By JACK WEATHERLY
jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com
Scott Waller has been named president and chief executive of the Mississippi Economic Council, the state chamber of commerce.
The appointment was announced Tuesday at MEC Capital Day 2018, where over 1,000 business and community leaders from across Mississippi joined with legislators and state leaders to discuss the upcoming legislative agenda.
Waller, who has been with at MEC for more than 11 years, was interim president and chief executive for the past eight months.
He succeeds Blake Wilson, who retired June 16 after leading the organization for 19 years.
“Scott has had an integral role in the growth of MEC over the last 10 years,” William Yates III, outgoing chairman, said in a release. Yates leads the W.G. Yates & Sons Construction Co.
Waller is the fourth chief executive in MEC’s 69-year history. He served as executive vice president and chief operating officer.
He has worked to build coalitions and strengthen alliances between MEC members and other organizations to make the chamber a policy leader on key issues of economic development, education, work-force training, taxes, tourism, and business climate. He also pioneered a comprehensive communications plan using innovative approaches to take advantage of ever-changing technology.
“I am excited about the opportunity to build on MEC’s solid foundation,” Waller said in the release. “I look forward to working with business and community leaders as well as our elected officials across Mississippi to continue to grow our states’ economic competitiveness.”
Prior to joining MEC, he spent more than 20 years as a newspaper journalist, including four years as business editor of the Clarion-Ledger. He is also the former owner and editor of the Madison County Journal and was a co-owner of Siwel Homes, a residential construction company.
He is a graduate of Mississippi State University and has completed the respected Institute for Organization Management program, an intensive four-year nonprofit leadership training program conducted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and held at the University of Georgia in Athens, Ga.