The Mississippi State Port Authority (MSPA) at Gulfport is deeply committed to advancing environmental stewardship, fostering meaningful community engagement, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of Port operations. Following the completion of the Port’s Strategic Master Plan in spring 2023, the MSPA restructured the Port Affairs department and refined its approach to engaging stakeholders and the community. Since January 2024, the Port has expanded the Port Affairs team to eight dedicated staff members, focusing on sustainability, environmental stewardship, educational programs, workforce development (including scholarship programs and internships), and community outreach. These efforts have laid the foundation for a series of targeted initiatives aimed at strengthening relationships, improving transportation safety, reducing emissions, and ensuring that the economic benefits of Port operations are shared broadly and fairly.
Community Outreach
- MSPA established the Port of Gulfport Community Advisory Committee (CAC) and the Tenant and Partners Advisory Committee (TPAC).
- The CAC brings together a diverse cross-section of the Gulfport community to enhance engagement, share updates on Port activities, and gather input on Port initiatives. The CAC’s standard meeting schedule is bi-monthly, fostering regular dialogue between the Port and community members it impacts.
- The TPAC brings together Port tenants and community partners that use Port facilities and employ community members. The purpose of the TPAC is to strengthen communication between the Port and its partners and to help ensure the economic benefits of Port activities are shared throughout the community. The TPAC’s standard meeting schedule is bi-monthly, fostering ongoing collaboration and dialogue.
- MSPA contracts with WSP, a leading global professional services firm, to assist the MSPA in its Community Engagement and Workforce Development efforts. WSP employs experts in these fields and has made them available to assist the MSPA. In 2024, WSP and the MSPA held several listening sessions with the CAC, local churches, and community leaders to gather information and hear concerns regarding MSPA’s activities. MSPA plans to hold more listening sessions in the future.
- MSPA provides regular educational tours to Mississippi high school students through the University of Southern Mississippi’s GenSea program. Additionally, upon request, MSPA offers tours to classes and groups of area middle– and high–school students, as well as college–age students. MSPA also offers tours to teachers, groups and associations involved in STEM programs for various ages and grade levels.
Workforce Development
- The MSPA adopted a Workforce Development Plan in the fall of 2024 after substantial community input, collaboration, and review with its CAC and TPAC. This initiative aims to link new job opportunities at the Port of Gulfport to surrounding communities and ensure a skilled workforce is available to partners as the Port continues to grow. Read the plan here.
- The plan envisions a Workforce Coalition, comprised of organizations currently doing workforce development in the community, as well as internship and scholarship programs. The goal will be to bring these groups together quarterly to collaborate efforts and is expected to kick off in late 2025.
- The plan also includes the development of educational collateral to inform different audiences, including school–age children and high school students, about the Port of Gulfport, careers related to the Port and associated educational and training opportunities.
- As part of these community initiatives, the Port Affairs team will expand its engagement with local schools at career fairs and other events to talk about the job opportunities available with the Port and its partners. These conversations will include educational requirements and training to prepare students for these careers. The Port is developing collateral for schools to distribute that provides information about these opportunities.
Emissions Management
- Baseline Emissions Report: MSPA contracted with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) to complete a baseline emissions report in 2024. The report, which gives the MSPA valuable information on its current carbon footprint, sets the groundwork for the MSPA to monitor progress in efforts to reduce emissions at and near the Port. Read the report here.
- EPA Clean Ports Planning Grant: The TTI Baseline Emissions report supported an MSPA planning grant application to the EPA Clean Ports program for further emissions studies and workforce development activities, which was awarded in late fall 2024. The MSPA is currently working with the EPA on the scope of the project.
Transportation Safety
- Safe Streets for All (SS4A) Initiative: In collaboration with the Gulf Regional Planning Commission, MSPA sponsored the match of a USDOT SS4A supplemental planning grant application for a study to enhance safety and mobility for pedestrians and other non-motorized users near Port facilities and recommend strategies to mitigate truck traffic impacts. This grant was awarded to GRPC in the fall of 2024 and the grant agreement was executed with FHWA in August of 2025. The project is expected to kick off in late 2025.
Government and Other Stakeholder Engagement
- The MSPA engages with its U.S. Congressional delegation, traveling regularly to Washington D.C. to keep the delegation apprised of its activities and policy issues affecting the Port of Gulfport. Similarly, the MSPA engages with statewide elected officials and the coastal delegation in the State House and Senate, as well as regularly communicating with county and local elected and appointed officials.
- In November of each year, the MSPA hosts statewide and local elected officials to brief them on the state of the Port, new developments, and highlight the Port’s tenants and partners and the work they are doing to bring economic development to the region.
- MSPA is also an active participant in the American Association of Port Authorities and the International Association of Maritime and Port Executives, which are national educational and policy leaders in the maritime industry. At the state level, MSPA is a member of the Mississippi Ports Council, which focuses on policy and funding issues related to all the coastal and river ports in the State.
- MSPA is an active member of the Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce, regularly attending events with other community and business leaders.
Training
- Meaningful Public Involvement Training: MSPA Port Affairs staff attended the US Department of Transportation’s training on Meaningful Public Involvement in Transportation Decision-making on June 14, 2024. This training has enhanced MSPA staff’s capacity to engage effectively with the community and integrate feedback into decision-making processes.
- EPA Clean Ports Program Training: MSPA Port Affairs employees have completed the EPA Community-Port Collaboration training modules.
- MSPA staff is utilizing the USDOT Promising Practices for Meaningful Public Involvement in Transportation Decision-Making, the EPA Community-Port Collaboration Toolkit, and the EPA Community Action Roadmap as resources when planning outreach and engagement efforts.
Ongoing Sustainability and Resiliency Efforts
- Green Marine Certification: Continued advancement of the Port’s Green Marine certification, a third–party audited program focused on environmental stewardship.
- Living Shoreline Feasibility Studies: Conducting feasibility studies for constructing living shoreline in future West Pier expansions.
- Partnerships for Environmental Projects: Strengthened partnerships with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources for targeted environmental projects.
- Ongoing collaborations with state universities and colleges on several initiatives.
Updated September 18, 2025