Langston to update GSDP on GTRDA
December 6, 2012
By STEVEN NALLEY
educ@starkvilledailynews.com
Greater Starkville Development Partnership Board Chairman Steve Langston will give a progress update on regional cooperation for economic development and related matters at the board’s meeting at 3:30 p.m. Thursday in the GSDP offices.
Langston said the GSDP board invited Golden Triangle Development LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins to provide the updates, but a scheduling conflict prevented Higgins from attending.
“From the very start, he had a conflict with a recruiting issue, but we did invite him,” Langston said. “We thought we would give an update on the local and regional economic development scenario (and) give an update on where we stand as far as the search for the Oktibbeha County economic developer.”
Specifically, GSDP COO Jennifer Gregory said the board plans to hire a headhunter to search for an Oktibbeha economic developer. She said Langston will also report on the recent selection of four Oktibbeha representatives for the LINK Board of Directors and ways the GSDP can help them represent the local area.
“As far as the agenda, the regional economic development is old business,” Gregory said. “The only new business we have is staff reports. It should be a pretty quick meeting.”
On Nov. 28, Higgins announced that Langston, Coldwell Banker Associate Broker Michelle Amos, Cadence Bank CAO Mark Abernathy and retired businessperson Zelma Talley would represent the county on the LINK’s board of directors. He also formally changed the Columbus-Lowndes LINK’s name to the Golden Triangle Development LINK as part of a three-year economic development agreement with Oktibbeha County leading up to the establishment of a Golden Triangle Regional Development Authority.
