The MMSA Board of Directors and staff are excited to announce that Jim Miller of Madison, Miss. has been named the new Executive Director. In this role, Jim will have administrative oversight of the statewide organization. Jim’s professional background includes effective administration, advocacy, and development experience as well as extensive project management and cultivating and maintaining strategic partnerships.
Jim was born in Jackson and moved to Tupelo as a young child where he lived and graduated from high school. Jim graduated from Ole Miss with a degree in political science and a minor in history, and he received a master’s degree from Mississippi College in higher education. He will obtain his doctoral degree this summer from the University of Southern Mississippi in higher education administration.
Jim has worked in a variety of professional settings, including the nonprofit sector, public/private higher education, and the corporate sector. He has spent the last five years serving as the Alignment Specialist and Assistant Director of Resource Development for the Mississippi Community College Board (MCCB) in Jackson where his primary role was to research and secure federal and private grant dollars for the state’s community college system and individual institutions. Jim has managed more than $10 million in federal and state grants in his role with MCCB.
Jim previously served as Director of Career Services at Delta State University in Cleveland and also at Mississippi College in Clinton where he oversaw the planning and implementation for multiple yearly events featuring 500+ attendees and managed all budgeting, staff operations, and annual strategic planning. Jim is a graduate of MCCB’s Expanding Capacity for Excellence in Leadership and is also a graduate of the Mississippi Community College Leadership Academy.
Jim comes from a preservation family; his mother, Mary Carol Miller, has written 14 books focused on Mississippi history and architecture. Jim grew up learning about the importance of historic preservation and also served as a historic interpreter at the Charleston (SC) Museum. Jim and his wife Allison have three boys and live in Madison. Jim is a deacon at Broadmoor Baptist Church. He enjoys sports and hunting with his boys in his down time.
Jim is wrapping up projects at MCCB and will start with MMSA on March 18, and an official news release will be distributed prior to his start date. We look forward to introducing him to the MMSA family soon!