|
 "Prospects,
Pitfalls, and Progress: Revitalizing Downtown Jackson" will
be the topic of the Spring 2006 Else School of Management Business
Forum to be held Wednesday, April 19 on the Millsaps College campus.
A panel of individuals experienced in redevelopment will provide
insight on the future of the capitol city's downtown area. Panelists
are Duane O'Neill, President and CEO of the MetroJackson Chamber
of Commerce; Henry Turley, founder of the Henry Turley Company;
and W. David Watkins, President and CEO of Watkins Partners. The
panel will be moderated by Phil Hardwick, coordinator of Capacity
Development at the John C. Stennis Institute of Government, Mississippi
State University. The forum is sponsored by The Clarion Ledger,
Entergy Mississippi, and St. Dominic Health Services.
O'Neill has been President of the MetroJackson Chamber of Commerce
since 1993. He has previously served as Regional Director of the
Southern Economic Development Council. He also served on the Board
of Directors of the Mississippi Economic Development Council and
the Mississippi Association of Chamber Executives.
Henry Turley founded the Henry Turley Company in 1977. The company's
focus is community development. Two examples of its work are the
Harbor Town and South Bluffs communities in Memphis. The Henry Turley
Company also works in urban redevelopment, and has developed a number
of properties in downtown Memphis.
W. David Watkins is one of the founders and principals in Watkins
and Young PLLC, a law firm with an emphasis on public finance and
municipal bond law. He is also President and CEO of Watkins Partners,
a governmental relations firm with client matters in Mississippi
and in Washington, D.C. Mr. Watkins is also involved with various
urban development projects, including the rehabilitation of the
long-abandoned King Edward Hotel in Jackson.
Prior to joining the Stennis Institute in August of 2003, Phil Hardwick
was Vice President of Community and Economic Development at Mississippi
Valley Gas Company. He is the immediate Past-President of the Mississippi
Main Street Association and a Past-President of the Mississippi
Economic Development Council.
The forum will be held in the Leggett Special Events Center on the
Millsaps College campus. Doors open at 3 p.m., and the program begins
at 3:30 p.m., followed by a reception at 5:15. Tickets are $10 per
person. Seating is limited and reservations are recommended. For
reservations or more information, contact Martha Lee at 601-974-1250.
|
