Chamber Director's Blog

Our Best Days are just beyond the Mayan End of Days

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only." ~ Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

 

Okay, Okay, I am sure you are wondering what the heck the Mayan End of Days has to do with community & economic development and the growth of Jones County. Bear with me.

As you have no doubt seen in previous writing I have a strange way of looking at things but I do have a point.

As we have recently graduated sixty participants from our three leadership programs (C.L.A.S.S., Leadership Jones County and Future Leaders of Jones County), I have been thinking a lot about how leaders take on tasks and what it is that prepares them for their destiny. I have been going over last year's leadership programs and evaluations looking for changes that need to be made to make an even bigger impact with next year's class. (From the success of this year's participants, that will be a lofty goal, but I think we can accomplish it!)

In a somewhat purging my mind of the leadership program and trying to transition from the "doing" of the program to the "planning" of the program I decided I would take some "me time" and catch up on the recorded programming I have on my DVR.

Unfortunately with an almost three year old at the house, Rebekah and I don't get TV privileges until after 8 pm. By that time of the night I don't even feel like watching TV as I am still trying to get the theme songs from the Mickey Mouse Club House, Dora the Explorer, Veggie Tales, Wonder Pets and other shows out of my head so that I can actually sleep at night.

Interject the DVR. (What I consider to be one of the greatest inventions of our time.) I can record several shows I want to watch and wait days or weeks to actually watch them.

As I scrolled through my DVR listings (after all of Ethan's prerecorded cartoons) I got to my list... a History Channel Special on the Mayan End of Days, a National Geographic show called Doomsday Preppers, a Discovery Channel rerun called Doomsday Bunkers and the movie 2012 with John Cusack. (I had a couple of other "happier" sitcoms too... but those don't fit the story.)

As I looked at my list of shows that I had recorded I was somewhat depressed by their morbid nature. But then it hit me as I saw the relationship between the shows and what we are doing to prepare the next generation of leaders in our county.

One of the things I think drives leaders is the execution of preparation and character in times of uncertainty.

I certainly don't hope the worst for anyone in our community, but I do think preparation is key in our survival, business decision, daily activity, and basis of our growth.

I have a guilty pleasure in watching many of the "history" specials about the "End of Days" and the thought that aliens helped our ancient ancestors "predict" the future and when the world will end. I also enjoy watching the "prepping" shows, but I think that feeds my OCD addiction of gadgets, organization and being prepared.

I don't know what will happen, I don't think anyone does. I don't think we are supposed to know. But I do like to plan ahead and get my mind right to make sure that if the world ends tomorrow or if I get hit by a bus, my family is taken care of and prepared to pick up the flag and march forward. (Fortunately we have very few buses in Jones County so my odds are pretty good.)

I am not necessarily an advocate of planning for the end of days, a zombie apocalypse, or the collapse of the world economy, but I will tell you, in watching some of these shows, I began to look at my "72 hr emergency kit/ hurricane kit" that I had on the coast. I had let it dwindle down to two packages of ramen noodles and a bottle of water. I don't think that will get our family of three very far in an emergency. After about two months of consciously planning and storing up, I should be okay with my supplies if we have another Katrina-like event.

All of us still remember what Katrina did to our State and our home. We can't sit on the sidelines and say "it won't happen to me". As we head into the hurricane season, I encourage you to look at your supplies and stock up BEFORE you need them. It is always better to have supplies and not need them than to need them and not have them.

Be the leader your family needs. Be the leader our community needs. Follow the motto of the Boy Scouts of America: "Be Prepared"... (and be safe.)

by Larkin Simpson

Member Spotlight: South Central Regional Medical Center

We have a great community. Our community wouldn't be what it is without the leadership we have. We have great business, civic, religious, public and just personal leaders. Thank you to the leadership of our community.

One of the common threads among our community's leadership is involvement; involvement and investment in the positive growth of our community and of our county. At the EDA and chamber, we try to encourage and promote that growth through events, functions and professional development opportunities for our members. In addition to the events we hold throughout the year, the community does an excellent job offering opportunities for community involvement and business connections.

We have had some great "happenings" through the winter season; Loblolly, Rotary Fest, Sertoma Christmas Parade, Kiwanis Pancake Day and the recent first annual Magnolia State Bank and Laurel Main Street Chilli Cook Off, just to name a few.  With the weather forecasts getting better and better, I am looking forward to some great outdoor and spring/summer events coming up.

One event I hope you will plan to attend is the 4th Annual Art of Healing Auction & Exhibition set for Saturday, March 24thfrom 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm, at the Sanderson Farms' Corporate Office. The proceeds from the event will go to the South Central Health Care Foundation to help cover the cost of community health screenings, community health education programs and other community health initiatives. Lives have been saved as a result of these efforts.

This fund raising event offers everyone in our community who has been touched by an illness the chance to experience healing through art. Over 200 pieces of artwork have been donated for the 2012 event and will be included in the auction. Artwork includes acrylic and watercolor paintings, pottery, hand-made jewelry, wood work, photography, and more.

Those attending the Art of Healing Auction and Exhibition will enjoy looking over the collection of art as they listen to music performed by James Ducker. A wonderful array of food will be provided and the event will conclude with a live auction.

In addition to hosting world class events for such a worthy causes, South Central Regional Medical Center has been a great asset to our community since 1952. Employing over 1800 people in our community and boasting a portfolio of 12 clinics, 2 nursing homes and a state of the art hospital facility, SCRMC offers a comprehensive range of treatments and wellness programs. Their highly skilled healthcare professionals work with cutting-edge technologies and offer the most modern diagnostic and treatment options available right here in Jones County. With many programs having achieved special accreditations and recognitions, at South Central Regional Medical Center, their commitment is to helping you and your family enjoy optimum health through every stage of life.

I can't attest for every stage of life, but I can testify to what a great healthcare provider they have been for my family, with as many visits to the urgent care clinics as we have had with our two year old.

With as much attention to detail and care South Central shows in their patient care, they show the same spirit in their community involvement. SCRMC has been a great partner of the EDA and Chamber for many years. Through mutual efforts we work in tandem to enhance the quality of life and support given to our membership as well as all Jones County residents. I truly appreciate our partnership with SCRMC and I hope you appreciate their leadership in our community.

Tickets for Art of Healing are $30 per person and can be purchased at the South Central Regional Medical Center Gift Shop or the Art of Healing Center at South Central Place. The cost of the event is covered by ticket sells and from contributions made by the businesses sponsoring the Art of Healing allowing all of the proceeds to go directly to the South Central Health Care Foundation.

For more information about ticket purchases or the Art of Healing event, please contact Brook Jones at (601) 399-0519 or by email at brook.jones@scrmc.com.

The Choices We Make

They say it is easier to ask forgiveness than it is to ask permission. With that in mind I will go ahead and ask you to forgive me for my rant, but encourage you to continue reading as I do have a point. Last week I was able to experience something I truly enjoy. I was invited by Carolyn Stone with AEE (Association for Excellence in Education) to assist with promoting the Mississippi Economic Council's Mississippi Scholars Program to eighth graders in the area.

I really enjoy interacting with our young people. They are very energetic. Young people have a fantastic way of doing the reverse of "not seeing the forest for the trees". Instead of being tied down with details, politics, procedures, paper work, etc., they set a goal, work to achieve it and let the details work out. We can't always do that as business professionals, so it is very refreshing to interact with young people and get that perspective on things from time to time.

The main focus of the Mississippi Scholars program is to help students realize the choices they make in the ninth grade and going forward will have a prolonged effect on their future and success in business and as individuals. The basic requirements of the program are 4 credits in English/ Language Arts, 4 credits in Math, 4 credits in Science, 4 credits in Social Studies, 1 credit in Art, 2 Foreign Language credits, 40 hours community or volunteer service hours (over 4 years), a 16 or higher ACT, 2.5 cumulative GPA, 3 letters of recommendation, 95% school attendance and no out of school suspension.

Many of the requirements to become a Mississippi Scholar are very much like what the students are currently (or will be) enrolled in for the next four years. I think I completed most of these things when I graduated, and I can guarantee I was no scholar!

What I tried to relay to the students I spoke with both at Laurel Middle School and at Northeast Jones Middle school was that we all make choices in our lives, some good, and some bad. But by making a positive choice now, as they enter the ninth grade, even if they didn't go to a four year college or a two year technical program, just by showing the initiative to work hard in high school and be committed to a more rigorous academic schedule, a few small changes in classes over the next year will set them up for success. They don't have to give up sports, their friends or any extracurricular activities. They just need to make that positive step and say "yes, my future is important to me and I want to become a Mississippi Scholar to prove it!"

I have to tell you that I am very energized from the experience I had with the eighth graders. We have some great educators and role models working with our young people. The students were well behaved, did not interrupt the presentation, and were engaged and listening to what we said. I appreciate them and their teachers for all they are doing to make a positive impact in their future. I can tell you when I was in high school I was not as attentive and engaged as these students are.

In Jones County we have a lot to be proud of with our educational systems. From pre-school to secondary to technical programs and specialized skills training, we have a lot to offer in Jones County. We have some work to do to make things better but I think we are on the right track. I encourage you to be as involved as you can be with your own kids, their friends, the kids in your church youth groups and neighborhood kids. Let's help the next generation of workforce get on the right track early because they will be the ones in a few years who will be filling the jobs here and we want to continue to let Jones County and Mississippi lead the way to a bright and successful future!

For more information on Mississippi Scholars, visit the MEC website.

Funny Things Kids Say

"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth."
- Billy - age 4

"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other."
- Karl - age 5

"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs."
- Chrissy - age 6

"You really shouldn't say 'I Love You' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget."
- Jessica - age 8

Continue reading: Funny Things Kids Say To Define "Love"

Several of these sayings were shared with me recently from the pulpit of my church. While Mike (my pastor) used these whimsical illustrations to show us what John was trying to teach us about God's love for us in 1 John, these sayings stuck with me and became the basis of my thought for the remainder of the weekend.

As a young boy standing about four foot nothing, I couldn't wait to get out of school and be dropped of at my Mother's frame shop in the small Delta town of Cleveland. The last place most kids wanted to be was under the watchful eye of their parents. Not me. It wasn't until I pushed open that solid wooden door with the leaded glass insert and the three brass bells that made the distinctive music in my ears (that I can still hear to this day). That magical melody was music to my ears.

Momma was a hard worker. "The backbone of America", some would say. I didn't know what it meant then as I do now, but momma was a small business owner. And she was good at it. People would come from miles around to see her work, her art and to have her do their framing. She made a decent living and she always made sure she set a little aside for my sister and me.

Each day when I was dropped off after school I would rush to the cash register and there under the left corner was three or four dollars that she had set aside for me. It was my "play money". More likely it was her way of keeping me out of trouble because she knew what I was going to do with it.

Just around the corner from my mother's store in downtown Cleveland was a "world treasure" or at least it was in my eyes. I don't even recall the actual name of the store (located in the Cleveland Flower and Commissary) but it was always to me and will always be in my mind, "Mrs. Vicki's Candy Store". It was filled with the most decadent chocolates, sweetest gummy worms and my favorite (that I loved as a boy and have never seen since), gummy rats. My sister hated the idea of a gummy rat, so of course I loved it!

Each day Mrs. Vicki (Fioranelli) would set aside some of the new stock and let me sample the new items. She would always talk to me about school, my family (she grew up in Rosedale with my parents) and all the wonderful things going on in Cleveland. The time I spent at my mother's store and in Mrs. Vicki's truly shaped my love for small towns and thriving downtowns.

It wasn't until some years later that Mrs. Vicki revealed to me a "family secret". One day as I was browsing through the store, Mrs. Vicki said to me, "You know Larkin, your daddy and I used to date in high school". That was the most jaw-dropping news I had ever heard. Inquisitively I responded, "you mean all this could have been mine?!"

I suppose it is true that "Kids say the darndest things". I often like to retell this story and think about those days for my mother as a small business owner. Our small town, downtown business owners truly are the backbone of the economy. They may not always get the recognition and press coverage they deserve, but they are working hard to provide valuable services to our communities. Several times throughout the year we try to put an emphasis on "Shopping Locally". Those usually revolve around "major" holidays. I would encourage you to make an effort as you think about your kids, loved ones and others during this Valentine's Day that you make an effort to shop locally. To truly think about where your dollars are being spent and how your investment into a local small business truly is an investment into the future of our community.

I would also encourage you to talk to your children about the importance of our small town local businesses. Just as my family did with me when I was young, I did not realize it at the time, but a lot of what I experienced with and from my parents truly has shaped the things I love today and the things I want to invest in and see continue. Many of you are focused on the growth and re-development of our downtowns. It's not going to happen overnight. It is just as important for us to be involved as adults as it is to have our kids involved. I hope that together we can all see Jones County grow and prosper for many years to come!

-          Just a small note on what a small world it is, our own Lauren Rogers Museum of Art Director, George Bassi and Mrs. Vicki Fioranelli are cousins. I am sure another topic of newsletter discussion will be that they say we have "six degrees of separation" in the South I think it is probably more like three!

Have a good week everyone. Shop Locally and Happy Valentine's day!

Leaders Who Care Overcome Their Fears

Happy New Year! I hope 2012 has greeted you with a refreshed and invigorated spirit for the New Year. I wish you all the best for a spectacular and prosperous new year! I apologize for not getting a newsletter out before now but perhaps that is a good thing. We've been busy at the Chamber in these first few weeks of 2012 and perhaps if you haven't noticed not getting these eNewsletters that means your business is very busy too and that's a good thing for your bottom line and our local economy!

I have to go ahead and warn you to get out a box of tissues. The video above is somewhat of a tear jerker but the message is something I have been thinking a great deal about. I love the holidays because it usually gives me a lot of time to think. One thing I have kept coming back to in my thinking over the break is Passion, Excitement, Caring and Commitment. All of these are adjectives we would want most people to say about us as individuals but what do they say about the "personality" of your business? When people think of your business or your brand, do adjectives like these come to mind (or are they using other adjectives in their place)?
We've heard it over and over that the "attitude" of the business is in the people. I think that is absolutely true. Everyone your customers come in contact with from the receptionist to the CEO themselves directs the attitude of the company. And those at the top usually dictate the attitude of those underneath and specifically those who are the first face of the company. How are you directing that attitude? Are you directing it in the manner in which you want the customer to view the company? Are you leading with Passion and Courage?

I have a very unique position in the community because I get to interact with all walks of businesses and community leaders from start-ups and family owned and operated two man shops to world leaders in their fields. It is interesting seeing the leadership capabilities and styles of each individual as they chart the course of their company's fate and how they go about obtaining their dreams. I can guarantee you that just like the big sister in the video, these leaders have been afraid, they weren't sure what to do at times but they knew what was right, they knew they had to protect the future of their business and so through some tears and many prayers they too made it through dark times. As it says in the video, being courageous doesn't mean you aren't afraid; it just means you care more about something else than what you fear.

I hope you won't have to endure many dark times in your journey. We all go through them, but how we overcome them is what builds our character and sets the attitude and direction of our forward motions. Whatever you do in 2012, I hope you do it with passion. I hope that it is exciting for you and your company as well as for Jones County, and I hope that through a caring spirit you will be committed to making this one of your best year's yet! I am looking for great things to happen in Mississippi and in Jones County in 2012. I hope you are along for the ride because it's gonna be fun!

If you would like to see more videos like this:
Visit Teamwork and Leadership Website

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