I find myself thinking about the challenges of daily life and the things I need to work on. One of the things I love about this time of year is the opportunity to slow down, take a breath, and remember all the things I have to be thankful for.  

This year, my wife and I welcomed our first child, Eliza Mae Ervin, and my heart is full of joy and gratitude as I reflect on our first Christmas with her. I’m also incredibly thankful for my family, friends, life and health and to be a part of the incredible Empower Mississippi team. 

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the founding of Empower Mississippi, and we’ve spent much of 2024 celebrating the incredible progress our state has made in the last decade. During that time, Mississippi leaders like Governor Tate Reeves, Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann, Speaker of the House Jason White, and former Speaker of the House Philip Gunn worked tirelessly to move our state forward – and the results have been impressive. In the last ten years, Mississippi has: 

• Announced record-breaking economic development projects, resulting in tens of billions in corporate investments in the state; 

• Paid off more than a billion dollars in state debt, freeing up more resources for tax cuts and core functions of government like education, infrastructure, and public safety; 

• Cut taxes, returning more than half a billion dollars to Mississippi taxpayers; 

• Been recognized nationally for the “Mississippi Miracle” after climbing from second worst to 21st in 4th grade reading; 

• Enacted a new public education funding formula that prioritizes the individual needs of students; 

• Achieved record-low unemployment rates; and 

• Reduced unnecessary regulations and made Mississippi a more business-friendly state.  

The men and women of the Mississippi legislature deserve a lot of credit, too. They’ve done the hard policy work and taken the tough votes to accomplish these great things – and even more. Being a legislator can be a thankless job, but I want to pause and thank them for their steadfast efforts to better our state.  

Sometimes, I find myself so focused on the challenges we face and relentlessly pursuing the next big opportunity that I forget how far we’ve already come. We certainly can’t rest on our laurels, but we can acknowledge and celebrate our achievements with an eye toward the future. I’m thankful for and incredibly proud of the work lawmakers and state leaders have done to position Mississippi for success.  

As we turn the page on 2024 and begin writing a new chapter, we know there’s still much more work to do. Imagine what the next ten years could look like if we work together to reach new heights and build on the progress we’ve already made.  

Today, we celebrate our past successes. Tomorrow, we empower the future.   

Happy New Year!