Lynn Walton presided over the meeting. Freddy Walter provided the opening prayer and Stew Deen led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Lynn led the club in the Four Way Test. The meeting was held at the Holiday Inn in Hattiesburg and via Zoom.
Lynn reminded members that board elections will take place next week. A printed ballot will be available for the election. She also reminded members about the Rotary Foundation and its Endowment Fund. Members are asked to contribute before the end of this fiscal year, which is June 30.
Mark Killingsworth encouraged members to attend this year’s District Conference. It will be held in Biloxi May 19 – 22. A golf tournament is scheduled for Thursday. The food fest will be held on Friday and concurrent sessions will be held on Saturday. The conference will conclude with a banquet Saturday evening. Lynn noted that the conference will be held in Hattiesburg next year. A committee is needed to plan the details.
Mavis Creagh was then installed as our club’s newest member. Mavis is the executive director of R3SM.
A.D. then introduced today’s guest speaker, Tony Ducker, the seventh Mayor of the City of Petal. Mayor Ducker moved to Petal in 1998 and after a short stint in television, he opened an insurance agency. After serving on the Board of Aldermen for twelve years, he ran and was elected as Mayor.
Mayor Ducker noted that Petal is ripe for small business growth in the downtown area. He is meeting with investors later this week who are considering locating in the downtown area. Regional and national stores are venturing into the city, especially with the arrival of the Evelyn Gandy Parkway. Petal was named as America’s safest city in 2021 and the city’s school system is top rated. The current population totals 11,000 residents. The mayor says that city government’s primary responsibility is customer service. Therefore, he is focused on making improvements in those areas. Sixty-seven percent of the city’s budget consists of payroll. Another 17% consists of PERS expenses. Due to federal grants, the city is undertaking a major sewer improvement project. Bids were released in January and construction to the 70-year-old system is expected to begin in July.
There being no further business to come before the club, Lynn thanked Ducker for his presentation and then adjourned the meeting with our motto: “Service Above Self.”
There being no further business to come before the club, Lynn thanked Ducker for his presentation and then adjourned the meeting with our motto: “Service Above Self.”