NATE Newsroom:

NATE Participates in Gulf Coast Industry Roundtable Hosted By U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and U.S. Senator Roger Wicker

For Immediate Release: 
June 25, 2021

NATE Participates in Gulf Coast Industry Roundtable Hosted By U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and U.S. Senator Roger Wicker

(Gulfport, Mississippi) – NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association was invited to participate in a roundtable event hosted today in Gulfport, Mississippi by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and U.S. Senator Roger Wicker. NATE Chairman Jimmy Miller and Member Services Chairwoman Jordyn Ladner from Gulfport-based MILLERCO represented the Association at the roundtable, which was held at the Mississippi Aquarium.

During the event, Secretary Raimondo and Senator Wicker addressed attendees regarding their visit to the Gulf Coast, which included a tour of a local broadband provider. Following their remarks, Secretary Raimondo and Senator Wicker facilitated an industry roundtable discussion featuring NATE, business development leaders, representatives of the Gulf Coast research, fishing, and agricultural community, local elected officials, and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.

“It was an honor to join Secretary Raimondo and Senator Wicker by participating in today’s roundtable,” said NATE Chairman Jimmy Miller, President of MILLERCO. “Today’s event provided a valuable forum to shine a spotlight on the essential work that NATE’s members conduct on a daily basis deploying the wireless, broadband and public safety networks that enable connectivity in the United States. I also appreciated the opportunity to discuss the industry’s current workforce development and policy priorities with Secretary Raimondo, Senator Wicker and the other roundtable participants,” added Miller.

The list of participants at today’s roundtable included the following:

Gina Raimondo, Secretary of Commerce
U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, State of Mississippi
Mrs. Gayle Wicker
Jimmy Miller, NATE Chairman, MILLERCO
Jordyn Ladner, NATE Member Services Committee Chairwoman, MILLERCO
Mayor Billy Hewes, City of Gulfport
Johnny Marquez, Director of Coastal Policy & Programs, Mississippi Wildlife  Federation
Jeff Angers, President, Center for Sportfishing Policy
Tish Williams, Hancock County Chamber of Commerce & Partners for Stennis
Ted Kendall IV, Vice President – Central, Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation
Justin Ferguson, National Affairs Coordinator, Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation
Yolonda Boone, Owner & Executive Director, Innovative Solutions
John McKay, CEO, Mississippi Manufacturers Association
Chief Cyrus Ben, Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians
Eddie Ayoob, Barnes & Thornburg
Keith Heard, Key Impact Strategies
John Hendrix, Director of Economic Development, MS Band of Choctaw Indians
Gen. Joe Spraggins, Director of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources
Kurt Allen, Executive Director, Mississippi Aquarium
Blaine LaFontaine, COO & Port Director, Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission
Dr. Kent Hoblet, Mississippi State University
Dr. Mark Lawrence, Mississippi State University
Vickie Watters, Senior International Trade Manager/STEP Director, Mississippi Development Authority
Carol Harris, Director, Minority and Small Business Development Division, Mississippi Development Authority
Mark McAndrews, Port Director, Port of Pascagoula
Ashley Edwards, CEO, Gulf Coast Business Council
Dr. Joseph Whittaker, Vice President for Research & Economic Development, Jackson State University

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About NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association

NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association is a non-profit trade association dedicated to providing a unified voice for companies in the diverse tower and communications infrastructure construction, service and maintenance industries. Today the Association boasts over 1,080 member companies located throughout the United States, Bahamas, Brazil, Canada, China, Guam, Israel, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Trinidad and the United Kingdom. For additional information on NATE, please visit natehome.com.

Contact: Todd Schlekeway
(605) 882-5865