The news that Joe Max Higgins has been fired as CEO of the Golden Triangle Development LINK came out of nowhere. Outside of the nine-member LINK Executive Committee, which made the decision, and a handful of others, the brewing ouster was kept very quiet.

Higgins was the face of the LINK and the beating heart of economic development in the Golden Triangle. Under his direction, the LINK brought marquee employers such as Steel Dynamics, PACCAR, Yokohama and, most recently, Aluminum Dynamics, which alone was a $2.5 billion investment. All told, LINK projects have generated more than $12 billion in capital investments while creating 10,000 jobs.

His abrupt termination just months into a five-year contract strongly suggests issues serious enough the board could not ignore them. We can be sure termination was not a decision the Executive Committee made lightly.

The details surrounding Higgins’ termination may never be public knowledge.

Attention now turns to who is best equipped to lead the LINK in this transition.

At the groundbreaking ceremony for the area’s fifth Megasite, Cinco, Higgins predicted it would be the region’s last, noting space and infrastructure limitations.

If that’s true, the moment calls for a renewed energy in uniting the region’s disparate workforce development efforts while maintaining the recruitment and infrastructure work that has served the region so well.

We’ve got an incredible base of industry. Now let’s strengthen the pipelines to put more local residents to work. Why is that important? Because many of those 10,000 jobs the LINK helped secure went to people from other places.

One of the LINK’s priorities in this next chapter should be helping make sure future jobs go to local, qualified workers. This will mean making a renewed effort of inspiring and training the next generation of workers.

The good news is that the infrastructure for making that happen is already here. All of our school districts – Columbus, Lowndes County, Starkville – have well-equipped vocational training facilities, not to mention East Mississippi Community College’s $38 million Communiversity. The FORGE Foundation also plays a crucial role in workforce development.

What we’re missing is a conductor, someone to coordinate training efforts while keeping recruitment central to the LINK’s mission.

Recruitment and site development should remain central to the LINK’s mission, but they cannot stand alone. The next chapter requires a leader who can knit together schools, training centers, and industry partners into a unified system that ensures local workers are first in line for the jobs Higgins helped attract.

All those good, well-paying jobs have the most impact to the region if locals are employed.

Higgins’ legacy, if not his reputation, will endure. He will be regarded as the Father of Golden Triangle Economic Development. Nothing can change that.

But as the landscape for economic development in the Golden Triangle shifts, a new leader with skills essential to that mission will be needed.

That day just came earlier than expected.

The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.