Mastry terminated as Landers Center Executive Director

Major changes have been made at the Landers Center in Southaven as top leadership has been replaced.

The DeSoto County Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors (CVB) oversees the operation of the Landers Center, which is owned by DeSoto County, and has since it was built and opened as the DeSoto Civic Center in 2000. 

At a special board meeting Monday night, the board voted to terminate Todd Mastry as executive director. General manager Joel Crews has been named as interim executive director.  

Board chair Amy Lovorn confirmed the move to DeSoto County News Tuesday morning. Lovorn would not give the reason for the termination, saying it was a personnel matter, and also did not confirm a breakdown of the board’s vote on the move.  Lovorn said the board would conduct a “nationwide search” for a replacement.  

The Landers Center is now in the midst of a major renovation and expansion project that will include an expanded convention center. The expansion will be connected to a seven-story, 240-room hotel being built on the site and the project is expected to bring major conventions and their connected-dollars that typically go to cities like Tupelo and the Gulf Coast.

In addition to the Landers Center, Mastry assumed operations of the City of Southaven-owned BankPlus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove in 2023 under an agreement between the City and the CVB. 

In 2008, Mastry first came to the then-named DeSoto Civic Center and in April 2011, he was promoted as the center’s executive director. 

During his time, the Landers Center became home of the Mid-South Fair in 2009, when the fair was looking for a new home away from the traditional location in Memphis. In his role as center executive director, Mastry was in charge of site operations for the fair, held each September in the parking lot and inside the building.  

The NBA G League Memphis Hustle basketball team also call the Landers Center home and play their home games there.