VCVB forms panels, sets rules for visitors|[9/29/06]
Published 12:00 am Friday, September 29, 2006
Members of the Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau board, many of them new in their roles, affirmed a structure for their monthly meetings Thursday that forms committees and moves visitors to the tail end of the agenda.
One visitor was former board member Bobbie Bingham Morrow, saying she represented the African-American Heritage Council.
Morrow spoke about a move to revamp the African-American Heritage brochure. She said more historical information, as well as driving tours are in the works for the brochure. She also asked for members of the community to come forward with any history or photographs depicting the history of African-American life in Vicksburg.
She served as a City of Vicksburg appointee for the past four years, but was not reappointed this summer. District 2 Supervisor William Banks then named her his choice to serve as a Warren County appointee to serve the balance of the term of Bobby Doyle, who resigned.
Other supervisors did not ratify that appointment, however, and a decision is pending on whether the appointment is Banks’ alone or a board majority is required.
Earlier this month, Morrow told supervisors she intended to attend the VCVB meeting as a board member, but did not.
Vicksburg has five appointments and Warren County has the same to the volunteer board that was created to spend the 1 percent tourism tax collected countywide on tourism development. One appointee is named by both boards and that appointee, Nelda Sampey, was chosen chairman by the others after she was tapped in May.
At Thursday’s meeting, she called for board meetings to undergo changes “to clarify any inconsistencies we’ve had in any past meetings.”
Sampey said the board will continue to welcome guests from the community and tourism industry, but will allot time for them to address the board after executive session, which comes at the end of each monthly meeting.
Those who wish to speak will be added to the agenda if Compass personnel is notified 48 hours before the regularly scheduled meeting. Meetings are usually held every fourth Thursday of each month.
Compass of Vicksburg was chosen in March as the contract manager for VCVB operations after a series of split votes starting last October. The company is also the contract manager hired by the City of Vicksburg to operate the Vicksburg Convention Center and Vicksburg Auditorium.
In addition to the meeting structure, board members unanimously approved Sampey’s plan to form committees made up of board members, VCVB staff and Compass employees.
They will be: