MS Main Street Announces 2018 Award Winners

06.21.2018

MISSISSIPPI MAIN STREET ANNOUNCES  2018 AWARD WINNERS
 
June 21, 2018 - JACKSON, Miss. - The Mississippi Main Street Association (MMSA) celebrated achievements of Mississippi Main Street Communities at the 29th Annual Awards Luncheon in downtown Jackson. 

MMSA Board President Ed Gardner and MMSA Past President Allison Beasley presented awards to recipients from local Main Street programs throughout the state.

The annual awards luncheon honors Main Street directors, board members and volunteers and recognizes the most outstanding downtown development projects from Main Street communities in Mississippi. 

The 2018 Award Recipients are: 
 
Award Name of Entry (Project or Individual) Community Accepting Award
Premier Partner Northwest Community College Senatobia Main Street Julie R. Bauer
Outstanding Creative Fundraising Cleveland Bites Food Festival Team Cleveland Main Street Tasha Huerta
Outstanding Marketing Que on the Yazoo Marketing Campaign Main Street Greenwood Megan Slaughter/Brantley Snipes
Outstanding Community Education Campaign (2) How Downtown Main Street Greenwood Brantley Snipes
Vicksburg Heritage Walking Trails Vicksburg Main Street Kim Hopkins
Creative New Event (2) Mini Wine Downtown and Shopping Tournament Downtown Tupelo Main Street  Craig Helmuth
Hattiesburlesque Historic Downtown Hattiesburg  Abigail Lenz-Allen and Rebecca Chandler
Outstanding Retail Promotion Sit, Stay, Play, Greenwood Main Street Greenwood Brantley Snipes
Outstanding Image Promotion (2) Meet Me on Main Street Main Street Clinton Jonathan Nutt
Downtown Greenwood Promo Video Main Street Greenwood Matthew Moore/Brantley Snipes
Outstanding Historic Rehabilitation Project Starkville Police Department Starkville Main Street Chief Frank Nichols
Outstanding Public Improvement Project (2) Russell Street Corridor - Entrance to Downtown Starkville Starkville Main Street Michelle Jones
Crosby Commons Picayune Main Street Jim Luke
Outstanding Visual Merchandising Project The Lucky Rabbit Historic Downtown Hattiesburg  Abbey & Brandon Thaxton
Outstanding New Development Project Brady's Steak and Seafood Pascagoula Main Street Steven Brady & Chad Brady
Outstanding Adaptive Reuse Project The Burton's Building Laurel Main Street Josh Nowell
Outstanding Economic Impact Cottonwood Public House Vicksburg Main Street Tim Cantwell
Outstanding New Business The Steel Forest Furniture Company Columbus Main Street Chip  and Maureen Gerber
Outstanding Community Transformation - Medium Size town Laurel, Mississippi Laurel Main Street Lew Yoder
Outstanding Community Transformation - Small Town  Water Valley, Mississippi Water Valley Main Street Jeff Bynum
Main Street Trailblazer Dr. David L. Beckley Holly Springs Main Street Chamber Dr. David L. Beckley
Merchant of the Year Lott Furniture Company Laurel Main Street Rodney Rowell
Outstanding Director of the Year Kay Miller Biloxi Main Street Kay Miller
Main Street Hero Michelle Jones Starkville Main Street Michelle Jones
Mayor George Flaggs Vicksburg Main Street Mayor George Flaggs
Jim Luke Picayune Main Street Jim Luke
Mallorie Rasberry Laurel Main Street Mallorie Rasberry
Penny Frazier Senatobia Main Street Penny Frazier
Dawn Edwards Hernando Main Street Dawn Edwards
Becky Nowell Team Cleveland Main Street Becky Nowell
Bob Luke Meridian Main Street Bob Luke
Doug Pellum Columbus Main Street Doug Pellum
Mayor Dane Maxwell Pascagoula Main Street Mayor Dane Maxwell
Award of Service Allison Beasley SMPDD Allison Beasley
Award of Service Ken P'Pool MDAH Ken P'Pool 

"This is the Mississippi Main Street Association’s most important event of the year," said Ed Gardner, MMSA Board President. "It gives us an opportunity to meet with and celebrate the local directors and investors throughout the state that are doing the hard work of making our downtown districts more competitive, successful and sustainable."

"We are thrilled to honor our economic development and preservation heroes in Mississippi's downtowns," Gardner said.

Since 1993, Mississippi Main Street Association has generated more than $5 billion in private and public investment (including more than $1.2 billion in public investment).

In 2017, Mississippi Main Street programs generated 325 net new businesses, 95 business expansions to existing businesses, 1,458 net new jobs, 109 façade rehabilitations and 86 downtown residential units. 
 
MMSA currently has 48 active Main Street cities throughout the state, six Downtown Network members, and numerous Associate, Allied professional members, and Friends of Main Street.