EMBDC Image Committee gets off the ground

By By Steve Gillespie / staff writer
May 12, 2004
A new committee within East Mississippi's chief economic development agency will concentrate its work on how the area is perceived by others as well as those who live here.
The 20-member Image Committee of the East Mississippi Business Development Corp., chaired by Trustmark National Bank President Billy Estes, will soon seek input on the region.
Doc Braswell, a business specialist at Mississippi State University-Meridian Campus, is also a member of the committee. He said customer service will be a major focus of the group.
The beginning
Estes said he was asked by EMBDC President Wade Jones to work on an Image Task Force to examine the image of Meridian, Lauderdale County and the rest of the region.
He said the goal is to improve the image for economic development.
The benefits
Lisa Lampton, director of sales and marketing for the local Holiday Inn Express and Quality Inn, said she has a big stake in the Image committee.
Charlotte Scott, director of Mission Meridian, a chapter of Mission Mississippi the statewide organization that promotes racial reconciliation through religion also is a committee member.