AccelerateMS Adds Key Team Members

07/27/2021

On Tuesday, Executive Director Ryan Miller announced the addition of Bill Renick as Senior Advisor and Garrett McInnis as Deputy Director for External Affairs to the office of Accelerate Mississippi (AccelerateMS). The additions of Renick and McInnis serve as the first step in building out the executive team of AccelerateMS, the newly created lead office for Mississippi workforce strategy.

“When Mississippi leaders created this new office, they acknowledged a need for systemic improvement and charged us with developing a cohesive, coordinated workforce strategy to get more Mississippians working in better, higher paying jobs,” said Miller. “This is a tall task, no doubt, but I am confident with the help of proven leaders and innovators like Bill Renick and Garrett McInnis, we will do just that.”

Bill Renick, a lifelong public servant, most recently served thirteen years as the Workforce Division Director at the Three Rivers Planning and Development District in Pontotoc, leading the Mississippi Partnership Local Workforce Area which covers 27 counties in North Mississippi. “There are few, if any, Mississippians with Bill’s institutional knowledge of the state’s existing workforce development system and his record of getting results,” stated Miller. “Bill Renick has been a leader at the local, regional, and statewide levels of government and his passion for Mississippi will strengthen our ability to deliver for our partners across the state.” Other career notes for Renick include service as an Alderman, Mayor, County Supervisor, State Senator, Chief of Staff to both Lt. Governor and Governor, and Economic Developer.

Garrett McInnis joins AccelerateMS from serving as Executive Vice President of The Skills Foundation of Mississippi, a private nonprofit organization focused on developing strategies to increase Mississippi’s supply of skilled workforce. “Under Garrett’s guidance, The Skills Foundation has played a pivotal role in getting Mississippi focused on solutions to our workforce challenges,” noted Miller, “and he is uniquely equipped to help AccelerateMS deliver those solutions to the people of Mississippi.” McInnis’ recent policy experience includes work with the Mississippi Energy Institute. In 2020, he was named one of Mississippi’s Top 50 most influential leaders.