Delta Chamber Consortium
Belzoni-Clarksdale-Cleveland-Drew-Greenville-Greenwood-Indianola-Leland-Yazoo City

The Delta Chamber Consortium recently kicked off the “Believe in the Delta” campaign last month with a dynamic message of the good things happening and available in the Mississippi Delta.

The consortium was begun in May 2001 under the leadership of Harvey Tackett, Jr., who was President of the Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce. At the organizational meeting in Indianola, Tackett stated, “There is so much we can accomplish together, as there are many areas that are beneficial to all of us in the Mississippi Delta, and, still allow us to maintain our own specific areas of concern and identity.”

Scott Luth, Executive Vice-President, Cleveland/Bolivar County Chamber of Commerce, said “This group will work together to bring more people, retail and industry to the Delta area. Then, we can compete for individual locations.” Following Luth at a civic club program in Cleveland, Betty Lynn Cameron, Executive Director, Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce exclaimed “We are our own worst enemy in the way we project to the outside world our feelings about our area. We must change that attitude.”

The consortium has met bi-monthly since 2001 in networking and formalizing an effort to focus on a regional plan that will be beneficial to the Delta as a whole. Carolyn Manning, BellSouth, explains “There is more to be gained through regional efforts and we have to establish a relationship regionally, statewide, and beyond.”

The participating chambers of commerce are: Belzoni, Clarksdale, Cleveland, Drew, Greenwood, Greenville, Indianola, Leland, and Yazoo City. The chambers, as well as corporate sponsors Entergy and BellSouth, presently fund the campaign.

The “Believe in the Delta” campaign will be targeted to Delta citizens. The message will focus on what the Delta communities have to offer in six different areas: Cultural, Industry, Retail, Tourism, Recreation, Quality of Life. The initial campaign will run for three months throughout the delta. Lynn Jones, Drew Chamber of Commerce, states, “We encourage the business community to display the bumper stickers and have them available for their employees and customers.” Ashley Zepponi, Leland Chamber adds, “Also, we ask the civic clubs and organizations to display a banner at their events.”

Beth Lyon, Executive Director, Indianola Chamber, says “We must get the message to our own people so that they realize the wonderful opportunities we have right here in the Delta.” Meg Clark, Clarksdale Chamber, and Jerry Fraiser, Yazoo City Chamber add, “We are excited about this campaign and the whole regional effort taking place in the Delta.”

Dick Clark, President Greenville Chamber, and Mayor Tom Turner, President Belzoni Chamber, both agree that “This is a focused and concerted effort that we all can benefit from. We live and work here; therefore, we do BELIEVE IN THE DELTA.”

For more information on the consortium and the campaign, or for bumper stickers and banners, please call your local participating chamber of commerce. DBJ