Natchez’s No. 1 salesman made a good pitch for recruiting more skilled labor into the community Wednesday.

Chandler Russ, executive director of Natchez Inc., told members of the Rotary Club of Natchez that our area has plenty of jobs available, but lacks the skilled workforce needed to fill the available jobs.

Russ pointed to a recent powwow Natchez Inc. had with several local business leaders in which each one suggested their company had job openings, but were struggling to find qualified candidates.

He’s correct, of course, but this is nothing new. It’s a factor of two things we’ve long preached need to be a focus for our community — increasing the quality of life here and improving the education system.

Making the community one in which anyone would like to live is a start. Good, skilled people with a good work ethic are rare in the country. Effectively, they can work anywhere so finding a way to entice them to come to the area — or stay here — by making the community an awesome place to live is critical.

Further, focusing our attention on improving education — as a community — is a rising tide that eventually lifts all boats.

It’s Russ’ job to sell the community, it’s the community’s job to give him something great to sell.

Working together, in lockstep, both can be done and the community can succeed.