Officers, members elected for Main Street board
July 1, 2025 – A new executive committee, two at-large board members, and a directors’ representative have been elected to the Mississippi Main Street Association (MMSA) Board of Directors to lead the efforts of the statewide community and economic development organization for 2025-2026.
Dr. Kelle Barfield of Vicksburg has been elected to serve as MMSA board president for 2025-2026. Barfield owns Delta Warren Properties, preserving and restoring historic downtown buildings as a driver of Vicksburg economic growth, and Lorelei Books, an independent bookstore in downtown Vicksburg, and she serves as president of the Warren County Board of Supervisors. She also serves as a nuclear communications adviser to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
“As president of the Mississippi Main Street Association, I believe in the power of community. Together, we revitalize our downtowns, preserve our rich history, and create vibrant spaces that inspire community pride and progress for generations to come,” Barfield said.
In addition to her professional career, Barfield is very involved in her local community of Vicksburg. She served two terms as a commission member for the Mississippi Commission on School Accreditation, and is a board member of the Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce, member of the Vicksburg Warren Economic Development Foundation, council member of the Warren and Claiborne Counties Energy Academy Partnership, and president of the Warren County Forestry Association.
The additional 2025-2026 MMSA executive officers include: Vice-President Chance McDavid, project director of the John C. Stennis Institute of Government & Community Development in Starkville; Treasurer Mandy Hegwood, Engineer Manager and Vice President of Neel-Schaffer, Inc. in Laurel, and Past President Chris Hinton of Metro Booming Training Academy, Inc. in Jackson.
Newly elected at-large board members are Beth Hamilton with Capitol Resources in Jackson and Sherri Carr Smith with Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in Gulfport.
Caroline Burks of Laurel Main Street has also been elected as a new Directors’ Representative for District 1 by the directors of designated and network Main Street programs in Mississippi. She joins Lisa Klutts, director of West Point Clay County Community Growth Alliance, who represents District 2, and Billye Jean Stroud, director of New Albany Main Street, who represents District 3.
Board members continuing to serve on the state board include: Tomeka Durr-Wiley, commercial development project manager at Mississippi Power in Gulfport; Brent Fairley, senior vice president/market president at Hancock Whitney Bank in Gulfport; Brad Reeves, attorney at Reeves, Gentry & Vitart, PLLC in Jackson; Jean Kelly, director of communications and public relations at Staplcotn in Greenwood; Chip Johnson, mayor of the city of Hernando; Steve Kelly, board member emeritus; Ken P’Pool, board member emeritus; Meredith Massey, deputy director of the historic preservation division at the Mississippi Department of Archives & History; Leah Kemp, director of the Fred Carl Jr. Small Town Center; and Tim Climer, outreach director & agency liaison for community & rural development at the Mississippi Development Authority.
Mississippi Main Street Association news release
