Financial adviser Marion Roberson was named Thursday to be board chairman of the Vicksburg-Warren Community Alliance.

The 33-year-old Greenwood native takes the post formerly held by attorney Bobby Bailess, who has been elected president of the Mississippi Bar Association, a term that begins this summer.

The job of paid director of the group remains open with no decision on whether another full-time director will be sought.

Roberson has been on the volunteer board of the Alliance for about four years, a position he said he was led to by other community involvement. He has been active with organizations, such as Keep Vicksburg-Warren Beautiful and the Vicksburg Foundation for Historic Preservation since moving to Vicksburg in 1999.

&#8220I saw the Alliance as a really good organization and as an organization that has great ideas and is doing something positive,” he said.

The Alliance, charged with consolidating community efforts to bring tourism, commerce, retail and industry to the area, was formed in 2001.

The self-formed organization has 23 board members and, in early 2006, hired its first full-time director, Scott Martinez. Martinez, a native of Laurel, resigned in December to take a position with the Mississippi Development Authority. His position has been open since the beginning of the year.

Various councils have sprung from the Alliance to deal with certain focus areas, the most vocal being the Tourism Council, which until earlier this month was chaired by Ann Jones, owner of Mississippi River Tours. Bed and breakfast owner Paul Caudillo was elected chair by fellow council members.

Roberson said he looks forward to his new role with the board.

&#8220I want the Alliance to continue to make Vicksburg a better place to live and work – to bring everybody together, so that we’re all on the same page,” he said. &#8220I think Vicksburg can really be one of the leading communities in the state.”