JACKSON, Miss. (February 5, 2026) — The Mississippi Main Street Association (MMSA) has awarded four $1,500 scholarships for the 2026 Main Street Now Conference, to be held April 13–15 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
One of the scholarships was sponsored by Kenneth H. P’Pool, MMSA Board Member Emeritus, and awarded to Dakota Presley, Director of the Main Street Chamber of Leake County. Additional MMSA scholarship recipients include Lindsay Mitchell, Director of Amory Main Street, and Tiffany Kinslow, Director of Main Street Magee.
The 2025 Charles Beasley Outstanding Main Street Director of the Year also received a $1,500 scholarship to attend the national conference. This year’s recipient is Barbara Bigelow, Director of Main Street Columbus.
Kenneth H. P’Pool, one of the founding members of Mississippi’s Main Street Program, expressed his enthusiasm for supporting professional development opportunities for local leaders.
“As one of the founding members of Mississippi's Main Street program, I am very happy to be able to provide a scholarship to assist Dakota Presley to attend the National Main Street Conference," P'Pool said. "The conferences always provide educational sessions with great practical ideas for improving downtown revitalization efforts and excellent opportunities to network with colleagues from around the country who are successfully dealing with issues similar to those in our own communities. I am sure Dakota will benefit from attending the conference and use what she learns to further the already successful Leake County Main Street Program!”
Jeannie Waller Zieren, MMSA Executive Director, highlighted the importance of scholarship support in expanding access to national training opportunities.
“We are so pleased to be able to offer and award four scholarships for local Main Street directors to attend the National Main Street Conference this year,” Zieren said. “Thanks to the generous funding of public and private investors, we are able to send directors to the national conference for premier education and networking who would not be able to attend otherwise. Professional development is key to leading a successful Main Street program and benefits the entire community that the Main Street director represents.”
Dakota Presley, one of the scholarship recipients, shared her appreciation for the opportunity and the impact it represents.
“Being selected for the Kenneth H. P’Pool Scholarship to Main Street Now was the greatest surprise and blessing during my time with MMSA," Presley said. "To be considered a worthy investment and representative for the state and my county is a high honor, and I look forward to soaking up all the educational and networking opportunities available in Tulsa.”
Tiffany Kinslow emphasized the value of learning from peers and applying national best practices locally.
“The Main Street Directors Scholarship provides an invaluable opportunity to learn from peers nationwide and apply those insights locally," Kinslow said. "I’m excited to bring a fresh perspective and proven strategies back to our downtown.”
Lindsay Mitchell reflected on how the scholarship makes meaningful professional growth possible for smaller organizations.
“The Main Street Now Conference is something I’ve wanted to attend for a long time, but as a small nonprofit with limited resources, opportunities like this usually aren’t in the budget," Mitchell said. "This scholarship makes it possible, and I’m excited to soak it all in and bring fresh ideas, energy, and momentum back to Amory.”
