A Hattiesburg official discussed how better relationships between elected officials, along with financial aid from local businesses, has led to noticeable economic development successes.
Todd Jackson, executive vice president of the Area Development Partnership, representing Hattiesburg, Forrest County and Lamar County, spoke to the McComb Rotary Club on Wednesday.
He was introduced by First Bank CEO Charlie Lewis, who said that when he took a job in Hattiesburg several years ago, the city’s mayor and board were “never in sync.” Elected officials from Hattiesburg and the nearby town of Petal did not get along, nor did supervisors from Forrest County and next-door Lamar County.
Today, though, everyone is “on the same page when it comes to jobs,” Lewis said.
Jackson, who has been with the ADP since 2014, added, “Anybody can get where they want to go if everyone’s pushing in the same direction.”
He said a long-term view is critical to success. And for the Hattiesburg area, contributions to the ADP from private companies make up two-thirds of its $2.7 million annual budget. Hattiesburg and the two counties each contribute $275,000 per year, while Petal gives $25,000.
Jackson said the private funding makes a huge difference for the organization, which has 11 employees.
The ADP also has been able to raise other money from private donors: $4 million in 2020 and $5.5 million in 2025.
He listed a number of important factors in economic development, but said trust among participants is essential.
“It’s a big thing, and probably the hardest to get right,” he said.
Other factors are a regional focus — he showed charts indicating that people who work in the Hattiesburg area drive to their job from several neighboring counties — the ability to set egos aside, and the understanding that industrial recruiting is a competitive business and Hattiesburg won’t win every time.
Jackson recalled an unsuccessful visit by an industrial site selector to the ADP’s “Eagle One Mega Site,” a 2,100-acre property south of Hattiesburg between Interstate 59 and Highway 11. When the selector arrived, none of the property had been cleared. She told Jackson she was looking for land that was ready for development but added, “You brought me to a hunting camp.”
With that lesson learned, Eagle One now has at least 1,200 acres cleared. Jackson said the land cost $11 million to buy, and another $10 million has already been spent on site preparation.
Public officials play a key role. Jackson credited Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker for recognizing that residents of East Hattiesburg felt disconnected from the city because three railroad lines separated them from medical facilities on the west side of town. Barker fixed that by finding money for two overpasses.
Also, little gestures can make a big difference. When the president of the Forrest County Board of Supervisors wanted to improve relations with Lamar County, he went to Purvis, the Lamar County seat, to mend fences with that board’s president.
Jackson said private economic development funding has worked for Hattiesburg but may not in other places. The economic development program in nearby Jones County, home to neighboring Laurel, is 90% publicly funded.
As a comparison, the Pike County Economic Development District is mostly publicly funded, with the board of supervisors allocating several hundred thousand dollars a year. It has three employees.
