MPAEF Celebrity Roast
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Mississippi Economic Council President and CEO Blake Wilson will be roasted by the state press association during a charitable benefit Jan. 28 at the Jackson Hilton Hotel.
Wilson, a former journalist who is only the third chief executive for MEC in its 60-year history, will be the guest of honor during the 20th anniversary Mississippi Press Association Education Foundation Celebrity Roast. The event is held annually to raise funds to underwrite internships for aspiring journalists and grants for journalism education.
Wilson will be the second roastee to receive the S. Gale Denley Memorial Journalism Award. The MPA and MPAEF boards of directors voted in 2009 to rename the foundation award in memory of the longtime educator and publisher of the Calhoun County Journal. Denley, a past president of MPA and past chairman of MPAEF, died in 2008.
Wilson came to MEC in 1998 from the Florida Chamber of Commerce where he served as Executive Vice President — and where he developed the most sophisticated grassroots member legislative action program in the nation.
Previously, he was Executive Director of Associated Builders & Contractors in Delaware and, prior to that, spent nearly 10 years with the Delaware Chamber of Commerce. Before entering the association business, he spent nine years as a newspaper editor and reporter.
His expertise is building an involved membership capable of winning positive legislative change to stimulate investment, entrepreneurship and opportunity.
During his tenure there has been tremendous growth in the membership of the Mississippi Economic Council. There are now more than 8,000 members from 1,400 member firms from throughout Mississippi. Also, under Wilson’s leadership, MEC has worked with state leaders and other organizations on public policy issues designed to improve Mississippi’s economic competitiveness.
“Blake is a respected leader in our state and a very good friend to our Foundation,” said Randy Ponder, MPAEF chairman and publisher of the Sea Coast Echo in Bay St. Louis. “It should be a very lively and entertaining evening and we’re grateful to him for agreeing to be roasted.”
Clarion-Ledger Perspective Editor and previous roast honoree Sid Salter will again serve as master of ceremonies for the event. Salter is a past president of MPA and a past chairman of MPAEF.
Wilson lives in Brandon with his wife, Ann, a public school teacher. They have three children. Their eldest son, Nicholas, is a doctoral student at Mississippi State University. Daughter Ellie is a graduate of Mississippi College and youngest son Andrew is a freshman at Mississippi State.
Other honorees during the 20-year history of the roast have included Gov. Haley Barbour, Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant, Mississippi Power CEO Anthony Topazi, Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Reuben Anderson, and the late Jerry Clower.
Sponsorship information is available upon request. For additional information, contact MPA event coordinator Kimberly Haydu by email or call 601-981-3060.
Click here to download the registration form
Click here to register online with secure payments through PayPal
MPA members: Download the roast house ad for use in your publications.
Many thanks to our sponsors
DIAMOND
Cellular South
GOLD
AT&T
BancorpSouth
Mississippi Power
Nissan
Northrop Grumman
Stennis Institute of Government