Staff
Jon Maynard, President and CEO
Jon Maynard, President and CEO
A native of Natchitoches, Louisiana, Jon graduated from Northwestern State university of Louisiana with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.
His business background includes managing the family’s movie theatre business in 1988 while still in college. Jon ran the business for 11 years before selling the small chain in 1999. During this time, he held several positions on industry trade association boards. Next he moved on to marketing and sales for a small printing and office supply business where he worked for 4 years. In 2004, Maynard moved in to mortgage banking as an independent broker in Louisiana. This led to a position as Assistant Vice President at First Federal Bank of Louisiana where he managed two bank branches.
During this time, Mr. Maynard was active in his community, serving on the board of directors and eventually as Chairman for the Natchitoches Area Chamber of Commerce. He also served on the Mayor’s committee for economic development, the Natchitoches Parish School Board finance review committee, and as the director of the Natchitoches Christmas Festival for 4 years.
In 2005, Jon took a vice-president position with the Northwest Louisiana Economic Development Foundation in Shreveport. This position was the operation of a field office in Minden, LA. This unique opportunity allowed for both regional and local economic development from the same office.
In 2008, Jon accepted the position of President and CEO of the GSDP where he manages a team of 7 staff members, and works for a board of highly impactful executives in the Starkville and Oktibbeha County area. Jon also sits on the board of directors for the Mississippi Economic Development Council as well as the Southern Economic Development Council.
Responsibilities
- oversees operations of the Greater Starkville Development Partnership
- manages the Oktibbeha County Economic Development Authority
Jennifer Gregory
Jennifer Gregory, Chief Operating Officer, VP Tourism Development/Main Street Manager
A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Jennifer graduated from Mississippi State University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.
Her professional experience includes being Special Events & Projects Coordinator in the Office of the President at Mississippi State University and the first Welcome Center Coordinator of the Mississippi State University Welcome Center. While in college, Jennifer served as Fundraising Coordinator for Neighborhood Housing Services of Birmingham, Inc. where she created the Community Youth Program for high school students in the Birmingham area.
The combination of Jennifer’s event planning experience and schooling in Marketing has led to a new approach to the tourism program at the GSDP, since joining the organization in May 2009. Working with a team to create successful events like Pumpkinpalooza have provided Starkville with unprecedented notoriety and publicity in print and online media outlets. Because of the growth of the Starkville CVB, the community was chosen in 2010 as a Mississippi Main Street community, and under Jennifer’s leadership, the Starkville Main Street program was formed with a membership of over 80% of downtown businesses.
Jennifer sits on the board of the Friends of the Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum and United Way of Northeast Mississippi and is a graduate of both the Staff Leadership Program at MSU and the Starkville-Oktibbeha County FORUM Leadership Program.
- Manages the Starkville Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Starkville Main Street program
Austin Shafer, VP Membership and Chamber of Commerce
Austin graduated from Mississippi State University with a bachelor’s degree in Communication with an emphasis in Public Relations.
Austin Shafer
Austin’s business career started when he was fourteen, working for a well-known local men’s store, George Sherman Clothiers. Upon graduation from Mississippi State, Austin was named Specialty Brand Manager for Cash Distributing Company in neighboring Columbus, where he worked for 2 years. In 2007, he returned to Starkville as Director of Marketing for Dux D’ Lux Advertising, which was a family business in the community for over 30 years. Austin left Starkville for Houston, Texas, in 2009 to take over as a territory manager for a Mississippi-based furniture manufacturing company for whom he aggressively grew the territory. In 2011, Austin and his growing family returned home, where he accepted the position as Vice President of Membership and Chamber of Commerce.
- Manages the Chamber of Commerce and is the primary membership contact
Administrative Assistant/ |
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| Responsibilities include: provides administrative assistance to entire staff, and provides special assistance to the Starkville Main Street program | Responsibilities include: office management, property management, and bookkeeping |
