“So, even though we are small and in a rural area, we have access to the world right from here, and very easily,” says Councilman, or more colloquially known as Selectman Keith McBrayer. Furthermore, the East Mississippi Community College (EMCC) has one of its larger campuses centrally located within the Golden Triangle, offering accessible educational opportunities. “High school graduates can actually go there through a foundation that covers tuition, so if you graduate from within Clay county, you can attend EMCC for free,” Selectman McBrayer says, noting the effectiveness of this program in fostering local workforce development and providing compelling reasons for younger generations to remain in West Point rather than seeking opportunities elsewhere. ADVANCING THROUGH INNOVATIVE MARKETING, FISCAL PRUDENCE, AND DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES West Point employs a multifaceted approach to promote its offerings and attract investment. “On the industrial development front, we are contracted to an entity called The Link.They handle development for the city of West Point and our neighbors in Columbus,” Mayor Bobo states. This centralized organization, led by Joe Max Higgins, focuses on bulk marketing for industrial growth across the entire Golden Triangle. However, for downtown and retail marketing, West Point leverages its “Growth Alliance,” which functions as the city’s Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the Main Street Association. “So, anything related to downtown and retail, we let them handle the marketing for that,” Mayor Bobo confirms. Additionally, the city, through the Growth Alliance, is a member of the North Mississippi Industrial Development Authority (NMIDA), which assists with 6 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07
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