All 11 slots on the Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau are full with Warren County supervisors approving the nomination of Renay Jenkins to the tourism board Monday.

Jenkins, an 11-year employee of Rainbow and manager of the hotel at the casino development, was not in the boardroom when supervisors met, but said later she comes to the VCVB with enough tourism experience for the job.

Jenkins also serves as secretary for the Vicksburg Hotels & Lodging Association. She has also served on the board of the Vicksburg-Warren Chamber of Commerce and on the board of directors of the United Way of West Central Mississippi.

Jenkins will join the board, which in May approved a 20-page marketing plan presented by its new contract manager, Compass Facility Management of Vicksburg. Drafting the strategy was part of an array of responsibilities the company accepted when the firm was hired in January to manage tourism development in Vicksburg.

Jenkins said she was somewhat familiar with the plan, but looked forward to offering insight on it upon her appointment.

&#8220One thing this area has been lacking in is marketing strategies,” Jenkins said, adding that the plan has those efforts &#8220working in the right direction.”

Jenkins will fill the unexpired term of Jessica Hayes Williams, who announced earlier this month she was resigning her seat. Her resignation letter was approved by supervisors Monday, shortly before District 3 Supervisor Charles Selmon revealed his choice to the board.

Jenkins’ was among nine names on a list of potential appointees circulated by the Vicksburg Warren Community Alliance to supervisors in the weeks since Williams left the tourism board. Four of the nine were restaurant or bed and breakfast owners, or, like Jenkins, had worked in some capacity with area hotels. All had been considered for the joint city-county appointment that was filled by bank executive Nelda Sampey in May.

Jenkins was not invited to have discussions with supervisors prior to Monday’s vote, a practice scorned by some members in the past. Board president Carl Flanders reminded Selmon of this, but was assured by Selmon that Jenkins was aware of her appointment. She was then unanimously approved.

The VCVB was created by the Legislature as a freestanding agency in 1972 with its own funding via a 1 percent tourism tax. Past directors have been individuals, with an attorney general’s advisory opinion in January backing up that stipulation. Attorney general opinions, however, do not carry the force of law.

The agency spends about $1 million each year promoting the tourism industry. Compass is also contract manager for the City of Vicksburg for its convention center and its auditorium.