What Southern Mississippi Planning and Development District does

Southern Mississippi Planning and Development District (SMPDD) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit regional planning and development organization founded in 1967, headquartered in Gulfport, Mississippi, with a secondary office in Hattiesburg. The organization operates across a 15-county service area covering 38 municipal governments in Southern Mississippi and serves as the official Area Agency on Aging, the designated liaison to the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration and Delta Regional Authority, and the fiscal agent for the 24-county Twin Districts Workforce Development Area.

SMPDD delivers a diversified portfolio of community services organized around five core product lines: (1) Senior Services and Area Agency on Aging programs including home-delivered meals, case management, Medicaid waiver personal-care services, adult day care, Alzheimer's program, foster grandparent program, and caregiver support, delivered across multiple senior centers and meal sites; (2) Economic Workforce Development via 12 Workforce Investment Network (WIN) Job Centers, recruitment and screening services, on-the-job training assistance, and the Career STEP program for economically disadvantaged youth served in partnership with six community colleges; (3) Mississippi Access to Care (MAC) Centers providing long-term care information, benefit counseling, and Medicaid waiver applications across 24 counties; (4) Business Loan Programs encompassing revolving loans up to $500,000, minority business enterprise loans ($15,000-$250,000), SBA 504 loans up to $5 million, and community development loans up to $175,000; and (5) an EPA-funded Brownfields Assessment Program conducting Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments in targeted Southern Mississippi communities.

SMPDD's revenue model is overwhelmingly grant-funded, drawing on federal and state agencies including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Brownfields grants), U.S. Department of Labor (workforce development), Mississippi Division of Medicaid (home and community-based services), Mississippi Development Authority (CDBG and other economic development grants), U.S. Department of Commerce EDA, Delta Regional Authority, USDA Rural Development, and FEMA. Additional revenue is generated through interest income on administered loan programs and tax-deductible donations supporting senior meal programs and the Fallen Officer Fund. The organization is led by Executive Director Leonard Bentz and operates without disclosed revenue figures, consistent with most regional planning districts and Area Agencies on Aging of comparable scale.

Name

Southern Mississippi Planning and Development District

Legal name

Southern Mississippi Planning & Development District

Website

https://smpdd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Southern Mississippi Planning and Development District is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1967 that serves as the Area Agency on Aging, workforce development hub, business lender, and planning liaison for 15 counties and 38 municipalities in Southern Mississippi.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Planning and Community Development Services

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (925120), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Urban & Regional Planning (Land Use, Zoning, Master Planning) (BPAIANAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

State/Provincial Housing, Urban/Regional Planning & Community Development (BPAIABAM), Community Development & Neighborhood Revitalization (CDBG, Place-Based Initiatives) (BPAIANAE), Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Regional planning services
• Workforce development programs
• Senior care coordination
• Business loan programs
• Community development grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Gulfport

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Funding: SMPDD receives federal and state funding from agencies including EPA (Brownfields grants), U.S. Department of Labor (workforce development), Mississippi Division of Medicaid, and Mississippi Development Authority to fund various programs.
2. Donations: As a 501(c)(3) organization, SMPDD accepts donations from residents and the business community to help fund senior services including home-delivered meals and emergency assistance programs.
3. Loan Program Interest: SMPDD operates revolving loan programs, minority business loan programs, and community development loans that generate interest income. Loan amounts range from $2,000 to $500,000 with interest rates tied to Federal Discount Rate plus margins.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Southern Mississippi Planning and Development District (SMPDD) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit regional planning entity that connects individuals, businesses, and local governments to federal, state, and local programs and funding. Its offerings span senior services through the Area Agency on Aging, workforce development through WIN Job Centers and the Twin Districts Workforce Development Area, business financing (revolving loans, minority business loans, SBA 504 loans, community development loans), Mississippi Access to Care long-term care information services, and EPA-funded Brownfields environmental site assessments across 15 counties in Southern Mississippi.

Product overview

SMPDD operates as a regional planning and development district offering a portfolio of community services organized into five major areas: Senior Services/Area Agency on Aging, Economic Workforce Development, Mississippi Access to Care, Business Loan Programs, and Brownfields Assessment. The Senior Services division provides comprehensive programs for seniors including home-delivered meals, case management, caregiver support, and wellness programs. Economic Workforce Development encompasses job seeker services, business services, the Twin Districts Workforce Development Area with WIN Job Centers, and the Career STEP Program. The Mississippi Access to Care Center serves as a single point of entry for long-term care information. Business Loan Programs offer various financing options including revolving loans, minority business loans, and SBA 504 loans. The Brownfields Assessment Program provides EPA-funded environmental site assessments. These programs are delivered across 15 counties and 38 municipalities in Southern Mississippi.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Twin Districts Workforce Development Area (TDWDA): A workforce development area comprising 24 counties that operates under a comprehensive four-year plan in accordance with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. SMPDD acts as fiscal agent for this area.
• Mississippi Access to Care (MAC) Center
• WIN Job Centers

Products and services

• Senior Services / Area Agency on Aging Comprehensive senior services operated through the Area Agency on Aging for individuals aged 60 and older across 15 counties, including home-delivered meals, case management, adult day care, caregiver support, Alzheimer's disease program, foster grandparent program, and wellness and preventative health programs.
• Home and Community-Based Service Programs Medicaid waiver services providing home and community-based care alternatives to nursing facility care, including case management, personal care services, home delivered meals, adult day services, in-home/institutional respite, extended home health services, and transition assistance for elderly and disabled individuals.
• Mississippi Access to Care (MAC) Center One-stop resource centers providing information, referral, and counseling for long-term care services and Medicaid waivers for elderly, disabled individuals and their families across 24 counties.
• Business and Job Seeker Services Workforce development services for job seekers and businesses including job search assistance, resume preparation, recruitment and screening for businesses, on-the-job training assistance, and access to WIN Job Centers.
• Twin Districts Workforce Development Area 24-county workforce development region operating 12 WIN Job Centers and youth programs under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, providing employment and training services to job seekers and employers.
• Business Loan Programs Economic development financing offering revolving loans up to $500,000, minority business enterprise loans ($15,000-$250,000), SBA 504 loans up to $5 million, micro-loans ($2,000-$35,000), and community development loans up to $175,000 for local municipalities.
• Brownfields Assessment Program EPA-funded environmental assessment program providing Phase I and Phase II site assessments, brownfield inventory, Community Involvement Plan development, and cleanup planning for abandoned contaminated properties in the SMPDD service area.
• Local Government Services Technical assistance to municipalities and counties including comprehensive planning, hazard mitigation, land use surveys, capital improvement plans, grant application and administration, and strategic development services for 15 counties and 38 municipalities.
• Career STEP Program Career Skills Education Pathways program connecting economically disadvantaged youth ages 14-24 with employers and training programs, providing funding for training, supplies, internships, and dedicated career coaches under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
• Home-Delivered Meals Program Nutritionally balanced home-delivered meals for seniors aged 60 and older across 15 counties, including TRIO PAK meals available at $133.00 per month through the Area Agency on Aging, with sponsorship options available.
• Alzheimer's Disease Program Initiatives (ADPI) Alzheimer's Disease Program Initiatives offering respite services with specialized training on working with adults with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, delivered through contracted respite providers under the Area Agency on Aging.
• Foster Grandparent Program Foster Grandparent Program engaging senior volunteers aged 55 and older to mentor and support at-risk children across the SMPDD service area.
• WIN Job Centers Network of 12 Workforce Investment Network Job Centers across 24 counties providing one-stop employment and training services, recruitment, screening, and customized training for employers and job seekers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2 No Further Action Letters issued from Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, making 35 acres available for redevelopment under FY19 Brownfields grant
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 October 2025MDES was awarded $5.7 million as part of over $86 million in Industry-Driven Skills Training Fund grants from the U.S. Department of Labor. SMPDD Executive Director Leonard Bentz stated the grant will help scale effective training and prepare workers for shipbuilding industries.
• City of BiloxicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 January 2023Public-private partnership for commercial redevelopment. The City of Biloxi worked with X3 Tango Development, SMPDD, and Rouses Markets to extend Popp's Ferry Road to U.S. 90, creating a major corridor and enabling the 60,000 square foot grocery store development.
• X3 Tango DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 January 2023Private development partner in the public-private partnership with the City of Biloxi and SMPDD for the Rouses Markets development project at Pass Road and Popp's Ferry Road.
• Rouses MarketscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 January 2023Rouses Markets is leasing 60,000 square feet of space for a new store in Biloxi as part of a public-private partnership facilitated by SMPDD. The store will feature local seafood, bakery, smokehouse, florist, and sausage kitchen.
• East Central Community CollegeminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerYouth program provider serving Newton and Neshoba counties under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act youth program.
• East Mississippi Community CollegeminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerYouth program provider serving Kemper County under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act youth program.
• Jones CollegeminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerYouth program provider serving Greene and Jones counties under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act youth program.
• Meridian Community CollegeminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerYouth program provider serving Lauderdale County under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act youth program.
• Mississippi Gulf Coast Community CollegeminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerYouth program provider serving Stone, George, Jackson, and Harrison counties under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act youth program.
• Pearl River Community CollegeminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerYouth program provider serving Forrest and Pearl River counties under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act youth program.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Mississippi Development Authority: The state economic development agency that channels CDBG, DIP, Rural Impact, and Small Municipalities grants that SMPDD administers on behalf of local governments — a broader incumbent funder and policy counterpart that sits upstream of SMPDD's economic development work.
• Appalachian Regional Commission: A federal-state economic development partnership operating at a much broader multi-state regional scale than SMPDD, providing construction/infrastructure and planning grants — directly comparable as a channel for the same EDA-style funding that flows through SMPDD.

Direct peers

• North Central Mississippi Planning and Development District: Peer Mississippi PDD operating across multiple north central counties with directly comparable state-designated functions in workforce development, senior services, and local government planning support.
• Golden Triangle Planning and Development District: A peer Mississippi regional planning and development district serving a multi-county area with the same constellation of workforce development (WIN Job Center-style network), economic development planning, and community development programs.
• Three Rivers Planning and Development District: A Mississippi regional planning and development district operating across multiple southwestern counties with directly comparable services including senior programs, workforce development, and local government grant administration.
• Southwest Mississippi Planning and Development District: Peer Mississippi PDD operating across a multi-county service area with the same planning and development district mandate, providing workforce, senior services, brownfields, and economic development programs under analogous federal frameworks.
• Central Mississippi Planning and Development District: Another Mississippi regional planning and development district operating under the same state-level EDA/DRA liaison framework, providing overlapping workforce development, senior services, and local government planning across its own multi-county service area.
• Northeast Mississippi Planning and Development District: Peer Mississippi PDD covering multiple northeast Mississippi counties with comparable workforce, senior, and community development programming under the same federal funding streams (WIOA, OAA, EPA Brownfields).
• East Central Planning and Development District: A peer Mississippi PDD serving multiple counties with the same menu of Area Agency on Aging, workforce investment, economic development, and community planning programs. Directly comparable in scope, funding model, and federal liaison relationships.

Others

• National Association of Development Organizations (NADO): A national membership association representing regional planning and development districts like SMPDD, providing advocacy, training, and research — enabling peer rather than directly competitive, but highly relevant as the institutional infrastructure supporting SMPDD's funding model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/smpdd
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Southern Mississippi Planning and Development District