The Mississippi Municipal League (MML) hosted the 11th Annual Youth Leadership Summit March 2 – 3, 2018, at Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi.
The City of Brandon sponsored a Welcome Reception Friday night, March 2, at the Brandon Municipal Complex.
Nearly 400 high school students and youth advisors traveled to Jackson for Saturday’s events. This included a group from Winston County: Jamal Kelly, Carlmeisha Hunt, Curry Black, Tia Hunt, Bria Hunt, Maya Clay, Bella Hillyer, Laquinton Kelly, Chandler Wells, Elijah Caudill, and Louisville Mayor Will Hill.
The City of Brandon’s Mayor Butch Lee, 2017-2018 President of the MML Youth Committee, invited all Summit attendees to the Brandon Municipal Complex for a night of good food, music and fellowship.
The following day, Saturday, March 3, 2018, students in grades 9-12 attended workshops on the campus of Jackson State University that will focused on topics such as discovering qualities of leadership, preparing for a smart financial future, building a deeper understanding of parliamentary procedure, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and strengthening networking skills.
Several of the sessions were led by Mayors’ Youth Councils from across the state, including those from Moss Point, Ocean Springs, Greenville, Gulfport and Newton. The conference keynote address was given by Kristy Johnson, Miss Black Mississippi 2017.
Over 300 students registered for this year’s conference, representing 24 cities and towns across the state. “This is the premier youth leadership event in Mississippi, and we are extremely proud to have been able to offer these students a decade worth of programming and events through the Mississippi Municipal League’s Youth Program,” said 2018 MML Youth Committee Chairman and Brandon Mayor Butch Lee. He added, “These young people are the future of our state, and the MML Youth Leadership Summit is a great way to engage them in thinking and preparing for their future.”
Along with the Mississippi Municipal League, sponsors include Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi, the City of Brandon, Mississippi Citizen Corps, Entergy, Irby Construction Company, Jackson State University, Mississippi Power, Mississippi State University Extension Service, Mississippi Youth Preparedness Initiative, Mississippi Office of Homeland Security, Octagon Group, Sanderson Farms, North Mississippi Mayors Association, East Central Mississippi Mayors Association, and Central Mississippi Mayors Association.
Established in 1931, MML represents 292 city, town and village governments in Mississippi. The mission of the MML is helping cities and towns excel through training, lobbying at the state and federal level, and providing resources and networking opportunities with state, federal and private entities. For more information about the Mississippi Municipal League visit www.mmlonline.com.
