Jay C. Moon, CEcD, FM, HLM

                                             

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jay C. Moon is a Principal with Competitive Solutions, LLC, a consulting firm specializing in working with local communities and economic development organizations. Jay is the former President and CEO of the Mississippi Manufacturers Association, the largest and most influential voice for Mississippi manufacturers.  Jay was also the manager for the Mississippi’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program. 

Jay has more than 35 years of professional economic development experience in site development, business retention, strategic plan development, financial incentive creation and marketing.  Prior to joining the MMA, Jay served as the Deputy Director/Chief Operating Officer and Director for International and National Development with the Mississippi Development Authority. During that period, Jay led Mississippi’s successful effort to locate the new $1.5 billion, 6,000+ employee Nissan Automotive Assembly facility. This project was named by Site Selection Magazine, Corporate Location Magazine, Area Development Magazine and Southern Business & Development Magazine as the top development project of that year. As former chairman of Mississippi’s State Workforce Development Board (SWIB) and the State Longitudinal Data System, Jay is a frequent speaker on the elements of workforce development.  In addition, Jay has successful community based economic development experience, having directed the economic development, community development, building and planning programs for the City of Gulfport, Mississippi.   

Jay is the past Chair of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), the world’s largest economic development organization. Jay has also been designated by the IEDC as a Fellow Member and Honorary Life Member. In 2018, Jay received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Economic Development from the IEDC. Jay served on the board of directors of the National Association of Manufacturers, the largest manufacturing association in the United States representing over 11,000 manufacturing companies.  He is the former Dean and continues to be a board member and instructor on marketing, incentives, politics and the future of the economic development profession with the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute (EDI), the nation’s premier economic development training program for practicing economic developers.  

 

Jay C. Moon was the President and CEO of the Mississippi Manufacturers Association, the largest and most influential voice for Mississippi manufacturers. The association represents more than 2,400 manufacturers and associated businesses. Jay also managed the Mississippi’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership. As president of the MMA, Jay helped to develop and win passage of landmark civil justice reform. Jay led the effort to eliminate punitive regulatory restrictions on the business community and taxes that make Mississippi noncompetitive in the global marketplace.  Other significant legislative incentive packages supporting Mississippi companies, such as Viking, Baxter, Northrop Grumman and Howard Industries, were also made possible through Jay’s leadership. As former chairman of Mississippi’s State Workforce Development Board (SWIB) and the State Longitudinal Data System, he won recognition as a leader in the field of workforce development.  As the SWIB Chairman, Jay worked to produce Mississippi’s Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act grant which was the first in the nation to be prepared, submitted, and accepted by the federal government. In 2016, Jay was recognized as one of Mississippi’s Top 50 Most Influential persons.  Additionally, Jay was named by the Mississippi Business Journal, as one of Mississippi’s Top CEO’s for 2017.

 

Jay has more than 30 years of professional economic development experience in site development, business retention, strategic plan development, financial incentive creation and marketing. Prior to joining the MMA, Jay served as the Deputy Director/Chief Operating Officer and Director for International Development with the Mississippi Development Authority. During that period, Jay was responsible for the recruitment of many well-known national and international companies to Mississippi.  Jay led Mississippi’s successful effort to locate the new $1.5 billion, 6,000+ employee Nissan Automotive Assembly facility. This project was named by Site Selection Magazine, Corporate Location Magazine, Area Development Magazine and Southern Business & Development Magazine as the top development project of that year. Through Jay’s efforts, the Mississippi Development Authority received consistent recognition for its innovative business attraction and support programs, including acknowledgment by Site Selection Magazine as one of the top 10 economic development organizations in the United States.

Jay is well known throughout the nation for his progressive approach to economic development, workforce development and his leadership capabilities. Jay has extensive experience in international markets including Asia, Europe, and Latin America. He has led dozens of trade and investment missions and has managed international offices in seven countries. In addition, Jay has successful community based economic development experience, having directed the economic development, community development, building and planning programs for the City of Gulfport, Mississippi.

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Jay is a Certified Economic Developer. He served on the board of directors of the National Association of Manufacturers, the largest manufacturing association in the United States representing over 11,000 manufacturing companies.

He is the past Chair of the International Economic Development Council, the largest economic development organization in the world. Jay has also been designated by the IEDC as a Fellow Member and Honorary Life Member. These designations recognize individuals who have attained distinctive stature in the field of economic development. He is the former Dean and continues to be a board member and instructor on marketing, incentives, politics, and ethics at the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute (EDI), the nation’s premier economic development training program for practicing economic developers.  Jay is also an instructor with the University of Southern Mississippi, Louisiana State University, and the University of Arkansas’s EDI Basic Program. He is the former chairman of the Council of State Manufacturing Associations. Jay serves on board and the Executive Committee of the Business and Industry Political and Education Council (BIPEC). Jay served on the board of the American Economic Development Council. Jay is a former president of the National Association of State Development Agencies.

Jay has an undergraduate degree in International Relations and a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Georgia. Jay is a graduate of the Economic Development Institute.

Jay is a Certified Economic Developer. Jay has an undergraduate degree in International Relations and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Georgia. Jay is a graduate of the Economic Development Institute.