The DeSoto County Economic Development Council promotes business and economic development and quality of life issues for this booming Mississippi county just south of Memphis. The Council works closely with business and industry, civic organizations, city and county governments and chambers of commerce in Hernando, Horn Lake, Olive Branch, Southaven and Town of Walls.
2019 Executive Committee
Shad Sims ……...…...…….Chairman
Chris Brown……….…..Vice Chairman
Susan Reich……....………….Treasurer
Ritchie Hampton….…..….…..Secretary
James Huffman.……..……Past Chairman
Board Member
ReNita Carr, Milwaukee Electric Tool
Derek Coulter, Sephora
Vickie Blackwell, Crye-Leike Realty
Diego Lejwa, Express Employment Professionals
Kevin Doddridge, Northcentral Electric Power Association
Chris Brown, North American Electric
Shad Sims, Atmos Energy Corp - MS Division
John Rawlsky, Fiskars
Lisa Johnson, GEODIS Logistics
Zack Davis, Edward Jones Investments
Rob Laster, Helen of Troy
Harry Welch, Intuitive Surgical
Sarah Edmiston, Southgroup Insurance
Wayne Spell, Entergy
James Huffman, Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto
Dan Cordell, Civil Link
Jennifer Ward, Community Bank
Vince Malavasi, Neel-Schaffer
Allen Whitsitt, First Commercial Bank
Shawn Clayton, Renasant Bank
Susan Reich, Brannon Professionals
Patrick Ginn, Rite Hite Manufacturing
Dr. Michael Heindl, Northwest MS Community College
Robert Hill, Titan Distributing
Jack Talbert, Planters Bank
Tracy Huffman, Waggoner Engineering
Ritchie Hampton, BancorpSouth
Rhodes Thompson, Keller Williams Commercial Realty
Bryant Cashion, BankPlus
Melissa Mire, SXP
The DeSoto County Economic Development Council's mission is to facilitate, promote and provide effective, unified leadership for economic development and improved quality of life.
The DeSoto Council was incorporated in 1978 by a group of forward-thinking citizens of DeSoto County who saw a need for a unified effort toward economic development in DeSoto County. Since its beginning, the DeSoto Council has seen the opening and expansion of hundreds of industries, the creation of millions of jobs, and capital investment reaching into the billions.
The Council works closely with business and industry, civic organizations, city and county governments and chambers of commerce in Hernando, Horn Lake, Olive Branch, Southaven, and the Town of Walls.
Click here to download the DeSoto Council's Annual Program of Work.
| Position | Name | ||
|---|---|---|---|
 |
President/CEO Industrial Recruitment |
Jim Flanagan | jflanagan@desotocounty.com |
 |
Director of Business Development
|
Bryant Henley | bhenley@desotocounty.com |
 |
Manager, Business Services
|
Cynthia Ramsey-Short | crshort@desotocounty.com |
 |
Manager, Member Services
|
Susan Fernandez | sfernandez@desotocounty.com |
