Page 118 - South Mississippi Living - August, 2025

Better Together
How Main Streets and Chambers Build Stronger Communities
story by Lynn Lofton photo by Madeline Romano
Every town in the area has a chamber of commerce and some also have Main Street programs. What’s the difference and do towns need both?
“We get asked that question a lot,” says Laurie Rosetti of Biloxi Main Street. “The confusion is understandable. Main Street focuses wholly on downtown. We want to help businesses’ economic vitality in the downtown area.”
Interim Executive Director of Mississippi Main Street Association Jeannie Waller Zieren concurs. “The primary
goal of Main Street is to catalyze revitalization in Mississippi’s historic downtowns and traditional commercial districts. In two words: Community Transformation,” she says. “Chambers primarily exist to serve their member businesses in the community.”
In Hancock County, Executive Director of the Chamber Tish H. Williams says, “We are a membership organization and our mission is to promote the social, civic and economic well being of Hancock County.”
Williams adds that if Main Streets have memberships, the two could overlap. “Every community is different and has different resources to draw from. I have always believed we should focus on the resources we have, and work together to achieve the goals.”
Zieren says, “Main Street programs manage the change 118 | August 2025
in their downtown districts. There is actual boots-on-the- ground community development work being done. Chambers primarily promote new and existing member businesses in the community.”
Rosetti, who’s been assistant to Kay Miller in Biloxi for 18 years, says both groups have events and projects. For instance, Biloxi Main Street is helping with clean up around the Amtrak station and the Howard Avenue-Hopkins Boulevard First Friday events. “Any time we can bring people downtown, they see the charm and potential.”
“Larger communities could benefit from having both since they do have different missions although Main Streets and chambers should always be aligned as partners,” says Zieren. “We encourage our members to have chamber representation on their local boards so communication remains open and transparent between the organizations.”
In smaller communities such as Ocean Springs it often
makes economic sense for the chamber and Main Street to be combined. “About one third of our members are both chamber and Main Street because the missions do overlap,” Zieren said.
Designated Main Street Communities on the Coast include Picayune, Pass Christian, Gulfport, Biloxi, Ocean Springs, Moss Point, and Pascagoula. Bay Saint Louis and Long Beach are associate members.
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