JACKSON, MS (Courtesy: AccelerateMS) — On Wednesday, the State Workforce Investment Board confirmed Dr. Courtney Taylor as the new Executive Director of AccelerateMS, the lead office for workforce development strategy and coordination. Effective March 16, 2024, Taylor takes the reins from Ryan Miller, who has led the office since its inception in 2021.

Taylor joined AccelerateMS in November of 2021 as deputy director for strategy and programs, tasked with overseeing strategies and initiatives that contribute to the growth and development of the workforce and the overall economic health of Mississippi.

“Over the past four years, we’ve overhauled our approach to workforce development in Mississippi,” said Governor Tate Reeves. “Thanks to those efforts, we’ve seen record investment in high-quality training programs, better coordination amongst our state partners, and thousands of high-paying jobs created for Mississippians. I’m pleased the State Workforce Investment Board selected Dr. Courtney Taylor as the next Executive Director of AccelerateMS. She’s a highly capable and proven leader in workforce training and she will no doubt build upon the successes of her predecessor as we work collectively to grow Mississippi’s economy.”

“Courtney has played a key role in helping build the foundation of a new state workforce strategy,” said Patrick Sullivan, chair of the State Workforce Investment Board. “This decision not only reflects the Board’s confidence in the positive trajectory over the past three years but also a belief that Courtney Taylor is the right person to lead through more challenges and opportunities ahead.”

Taylor has served in higher education for over 15 years, most recently as the vice president for workforce and economic development at East Mississippi Community College. Before that, she was the regional director of workforce and economic development for the Alabama Community College System and served as the director of workforce solutions at Calhoun Community College.

She is a past assistant director at Troy University’s Center for International Business and Economic Development.

She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of West Alabama and a Master of Human Resources Management from Troy University. She holds a Ph.D. in Human Capital Development from the University of Southern Mississippi.