They fought for tourism for the whole MS Coast. Now business leaders will try to fix it.
The Gulf Coast Business Council led the push to create a regional tourism commission for the three Coast counties, and now, 10 years later, is stepping back in to keep the agency together.
On Wednesday, the executive committee of the Business Council met on a conference call to discuss the issues that created controversy and led to the resignation of Coastal Mississippi Executive Director Milton Segarra.
The members were unanimous in their determination to be involved in the issue, said Ashley Edwards, council president, and to seek a solution to the way the tourism agency operates. That solution could take another trip the state Legislature in Jackson to change the framework of the agency, he said.
A committee was formed among the executive committee to oversee the Business Council’s efforts, Edwards said.
Two Coast casino general managers — Travis Lunn at Beau Rivage Resort & Casino and Jonathan Jones at Harrah’s Gulf Coast Casino — volunteered to chair the effort.
The next step, Edwards said, is a meeting next week of the general managers of all 12 Coast casinos — “The largest stakeholders of tourism on our Coast.”
Shared vision and power
Once the casino and hospitality industries are engaged in the discussion, Edwards said, the committee will bring local elected officials and state Legislators into the conversation. Together they will “create a shared vision and plan,” he said, to promote South Mississippi as one regional destination.
“It was a good reason 10 years ago. It’s an even better reason now,” Edward said.
Tourism revenues are up in South Mississippi, even during the pandemic, he said, which is something other destinations can’t say.
But unequal representation is one of the big issues tearing the agency apart. Harrison County, which has the largest share of the tourism industry, has nine seats on the 15-member board. Hancock and Jackson counties each have three seats.
That has led to elected officials and business leaders in the two smaller counties to question whether they should stay in the agency, Edwards said.
‘Defining moment’ for regionalism
At Thursday’s virtual meeting of the GCBC, Ricky Matthews called this challenge to rework the tourism commission “the defining moment for regionalism.”
The host of radio show “Coast Vue” on SuperTalk Mississippi and former publisher of the Sun Herald said if South Mississippi business leaders can’t keep the hope for a coastal Mississippi regional approach to tourism alive and well, “Then in a lot of ways we will have failed.”
Matthews said, the makeup of the board is not right, with directors who don’t have a stake in the tourism industry, and the goals are not right.
Supervisors have too much power, he said, and can remove board members at any time under the current law.
Jackson County’s reaction
On Friday, the Jackson County Board of Commissioners released a statement saying they are “extremely disappointed” in last week’s meeting that resulted in Segarra’s resignation.
“The actions taken last week demonstrate that the current Board structure does not foster regional participation in any way.”
The statement also listed two things that “need to happen” to resolve the issues:
- “The circumstances surrounding Mr. Segarra’s resignation must be investigated by an independent third party not located on the Coast.
- “The current alignment of the board of Coastal MS gives too much power to the Harrison County Board of Supervisors. The state Legislature needs to study the makeup of the board this fall and make a change for the betterment of Coastal MS early next session. Without said changes from the Legislature, we are not able to work toward the common mission of growing regional tourism in Coastal Mississippi.”
Time for new director?
Segarra’s resignation is effective Oct. 15, which leaves South Mississippi without a tourism leader again.
Matthews said he hopes the Coast doesn’t start the search for a new executive director until the system to operate Coastal Mississippi is fixed.
The board spent nine months searching for Segarra, before he began the job in 2018 and led the rebranding of the three-county tourist promotion as “Coastal Mississippi.”
Before he was hired, the board voted 11-4 not to renew the contract of former director Renee Areng in May 2017. She had been the director for three years and was dismissed over a controversy that wasn’t made public.
Areng said she took over amid financial controversy, when no audit could be found for the previous Harrison County Tourism Commission.
This story was originally published September 24, 2021 at 5:50 AM.
