VCVB chairman steps down, names successor

Published 6:00 pm Wednesday, June 25, 2025

: Pictured are, from left, Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Laura Beth Strickland, incoming VCVB Board of Directors Chairman Dr. Christopher Barnett and outgoing Chairman Johnny Reynolds. (Terri Cowart Frazier/The Vicksburg Post)

The Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau (VCVB) Board of Directors has elected a new chairman, Dr. Christopher Barnett.

Barnett will take over the position after Johnny Lee Reynolds announced on Tuesday during a combined June-July board meeting that he would be stepping down, not only as chairman, but also from his position on the board.

“My time is up August 28, so I am stepping down as chairman of the board as of August 6, 2025,” Reynolds said.

Reynolds, who has served on the VCVB board for eight years – with four of those years served as chairman – nominated Barnett, which was seconded by VCVB board member Bess Averett. The vote was unanimous, and Barnett accepted the position.

“There is no time like the present,” Barnett said, in accepting the chairmanship.

VCVB Executive Director Laura Beth Strickland said elections for board positions are held in January, at which time Barnett could be re-elected.

Reynolds followed up by saying he has enjoyed his time on the VCVB board.

“I appreciate all of y’all and have enjoyed all these years,” he said. “It was fun and I dearly loved everything. It was awesome.”

The responsibility for the operation of the VCVB rests with a board of directors consisting of 11 people, with five appointed by the city, five by the county and one by both city and county. The elected officers are chairperson and secretary.

Reynolds said he was appointed by Vicksburg Ward 2 Alderman Alex Monsour and, with a new administration stepping in at city hall, he wanted to give incoming city officials an opportunity to “make a choice.”

As VCVB board chairman, Strickland said, Barnett will also serve on the board of the Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce.

The VCVB is Vicksburg’s liaison between potential visitors to the area and the businesses which will host them. It acts as a marketing organization and as a promotional agency for the city/county and its attractions.

In other VCVB business:

Sealed bids for financing on the Washington Street property designated to house the VCVB visitor center and offices were opened and, in viewing the bids, the board decided to let the VCVB finance committee look at the proposals before making a final decision.
The board listened to a presentation given by Linda Fondren on the proposed Kuhn Civil Rights Park. The park committee requested that the VCVB help fund the project. Following the presentation, a vote was taken and it was decided the VCVB would give $6,000 toward the park.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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