The Jefferson Davis County Economic Development District is pleased to announce the selection of Ellen Porter as the 2024 Jefferson Davis County Miss Hospitality.

Porter is the daughter of Kelvin Porter and Shlissa Porter and is a senior at Jefferson Davis County High School

She is in the BETA Club, Mayors’ Youth Council and is president of her senior class. She plays volleyball and basketball for the Jaguars and was crowned 2023 Homecoming Queen.

While at JDCHS she has been on the Principal’s List for four years and has 15 hours of dual enrollment at Pearl River Community College. She plans to attend Alcorn State University and major in nursing.

“I am excited to work with Ellen on promoting all things Jeff Davis County,” said Jefferson Davis Economic Development Director Gary Bass.

“She is a great representative for economic development and tourism for our county and is going to be a fierce competitor like she is on the basketball court come July at the state pageant.”

A coronation and reception will be held for Porter on Feb. 1 at 3:30 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors office at the County Administration Building.

The mission of the Mississippi Miss Hospitality Competition is to identify one young woman between the ages of 18 and 24 to serve as the state’s goodwill ambassador for its economic development and tourism industries.

During her year-long reign, she will travel the state and region promoting Mississippi and its story to everyone she comes in contact with through organized speaking engagements, events, and appearances.

Porter will compete in the statewide competition in Hattiesburg in July.

Jefferson Davis County has produced two state winners already:  1958’s Elaine Lipsey from Prentiss and 1977’s Laura Parish from Carson.

With Jefferson Davis County’s growth and development comes a need for marketing and promoting the county as the “Garden Spot of the Earth” as well as educating the public and private sector about all the good things possible in our county.