Jason Pope Selected as MDES Deputy Executive Director of Workforce Programs and Services
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For Immediate Release
Date: August 1, 2024
Jackson, MS –
Jason Pope, Ph.D., M.B.A. was selected Deputy Executive Director of Workforce Programs and Services for the Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES). He comes to MDES from the Mississippi Development Authority, where he served as Director of Energy & Natural Resources.
Pope will provide leadership for the agency’s efforts to connect Mississippi employers with qualified workers. MDES provides Wagner-Peyser Employment Services, Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessments, E-Verify Assistance for employers, the Migrant Seasonal Farmworker program, the Governor’s Job Fair Network, the Jobs for Veterans State Grant Program, and others targeting specific employment and business needs of Mississippians throughout the state in the communities served by Mississippi’s WIN Job Centers.
For over 17 years, Dr. Pope served in many roles at the state’s largest community college. He worked in the Small Business Development Center; taught entrepreneurship in the department of business administration; served as a Workforce Development Specialist providing training at WIN Job Centers across the state; created and provided customized training programs for private industry; and led sustainability initiatives that received both state and national awards. In 2019, he was awarded “Environment + Energy Leader 100,” selected for his impact on the industry.
Bill Ashley, Ph.D., Executive Director of MDES, said, “Dr. Pope brings to MDES a strong background in workforce development, economic development, and facilities management. He is a dedicated public servant committed to fostering opportunities for Mississippians.”
“I look forward to working with the Workforce Programs and Services team at MDES to fulfill the agency’s mission of Helping Mississippians Get Jobs,” says Pope.
Dr. Pope earned his Business Administration degree in Banking and Finance from Mississippi State University. He graduated from Mississippi College with a Master of Business Administration and later graduated from Jackson State University with a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration. He collaborated with the Mississippi Energy Institute on diversifying Mississippi’s economic energy base and served on several local and regional boards and on state and national committees.
Jason and his wife, Leslie, live with their two sons in Madison, MS.
