Head of DeSoto Economic Development Council to be recognized at Northwest Soiree
Northwest Mississippi Community College has announced DeSoto County Economic Development Council President/CEO Jim Flanagan of Hernando as the recipient for the Spirit of Northwest Award.
The Spirit of Northwest Award goes to a person who is an outstanding advocate for Northwest Mississippi Community College and has contributed to the legacy of excellence at the college.
Jim Flanagan
“Jim Flanagan has spent an extraordinary career working for the DeSoto Council, the Economic Development engine of DeSoto County,” said Patti Gordon, Executive Director of Institutional Advancement. “He has played a large role in the growth of new businesses and industries that have come to the county over the last 35 years and has been helpful to Northwest in securing federal funding for our current Ranger Center Building project located in DeSoto County.”
Flanagan previously worked as a landscape design consultant in Clarksdale, as planning director and then executive director of North Delta Planning and Development District. In 1988, he accepted the position of executive director of the DeSoto County Economic Development Council and now serves as its President and CEO.
Flanagan has graduated from numerous leadership programs including Leadership Jackson, the West Star Leadership programs, the Economic Development Institution and Chamber of Commerce Institute of Organizational Management.
An active member of his community both near and far, Flanagan has served on various boards and councils including but not limited to the Mississippi Economic Development Council, the Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto Advisory Board, and the House of Grace Board of Directors.
Flanagan has also been named one of North America’s top 50 Economic Developers by Consultant Connect.
Flanagan will be honored at this year’s Northwest Soiree, the college’s premier fundraising and community recognition event, alongside honorees for additional awards given this year.
The Northwest Soiree is March 2 at the Heindl Center for Performing Arts on the Senatobia Campus.
For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Patti Gordon at 662-560-1103 or email pgordon@northwestms.edu. To reserve tickets, please visit heindlcenter.org.
