STARKVILLE — Michelle Jones of Starkville has been selected as the Mississippi Main Street Association’s board president for 2022-23.
Jones has extensive experience in historic preservation and economic development, including a 25 year career with the Mississippi Department of Archives and History as a certified local government coordinator. She has been a board member for MMSA for the past three years, also serving as board vice president.
“It seems like every organization I’ve been involved with, when I’ve had the opportunity to lead, it’s been at a turning point or a beginning point,” Jones said. “We’ve contracted with someone to help us develop a strategic plan—and that will deal with the board, Main Street managers, local governments—and what they need from the Main Street program so that we can set a path to be not just relevant but crucial to economic development and historic preservation, all across Mississippi and in all communities that are Main Street members.”
The new strategic plan is being implemented to accommodate MMSA’s growth as more communities establish Main Street programs. MMSA currently lists nearly 50 member communities throughout the state on its website.
MMSA and member communities are modeled on a national Main Street program, which was created to help towns and communities maintain their history and revitalize their downtowns through economic vitality, design, promotion and organization. Forty-six states and more than 1,600 communities nationwide participate in the program.
Jones is owner of The Cottage Industry in Starkville and is also conference planner for the Vernacular Architecture Forum. She helped establish the Starkville Main Street Program in 2010.
“I’m really so fortunate to have great staff who work with communities across the state,” she said. “We’ve seen an increase in interest from communities and we’ve got some funding from the legislature that’s really going to make some difference in Main Street communities.”
Due to funding from the Mississippi legislature, MMSA now boasts one of its largest budgets ever according to Chris Chain of Columbus. Chain, who was the 2021-22 board president, described a busy but successful year.
“If there’s anything that comes up you’re on call, basically as the president. You also lobby like we did this year to get the $5 million that we got for Mississippi Main Street, and we have about 48 to 50 communities that will receive that money pretty soon. For each community it’d be either $100,000 or $125,000 per community.”
Chain, who will continue to work alongside Jones for one more year as past president, is confident that she will do very well in the position.
“She came up through the ranks like I did. It’s good that we have good volunteers because this is a volunteer job. I think she’ll do very well. She’s very smart and very into Main Street and what’s needed,” he said.
Jones being selected as board president, assuming the position from Chain marks two years of Golden Triangle leadership for MMSA.
Outside of executive leadership, the Golden Triangle area has many other connections to MMSA including former board president Kevin Stafford of Columbus, who now serves as an at-large board member and Leah Kemp at Mississippi State University’s Carl Small Town Center.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 39 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 39 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
Join the Discussion