Lobbying and Government Relations 2019

Grant Callen is the Founder and President of Empower Mississippi, whose goal is to ensure that every child in Mississippi has the opportunity to flourish through access to a high quality education.  Callen has been perhaps the loudest voice in the charter school movement in Mississippi and has had direct influence on policy regarding their establishment and expansion in recent years.

Grant is a sixth generation Mississippian who grew up in Laurel.   He previously served as Director of Development for the Mississippi Center for Public Policy where he raised money and helped the conservative think tank remind legislators on what it means to govern by the principles set forth by our founders.  He is also an alumnus of The Witherspoon Fellowship in Washington D.C.

Through Empower PAC, Callen was actively engaged in legislative races in the 2015 elections. They supported over thirty candidates, most notably some primary challengers to legislative incumbents, and had a remarkable track record of success. Largely through this involvement and their successful campaign efforts, the legislature was strengthened with supporters of parental choice in education.  With 2019 elections on the horizon, Empower Mississippi is poised to build on the successful charter school movement in Mississippi.