The Mississippi Main Street Association (MMSA) has been recognized as a Top Mississippi Non-Profit in 2021 by the Mississippi Business Journal.
The MMSA staff and board members received the award at the Mississippi Business Journal’s Fourth Annual Breakfast for Non-profits on Thursday, Dec. 16 at the Old Capitol Inn in Jackson.
“We here at the Mississippi Business Journal recognize that many of the people who work in non-profits are all too often ‘unsung heroes’ in our communities, people who devote their lives to helping others, and who are tireless in their dedication to the needs of so many Mississippians,” said Tami Jones, Publisher of the Mississippi Business Journal.
“It was our honor to recognize a great group of Mississippi’s non-profit agencies and associations at a special breakfast at the Old Capitol Inn in Jackson.”
MMSA was one of 23 non-profit organizations in Mississippi that were nominated and recognized in 2021 for exceptional work in their respective fields.
“MMSA is Mississippi’s most successful preservation-based community development organization,” said Thomas Gregory, MMSA State Coordinator. “MMSA employs the time-tested Main Street Approach through its more than 50 local Main Street programs in Mississippi. Ranging in population from 1,000 residents to more than 70,000 residents, Main Street communities vary in size and resource capacity, but the Main Street Approach has successfully guided downtown revitalization efforts in Mississippi for over 37 years.”
The services MMSA provides to local Main Street programs include trainings, community services, partner collaboration, advocacy, and sustainable program growth. Designated Communities, the highest tier of membership, receive ongoing consultation, community visits, and community development grants from the MMSA staff.
MMSA has catalyzed more than 6,300 net new businesses, nearly 40,000 net new jobs, and more than $5.85 billion in public and private investment in Mississippi’s downtowns, all since these economic impacts began to be quantified in 2005.
Today, MMSA is headquartered in downtown Jackson, with four staff members based in communities across the state providing education, support, and community services to more than 50 Main Street communities in Mississippi.
