The Extra Mile Podcast

MDOT State Maintenance Engineer Matt Dugas joined The Extra Mile Podcast on location at the 2025 State Roadeo in Biloxi to provide an overview of the important training event. Drive safely this summer! – 00:00 Show intro / introducing MDOT State Maintenance Engineer Matt Dugas – 00:30 Matt's career at MDOT – 01:19 The 2025 State Roadeo – 02:34 Who are the favorites to win? – 06:33 MDOT's Maintenan...

Michael Morris, Director of the Two Mississippi Museums, joined The Extra Mile Podcast to give an overview of the museums, talk programming and events, discuss upcoming major Mississippi Department of Archives and History projects, and more. To support the Two Mississippi Museums, visit https://2mm.mdah.ms.gov/support/donate Show intro / introducing Michael Morris, Director of the Two Mississippi...

Gerard Gibert of SuperTalk's "MidDays with Gerard Gibert" show joined The Extra Mile Podcast to discuss his background in the tech sector, how strong infrastructure plays a role in attracting businesses, his thoughts on a special session, and more. Show intro / introducing SuperTalk host Gerard Gibert – 00:00 Gerard's background at Venture Technologies – 01:28 How Gerard got into politics – 19:01...

MDOT Executive Director Brad White joined The Extra Mile Podcast to discuss new recurring revenue for the agency gained during the 2025 legislative session, toll scams, National Work Zone Awareness Week and more.  Show intro / introducing MDOT Executive Director Brad White – 00:00 2025 Legislative Session overview – 00:48 New recurring revenue stream & where it will go – 02:26 Reauthorization...

For the extra special 100th episode of The Extra Mile Podcast: Legislative Session, Mississippi Transportation Commission Chair Willie Simmons joined co-hosts Will Craft and Paul Katool to provide central Mississippi project updates, give the latest on recurring revenue for MDOT, talk litter pickup efforts, and more. Show intro / introducing Commissioner Willie Simmons – 00:00 Mississippians affec...

State Senator Briggs Hopson joined The Extra Mile Podcast: Legislative Session to break down Senate Bill 3095 and its implications for transportation funding, talk about why he got into politics and discuss other legislative hot topics. Show intro / introducing State Senator Briggs Hopson – 00:00 How Chairman Hopson got involved in politics – 00:59 Senate Appropriations Committee – 03:00 How we go...

MDOT Executive Director Brad White joined The Extra Mile Podcast: Legislative Session to break down House Bill 1 and Senate Bill 3095. Both bills contain means to provide additional recurring revenue for transportation. Show intro / introducing MDOT Executive Director Brad White – 00:00 Senate Bill 3095 – 00:52 HB 1 vs. SB 3095 – 04:30 Why MDOT needs a different approach to recurring revenue – 08:...

State Senator John Horhn joined The Extra Mile Podcast: Legislative Session to talk about legislation he's focused on, transportation funding, the Governor's Arts Awards and more. Show intro / introducing State Senator John Horhn – 00:35 Legislative Session updates – 01:38 Governor's Arts Awards – 04:55 What legislation Senator Horhn is watching – 07:37 Infrastructure/Recurring revenue for MDOT –...

State Senator Charles "Chuck" Younger joined The Extra Mile Podcast: Legislative Session to talk about how he got into politics, his new role as Senate Highways and Transportation Chairman, transportation funding and more. Show intro / introducing State Senator Charles "Chuck" Younger – 00:35 How Chairman Younger got involved in politics – 03:34 Younger as new chairman of Senate Highways and Trans...

State Representative and House Ways and Means Chairman Trey Lamar joined The Extra Mile Podcast: Legislative Session to share his thoughts and insights on House Bill 1 (the "Build Up Mississippi Act"), cutting taxes, and Mississippi infrastructure funding. Show intro/introducing House Ways and Means Chairman Trey Lamar – 00:37 House Bill 1 – 01:39 Other items on legislative agenda – 10:52 Show Out...

MDOT Executive Director Brad White joined The Extra Mile Podcast to recap a successful 2024 for the agency and talk about his continued push to modernize MDOT's funding model during the 2025 legislative session. Show intro/introducing MDOT Executive Director Brad White – 00:36 2024 MDOT Recap – 01:24 Looking ahead to the 2025 legislative session – 05:00 Recurring revenue models – 09:00 A new Senat...

State Representative Steve Massengill joined The Extra Mile Podcast to talk about recurring revenue possibilities for transportation, discuss Thanksgiving cuisine options, and more. Show intro/introducing State Representative Steve Massengill – 00:38 What the House Transportation Committee has been up to – 01:38 Recurring Revenue Ideas for MDOT – 09:47 Other Topics in the 2025 Legislative Session...

MDOT Planning Division Director Evan Wright joined The Extra Mile Podcast with a live audience at the 2024 Mississippi Transportation Institute (MTI) in Biloxi to discuss the conference, his division, and much more.   Show intro – 00:36 What is the Mississippi Transportation Institute (MTI)? – 01:24 Evan's role at MTI – 02:11 Favorite sessions at MTI – 03:24 MDOT's Planning Division – 04:01 The 20...

MDOT Director of Preconstruction - Program Management Trudi Loflin joined The Extra Mile Podcast to talk about her long career at the agency and break down what her current role entails, among other topics. Show intro, introducing MDOT Director of Preconstruction - Program Management Trudi Loflin – 00:36 Trudi's background and coming to MDOT – 01:26 What is Right of Way? – 04:11 Trudi's new role a...

Secretary of State Michael Watson joined The Extra Mile Podcast to preview the November 5 election from his office's standpoint, provide updates on the Mississippi Secretary of State's Office initiatives, shoutout a certain Covington County-based eatery, and more. Show intro, introducing MS Secretary of State Michael Watson – 00:36 Election Day Preparations / Relationships with Local Election Offi...

Speaker of the House Jason White joined The Extra Mile Podcast to preview his Tax Reform Policy Summit on September 24, among other topics. Show intro, introducing MS Speaker of the House Jason White – 00:26 First Legislative Session as the Speaker – 01:27 Biggest Accomplishments of Session/Since Session Ended – 02:46 The Speaker's Public Policy Summit on Tax Reform – 07:34 House Select Committees...

Mississippi Book Festival Executive Director Ellen Daniels joined The Extra Mile Podcast to preview the September 14 event, talk panelists and provide her own personal book recommendations. Show intro – 00:29 Meet Mississippi Book Festival Executive Director Ellen Daniels – 00:58 Recording on location at Mississippi Author Eudora Welty's House in Belhaven – 01:16 The 10th Anniversary of the Missis...

MDOT Assistant Chief Engineer - Field Operations Janie Bass joined The Extra Mile Podcast to talk about her role at the agency, the capacity project program, women in engineering and more. Show intro – 00:31 Janie Bass' background at MDOT – 01:18 The MDOT Internship – 05:50 Under the Field Operations Umbrella – 06:38 Women in Transportation – 10:00 Why Engineering? – 11:40 Favorite music/concert(s...

MDOT Director of the Office of Intermodal Planning and Highway Operations Jim Willis joined The Extra Mile Podcast to talk about his role at the agency, multimodal funding, the benefits of working at MDOT and more. Show intro – 00:30 Jim Willis background – 01:20 Legacy of Charles Carr, former Multimodal Director at MDOT for 40+ years – 03:55 Momentum of Multimodal – 04:49 Working at MDOT – 07:05...

State Representative Fred Shanks joined The Extra Mile Podcast to talk about how he got into politics, successful 2024 legislation, his thoughts on the future of the ballot initiative process and more. ·               Show intro – 00:26 ·               Fred Shanks background/introduction into politics – 02:09 ·               Rep. Shanks on the influence of his father, former Jackson city commissio...

MEMA Chief Communications Officer Malary White joined The Extra Mile Podcast to discuss a projected above-normal 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, talk about disaster anxiety, provide FAQs on MEMA and more. ·         Show intro/introducing MEMA Chief Communications Officer Malary White – 00:29 ·         Projected above-normal 2024 hurricane season – 01:17 ·         What has MEMA done to prepare for...

The Extra Mile Podcast team took the show on the road to Biloxi to speak with MDOT State Maintenance Engineer Heath Patterson at the State Roadeo. Show intro/introducing MDOT State Maintenance Engineer Heath Patterson – 00:30 History of the Roadeo – 02:14 Different events of the Roadeo – 03:37 Why MDOT does the Roadeo – 04:57 Favorite events to watch – 06:24 The Biggest Competitors – 07:56 Workpla...

MDOT Executive Director Brad White joined The Extra Mile Podcast: Legislative Session to break down how the agency fared during the 2024 session and provide other MDOT updates. Show intro/Brad White intro – 00:45 Legislative session wrap-up begins (Recurring revenue) – 01:20 Money moving into projects – 03:20 Design Build Bill – 04:30 Funding – 05:20 Capacity projects – 06:05 Additional comments o...

MDOT Chief of Staff Jeff Ely joined The Extra Mile Podcast to talk about updates on capacity projects, the MDOT leadership development program, agency recruitment efforts and much more. Show Intro/Jeff Ely intro – 01:14 Regarding capacity projects – 02:49 One-time money put into projects – 04:15 Contraflow/Hurricane evacuation – 05:17 On professional development program – 08:16 Succession planning...

U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith joined The Extra Mile Podcast: Legislative Session to talk about how she got started in politics, THUD Bill funding, her January 6 experience, the link between strong transportation infrastructure and economic growth and development and much more. Show intro/Cindy Hyde-Smith intro – 01:12 Relationship with MDOT Executive Director Brad White – 02:18 How Cindy Hyde-Smit...