Mississippi fiscal officer to retire, join college as CFO

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi’s top fiscal officer is stepping down to become the chief financial officer at a college.

Laura Jackson has led the state’s Department of Finance and Administration since 2016. She announced Thursday that she will leave state government for Mississippi College in Clinton.

Jackson will retire after more than 30 years as a state employee on Jan. 15. She was previously deputy state treasurer and an audit manager for the state auditor’s office.

She leaves as Gov. Phil Bryant’s administration ends. That gives a new governor the ability to appoint a new executive director of the 500-employee department, which manages state money and property.

Jackson is a graduate of the Baptist-affiliated Mississippi College, and says she looks forward to working there.