Economic development and the creation of jobs is something we all want for Vicksburg and Warren County.

It is the life-blood of our community.

We are fortunate to live in a community with leaders who have vision and are aware there are people in need.

And I’m not talking about elected leaders, but community minded people like Don Brown, who I had the pleasure this past week of getting to know better.

I’ve known of Don since moving to Vicksburg, simply because I’ve heard so many talk about what a great guy he is for this community, but had not had the pleasure of getting to know him.

He invited me to have lunch during an organizational meeting with folks involved in the upcoming Vicksburg Job Fair. This group is the backbone of the annual free event that brings businesses and job seekers in the area together. Don has been involved with the job fair for years and it didn’t take me long to figure out his heart is definitely in bettering his community. He has a passion and enthusiasm for helping people, and apparently had a major impact on the community, but is quick to deflect praise.

To me, that’s a real community leader.

It’s also evident the annual job fair is something Don and his committee are determined to use as source of bettering the lives of people in our area.

Working with Adam Todd, state director of the Governor’s Job Fair Network, the committee includes Lois Vinson of the Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce, and Tim Crudup and Nathaniel Williams with the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. Their goal is to connect employers and job seekers.

The impact has been tremendous over the years. Traditionally, there are at least 50 business vendors who participate and up to 1,000 attendees. Last year, nearly 200 people were offered a job during the fair. That’s a pretty good ratio for those who showed up looking for immediate employment and it was projected that more than 350 were hired as a result of the job fair.

If you’re interested in the Governor’s Job Fair, show up Aug. 7 between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the Vicksburg Convention Center.

Unemployment in our area may be at its lowest level in years, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t people looking for a job or searching for a better paying job and it’s pleasing to know there are community leaders eager to help those individuals.

Rob Sigler is editor of The Vicksburg Post. You may reach him at Rob.Sigler@VicksburgPost.com.