Mayors from across the Mississippi Delta gathered at Delta State University on June 19 for the fifth annual Delta Mayors\u2019 Summit hosted by Delta State President William N. LaForge.<\/p>\n
The university invited local mayors to engage in discussion about campus and community activities, and to continue forging collaborations and partnerships in the region.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s meeting focused on the Local Government Leadership Institute\u2019s (LGLI) inaugural year of training sessions. Dr. Temika Simmons, director of LGLI, along with LaForge and President Mark Keenum of Mississippi State University, recognized those in attendance who participated in the inaugural training sessions.<\/p>\n
Mayors were given the opportunity to discuss popular themes from the first year of training, and they offered suggestions on additional topics to be discussed in year two.<\/p>\n
The platform also included an overall campus update and a summary of university initiatives, including updates on campus projects and a tuition increase.<\/p>\n
LaForge was pleased to build on the success of previous summits, a conference he instituted after becoming president in 2013.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fifth annual Mayors\u2019 Summit was another success for Delta State in engaging and collaborating with the mayors in the Delta,\u201d said LaForge. \u201cWe discussed some issues vital to all of us who call the Delta home, and we also set the stage for additional program content for the Local Government Leadership Institute. I am grateful to the mayors of the Delta for coming to campus to participate in our summit, and I look forward to working with them throughout the coming year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Desiree Norwood, recently elected mayor of Sunflower, was thankful to take part in the program.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis summit is certainly beneficial, especially for newly-elected officials,\u201d said Norwood. \u201cIt\u2019s a learning process for new mayors, and Delta State University has created this program to help with that \u2014 to teach us about issues and concerns. We can use this program to find resources for our towns, but it\u2019s also an opportunity to network with other municipalities.\u201d<\/p>\n
Just prior to the summit, Delta State hosted a press conference marking the completion of year one of the LGLI.<\/p>\n
Delta State launched the LGLI program last year in partnership with the John C. Stennis Institute of Government & Community Development at Mississippi State University and the Mississippi Municipal League, with support from the Robert M. Hearin Foundation and Casey Family Programs. Initial programming kicked off in November of 2017.<\/p>\n
The LGLI assists and supports local officials of the Mississippi Delta in addressing governance challenges by providing activities, basic training, and helpful tools to run their municipalities effectively and efficiently.<\/p>\n