Gunn joins Hinds County Economic Development Board

By Randy Bell

Philip Gunn

The former Speaker of the Mississippi House is now wearing two economic development hats. In January, Philip Gunn was named to head the regional Connect West group that is trying to bring industries and businesses to Clinton and western Hinds County. Now, in addition to his responsibilities with Connect West, Gunn has joined the board of the Hinds County Economic Development Authority. The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the appointment July 1.

“I thought, ‘Why not?,’” Gunn told the Board of Aldermen at its July 2 meeting. “We need to know what they’re doing, [and] they need to know what we’re doing.”

Mayor Phil Fisher says Gunn’s dual roles make sense.

“It sounds good,” said Fisher. “He’ll be able to see the big picture, not just in Hinds County, [but also] the whole tri-county area – things that are going on, how we can connect with that.”

Gunn told the aldermen he’s still focusing his initial economic development efforts on the project that’s being built near Mississippi College. “We’ve been in communication with some grocery stores,” he said.

Gunn says he’s gotten a look at renderings of what the completed development might look like.

“It’s extremely exciting. A hotel, various retail shops, restaurants and potentially, maybe a second phase, a Mississippi market, a place that could sell Mississippi products.”

As he continues to build a vision for Connect West, Gunn says he and Clinton’s Director of Communications and Tourism Marlee Price have had conversations with economic development officials in Starkville, who’ve been successful in attracting several large industries to that area.

“We have talked with them about how their [economic development] arm is structured. I think it’s a good model for us to follow.”