NATCHEZ &045; Michael Ferdinand resigned Friday as executive director of the Economic Development Authority, the lead agency in charge of marketing Natchez and Adams County to industrial prospects.

Ferdinand, who wouldn’t elaborate on the reason for his decision, said he will stay with the city- and county-funded agency through the end of the month to tie up loose ends. Woody Allen, EDA’s board chairman, said the board had not yet formed a strategy or timetable for filling the position.

The submission of Ferdinand’s resignation to Allen Friday followed a Wednesday executive session with Ferdinand and the board. In that session, &uot;we discussed where (the EDA is) and what our future looks like, Š that maybe it was time for a change, and maybe it was in (Ferdinand’s) best interest to make that change,&uot; Allen said.

Both Allen and newly appointed EDA board member Vidal Davis said the board didn’t fire Ferdinand, who was hired in August 2001, or ask him point-blank to resign.

&uot;I compare it to a (sports) team Š in that when you don’t come through with some significant successes, you’ve got to look at a change,&uot; Allen said.

&uot;When a team isn’t winning, you’ve got to replace the coach, and we haven’t been immensely successful&uot; in recruiting industries during Ferdinand’s time at the EDA, Davis said.

Allen hastened to note that many of the area’s economic woes &045; such as the closings of International Paper and Johns Manville plants &045; weren’t Ferdinand’s fault.

And Allen said he does not expect Ferdinand’s resignation to affect talks with any current industrial prospects or talks with IP about the possibility of buying its former Natchez mill property for use as an industrial park site.

County supervisors President Darryl Grennell said supervisors were &uot;dumbfounded&uot; to hear in their Friday executive session about Ferdinand’s resignation.

&uot;I’m extremely disturbed by this &045; we had no idea,&uot; Grennell said, adding that he has tentatively set a meeting for June 29 to discuss with the EDA board the resignation and the EDA’s future.

Natchez Mayor Phillip West could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon. Alderman and Mayor Pro Tem David Massey said the important thing is to find the best replacement as soon as possible. &uot;I hope (the EDA board) starts the search right away,&uot; Massey said. &uot;And with the enthusiasm they’ve got on this board now, maybe some good things will happen (for the area.)&uot;

Some aldermen have expressed concerns about what they believe is a lack of aggressive marketing of the city to businesses and developers.

Prior to his arrival at the EDA, Ferdinand had worked in business recruitment since 1993 with the Mississippi Development Authority.

Before that, he served as president of Southaven’s Sof-Tec Inc., which provided support for industrial park development.