The last piece of the new Vicksburg-Warren County economic development puzzle fell into place Tuesday morning when the Warren County Board of Supervisors, by a four to one margin, voted to approve the merger of economic development activities in the county.
The approval combines the economic development efforts of the Warren County Port Authority, the county, the city and the Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce.
In addition, the county OK’d the hiring of Pablo Diaz of Grenada to serve as the leader of the county’s economic development effort.
Diaz will serve as the port commissioner and director of the chamber, and will be housed at the chamber of commerce. The bulk of his job will be economic development for Vicksburg and Warren County.
The sole nay vote on both measures came from county supervisor William Banks. Voting in favor of the merger and the hiring of Diaz were supervisors John Arnold, Charles Selmon, Richard George and John Carlisle.
Margaret Gilmer, chair of the Warren County Port Commission, told supervisors the merger is one approved by the Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber, the Warren County Port Commission and the Economic Development Foundation.
About Diaz, Gilmer told supervisors, “He was clearly the top candidate for the job.”
In a press release sent late morning, Gilmer said, “The selection committee is proud to announce Mr. Diaz as the new economic development leader for Warren County. Diaz quickly stood out during the selection proceedings by demonstrating an impressive knowledge of the economic development industry and process, along with a unique passion and enthusiasm about the many economic development assets in Warren County.”
Mark Buys, president of the Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce and a member of the selection committee, said, “The search committee unanimously approved the hiring of Mr. Diaz after interviewing an impressive pool of candidates. I believe Pablo brings with him not only a wealth of credentials, but most importantly an element of innovation and change that will be essential in making Warren County into one of the top contenders for economic development in the state.”
Others on the selection committee include members of the Warren County Port Commission, members of the Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce, Col. Bryan Green, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Engineering Research and Development Center, and Ed Gardner, the economic development director for Entergy Mississippi.
Diaz, in the press release, said, “I am thrilled about the opportunity to serve the people of Warren County along with the many passionate leaders I met during the interview process. We will hit the ground running in developing a unified vision for the future and building an economic development plan that take us on a path to success. This community has a wide array of strategic resources and I look forward to working with all sectors of the community in drawing upon these resources to contribute to the writing of a new successful chapter in the history of Vicksburg and Warren County.”
Gilmer’s press release said Diaz has more than 15 years experience in economic development in communities in Florida and Mississippi. Currently, he is the executive director of the Grenada Economic Development District, where he is credited with turning Grenada into one of the most competitive economic development agencies in the state by assembling a skillful team and building multiple strategic coalitions that led to the announcement of more than 1,000 jobs and the development of a new industrial park, among other accomplishments.
The International Economic Development Council named Diaz the “2012 Young Economic Development Professional of the Year” for his accomplishments as an emerging leader in the economic development industry.
Diaz holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in economic development from the University of Southern Mississippi.
He is a graduate of the Economic Development Institute by the University of Oklahoma and a certified economic developer by the IEDC.
Originally from the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, Diaz came to the United States 15 years ago.
He said Tuesday afternoon his first order of business would be to listen.
“I am going to listen and we will develop together a unified vision for the community, something that can help us win economic development.”
Diaz said the Vicksburg port, the accessibility to the Mississippi River, the geographic location so close to Jackson and the presence of ERDC and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are “incredible assets” that can lead to economic development.
“And there are a lot of human assets that are in and around Vicksburg that are very impressive and give us a strategic advantage. I plan for all of us to work together to take advantage of that and win projects in the future.” He said.
Diaz and his wife, the former Amber Hickson of Sandersville, are the parents of three children: Maya Isabella, 8; Ella Sophia, 6; and Luca Anthony, 2.
“I think of Mississippi as my home. Mississippi was the first place I came in the United States and, obviously, a Southern Belle caught my eye, so Mississippi is where I have stayed,” Diaz said.
He will begin his job in Vicksburg on April 1.