MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2022 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Senator(s) Blackwell, Chassaniol, Younger, Norwood, Polk, Barnett, Branning, Butler (38th), DeBar, Frazier, Horhn, Kirby, Parker, Seymour, Simmons (12th), Sparks, Thomas, Thompson
A concurrenT resolution commending James A. Barber, former Executive Director of the Joint legislative committee on performance evaluation and expenditure review (PEER) and his contributions to Legislative oversight in Mississippi and the field of program evaluation, ON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT.
WHEREAS, James A. Barber served as Executive Director of the Joint Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review (PEER) from July 1, 2015, to September 30, 2021; and
WHEREAS, James A. Barber was born and raised in Columbia, Mississippi, and was a 1973 graduate of Columbia High School. He attended The University of Southern Mississippi where he received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 1976 and a Master of Business Administration degree in 1977; and
WHEREAS, upon completion of his graduate studies, he was hired as a Staff Analyst with the PEER Committee in April 1978, thereby beginning a long and distinguished career with PEER marked with skillfully accomplished responsibilities, resulting in his promotion to Executive Director in July 2015; and
WHEREAS, during his years with the PEER staff, James A. Barber was an active participant in the programs and committees of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), serving as a member of the National Legislative Program Evaluation Society's Executive Committee twice, including chairing the Executive Committee in 2000 and 2009. Additionally, he served as the Editor of the NLPES newsletter from 2001 to 2010. Further, he also served on two NCSL Committees. James A. Barber was a member of the NCSL Legislative Staff Coordinating Committee from 2008 to 2010 and was a member of the NCSL Legislative Effectiveness Committee from 2015 to 2018; and
WHEREAS, during his tenure as Executive Director, the PEER Committee issued 70 Committee reports on various aspects of state and local government operations; and
WHEREAS, several reports issued during his tenure as Executive Director stand out as notable achievements in legislative oversight and program evaluation. These reports include: An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Mississippi Film Office (December 15, 2015); State Government Purchasing: A Review of Recent Statutory Changes and Case Study (September 19, 2017); Management of Mississippi's State-Owned Vehicles, Data Quality, The Control Environment and Recent Statutory Changes (November 11, 2017); A Review of the Jackson Convention and Visitors' Bureau (November 27, 2018); and A Statutory Review of Mississippi's Education Savings Account Program (December 11, 2018). These reports all received recognition from the NLPES as having had significant impact on Mississippi's public policy; and
WHEREAS, during James A. Barber's directorship, PEER also performed a valuable service to the Legislature in the production of legislative assistance, issuing 531 legislative assistance memorandums, as well as 318 background checks for the Senate. Some significant legislative assistance produced by PEER was extensive research and drafting assistance on the "Alyce G. Clarke Mississippi Lottery Law" that was adopted in 2018; and
WHEREAS, James A. Barber often made himself available to lecture on both public administration and the functions of PEER. This included presentations to new legislators, graduate-level academic lectures, and meetings of PEER at NCSL. For many years, he served as a faculty member in the Certified Public Manager Program administered in Mississippi through the State Personnel Board, where he conducted training for aspiring public managers on working with legislators and legislative committees; and
WHEREAS, James A. Barber was often engaged by other Legislative oversight organizations to conduct in-depth PEER reviews of their work product to assist them in implementing evaluation practices that ensure the production of accurate, high-quality reports and reviews; and
WHEREAS, during his years of service with PEER, James A. Barber proved to be a highly capable and versatile analyst who was at home dealing with issues in evaluation and auditing of all levels and complexity; and
WHEREAS, James A. Barber was a valued co-worker, tireless leader, and exceptional public servant, who served the Mississippi Legislature and the State of Mississippi with dignity and integrity for over 43 years:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we commend James A. Barber, former Executive Director of the Joint Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review (PEER), and his contributions to Legislative oversight in Mississippi and the field of program evaluation, on the occasion of his retirement.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to James A. Barber and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.