MISSISSIPPI MAIN STREET ASSOCIATION INC
P O BOX 55747, JACKSON, MS 39296 www.msmainstreet.com

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Organizations Filed Purposes: THE MISSION OF THE MISSISSIPPI MAIN STREET ASSOCIATION IS TO BE A CATALYST FOR THE PRESERVATION AND ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION OF MISSISSIPPI'S HISTORIC DOWNTOWNS AND DISTRICTS.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT:DURING THE 2019-2020 FISCAL YEAR, THE MISSISSIPPI MAIN STREET ASSOCIATION (MMSA) PROVIDED COMMUNITY SERVICES TO ASSIST THE 45+ MEMBER PROGRAMS ACROSS THE STATE. COMMUNITY SERVICES CONSIST OF CONSULTATIONS AND PROGRAM SERVICES THAT PERTAIN TO THE MAIN STREET APPROACH IN DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION - ORGANIZATION, PROMOTION, DESIGN, AND ECONOMIC VITALITY. THESE COMMUNITY SERVICES INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO: DESIGN SERVICES (DESIGN RENDERINGS, DESIGN GUIDANCE, ASSISTANCE WITH DESIGN GUIDELINES/ORDINANCES, EDUCATION IN HISTORIC PRESERVATION, EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY REGARDING HISTORIC TAX CREDITS, ETC.), MARKET ANALYSIS, NEW DIRECTOR AND BOARD MEMBER TRAINING, COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING ASSISTANCE, RETAIL TRAINING AND ASSISTANCE, FESTIVAL DEVELOPMENT AND/OR EVALUATION, SMALL EVENT DEVELOPMENT AND/OR EVALUATION, VOLUNTEER TRAINING, BUDGET DEVELOPMENT, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, AND BUSINESS RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, AND EXPANSION ASSISTANCE. MMSA PROVIDES AT LEAST ONE ON-SITE VISIT AND OTHER DOWNTOWN SERVICES AS REQUESTED BY THE LOCAL PROGRAM DIRECTORS EACH YEAR. IN ADDITION, MMSA PROVIDES AN ON-SITE WORK SESSION, AS REQUESTED BY THE LOCAL DIRECTOR, FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND GUIDANCE WITH THE LOCAL PROGRAM'S ANNUAL WORK PLAN. IN THE 2019-2020 FISCAL YEAR, THE MMSA STAFF VISITED MORE THAN HALF OF THE MAIN STREET COMMUNITIES TO DELIVER THESE PROGRAM SERVICES. WITH THE DISRUPTION CAUSED BY COVID-19, TRAVEL CEASED FOR MMSA STAFF FROM MARCH-JULY OF 2020. COMMUNITY SERVICES CONTINUED THROUGH VIRTUAL MEETINGS AND WEBINARS, IN ADDITION TO HUNDREDS OF PHONE CALLS AND EMAIL CONVERSATIONS.MMSA DESIGNATED SUMRALL AS A NEW MAIN STREET COMMUNITY IN FEBRUARY 2020 AND WILL CONDUCT A RESOURCE TEAM VISIT WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR THAT WILL GIVE THE SUMRALL MAIN STREET ASSOCIATION A ROAD MAP AND WORK PLAN FOR THEIR DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION DREAMS AND GOALS. STATEWIDE PARTNERS WILL SERVE ON THIS RESOURCE TEAM, INCLUDING THE MISSISSIPPI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY AND MSU EXTENSION CENTER FOR GOVERNMENT. MMSA HAS WELCOMED ADDITIONAL NEW MEMBERS TO THE ASSOCIATION IN THE 2019-2020 FISCAL YEAR, INCLUDING ITAWAMBA COUNTY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, RANKIN FIRST, AND YAZOO CITY DOWNTOWNER'S ASSOCIATION. THE DOWNTOWN TUPELO MAIN STREET ASSOCIATION WAS ALSO RECOGNIZED AS A GREAT AMERICAN MAIN STREET AWARD SEMIFINALIST IN THE SPRING OF 2020.

TRAINING AND EDUCATION:MMSA PROVIDES VALUABLE TRAINING TO ASSIST AND EQUIP DIRECTORS OF THE 45+ LOCAL MAIN STREET PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE STATE. CONTINUING EDUCATION IS ESSENTIAL TO GROW IN KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL IN DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AND PRESERVATION, AND MMSA REQUIRES EITHER A LOCAL DIRECTOR OR A BOARD MEMBER TO ATTEND A MINIMUM OF THREE TRAININGS EACH CALENDAR YEAR, AND DIRECTORS CAN CHOOSE FROM SEVERAL TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES TO RECEIVE THIS CONTINUING EDUCATION. MMSA ALSO PROVIDES REGIONAL MEETINGS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR FOR LOCAL PROGRAM DIRECTORS AS WELL AS AN ANNUAL MAIN STREET DIRECTORS' RETREAT. REGIONAL MEETINGS WERE HELD IN JULY 2019 IN CARTHAGE, AUGUST 2019 IN PONTOTOC AND ECRU, NOVEMBER 2019 IN OCEAN SPRINGS, AND JANUARY 2020 IN BALDWYN. THE DESTINATION DOWNTOWN CONFERENCE, AN ANNUAL, REGIONAL CONFERENCE WITH MAIN STREET ARKANSAS AND LOUISIANA MAIN STREET WAS HELD IN HAMMOND, LA IN SEPTEMBER 2020. THIS CONFERENCE OFFERS A VARIETY OF SESSIONS IN THE MAIN STREET APPROACH AND WAS ATTENDED BY MORE THAN 240 PEOPLE FROM THE THREE STATES. MMSA KICKED OFF 2020 WITH ORGANIZATION TRAINING IN JANUARY IN GREENWOOD. 50 PEOPLE ATTENDED THE TRAINING ON THE FUNDAMENTALS OF HOW TO OPERATE A LOCAL MAIN STREET PROGRAM AND THE TOOLS NEEDED FOR SUCCESS. THE ASSOCIATION'S ANNUAL DIRECTORS' RETREAT WAS HELD IN FEBRUARY 2020 IN LOUISVILLE AT LAKE TIAK O'KHATA. THIS RETREAT FOCUSES ON BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS AMONG MAIN STREET DIRECTORS IN MISSISSIPPI AND UPDATING DIRECTORS ON THE STATE OF MMSA AND THE ASSOCIATION'S STRATEGIC PLAN. MMSA HAD A RECORD ATTENDANCE AT THIS RETREAT WITH NEARLY 50 IN ATTENDANCE AND ALL BENEFITED FROM NETWORKING AND LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER. THE NATIONAL MAIN STREET NOW CONFERENCE THAT WAS SCHEDULED TO BE HELD IN APRIL 2020 IN DALLAS, TX WAS CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19. MMSA POSTPOSED A RETAIL VITALITY TRAINING THAT WAS TO BE HELD IN BILOXI IN MAY TO JULY 2020. AS STATE EXECUTIVE ORDERS AND LOCAL MUNICIPALITY MANDATES FOLLOWED THE CDC GUIDELINES REGARDING COVID-19, EVENTS CONTINUED TO BE CANCELLED OR POSTPONED. THE MMSA ANNUAL AWARDS MEETING SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 2020 WAS POSTPONED TO AUGUST 2020. JUDGING FOR THE AWARDS WAS HELD VIRTUALLY. WHILE IN-PERSON TRAININGS HALTED IN 2020, MMSA STAFF CONTINUED TO PROVIDE VIRTUAL MEETINGS AND WEBINARS TO KEEP MEMBERS INFORMED AND TO PROVIDE ONGOING TRAINING. IN ADDITION TO THESE VIRTUAL TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES, MMSA STAFF HELD WEEKLY VIDEO MEETING CALLS WITH LOCAL PROGRAM DIRECTORS TO HELP THE LOCAL DIRECTORS NAVIGATE THE UNPRECEDENTED CIRCUMSTANCES CAUSED BY COVID-19 AS WELL AS THE TRAUMATIC ECONOMIC IMPACT TO THE LOCAL AND STATE ECONOMIES.

SPECIAL PROJECTS/PARTNER COLLABORATION:WHEN COVID-19 DISRUPTED NORMAL OPERATIONS, MMSA ADAPTED TO THE NEEDS OF LOCAL PROGRAMS AND THEIR LOCAL BUSINESSES AND PROVIDED RESOURCES NEEDED TO NAVIGATE THE UNCERTAIN TIMES. MMSA WAS ONE OF THE FIRST ORGANIZATIONS TO DEVELOP A CORONAVIRUS RESOURCE PAGE ON OUR WEBSITE WITH GENERAL RESOURCES, PARTNER RESOURCES AND PROGRAMS, GRAPHICS THAT COULD BE USED FOR PROMOTING HOW TO SHOP SAFELY, REOPEN RESOURCES AND SPECIFIC PROGRAMS GEARED TO MISSISSIPPI BUSINESSES. MMSA ALSO HAD A SERIES OF VIDEOS DEVELOPED AND STORED ON THE MMSA WEBSITE THAT WERE DESIGNED TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES DEVELOP THEIR E-COMMERCE PRESENCE. MMSA PARTNERED WITH A RETAIL E-COMMERCE PLATFORM, COMMENT SOLD, AS A TOOL FOR SMALL BUSINESSES TO EXPAND THEIR BRICK AND MORTAL SALES ONLINE. THE PARTNERSHIP PROVIDED A SPECIAL RATE FOR BUSINESSES IN MISSISSIPPI MAIN STREET COMMUNITIES, AND MMSA ALSO PARTNERED WITH COMMENT SOLD TO PRODUCE A BOOTCAMP WORKSHOP TO HELP SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS TO LEARN HOW TO EFFECTIVELY BOOST THEIR SALES WITH THE ONLINE PLATFORM. MMSA LED STATEWIDE ADVOCACY EFFORTS FOR THE RENEWAL OF THE STATE HISTORIC TAX CREDIT AND PARTNERED WITH THE MISSISSIPPI HERITAGE TRUST ON THIS ENDEAVOR. MMSA ALSO RECEIVED A SPECIAL PROJECT GRANT FROM THE MISSISSIPPI HILLS NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA FOR DESTINATION DOWNTOWN, AND THE FUNDS WILL CARRY OVER TO 2021 WHEN DESTINATION DOWNTOWN WAS RESCHEDULED TO BE HELD IN STARKVILLE. MMSA AWARDED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT GRANTS TO EIGHT MAIN STREET COMMUNITIES IN APRIL 2020 THAT REQUIRED A LOCAL MATCH. IN THIS WAY, MMSA WAS ABLE TO LEVERAGE STATE FUNDS WITH LOCAL FUNDS TO SUPPORT A WIDE RANGE OF PROJECTS THAT HELP ACHIEVE THE REVITALIZATION GOALS OF THE LOCAL MAIN STREET PROGRAMS.IN ADDITION, MMSA PARTNERS REGULARLY ON SPECIAL PROJECTS AND TRAININGS WITH THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF ARCHIVES & HISTORY, MISSISSIPPI ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, MISSISSIPPI HERITAGE TRUST, MSU STENNIS INSTITUTE, MDA ASSET MAPPING, MDA ENTREPRENEUR CENTER, MSU CARL SMALL TOWN CENTER, MISSISSIPPI TOURISM ASSOCIATION, AND THE MISSISSIPPI ARTS COMMISSION. MMSA SEES THESE PARTNERS AS EXTENSIONS OF MMSA STAFF AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES. MMSA ALSO APPROVES PARTNER EVENTS AND CONFERENCES AS CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR MAIN STREET PROGRAMS.

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