Page 18 - South Mississippi Living - February, 2023

COAST NOTE
Names New Chairman of the Board:
KARI WILKINSON
Kari Wilkinson, new Chairman of the Board for Gulf Coast Business Council.
Founded in 2006, The Gulf Coast Business
Council (GCBC) is a dynamic, private sector-led, collaborative group of top-level business, economic,
and policy thought leaders from across the three coastal counties of the Mississippi Gulf Coast region. GCBC identifies, researches, and advocates for the shared interests of Coastal Mississippi’s diverse economic stakeholders. GCBC facilitates cooperation between private enterprise, professional associations, and public sector entities, reports on a wide range of economic issues, and aggressively promotes initiatives to attract new opportunities, industry, and necessary resources to the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
18 | February 2023
www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living
story and photo courtesy of
Gulf Coast Business Council
The Gulf Coast Business Council (GCBC) has named Kari Wilkinson, President of Ingalls Shipbuilding, as Chairman of the Board for the upcoming 2023-2024 term. Chairman Wilkinson will serve a two-year term and replaces current chairman, William Yates. Wilkinson also serves on the board of the Jackson County Economic Development Foundation and the Mississippi Economic Council.
“Board leadership is vital to the success of the Gulf Coast Business Council and there is no better person than Kari Wilkinson to oversee the execution of the council’s priorities moving forward. She has an incredible work ethic and is committed to success,” said Yates. “We are fortunate to have her in this role.”
Wilkinson began her career with Ingalls as an associate
naval architect in 1996. Since then, she has supported major shipbuilding production events and milestones from positions
in Engineering, has worked closely with Business Development
on requirements and preliminary ship designs for domestic and international customers, and also coordinated the prioritization of equipment and processes in Operations during Hurricane Katrina recovery effort. In 2007, she moved into the Program Office
as a ship program manager within the San Antonio-class LPD program.
Jamie Miller, President and CEO of the Gulf Coast Business Council said, “I am so pleased Kari agreed to serve as our next board chair. She is a true professional and trusted leader with a willingness to take on important issues facing the Mississippi Gulf Coast. I look forward to working with her in the upcoming years.”
“I was honored to be asked to serve as chairman and I do not take this position lightly,” said Kari Wilkinson, incoming board chair. “I intend to bring the same dedication to the business council as I do to my work at the shipyard. We have opportunities and challenges that need focused attention and I look forward to working with members of the executive committee and the staff to bring about positive outcomes.”