BY WILL MAYO

They say change comes slowly to the Mississippi Delta. I think that in at least one key area that is no longer true. As a member of EntergyÕs economic development team for 20 years, I have noticed a profound and positive evolution in the commitment of the leadership of the Delta area to creating new jobs and new economic opportunity.

The driving force of that positive evolution is greater cooperation in the economic development community and a team approach to marketing the Delta region. The most notable example of that cooperation is the Mississippi Delta Developers Association, which has worked to overcome competitiveness inside the region in order to reach outside the Delta to attract new business and industry.

The Delta Developers are keeping a keen eye out for new trends in technology and internet-related business development possibilities. At the same time they are honoring the best of the old-fashioned, traditional values that are an integral part of the fabric of life in the area.

This kind of forward-thinking cooperation is the hallmark of EntergyÕs TeamCity program, in which leaders thoroughly review their communitiesÕ strengths and weaknesses before charting a course to build a brighter future. Delta communities currently designated as Entergy TeamCities include Bolivar County, Sunflower County, Greenville, Clarksdale, and Vicksburg. Humphreys County is the newest community to participate in the program.

By taking advantage of programs and opportunities that foster greater cooperation, along with sound strategic planning, the Delta region has made great strides in creating substantial economic activity. Overall average wages are rising, and with that the quality of life for the people of an area better known for its stubborn poverty.

Cooperation and enhanced marketing, in part, focus on producing an attractive invitation to the business world to take a look at the Delta. Once here, business leaders have come to recognize and value greatly the work ethic and improving skill sets of the labor force. When companies like Delta Wire in Clarksdale win major quality awards, that recognition takes on even greater significance.

Entergy has been pleased to provide support for some of the most effective efforts to increase diversified economic activity in the Delta, including:

These activities and many more are evidence of the regionÕs professional, competitive, and proactive approach to building a vibrant economic future. And with greater trade opportunities to the south in Mexico, more emphasis being placed on workforce training, and special incentives from programs like the federal empowerment zone, the outlook is favorable for continued success.

The Delta region still faces enormous challenges Ñ issues such as poverty and race relations have special significance here. Yet there is also enormous hope for the future. The key is the spirit of cooperation in the economic development community. That spirit is flowing through the region with a force as powerful as the mighty Mississippi River, a tie that binds the DeltaÕs future together. DBJ

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