New US commerce secretary visits MS Coast to talk business, broadband and blue economy
Newly appointed U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo made her first official visit to a state Friday when she toured several spots on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Invited by U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., even before she became commerce secretary, she spent the day learning about a broadband initiative through Coast Electric’s Coast Connect, went to a local drugstore to encourage COVID-19 vaccinations, and heard about the blue economy and underwater exploration on the Coast.
Her takeaway when she returns to Washington and goes home to Rhode Island: “What you have in Mississippi is first-rate and world-class,” she said, and she is taking home a long “to do list.”
Raimondo served as the first female governor of Rhode Island until she was nominated as commerce secretary by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the Senate in March. Her role is to advise the president on all things related to business and commerce.
The Commerce Department oversees economic development for the country, and includes agencies like the National Weather Service, NOAA and National Marine Fisheries Service.
Gulfport Mayor Billy Hewes said the goal of her visit to the Coast was to provide an “I had no idea moment,” as she learned about Mississippi “from seaport to outer space” in just one day.
Now that she’s visited, she could be an ambassador for the Coast and Mississippi, he said.
Friday was her first trip to the Magnolia State, “and I have had several ‘I had no idea moments,’” she said.
A longtime Democrat, Raimondo made a commitment to bi-partisan cooperation with Wicker, a Republican. She said she would “work day and night to make sure that every American and every Mississippian has high speed broadband access at affordable rates.”
Wicker said she called him the day she was nominated, “To say that she knew we were from different political parties, different parts of the county, but that she knew that I had worked hard in the commerce area and she wanted to continue that great working relationship.”
She and Wicker are working on together to improve the building of semiconductors in the United States and advance manufacturing, infrastructure rebuilding and jobs.
She also visited the Port of Gulfport to tour the University of Southern Mississippi Marine Research Center and said there is a huge potential in the blue economy to create a variety of jobs.
“I was blown away by what I saw there, and I think that what you’re doing here, which is a collaboration between universities and the private sector and job training is exactly where we need to be in this country in terms of creating jobs,” she said.
“We met with a company earlier today that’s actually moving from San Diego to Mississippi, and they want to be here for the talent in the universities, the relationship with NOAA, the research and development.
“Some people are talking about it,” she said, “and you’re doing it.”
Mississippi just needs to get the word out about its strengths, and the more the story is told, the more success the state should have.
“Having been here, now I’m a believer,” she said.
