Beunkka Davis, Communications Specialist
JACKSON, Miss. — December 4, 2025 – AccelerateMS, Mississippi’s leading office for workforce development strategy and coordination, is strengthening its statewide grants management capacity with the addition of Jackie Smith as Workforce Project Manager, Grants Management. Smith brings more than two decades of experience leading statewide, grant-funded, and workforce-focused projects, with a proven track record of guiding initiatives from planning through implementation, reporting, and closeout.
In her new role, Smith will oversee the full lifecycle of workforce grant initiatives across the state, ensuring each project aligns with organizational and regional priorities and meets all funding and compliance requirements.
She most recently served as a project manager for the Wireless Communication Commission in Jackson, where she was accountable for determining business needs and translating them into practical specifications. She defined project scope, objectives, business processes, and functionality, ensuring alignment with funding requirements and federal regulations. She served as a central liaison for interagency stakeholders, upheld the responsibility of implementing statewide compliance, and delivered the complex requirements of awarded vendor contracts.
Her earlier public-sector experience includes serving as senior program administrator at the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services, and she also brings private-sector operations and compliance experience from roles at Reckitt Benckiser Inc. and Unity Communications.
Smith holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration/Communications from Mississippi State University and maintains multiple professional credentials, including Project Management Professional and Certified Associate in Project Management, along with certifications in HR consulting and bookkeeping.
About AccelerateMS
AccelerateMS serves the people and businesses of Mississippi by developing and deploying workforce strategies that connect individuals with transformative, high-paying careers. Through strong partnerships and effective grants management, the organization drives sustained individual, community, and statewide economic prosperity.