WAEM WIRED
In late 2005, TMI and regional partners – including eight community and junior colleges – joined with the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) to write and submit a West Alabama – East Mississippi (WAEM) Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) proposal to Governors Bob Riley and Haley Barbour. The two governors endorsed the proposal and jointly submitted it to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). In February 2006, DOL announced the award of $15 million to the region. ADECA was designated as the fiscal agent, TMI as the managing entity.