Howley elected to Main Street board

Mickey Howley of Water Valley has been elected by fellow Main Street managers and members to the Mississippi Main Street Association (MMSA) board of directors. Howley will serve a two-year term as a managers’ representative to the statewide board.

MMSA has traditionally designated two positions on the board for managers’ representatives. Howley replaces Kay Miller of Biloxi Main Street, who has served two terms on the board, and joins Lynn Ryals of Tunica Main Street, who was elected in 2009.

A native of New Orleans, Howley has lived in North Mississippi for 11 years, eight of them in Water Valley. Howley was a founding member of the Water Valley Main Street Association (WVMSA) and is a member of the Water Valley Arts Council. Howley’s career path is well-rounded, suiting him for the diverse tasks of a Main Street manager, and includes being a shrimper, technician, teacher and business manager. He currently owns and manages Bozarts Gallery in a building that he and his wife restored in downtown Water Valley.

Howley is married to Annette Trefzer, professor of English at the University of Mississippi. They are currently in the process of restoring an 1880s building in downtown Water Valley that will include a residential component.

The 2011 board is as follows: president Randy Burchfield, BancorpSouth; immediate past president Chuck Ueltschey, Mississippi Power Company; board president-elect and treasurer Barry  Plunkett, B. Plunkett and Associates; Leland Speed, EastGroup/Parkway Properties; Suzanne  Smith, Renasant Bank; Steve Kelly, Entergy; Bill Andrews, Viking Corporation; H.T. Holmes, Mississippi Department of Archives and History; Hibbett Neel, Neel-Schaffer Engineers; Jim West, College of Architecture, Art and Design at Mississippi State University; Billy Wiseman, Board Member Emeritus; Bill Scruggs, St. Dominic Health Services; Kenneth Ross, Port Gibson Main Street; and, Ryals.

Designated representatives to the board are Ken P’Pool, Mississippi Department of Archives and History, and John Poros, The Carl Small Town Center at Mississippi State University. Ex officio members include Gray Swoope, Joy Foy and Alex Thomas of the Mississippi Development Authority.