MDES’ Ring and Pope Selected to Join Mississippi LEAD 2025-2026 Cohort
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Laura Ring, Deputy Executive Director of External Relations and Jason Pope, Deputy Executive Director of Workforce Programs and Services
Date: January 15, 2025
JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES) is pleased to announce that Laura Ring, Deputy Executive Director, External Relations, and Jason Pope, Ph.D., Deputy Executive Director, Workforce Programs and Services, have been selected to join the 2025-2026 cohort of Mississippi LEAD (Leadership Excellence And Development), a strategic leadership program administered by the Mississippi State Personnel Board. Launched in January 2024, this two-year program is designed to enhance the leadership skills of state government executives through monthly webinars and quarterly events. Each participant must be nominated by his or her agency head and meet the program’s eligibility qualifications. The 2025-2026 cohort will consist of 30 leaders representing 20 agencies across state government.
Laura Ring serves as Deputy Executive Director of External Relations leading the Communications, Labor Market Information, Workforce Data Reporting, Apprenticeship, and Grant Management teams. Over her 19-year career with MDES, she has brought expertise to various critical areas including human resources, information technology, program management, and grant management. Her leadership ensures the effective delivery of workforce services and drives innovation in support of Mississippi’s economic growth. Laura earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Jason Pope, Ph.D., serves as Deputy Executive Director of Workforce Programs and Services providing leadership for Wagner-Peyser Employment Services, Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment, E-Verify Assistance for employers, Migrant Seasonal Farmworker program, the Governor’s Job Fair Network, Jobs for Veterans State Grant Program and others. Dr. Pope received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Banking and Finance from Mississippi State University, an MBA from Mississippi College, and a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration from Jackson State University.
"As Mississippi LEAD enters its second year, we are excited to expand our program to thirty additional leaders in state government,” said State Personnel Director Kelly Hardwick. “We look forward to building on the momentum of the program’s first year with a new group of dedicated leaders.”
“I am overjoyed to announce that two of our agency’s deputy directors have been selected for the LEAD program,” said Bill Ashley, Executive Director. “Strong leadership drives our success, and by empowering our leaders with additional training and development, we strengthen MDES’s workforce and further advance our mission of Helping Mississippians Get Jobs. Please join me in congratulating Laura and Jason on this well-deserved achievement.”
For more information about the Mississippi LEAD program, please visit mspb.ms.gov. For more information on the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, please visit mdes.ms.gov
