Gov. Tate Reeves has appointed a new leader to head the Mississippi Development Authority following the retirement of Bill Cork from state service.
Paul Jerrod “PJ” Waldrop will begin as the executive director of the state’s economic development arm effective Oct. 1. The governor did not announce why Cork stepped down. Cork joined MDA in 2020 and, in part, helped the state secure roughly $85 billion in new private sector investments.
“Serving Mississippi has been the honor of my career. Nina and I arrived on the Gulf Coast more than a decade ago, and this state gave us far more than we could ever give back. I am grateful to Governor Reeves for his leadership, his trust, and his friendship,” Cork said. “The award-winning MDA team is in great hands with PJ Waldrop as executive director. I can’t wait to see the records they break next. It’s been an amazing run, and Mississippi’s best days are still ahead of her. Thank you, Mississippi.”
As for the new director, Waldrop most recently served as deputy executive director and chief operating officer of MDA, where he helped lead the state’s economic and community development efforts and oversaw 12 divisions responsible for approximately $400 million in annual expenditures.
“Mississippi is attracting record-breaking capital investment and creating thousands of high-paying jobs all across our state. PJ has been a key member of our economic development team, and he understands what it takes to bring major projects to Mississippi,” Reeves said. “I’m confident he will do a tremendous job leading the Mississippi Development Authority and building on this historic momentum. I’d like to thank Bill Cork for his years of service to our state and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”
Since joining the agency’s executive leadership team, Waldrop has helped advance major economic development projects, led the agency’s first significant organizational restructuring in a decade, and worked to strengthen operations across multiple divisions.
Waldrop served as the first director of the Governor’s Office of Military Affairs at MDA, where he developed Mississippi’s statewide military-community strategy, established a five-year strategic plan, and helped create the Defense Communities Development Council.
Before returning to Mississippi, Waldrop spent more than a decade working in the U.S. Senate, including serving as deputy chief of staff, state director, and legislative director for U.S. Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.). Earlier in his career, he served on the staffs of U.S. Sens. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) and Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.
His career has focused on the intersection of executive leadership, economic development, public policy, government relations, and organizational strategy.
“Mississippi has incredible momentum. I’d like to thank Governor Reeves for the opportunity to serve the great state of Mississippi in this new role,” Waldrop said. “I’m looking forward to working with our team at the Mississippi Development Authority and leaders across the state to build upon our economic development successes.”
Waldrop holds a master of science in economic development from the University of Southern Mississippi and a bachelor of business administration in finance from Delta State University.