The Daily Mississippian – November 6, 2013

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The Daily

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Mississippian

Vol. 102, No. 52

The Student Newspaper of The University Of Mississippi | Serving Ole Miss and Oxford since 1911

New CEO of Chamber of Commerce BY KAYLA CARPENTER krcarpen@go.olemiss.edu

After serving 10 months as vice president of the OxfordLafayette County Economic Development Foundation, Jon Maynard will take over as president and CEO of the Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Foundation on Jan. 1. Maynard will succeed Max Hipp, who announced his retirement in September after 25 years with the chamber. “I feel very welcomed by the community,” Maynard said. “Having been asked to carry on a successful legacy left by Max is an overwhelming honor. I have known Max for many years, and he has done a tremendous job of growing our community in a positive way.” Upon retiring, Hipp reflected on his past 25 years with the chamber and all that it has accomplished. “Our mission or program of work has changed substantially during my years here,” he said. “In the beginning we were lightly staffed and concentrated mostly on organization; with the EDF, we developed a more formal Oxford-Lafayette County Economic Development Foundation, a public-private

partnership.” According to Hipp, the Chamber of Commerce is a membership services organization focused primarily on helping its members advertise, providing them opportunities for networking and developing overall quality of life. The Economic Development Foundation works mainly on longer-term projects that will have a positive effect on the Oxford community. The two goals Hipp set early on were to improve the image of the Chamber of Commerce and to be as effective as possible in positively influencing growth in the community. “By common measures such as community participation in our activities, number of members and the growth in jobs and the tax base, I believe we have been successful in reaching those goals,” Hipp said. In the 10 months Maynard has been with the organization, he has had the opportunity to work on economic development projects, interact directly with boards, businesses and local governing bodies and develop regional relationships with the economic development community. Randy Leister, chairman of the foundation, praised the job Hipp has done during his

time and said the foundation made the right choice for his successor. “Max has served this community extremely well in his 25 years at the helm,” Leister said. “Jon has the experience in economic development and the passion for the community that Max has had all along. We have found the right replacement for Max, and the right individual to lead this organization into the next decade.” When asked about his goals for the future, Maynard said the chamber and foundation hope to bring about change in the areas of organizational growth, employment growth in the community, success in targeted business sectors and success in workforce development. Maynard also has longtime goals, including the development of both small and large businesses. “We require different tools for different jobs,” he said. “The chamber and EDF are excellent at utilizing the tools of the community to get the task accomplished.” Maynard said that while Oxford should be open to new businesses and new styles of business, the city needs to make sure it does not lose sight of what makes Oxford

COURTESY OXFORD-LAFAYETTE COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Jon Maynard

unique. “Oxford and Lafayette County can support growth in retail, small business and large industry equally well,” he said. “As we move forward, the complication will be growing our community without growing away from the charm and tradition that is Oxford. I believe that this is crucial to

our success.” Jordan Bankhead, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, believes Maynard has what it takes to attract new business to the area. “Jon has really moved the ball forward since he arrived almost a year ago. Our efforts See MAYNARD, PAGE 4

Oxford sustains a changing food culture BY CALLIE MCDANIELS dmeditor@gmail.com

AUSTIN MCAFEE | The Daily Mississippian

The Oxford Farmer’s Market on West Jackson Loop on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013.

OPINION: No room for

The Oxford City Market, started last May, was created to combat food insecurity and to promote regional agricultural commerce alongside promoting local artists and musicians. The U.S. Department of Agriculture classifies Oxford as a food desert, meaning lowincome families have little access to groceries, and offered the city a $61,258 grant to create the Market, which is open every Tuesday from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. until Thanksgiving. There are 29 vendors cur-

A Place for Oxford Musicians

rently in operation at the Oxford City Market who accept many forms of payment including EBT benefits. “Oxford is a fairly progressive community with many who support eating healthy and locally,” said Katie Morrison, director of Oxford City Market. Morrison works to coordinate sustainable practices in sourcing produce. “When I receive an application from a local farm, I schedule a day to drive out there and look around to make sure that their crops are fresh and organic,” Morrison said. “We don’t

SPORTS:

Rebels prepare for ‘grind it out’ Arkansas offense

discrimination in the workplace

want anyone driving to Memphis to buy groceries there then selling them here.” Morrison said that many local farmers also ensure that their crops are truly organic through the Certified Naturally Grown program. “The farmers with the CNG status can inspect other farms who apply for the status,” Morrison said. “The CNG status is proof that the crops really are fresh, not advertised as.” The environmental impact of local farmers is positive for Oxonians looking to shrink their carbon footprint and eat See FOOD, PAGE 4

MORE INSIDE Opinion .............................2 News .............................4 Lifestyles .............................5 Sports .............................8 thedmonline . com

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