11. Agencies, Boards, and Commissions
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SOS6889 Divider Pages.indd 8 12/10/12 11:32 AM AGENCIES, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AGENCIES, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS Mississippi’s state public policy is implemented through its various offices and departments, some headed by elected officials and others directed by appointed boards and commissions. Government Offices, Agencies and Departments . .427 Appointed Boards and Commissions . 435. A – C . 435 D – G . 443 H – J . 448 L – P . 451 R – Y . 458 Boards and Commissions Listing by Category . .834 Agriculture Arts & History Commerce & Transportation Courts Economic Development Education Government Health Care Military Natural Resources Public Safety Public Utilities Quality of Life 426 AGENCIES, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AGENCIES, BOARDS & COMMISSIONS The Secretary of State’s Office is assigned the responsibility to maintain a record of all state agencies, boards and commissions including their appointive memberships. Additionally, the Secretary notifies the appointing elected officials of approaching vacancies on various boards and commissions to facilitate the appointment process. Each year, the Secretary of State submits a report to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the House of Representatives and members of the state Legislature on the composition of all state agencies, board and commissions. To keep Mississippi taxpayers and residents more informed of state government operations, a complete listing of all agencies, board and commissions and the individuals appointed to serve on those bodies is updating daily and available for viewing on the Secretary of State’s website: www.sos.ms.gov. A full board listing and a summary list of boards and commissions are available . The website has a searchable database by appointees’ names, appointing authority and vacancies. GOVERNMENT OFFICES, AGENCIES AND DEPARTMENTS A Cindy Hyde-Smith, Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Office of the Adjutant General (Elected by Voters) (601) 313-6232/F (601) 313-6251 The Mississippi Department of Agriculture P.O. Box 5027, Jackson 39296-5027 and Commerce regulates and promotes 1410 Riverside Drive, Jackson 39202 agricultural-related businesses within the [email protected] state and to promote Mississippi’s products Reference: Miss. Code Ann. § 33-3-7 throughout both the state and worldwide. Major General Augustus Leon Collins, Department of Archives and History Adjutant General (601) 576-6850/F (601) 576-6975 (Appointed by Governor) P.O. Box 571, Jackson 39205-0571 The Office of the Adjutant General is [email protected] responsible for providing the State of www.mdah.state.ms.us Mississippi and the United States of America Reference: Miss. Code Ann. § 39-5-1 with a ready force of more than 12,275 Citizen Soldiers and Airmen, equipped and H.T. Holmes, Director trained to respond to any contingency, natural (Appointed by Board of Trustees) or man-made. The Adjutant General directs The Mississippi Department of Archives the Mississippi Military Department and and History is a comprehensive historical oversees the development and coordination agency which collects, preserves, and of all policies, plans, and programs of the provides access to the archival resources of Mississippi National Guard in concert with the the state, administers museums and historic Governor and legislature of the State. sites, and oversees statewide programs for historic preservation, government records Department of Agriculture management, and publications. and Commerce The department comprises six divisions— (601) 359-1100/F (601) 354-6290 Administration, Archives and Library, Historic 121 North Jefferson St., Jackson 39201 Preservation, Historic Properties, Museum, P.O. Box 1609, Jackson 39215-1609 and Records Management. [email protected] www.mdac.ms.gov Reference: Miss. Code Ann. § 69-1-1 427 AGENCIES, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS Office of the Attorney General properly received, are legally, effectively, and (601) 359-3860/F (601) 359-3796 efficiently spent and are accounted for and P.O. Box 220, Jackson 39205-0220 reported accurately. [email protected] www.agjimhood.com B Reference: Miss. Const. of 1890, Article 6, §173 (1972) Department of Banking and Consumer Finance Jim Hood, Attorney General (601) 359-1031/F (601) 359-3557 (Elected by Voters) P.O. Drawer 23729, Jackson 39225-3729 The Attorney General serves as the [email protected] chief legal officer and advisor for the State. www.dbcf.state.ms.us Responsibilities are to serve as lawyer for Reference: Miss. Code Ann. § 81-1-61 the State, its public officials, and government agencies, and to issue legal opinions which Jerry Wilson, Commissioner interpret existing state law. The Attorney (Appointed by Governor) General has the sole power under Mississippi The Department of Banking and Consumer Finance is responsible for the execution of all law to bring or defend a lawsuit on behalf laws relating to corporations, and carrying on of the State. The Attorney General is also a banking business in the State of Mississippi. empowered to act as counsel to state agencies The Department is charged with the primary and to defend them or bring suit on their examination and regulatory supervision behalf, either in person or by assistants. of all state chartered commercial banks, The major divisions and sections of state chartered thrift institutions, state this office are: Civil Litigation, Consumer chartered credit unions, independent trust Protection, Crime Prevention and Victim’s companies, consumer finance companies, Services, Criminal Litigation, Cyber Crime, premium finance companies, motor vehicle Domestic Violence, Medicaid Fraud sales finance companies, pawn brokers, title pledge lenders, consumer loan brokers, Control, Opinions and Local Government, check cashers, mortgage lenders, the sale of Prosecutors’ Training, Public Integrity which commercial exchange, and debt management includes: Alcohol & Tobacco Enforcement, service providers. Child Desertion, DUI, Insurance Fraud and Vulnerable Persons. Office of the State Bond Attorney (601) 335-6011 Office of the State Auditor 325 Woodlawn, Wilzin Park, Greenville 38701 (601) 576-2800/F (601) 576-2650 Reference: Miss. Code Ann. § 31-13-1 Woolfolk Building 501 N. West Street, Ste. 801, Jackson 39201 Spencer Flatgard, State Bond Attorney P.O. Box 956, Jackson 39205-0956 (Appointed by Governor) [email protected] The State Bond Attorney review all www.osa.state.ms.us proposed public bonds and render a written Reference: Miss. Constitution Article 5 opinion on whether all procedures have been properly followed and whether the proposed Stacey Pickering, State Auditor bonds are legal, valid and binding. (Elected by Voters) The Department of Audit is the definitive C authority in matters pertaining to the use of public funds. The Office of the State Department of Corrections Auditor serves its customers and protects (601) 359-5621/F (601) 359-5680 the public’s trust by independently assessing 723 N. President St., Jackson 39202 state and local governmental and other [email protected] entities to ensure that public funds are www.mdoc.state.ms.us 428 AGENCIES, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS References: Miss. Code Ann. § 47-5-8 E Christopher B. Epps, Commissioner (Appointed by Governor) State Department of Education The Mississippi Department of Corrections (601) 359-3513 protects and promotes public safety primarily P.O. Box 771, Jackson 39205-0771 through the efficient and effective custody www.med.k12.ms.us and control of individuals convicted and Reference: Miss. Code Ann. § sentenced for felony crimes. This is achieved Lynn House, Interim State Superintendent by using sound correctional principles and of Education constitutional standards. (Appointed by State Board of Education) The State Department of Education D operates under the direction and supervision of the State Superintendent of Public Education. Mississippi Development Authority The State Department of Education is organized (601) 359-3449/F (601) 359-3613 into functional divisions as established by Woolfolk Building the State Board of Education, including any 501 North West St., Jackson 39201 divisions established by law and prescribing P.O. Box 849, Jackson 39205 the duties of the directors of such divisions. It www.mississippi.org oversees public education in Mississippi from Reference: Miss. Code Ann. § 57-1-5 pre-kindergarten through Grade 12. Brent Christensen, Executive Director (Appointed by Governor) Mississippi Emergency The Mississippi Development Authority is Management Agency the state of Mississippi’s lead economic and (601) 933-6362/F (601) 933-6800 community development agency, providing P.O. Box 5644, Pearl 39288 services to businesses, communities and [email protected] workers throughout Mississippi. The agency Reference: Miss. Code Ann. § 33-15-7 works to recruit new business to the state and Robert R. Latham, Executive Director retain and expand existing Mississippi industry (Appointed by Governor) and business. MDA also provides technical MEMA’s mission is to ensure that assistance to the state’s entrepreneurs and Mississippi is prepared to respond to small businessmen and women and oversees emergencies, recover from them, and programs that support Mississippi’s minority mitigate against their impacts. and women-owned businesses. MEMA is divided into five offices: In addition, the agency provides 1. Mitigation – which helps prevent damage Mississippi’s corporate citizens with export and loss of life and property in future disasters. assistance,