MEPC Chair - Candice Whitfield

In May 2006, Candice Whitfield joined Governor Barbour's staff as a Policy Advisor for healthcare, welfare and social issues. Candice serves as the liaison to various state agencies including MDHS, Medicaid, MSDH, MDMH, and the MDRS, in addition to the Mississippi hospital system.

Prior to serving as Policy Advisor in the Governor's Office, Candice most recently was Director of the Office of Program Integrity for the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services in Madison, where she directed a staff of twelve and provided operational support to units in the areas of policy development, staffing, training and project management. She also worked four years as an Evaluator with the Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review (PEER).

Candice is 1997 graduate of the University of North Carolina and received her Masters of Public Policy from the University of Georgia and Masters of Public Health from the University of Southern Mississippi

MEPC Co-Chair - VELESHA P. WILLIAMS

Velesha P. Williams is an experienced and accomplished professional with over sixteen years of leadership and management activities and ten years of substance abuse and HIV prevention.  Her educational background includes Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and a Master of Arts degree in Criminology and Justice Services, School of Liberal Arts, Jackson State University, Jackson, Mississippi.  She was certified in 2002 by the Alabama Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association as a Prevention Manager and certified in 2004 by the Mississippi Association of Addiction Professionals (MAAP) as a Prevention Manager.

Presently, she is associate director for projects at the Mississippi Urban Research Center at Jackson State University responsible for the overall implementation and management of program activities.  She serves as liaison and provides program and financial reports to the Mississippi Department of Mental Health, Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Abuse as Jackson State University’s duly authorized representative. She is also project director for the Metro Jackson Community Prevention Coalition and the Mississippi Underage Drinking Prevention Coalition (MJCPC) of Hinds County (MUDPC-HC) with the responsibility for the day-to-day operation of the Coalition planning and implementation of activities designed to accomplish the Coalitions’ stated goals and objective, conducting training sessions/presentations, establishing collaborative relationships with agencies, businesses and community partners as-well-as training, evaluation and supervision of staff.  Her professional background includes serving as program manager, coalition coordinator, and teacher. Prior to her civilian employment, Mrs. Williams pursued a military career which included positions as platoon leader, training officer, company commander, acting inspector general and assistant production manager. She ended her military career after attaining the rank of Major.

She has completed numerous specialized trainings and certifications including, Instructor Certificate in African American HIV/AIDS Program, Certificate in African American HIV/AIDS Fundamental Course American Red Cross, Central MS Chapter; Certificate in HIV Prevention Counseling, Mississippi State Department of Health, Jackson, Mississippi; and Certificate in STD Instructor Course, Mississippi State Department of Health, Jackson, Mississippi. Additionally, she served as a master training for the following interventions under Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s evidence-based behavioral interventions: VOICES/VOCES, Sisters Informing, Healing, Empowering and Living (SIHLE), Sisters Informing Sisters about Topics on AIDS (SISTA), Real AIDS Prevention Project (RAPP), d-Up: Defend Yourself,  and Social Network Strategy (SNS)

Mrs. Williams has extensive certifications and training in substance abuse prevention, including a Certificate in CSAP’s National Substance Abuse Prevention Training of Trainers, Mississippi State Department of Mental Health Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse. Certified Prevention Manager by the Alabama Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association. Certified Prevention Manager by the Mississippi Association of Addiction Professionals. Additionally, she completed the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America’s (CADCAs) National Coalition Academy with both MJCPC and MUDPC-HC.