MDA Announces Upcoming Management Changes

Craig Ray, director of the Mississippi Development Authority’s (MDA's) Tourism Division, announced November 5, 2009 his resignation to take place at year end and his plans to pursue new opportunities in the industry.

“We appreciate Craig’s leadership,” said Gray Swoope, executive director of MDA. “Under his direction, Mississippi's tourism programs have become a significant part of the state's economic development strategy.”

Craig leaves a tremendous legacy of achievement over his six years of service in the role of Tourism Division director. Under his leadership, the state identified and branded its unique heritage as the “birthplace of America’s music” and developed events, programs and messaging to establish the brand globally. The Mississippi Grammy event and the state’s new highway signage are a direct result of this effort, and significant tourism initiatives such as the Mississippi Blues Trail and the Mississippi Country Music Trail are tied to this brand.

Milestone initiatives and venues opened during this administration include the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center in Indianola, the Riley Center in Meridian, the Corinth Civil War Museum, the Tunica River Park, the Jackson Convention Center and the Natchez Trace opening.

Craig gave significant direction in the state's involvement in the Viking Classic and in media hosting for the 2008 Presidential Debate held in Oxford and other key events such as the Southeast Tourism Society Meeting, the Travel South USA Showcase, Southern Governors’ Association Annual Meeting and the National Governors Association Annual Meeting.

Under his direction, the division launched a new Web site, conducted House and Senate familiarization tours, developed new ad and print campaigns, launched the Tourism Web Radio and solidified the US Travel brand. In addition, the division refined the state's film incentive program and established the Tourism Rebate Program. The work accomplished by MDA's Tourism Division after Hurricane Katrina contributed significantly to the recovery of the Gulf Coast, and subsequent international familiarization tours resulted in $500,000 in advertising equivalency and reached over 3.5 million people.

Craig serves as the chairman of Travel South USA and the vice chairman of the Mississippi Blues Commission, and he serves on both the US Travel Board and the Blues Foundation Board.

Craig will be succeeded in this position by Mary Beth Wilkerson, who has served as MDA's deputy director of Tourism since 2002. Mary Beth joined the agency in 1991. She directly coordinated Mississippi's domestic and international travel trade tourism efforts for over nine years prior to becoming the division’s Sales and Marketing Bureau manager in 2000.

In her current capacity as deputy director of the division, Mary Beth manages the overall daily operations of the division and provides extensive tourism development and marketing experience to the team. Mary Beth is greatly respected in the tourism industry in Mississippi. With her acceptance of this position, she brings considerable experience with her and will ensure that the division loses no momentum in its tourism development and promotion efforts.

About Mississippi Development Authority
The Mississippi Development Authority is the State of Mississippi’s lead economic and community development agency. Nearly 300 employees are engaged in providing services to businesses, communities and workers in the state. While the agency is best known for its efforts to recruit new businesses to Mississippi, the Authority provides services to promote tourism, help communities improve their quality of place, help existing employers identify and meet opportunities and challenges and help workers improve their skills – all with the goal of improving the quality of life and economic well-being of Mississippians. For more information, visit MDA’s Web site at www.mississippi.org .