Jay Paul Gumm
Encyclopedia
Jay Paul Gumm is an Oklahoma
Democratic
politician who served in the Oklahoma Senate representing District 6, which includes all of Bryan
, Johnston
and Marshall
counties and parts of Atoka
and Coal
counties in southern Oklahoma
from 2002 through 2010. He served as an Assistant Minority Floor Leader, Assistant Majority Floor Leader, Chairman of the Sunset Review Committee, Chairman of the Finance Committee and the Co-Chairman of the Senate Energy Committee. As Finance Committee Chairman, he worked to strengthen Oklahoma's laws relating to job creation and economic expansion
.
His tenure will be remembered for his passionate work trying to establish a sales tax holiday for school supplies and to expand state insurance mandates to include people diagnosed with Autism
. A former chamber of commerce executive, he was a voice for economic development and growth. In the 2010 Election cycle, he was surprisingly defeated in a wave of Republican
victories which swept through Oklahoma and the nation as part of the 2010 Election.
Knowing his economic development credentials, Gumm was hired in January 2011 by the Stone County, Mississippi
Economic Development Partnership as its executive director. The partnership is based in the county seat of Wiggins
, located halfway between Hattiesburg
and Gulfport
on U.S. Highway 49 in South Mississippi.
“This was an exhaustive search and we looked at candidates from across the region,” said Tim Adam, chair of the Stone County EDP Search Committee, upon Gumm's hiring. “Jay Paul has an impressive background in both economic development policy and practice. We
are fortunate to have someone with his talent and background who will be working on behalf of the businesses and interests of Stone County.”
Local leaders who were a part of the search committee expressed enthusiasm for the selection. Dale Bond, president of the Board of Supervisors, said, “Jay Paul's experience working with state legislators and economic development leaders should help us develop new approaches for bringing business and industry to our county. I think he represents the economic development vision we need.”
“As mayor of the City of Wiggins, I look forward to working with Mr. Gumm. His emphasis on bringing all the players to the table will strengthen Stone County and Wiggins' efforts to create and bring jobs for our citizens,” said Jerry Alexander. “We welcome Jay Paul and his family to our community.”
Charged with raising the profile of Stone County, focusing on quality of life issues and the region's "business-friendly" status, Gumm has been very successful in a short time. The county has received positive stories in the "Sun Herald" newspaper out of the Gulfport/Biloxi area, including an editorial touting Gumm's passionate advocacy of the area.
The Stone County Economic Development Partnership has both initiated and restarted community relations efforts that have been successful. The community's Pine Hill Festival in April had one of its largest crowds ever. The community has rallied behind an effort to secure state legislative redistricting that is more favorable, and those efforts received notice that likely will pay dividends to Stone County when Mississippi lawmakers return to Jackson in 2012 and try again to draw legislative districts.
Even prior to taking the job in South Mississippi, Gumm completed all classwork necessary to sit for the examination to become a certified economic developer (CEcD).
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
politician who served in the Oklahoma Senate representing District 6, which includes all of Bryan
Bryan County, Oklahoma
Bryan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 36,534 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Durant. The county shares the same boundaries as the Durant Micropolitan Area. It is also home to the headquarters of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma located in Durant...
, Johnston
Johnston County, Oklahoma
Johnston County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 10,513. Its county seat is Tishomingo.-Geography:...
and Marshall
Marshall County, Oklahoma
Marshall County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 13,184. Its county seat is Madill. The county's population grew at a rate of 35% in the 1990s and now it has a new population estimate at 20,000. Marshall County is the fastest growing county in...
counties and parts of Atoka
Atoka County, Oklahoma
Atoka County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, and was formed in 1907 from Choctaw Lands. As of 2000, the population is 13,879. Its county seat is Atoka.-Geography:...
and Coal
Coal County, Oklahoma
Coal County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population is 6,031. Its county seat is Coalgate.-Geography:According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and is water....
counties in southern Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
from 2002 through 2010. He served as an Assistant Minority Floor Leader, Assistant Majority Floor Leader, Chairman of the Sunset Review Committee, Chairman of the Finance Committee and the Co-Chairman of the Senate Energy Committee. As Finance Committee Chairman, he worked to strengthen Oklahoma's laws relating to job creation and economic expansion
Economic growth
In economics, economic growth is defined as the increasing capacity of the economy to satisfy the wants of goods and services of the members of society. Economic growth is enabled by increases in productivity, which lowers the inputs for a given amount of output. Lowered costs increase demand...
.
His tenure will be remembered for his passionate work trying to establish a sales tax holiday for school supplies and to expand state insurance mandates to include people diagnosed with Autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
. A former chamber of commerce executive, he was a voice for economic development and growth. In the 2010 Election cycle, he was surprisingly defeated in a wave of Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
victories which swept through Oklahoma and the nation as part of the 2010 Election.
Knowing his economic development credentials, Gumm was hired in January 2011 by the Stone County, Mississippi
Stone County, Mississippi
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,622 people, 4,747 households, and 3,626 families residing in the county. The population density was 31 people per square mile . There were 5,343 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile...
Economic Development Partnership as its executive director. The partnership is based in the county seat of Wiggins
Wiggins, Mississippi
Wiggins is a city in Stone County, Mississippi, United States. It is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,849 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Stone County.-History:...
, located halfway between Hattiesburg
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Hattiesburg is a city in Forrest County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 44,779 at the 2000 census . It is the county seat of Forrest County...
and Gulfport
Gulfport, Mississippi
Gulfport is the second largest city in Mississippi after the state capital Jackson. It is the larger of the two principal cities of the Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. As of the...
on U.S. Highway 49 in South Mississippi.
“This was an exhaustive search and we looked at candidates from across the region,” said Tim Adam, chair of the Stone County EDP Search Committee, upon Gumm's hiring. “Jay Paul has an impressive background in both economic development policy and practice. We
are fortunate to have someone with his talent and background who will be working on behalf of the businesses and interests of Stone County.”
Local leaders who were a part of the search committee expressed enthusiasm for the selection. Dale Bond, president of the Board of Supervisors, said, “Jay Paul's experience working with state legislators and economic development leaders should help us develop new approaches for bringing business and industry to our county. I think he represents the economic development vision we need.”
“As mayor of the City of Wiggins, I look forward to working with Mr. Gumm. His emphasis on bringing all the players to the table will strengthen Stone County and Wiggins' efforts to create and bring jobs for our citizens,” said Jerry Alexander. “We welcome Jay Paul and his family to our community.”
Charged with raising the profile of Stone County, focusing on quality of life issues and the region's "business-friendly" status, Gumm has been very successful in a short time. The county has received positive stories in the "Sun Herald" newspaper out of the Gulfport/Biloxi area, including an editorial touting Gumm's passionate advocacy of the area.
The Stone County Economic Development Partnership has both initiated and restarted community relations efforts that have been successful. The community's Pine Hill Festival in April had one of its largest crowds ever. The community has rallied behind an effort to secure state legislative redistricting that is more favorable, and those efforts received notice that likely will pay dividends to Stone County when Mississippi lawmakers return to Jackson in 2012 and try again to draw legislative districts.
Even prior to taking the job in South Mississippi, Gumm completed all classwork necessary to sit for the examination to become a certified economic developer (CEcD).