* The M.B., the Council’s subsidiary, has been elected as chair. Anthony Wilson, president, and CEO of Mississippi Power, has been elected chair by the Swayze Foundation. Vice chair of the foundation will be Bill Lampton, president and CEO of Ergon’s Asphalt Groups, and chairman of Ergon Asphalt & Emusions, Inc. M.B. The MEC stated that the Swayze Foundation does independent research on public policy issues, including taxation, economic development and economic competitiveness. Two key MEC programs are also managed by the foundation: Leadership Mississippi and Student-Teacher Achievement Recognition. * The Public Education Forum of Mississippi (another MEC subsidiary) elected Jim McIngvale as its chair. He is the director of Government & Community Affairs at Ingalls Shipbuilding. Sean Suggs (Vice President of Manufacturing at Toyota Mississippi) is the forum’s new vice-chair. The Forum was established in 1989 and is dedicated to being the most independent force in public education in the state. According to a press release from the MEC, it has been in existence since then. The Public Education Forum manages Mississippi Scholars Tech Master and Mississippi Scholars Tech Master programs. They were established in 2003. The Forum is an independent, nonpartisan, non-partisan education policy research group that was founded by a wide cross-section from education, business, and political leaders in the state. * Patrice (Michelle) Hardy Whittle, Atmos Energy’s chair, has been elected by the Council’s Leadership Mississippi Program. Maj. Gen. Augustus Leon Collins, MINACT, Inc., has been elected vice chair for 2017. Whittle is a 2015 Leadership Mississippi grad. Collins is a 2012 Leadership Mississippi grad.