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The past week has been a blur! In fact, so many things have been happening that is has been hard to keep up… but then again, it’s been like this ever since I took the job as your Mayor in July of 2020. Natchez is on a roll! And we are truly blessed.

Easter has always been a time of rebirth and renewal, a time to reflect on our blessings, and a time to look forward to all the good things that God has in store for us. As the oldest and most beautiful city on the highest bluff of the most majestic river on the planet, we should never take Natchez for granted. And every day, I meet people from all over who are amazed at what we have here.

One of the many things that took place in Natchez this week was the 2022 Spring Summit Meeting for the Mississippi Tourism Association. Almost 200 tourism leaders from all over the state descended upon the Bluff City, a record attendance for the MTA! To a person, these conference-goers all fell in love with Natchez. It was tough saying goodbye to them, and I have a feeling we will see many of them again soon.

Included in the attendance was a record number of legislators, 15 State Senators and Representatives, and with the help of Natchez Transit, I had the pleasure of taking them on a guided tour of Natchez. What a joy it was sharing the story of the Natchez Renewal, how we are having record growth, record home sales, record job creation, and record sales tax collection, all while seeing our community come together is so many wonderful ways. We talked about unity, community and opportunity. And we discussed how we are now celebrating our history while working to tell the “whole story” so that all aspects of the Natchez story are included.

One of the common things said was, “people in Natchez are so happy, so friendly – and so hospitable.” All I could say is, “that’s Natchez for you.” We truly are blessed to have people putting their best welcome forward – from every restaurant to every gift shop, from every hotel to every B&B, and all other businesses in between. Along with our tour companies, carriage rides, Hop On tour busses, and special event venues, these tourism partners all deliver a heaping helping of Mississippi Hospitality in a way no one else can – and the Natchez flavor is truly the best!

One of the greatest things about being Mayor of Natchez is being able to represent a city that thrives on positivity. While other parts of the country seem to be wrapped up in controversy and division, we truly are enjoying a beautiful life here. Perhaps that’s why so many people are now wanting to move in. And with everything happening, and about to happen, we can only expect it to get even better!

Count your blessings Natchez. And get ready for more to come. Because Natchez Deserves More!

Dan Gibson is mayor of Natchez.