A new executive committee, two at-large board members, and a directors’ representative have been elected to the Mississippi Main Street Association (MMSA) Board of Directors to lead the efforts of the statewide community and economic development organization for 2023-2024.
Marlo Dorsey of Hattiesburg, Miss. has been elected to serve as MMSA board president for 2023-2024.
“Mississippi Main Street has been a driving force in the economic recovery and future vitality of our state coming out of the pandemic, and I am thrilled to work alongside the many leaders, directors, and communities who champion our small businesses and our downtowns’ quality of place,” said Dorsey. “We all have an incredible opportunity before us to write the next chapter of our state’s history by being a part of meaningful growth and revitalization that will bring lasting value to our communities.”
Dorsey is the Executive Director of Visit Hattiesburg. She also serves on the Historic Hattiesburg Downtown Association executive committee, serving on both the design and economic vitality committees. She is past president of the Mississippi Tourism Association, advocacy chair for the Mississippi Destination Marketing Organization, and serves on the dedicated funding advisory board for Visit Mississippi. In addition to board president, Dorsey serves as the advocacy chair for MMSA.
The newly-elected MMSA executive officers are: President Marlo Dorsey, executive director of Visit Hattiesburg in Hattiesburg; Vice-President Chris Hinton, community development manager at Entergy in Jackson; Treasurer Kelle Barfield, owner of Lorelei Books and Delta Warren Properties in Vicksburg; and Past President Michelle Jones, owner of The Cottage Industry in Starkville.
New at-large board members elected to serve are Chip Johnson, mayor of the city of Hernando and Jean Blunden, communications and public relations director for Staplcotn in Greenwood.
A new Directors’ Representative has also been elected to the state board by the directors of the 48 designated Main Street programs in Mississippi. Lisa Klutts, director of West Point Clay County Community Growth Alliance, was elected to represent District 2 of the local programs in the state. She joins Cynthia Sutton, director of Ocean Springs Chamber – Main Street – Tourism Bureau who represents District 1, and Lori Tucker, director of Booneville Main Street and Tourism, who represents District 3 in the state.
Board members continuing to serve on the state board include: Tomeka Durr-Wiley, commercial development project manager at Mississippi Power in Gulfport; Mandy Hegwood, vice president of Neel-Schaffer, Inc. in Laurel; Chance McDavid, project director at John C. Stennis Institute of Government & Community Development in Starkville; Brent Fairley, senior vice president/market president at Hancock Whitney Bank in Gulfport; Jim Rosenblatt, dean emeritus and professor at Mississippi College Law School in Jackson; Brad Reeves, attorney at Reeves, Gentry & Vitart, PLLC in Jackson; Steve Kelly, board member emeritus; Ken P’Pool, board member emeritus; Meredith Massey, chief of preservation planning at the Mississippi Department of Archives & History; Leah Kemp, director of the Fred Carl Jr. Small Town Center at Mississippi State University; and Tim Climer, manager of community and rural development at the Mississippi Development Authority.
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Marlo Dorsey
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Mayor Chip Johnson
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Jean Blunden
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Chris Hinton
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Lisa Klutts
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Michelle Jones
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Kelle Barfield
