We, the Natchez Bed and Breakfast Association just received a very powerful thank you letter from the Mississippi National Guard and I was wondering if we could post it in the paper? This is what the association is all about and why new B&Bs want to become a member.

Thank you.

Jackie Wild, president

Natchez Bed and Breakfast Association

Dear Jackie:

I wanted to express my sincere appreciation for all the help that you personally and the Natchez Bed and Breakfast Association did to ensure the success of our annual conference in Natchez. On our first visit to Natchez in December 2017, Helena St. Clair from the Convention Center and Jo Ann Brumfield at the Grand Hotel both suggested that I contact you for help in securing the large number of Bed and Breakfast rooms we knew we would need.

When I called you, I explained that we had reserved over 350 hotel rooms in Natchez, but had a lot of Association members interested in staying in B&Bs and that due to our conference size (750-900) folks, we knew we were going to need quite a few Bed & Breakfast rooms. Honestly, I was overwhelmed at your response to the point that I told our executive director that you took our problem and made it yours. You provided me a list of all B&B Association members, their contact name and number and told me that you would contact them and tell them about the conference and that I would be calling them. Each subsequent B&B I called said you had told them about the conference and would be happy to host our members in their home. We ended up using 37 B&B rooms at 15 different homes.

You not only solved our rooming issues but also were a great resource for me in solving issues about venue locations, caterers, closing streets for our band and 5K run, city involvement and any other question I had about Natchez. You were a great “fountain of knowledge” about Natchez and readily made many phone calls on my behalf to solve issues and solicit door prizes for our spouse events.

Our conference was a tremendous success, which would not have been possible without your help and the help of all your Bed & Breakfast Association members.

Sincerely,

William J. Crisler Jr.

Maj. Gen. (Retired)

Deputy Director

National Guard Association of Mississippi

Annual Conference April 2019