It's finally here! In case you missed it, in a press conference
held November 1st, the EDA and Chamber of Commerce, in front of a crowd of
approximately 50 business leaders, elected officials, media and friends,
unveiled the redesigned www.jonescounty.com
After months of development, research, design and thought
between Marketing Alliance, Inc., a Jackson, Mississippi based marketing firm,
Immediate EDA Past Chair Marlo Dorsey and Chamber of Commerce Director, Larkin
Simpson, the website was reviled to the public.
So what is the big deal? Why a re-launch? www.jonescounty.com is our window to
the world. It's working 24/7 to promote our community and attract investors,
new residents, visitors and others to our community. In today's technological
world, many people are quick to pull out their smart phones, tablet devices or
laptops and Google you (or Jones County) before they ever talk to anyone who
has been here, lives here or knows the wonderful tradition that is Jones
County. As our current EDA Chairman, Linda Gavin, Vice President of Marketing
& Business Development at South Central Regional Medical Center has said,
"We have a lot to be proud of in Jones County and our new web site
showcases our community very well."
She's right! We do have a lot to be proud of in Jones County. We
have a lot of history intertwined within our community; some good, some bad but
it is that rich history that gives our towns a romantic charm; unique to
anywhere else in the world. In addition to our history, an entrepreneurial
heritage is common to Jones County. Many of our founding fathers (and mothers)
and business leaders today have that "I can do it better and I'm going to
prove it to you" attitude. It's that very same "rebel spirit"
that has garnered national attention for Jones County. And, in addition to
those causing a ruckus, we also are well known for those with a loud voice and
a sweet message such as Leontyne Price; one of many in a long line of artists
to come from Jones County. From the stage to the big screen to the athletic
field and the board room; Jones County has a lot to be proud of and a lot of
alumni we can look to for inspiration.
These are exactly the type of story we need to be telling. Who
knows our history better than those who have lived it and are building on it
every day? My hope is that the website will take on the form of the Jones
County story. Sure it will be a resource for information about our communities
and county as well as house demographic data and site specific statistics for
economic development and business recruitment but in addition to all of that, I
hope the site will be an evolving tool to help visitors understand the rich
history and heritage of this place we all call home. The place that is more
that a dot on a map. A place called Jones County, Mississippi!
We all have stories about our communities, stories of our own
experiences as community members, leaders and neighbors. In many communities,
the same stories are retold over and over because they help us define our
identities - both as individuals and as members of our communities. Stories
help us to learn about our world. I hope our Jones County story will help the
world learn about us. I'd like to leave you with a charge that I hope you will
seriously consider. I want to charge you with telling me your story and your
version of the Jones County story. In addition to that, if you have friends,
family, loved ones or business acquaintances who have moved on from Jones
County but still have a fond place in their memory for home, I'd like to hear
their story.
Hopefully through the tapestry of stories told and pride in our
home and in Jones County, we will all come to believe in the our Jones County
tag line: Jones County, Now this is living!
If you would like to
see more of the Jones County story;
Check us out on
Facebook:
Follow us on Twitter:
or on YouTube:
No comments:
Post a Comment