Mississippi State Personnel Board

05/06/2026

Happy State Employee Recognition Day! This day recognizes the contributions of state employees and the important work they do for our state.

Every day, state employees support essential services from public safety and health to infrastructure and education. Take a moment to thank a state employee and celebrate public service.

03/30/2026

Last week, MSPB Executive Director Kelly Hardwick joined the PSHRA Mississippi Chapter to provide a 2026 legislative update. MSPB is proud to partner with PSHRA to keep Mississippi’s public sector HR leaders informed on the policies and legislation shaping our state.

Interested in joining the conversation? Visit pshra-ms.wildapricot.org to learn how to get involved with PSHRA-MS!

03/25/2026

The 2026 Mississippi Continuous Improvement Program (MS-CIP) kicked off today! Participants are already diving in and drafting their project charters, which will serve as the roadmaps for the process improvement initiatives they’ll lead throughout the program.

03/23/2026

Congratulations to MSPB’s Cynthia Jones of the Employee Appeals Board (left), Kalonni Smith of the Office of Information Technology (center), and Shakanny Ross of the Classification and Compensation Division (right) for being selected to represent MSPB in the 2026 Mississippi Continuous Improvement Program (MS-CIP)!

Through MS-CIP, they will gain specialized training in process improvement and project management to help MSPB better serve our state’s workforce.

03/20/2026

The Mississippi Senate has confirmed Governor Tate Reeves’ appointments to the Mississippi State Personnel Board.

Congratulations to Donald G. Brown of Vicksburg on his reappointment and Hollis “Ray” Smith of Tupelo on his appointment to the Board.

https://www.mspb.ms.gov/news/senate-confirms-appointments-mississippi-state-personnel-board

03/16/2026

The Mississippi State Personnel Board is proud to announce the 2026 Mississippi Continuous Improvement Program (MS-CIP) class.

Representing 13 state agencies, these 21 employees were selected to study the core disciplines of project management, process improvement, and change management. By applying these skills to real-world processes throughout the program, they will help build a more efficient state government.

The 2026 MS-CIP class includes:

Lori Adams, Department of Information Technology Services
Tina Blue, Department of Human Services
Kee Coffee, Division of Medicaid
Tennille Collins, Department of Human Services
Kara Decell, Division of Medicaid
Ieshia Edwards, Division of Medicaid
Monica Gilmore, Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Surveyors
Janis Hayden, Specialized Treatment Facility
Marcy Johnson, Department of Public Safety
Cynthia Jones, Mississippi State Personnel Board
Kendra Kilgore, Division of Medicaid
Phyllis Martin, Specialized Treatment Facility
Lindsey Martin, South Mississippi State Hospital
Geralyn Mass, Mississippi State Hospital
Ashley McKenzie, Department of Health
Kristi Plotner, Department of Child Protection Services
Jill Ray, Specialized Treatment Facility
Shakanny Ross, Mississippi State Personnel Board
Kalonni Smith, Mississippi State Personnel Board
Tiffany Smith, East Mississippi State Hospital
Courtney Yager, North Mississippi State Hospital

03/06/2026

Congratulations to Mississippi State Personnel Board member Don Brown on being named the United Way of West Central Mississippi Volunteer of the Year!

Brown honored by United Way of West Central Mississippi for community service.

03/06/2026

Time is running out; applications for the 2026 MS-CIP cohort close today! https://www.mspb.ms.gov/training-development/mississippi-continuous-improvement-program

03/03/2026

Stop juggling the same process headaches every day. It’s time to fix them for good.

MS-CIP gives you the toolkit to tackle your agency’s biggest bottlenecks while you work. Open to all state employees, this 6-month program is your chance to lead lasting change.

Apply by this Friday, March 6! Learn more and apply here: https://www.mspb.ms.gov/training-development/mississippi-continuous-improvement-program

02/24/2026

Today, the inaugural graduates of Mississippi LEAD (Leadership Excellence and Development) were recognized at the Mississippi State Capitol. We were privileged to be joined by Attorney General Lynn Fitch, Senator Rita Parks, and Senator Daniel Sparks, who offered their congratulations and recognized the graduates for their professional excellence and dedication to public service.
These 30 dedicated leaders, representing 23 state agencies, successfully completed the two-year leadership development program administered by MSPB.

Mississippi LEAD is designed to prepare senior leaders across state government to strengthen organizational performance, manage public resources responsibly, and support effective service delivery to the citizens of Mississippi.

Congratulations to these graduates for this significant milestone and for their continued commitment to leadership excellence across state government.

View the full list of inaugural graduates and learn more about the program at: https://www.mspb.ms.gov/training-development/mississippi-lead