Vicksburg Main Street Program directors selected Kim Hopkins to take over as interim executive director Tuesday, replacing Rosalie Theobald, who has headed the program for 10 years and has been forced to step down due to health complications.

“While this is a very happy day for us, it is also a very sad day,” said Harry Sharp, president of the downtown promotional group. “Rosalie took over Main Street during a time when downtown was probably in its worse decline ever, and she worked very hard to turn it around. We are all praying for Rosalie, and we hope she can come back in some capacity in the future.”

Hopkins was hired about a year ago to serve as assistant director of the program, funded by city allocations and a tax added to downtown properties. Sharp said when the board hired Hopkins they were looking for a candidate who could eventually be able to head the program.

“We didn’t think it would happen this quickly, but we are confident in her ability to lead Main Street in this interim period,” he said.

Theobald and Hopkins are the only two Main Street staff members, and Sharp said the board will begin searching for an interim assistant to aid Hopkins.

Also Tuesday, the board announced the selection of two new board members who will begin serving in January. The Ware House owner Robert Ware and Lauchlin Fields, director of H.C. Porter Gallery, were elected by business owners in the Main Street taxing district. They will fill positions on the board vacated by Karole Sessums and Nicole Woodrick, both of whom left Vicksburg over the past six months. Fields will serve a three-year term on the board, while Ware will serve for one year.

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Contact Steve Sanoski at ssanoski@vicksburgpost.com.