Newly hired downtown development director Becky White is ready to hit the ground running.
Following a unanimous vote by the Minden City Council, with district C councilman Vincen Bradford absent, White says she is ready to help make her hometown better.
Fayrine Kennon-Gilbert made the motion for her hire and seconded by Benny Gray.
“I’ve lived in the City of Minden all my life, and it’s a wonderful place to live and grow up,” White said. “I just think I can make it better.”
With the Show and Shine Car Show around the corner in September and Main to Main following after that, she will be busy from the onset.
“I’m up to it,” she said. “I’m ready.”
When asked what she wants to see happen for downtown, she says she wants to strengthen it.
“I just want to build on what we have and make it better,” she said. “I think we already have a good foundation. I think everybody’s willing to work together to the same end, and we’re all on the same page. Everybody involved wants what’s best for the city.”
The job will be a challenge right now without a Main Street Board, but she says she’s looking forward to it. Mayor Tommy Davis says now that a director has been hired, they will start the process of appointing a board as soon as possible.
The entire Main Street Board resigned in March citing an unwillingness by Minden’s mayor and city council to change some of the language in the legislation governing its body.
He feels White is a good fit for the job even though her background is not in downtown development or jobs similar. White has an accounting background and has worked as a city court clerk for the last several years.
“The City of Minden is very happy that Becky White was approved by the city council to come on board as the downtown development director,” Davis said. “We have ongoing programs that need to be pushed. We’ll be working soon on the annual (Show and Shine) car show, and after that Main to Main will be the next project.”
Davis feels she comes from a good background but acknowledged that she will need some training of which the city will provide, he said.
“We’ll see that she gets the training that she needs,” he said. “We’ll introduce her to the proper authorities with the Main Street program from the state, and I think she’s ready to hit the ground running and we’re ready for her to.”
The downtown development director’s job is to work strictly with the Main Street program and salary begins around $28,500.
The City of Minden has been without a Downtown Development Director since December 2014 when Davis fired Pattie Odom.
