Jackson Free Press

Johnny DuPree wants to take Mississippi from last to first place in national rankings. DuPree, 57, the mayor of Hattiesburg, was the guest speaker today at the Jackson Chamber of Commerce's Friday Forum at Koinonia Coffee House. DuPree is touring the state before filing formal qualifying papers to be a candidate for the Mississippi governor's race in 2011.

Born in Fort Benning, Ga., DuPree grew up in Hattiesburg. He married his wife, Johniece, when she was 17 and he was 19. The couple had their first child shortly thereafter. The mayor said that many people told him at the time that the early marriage wouldn't last. The couple celebrates their 38th wedding anniversary this month, and DuPree said that he takes pride in confounding those expectations.

DuPree worked for Sears-Roebuck for 15 years before entering public service, first as a member of the Hattiesburg school board. He and his wife also started their own real estate company. DuPree entered politics when he ran for Forrest County Supervisor in 1991. In 2001, he became Hattiesburg's first black mayor.

As mayor, DuPree has sought out efficiencies in city services, cutting the number of garbage collectors, for example, while deploying new automated garbage trucks. He said that state government needs to do the same, focusing on "core services" while not raising taxes.

The mayor touted his willingness to listen to community groups, citing the "housing roundtable" that he convened in Hattiesburg. A loose affiliation of nonprofits and other organizations dealing with housing, the roundtable ensures that programs and funds don't overlap necessarily, he said.

Asked if he saw any need for raising revenues, given the state's budget crisis, DuPree replied that he had some revenue ideas but did not want to risk sharing them too early in the campaign. One possible source of additional revenue is outdoor recreational tourism, he said. The state has lost millions of dollars to other states from bird-watchers, fishers and other outdoor enthusiasts who are bypassing Mississippi. With greater investment in the state's "natural wealth," the state could recapture some of that lost revenue, he said.

DuPree proposed changing the way the state trains teachers by extending the student-teaching requirements in education programs. Professions like engineering, law and medicine all require a longer apprenticeship period than teaching, he noted.

The state must also meet the challenge of economic development in the Delta, DuPree said. He proposed a "cabinet-level" position under the Governor whose sole responsibility would be the region.

"They would wake up in the morning thinking about the Delta and go to bed thinking about the Delta," Dupree said.

Asked whether he thought he had a realistic chance of winning the governor's race, DuPree replied that he did. He recalled seeing a Clarion-Ledger cartoon that depicted him as a tiny figure challenging Republican candidates for governor who towered over him.

"This is a David and Goliath story," DuPree said. "But guess what? David won."