Her hands filled with flyers and information sheets, Denise Lewis left the Tuesday job fair with a smile on her face. The Alcorn State University nursing student wants to work while she continues her education, and the opportunity to talk with health-care organizations and other potential employees suited her needs very well. At 28 and after spending 10 years in military service, Lewis, a Natchez High School graduate, is serious about her career path.

She especially liked the booths set up by Natchez Regional Medical Center and Trace Haven Health and Rehabilitation Center.

&uot;I just finished my first year at Alcorn, and I’m looking for a job to help with my expenses; but I’d like it to be in the nursing field,&uot; she said. &uot;I’m glad I came.&uot;

Lewis was one of more than 900 who attended the Governor’s Job Fair Network of Mississippi event

held at the Steckler Multipurpose Building, where 50 business, industry and education booths offered materials describing job openings and training.

At the door, volunteers from Natchez Retiree Partnership offered registration cards. &uot;This is very important,&uot; said volunteer Dr. John Lee, a retired Alcorn State University professor and a new member of the Natchez-Adams County Economic Development Authority board. &uot;By 10:40, just a few minutes ago, we already had registered 450 people. I saw the statistics on these job fairs on the MDA (Mississippi Development Authority) Web site. About 60 percent of the people who attend these job fairs will get a job as a result.&uot;

The job fairs are taking place all over the state, said Frank Riley, project director in the governor’s office. For the Natchez fair, extra effort went into balancing locally owned businesses and industries with those from out of town, he said.

&uot;It’s about 40 percent local at this job fair,&uot; Riley said. &uot;And those that are from out of Natchez are very commutable.&uot;

What’s more, most of the businesses and industries were prepared to hire on the spot, he said.

The new Nissan auto manufacturing plant in Madison County was on everyone’s mind. The company did not have a booth, but the Mississippi Employment Security Commission had information to distribute from Nissan contractors in areas such as food service, security, construction and production.

Laura Hendrix of the Hattiesburg office of Primerica Financial Services talked with Betty Arnold and Larry Arnold of Liberty, newly married and looking for day jobs to replace the night shifts both work now in Magnolia.

&uot;We were just married last month, and we’re trying to start new careers,&uot; said Betty Arnold.

Hendrix told the couple about Primerica’s search for the right entrepreneurial employees who could staff a new Natchez office. &uot;Primerica already has 4,000 offices, and we’re expecting to open 6,000 more,&uot; Hendrix said. The new offices will include Natchez if the right people are found.

At a booth nearby, Ruby Gibson talked with men and women about Ace Training Center near Jackson, where completion of a rigorous program leads to truck-driver licenses.

&uot;We have a real need for new truck drivers,&uot; she said. &uot;We’re telling them that it’s good money. It’s clean. And it’s as good for women as it is for men.&uot;

Mary Berry of Port Gibson said her visit to the job fair was mainly to browse to see what jobs were available. &uot;I was just laid off from Grand Gulf,&uot; she said. &uot;I will work outside of Port Gibson but I don’t want to move from there.&uot;

Gregory Moore of Vidalia, La., completed his degree in industrial technology at Alcorn State in May. The 39-year-old former Titan Tire employee has a job but not in the field he seeks.

&uot;I’m really looking for something in management,&uot; he said. &uot;I went back to school and finished my degree. It was hard. I have three children. I was busy.&uot;

The job fair gave him some ideas, Moore said. &uot;I think it was very good that they could present what is available in the area.&uot;

The job fair program is about 10 years old, said project director Riley of the governor’s office. &uot;It started under the Department of the Army; and when they dropped it, the state picked it up.&uot;

Primary sponsors with the Governor’s Job Fair Network are the Mississippi Development Authority and the Mississippi Employment Security Commission.

&uot;We’re a unique program in that all of our money is self-generated,&uot; Riley said. Natchez Mayor F.L. &uot;Hank&uot; Smith helped to secure the site for the fair. Businesses and industries paid $150 per booth. Attendees entered free of charge.

&uot;It takes events like this to make it happen for people,&uot; Riley said.

More information is available on the Web at www.jobfairs.ms.gov.