The Greater Starkville Development Partnership’s next chief executive officer will fill a tourism director position the organization’s board of directors recently created.
The new position, which the board authorized on Tuesday, is expected to take on some of the responsibilities held by former CEO Jennifer Gregory, who resigned her post in October.
The Partnership is accepting applications for the vacant executive position through the end of the year.
“The future of the Partnership and our community is bright, and we look forward to adding two new individuals to our team who are committed and passionate about the opportunities ahead,” said GSDP Board Chairperson Michelle Amos in a release. “We are seeking a leader that possesses a passion for the economic development of Starkville and Oktibbeha County and for community-wide quality of life improvements.”
Heath Barret, the Partnership’s director of membership development, has led the organization since Gregory’s departure.
She did not specify a reason for leaving her job.
Gregory replaced former CEO Jon Maynard in 2013, when he took a similar job in Oxford.
The Partnership manages numerous community development-focused groups in Starkville, including the Main Street Association, Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Oktibbeha County Economic Development Authority and community market. Starkville’s industrial recruitment and retail enticement efforts are led by external groups: the Golden Triangle Development LINK and Alabama-based Retail Strategies, respectively.
Its funding comes from a blend of public and private sources, including membership dues, 2-percent food and beverage tax revenues and outside contributions from the city’s general fund.
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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