NATCHEZ &045;&045; Vidal Davis is ready to join the EDA board &045;&045; even though he knows that, in some ways, he’s joining a team that doesn’t get a lot of respect.

Davis was approved Friday as the newest member of the Natchez-Adams County Economic Development Authority board, replacing Bobby Duncan, who resigned for personal reasons.

&uot;It’s what I like to do, what I feel like I’m best at,&uot; Davis said of the economic development position. &uot;I feel I have something to lend as far as a business perspective.&uot;

EDA board members serve on a volunteer basis. Supervisors interviewed five other candidates on Friday morning before choosing Davis by secret ballot, supervisors President Darryl Grennell said.

&uot;It was a difficult task for the board,&uot; Grennell said. &uot;All of the individuals who were nominees were extremely qualified.&uot;

Davis is in the timber business and is a commercial real estate broker.

He is a former Natchez alderman.

&uot;We know he will do an excellent job for Natchez and Adams County,&uot; Grennell said.

Davis said he looks forward to helping change the perception of the EDA board in the public.

&uot;The reason people have that perception is that we’ve had an outmigration of jobs,&uot; Davis said. &uot;It’s not necessarily the fault of the EDA. But people don’t want to hear anything other than results.&uot;

Davis said he is a &uot;results-oriented&uot; person.’

&uot;I’m wiling to take a chance and try to get something going in the right direction,&uot; he said.

For the past five years, the EDA board has been made up of five members &045;&045; a third of its original size.

&uot;A five-man board is small enough to be workable,&uot; Davis said. &uot;The 15-member board was too much.&uot;

On Thursday, supervisors reappointed Alcorn State University business professor Leon Crawford to the EDA board.

&uot;He’s been tenacious&uot; in his work on the board, Grennell said.