Chamber President’s Greeting—Fall, 2008
As a life-long resident of Mississippi County, I am thrilled to have been granted the opportunity to serve my community as well as the Osceola-South Mississippi County Chamber of Commerce as its President for the 2009-2010 term. I will make every effort to continue the Chamber's program of partnering with industry, business, government, and the public, to develop strategic growth plans for our area community, and its long-practiced tradition of fine, southern hospitality. Ours is a friendly, open community where you are always assured a warm welcome.
We enjoy a wealth of assets which make our community an ideal site for business and industry - mainline rail, an interstate highway that traverses the county, an 11,000 foot runway, river transportation via a slack-water harbor, and a local hospital system, supported by a progressive city government that provides excellent city services, an involved county government, and a viable economy.
The Chamber takes pride in maintaining our agricultural heritage while building a solid industrial and commercial base for the local economy. In line with that objective, the Buxton Project currently is underway, an effort to recruit new retail entities to the community. Our association with Main Street Osceola to preserve and revitalize our historic downtown commercial district is ongoing. Through an initiative originated by the Chamber, Osceola tax collections have increased allowing repairs and improvements to the I-55 "Welcome to Osceola" billboards to be completed. Additionally, improvements to the landscaping in the area of the signs and the Osceola 1-55 exit are on the drawing board. As part of the Chamber's support of area industries, we host a quarterly Plant Manager's Roundtable and an annual appreciation golf tournament. For small business and individual members, the Qual Choice Health Care Insurance Program has been made available through the Chamber.
As always, jobs are a critical issue for any city, and we have a great opportunity to improve job opportunities through the construction phase of the Plum Point Power Station (a 665 megawatt coal-fired power generator) and, eventually, in the staffing of the station itself. The City of Osceola and the Chamber are cooperating on a "Work, Live, Save in Osceola" initiative to provide incentives that will attract potential employees to the community. In addition, we support an active program of cooperation with Arkansas Northeastern College, whose collaborative arrangement with all Mississippi County school districts and the Department of Workforce Services provides college credits for high school students at no charge to the student, and whose Solutions Group program provides customized curricula to meet specific needs in the local industrial workforce. In all area schools, the Chamber sponsors Arkansas Scholars, student tours of county businesses and industries, and supports efforts to expand and enhance the charter school system.
I would be remiss if I did not mention the Chamber's strong tradition, since its inception in 1947, of member volunteerism. We have 23 board members active in the projects of the Chamber and the work of our community. In Osceola and South Mississippi County, we proudly preserve our heritage while building for the future. Our Chamber welcomes and invites you to become a part of these efforts.
Linda Warhurst, President
Osceola-South Mississippi County Chamber of Commerce
