Fast Forward Mississippi is the branded outreach effort stemming from the Mississippi Brain Drain Commission. The mission of the effort is to stem the loss of Mississippi’s intellectuals to other states and help create an environment conducive to a thriving 21st century knowledge economy. It is through these objectives that we hope to elevate our standard of living, economic improvement, and quality of life. Mississippi is one of the most creative states in the country, brimming with talent in all areas of industry and interest. Through a complementary approach of education and outreach, Fast Forward Mississippi will provide details on the opportunities that exist in the state and promote the realization that you truly can “go farther, faster” in Mississippi.

Fast Forward Mississippi is focusing on three main efforts which have been identified by the Mississippi Brain Drain Commission:

• Education of career opportunities available to recent graduates. This will be first addressed through the young professional mentoring network which is under recruitment.

• Awareness building of quality of life/place/work aspects across the state. This is a media-based outreach campaign.

• Advocating the benefits of stopping the brain drain in the state. This will be addressed through the commission and maintenance of research that identifies the depth of the problem, the economic impact of reversing the trend, and promoting enhanced education for Mississippi students.