The Prentiss Partnership Team (PPT) recently launched a new website for Prentiss Institute. www.prentissinstitute.org.  The PPT consists of members of the Prentiss Institute Board of Trustees and individuals across the country who are working together to restore the Institute.  Gary Bass, newly appointed Economic Development Director for Jefferson Davis County, was interviewed by a member of the PPT to learn more about his vision for the economic wellbeing of the county and the Institute.

Bass, who was appointed unanimously, has been called a visionary and a “mover and a shaker.”  One of his former managers described him as having the unique ability to “see the potential in people, places and things that others do not see.”

In the PPT interview, Bass describes his mission to accelerate the economic growth of the county and brand it as “The Garden Spot of the Earth” and part of the new green economy.  He sees the revitalization of Prentiss Institute as a critical part of this mission.  Calling the Institute “one of the greatest untapped assets in the county,” Bass believes its revitalization can lead to economic revitalization in the lives of many people.

Bass touts the fertile soil and hard-working population as major resources for the county.  “You won’t find more friendly people than you’ll find here.  You won’t find a more diverse group of people than you’ll find here.  I welcome anyone to come here and check us out.”

The three-part interview can be seen at the Institute’s website, www.prentissinstitute.org.

Prentiss Institute is a nonprofit organization charted by the State of Mississippi in 1983 to preserve the legacy of Prentiss Normal Industrial Institute (PNII).  Founded by Jonas Edward “J.E.” Johnson and Bertha LaBranche Johnson in 1907, PNII gained international recognition for its innovative programming. Though the Institute closed its doors as an educational facility in 1989, the historic Rosenwald Building remains open as an important center of the community providing meeting space for public and private events.  Follow Prentiss Institute on Facebook at Prentss Institute: Rosenwald Building, Prentiss MS.