Renasant invests in future of Mississippi's software development workforce

WATER VALLEY, Miss., June 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Renasant Bank is partnering with Base Camp Coding Academy to help train Mississippi's next generation of software developers.

Since 1904, Renasant Bank has invested in Mississippi's future. Starting in a small bakery in Lee County in 1904, and growing into a multi-state financial institution with more than 175 branches, Renasant knows first hand what Mississippians can accomplished with hard work and a long-term vision. 

To maintain the high level of service that Renasant's clients have relied on for more than 112 years, Renasant works to adopt the latest banking technology. From online banking and website management to security, Apple Pay and mobile banking, Renasant is focused on staying ahead of the curve.

"We are very excited to be sponsoring Base Camp Coding Academy. Educating our local youth to fill these positions represents a solution to immediate employment needs in many industries as well as an investment in the future of each student and the future economic growth of the state of Mississippi," said Scott Cochran, president of Renasant's Western Division.

Base Camp works with high school graduates who have historically been underrepresented in the computer science field through an intense, year-long vocational training program in software programming and computer coding. Students who are accepted into the program invest a year of hard work, but no money, thanks to the generous support of Founding Sponsors and Partners. Once students leave the program, they have an opportunity to pursue full-time employment with Mississippi companies that need their skills.

Mississippi has approximately 1,200 unfilled computing jobs and less than 200 computer science graduates annually. Mississippi based businesses have been turning to H1B workers to fill these employee needs, or the software development function simply gets moved out of state to metro areas such as Atlanta and Dallas.

At the same time, large sections of Mississippi's youth historically do not have the access or resources to pursue higher education. Base Camp is a means to close this loop, providing training to Mississippi's under-advantaged youth and a pipeline of skilled labor for our business community.

"We always have open positions for software developers here at FNC, and I know from my colleagues across the state, this is a shared problem," said Glen Evans, president of the Oxford-based real estate information technology company and Base Camp co-founder. "High tech industries are still relatively new in Mississippi, and we are at a critical time of growth. Bringing the vocational training models that have been so successful in other sectors to coding skills just makes sense. This is simply high-tech vo-tech."

Founded by Glen Evans, (President of the software company FNC Inc. of Oxford, MS,) and Kagan Coughlin, (formerly of Fannie Mae and FNC Inc. and a Water Valley-based entrepreneur,) Base Camp is solving the private sector's shortage of high-tech skilled labor by training our local youth to fill these positions.

"Our students focus on becoming fantastic programmers. They are giving all they have, their time and hard work, to build a valuable asset for Mississippi's future. The financial support, that all-important third leg in the stool of education, is being provided by leaders across Mississippi's business and philanthropic communities," Coughlin said.

Base Camp Coding Academy, functioning as a non-profit charity, is free to students who apply and qualify to participate in the program. "When these young adults succeed here, they will have a lifetime to contribute to the economic growth of our state and country and to be positive influences in their communities," Coughlin said. "Glen and I saw that this was one of the best investments we could make in the future of Mississippi, and this has been confirmed time and again as we meet with visionaries and leaders across the state who not only understand the value of this mission, but have decided to financially support Base Camp."

Base Camp's inaugural class launches on June 1, 2016, with 14 young women and men from North Panola, Sardis, Holly Springs, Lafayette, Oxford, Pontotoc, and Water Valley, Mississippi.

Nominations for the 2018 class are being accepted now.

For more information about supporting the Base Camp Coding Academy or student admission requirements, contact Coughlin at Kagan@basecampcodingacademy.org or Evans at glen@basecampcodingacademy.org.

About Base Camp Coding Academy
Base Camp Coding Academy, based in Water Valley, Mississippi, is a charitable, non-profit vocational education training program that delivers fast paced, focused computer programming to under-advantaged youth in Mississippi to support the technology needs of local and regional employers. The program's primary objective is to help students pursue a career in computer science through an immersive classroom environment that features current, real world technologies and projects. For more information about the Base Camp Coding Academy, visit www.basecampcodingacademy.org. 

About Renasant Corporation
Renasant Corporation RNST is the parent of Renasant Bank, a 112-year-old financial services institution. Renasant has assets of approximately $8.15 billion and operates more than 175 banking, mortgage, financial services and insurance offices in Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida and Georgia.

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SOURCE Renasant Corporation