Since 2005, Mitch Mays has led economic development in Franklin County. Now, however, Mays has taken on a new endeavor.

The Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Development Authority has hired Mays as its administrator.

As administrator of the waterway authority, Mays will also serve as president of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Development Council, a not-for-profit trade association the authority established in 1985 to represent the myriad interests in the waterway and its potential benefits.

Vice-chairman of the authority Jason Rich said they are pleased to welcome Mitch to the authority. “We have known Mitch for several years and have admired the outstanding work he has accomplished for Franklin County,” Rich said. “Working closely with the members of the authority and those of the council, his talents and experience will help realize the many economic benefits and improved quality of life the Tenn-Tom offers our region and its citizens.”

Prior to serving as the executive director of the Franklin County Development Authority – where a recent notable accomplishment is his efforts to bring Mar-Jac Poultry to Spruce Pine – he was project manager for the Talladega County Economic Development Authority for five years. He is a retired veteran of the U.S. Air Force and the Alabama Air National Guard, where he received numerous citations and awards for his outstanding service to the nation.

His academic background includes degrees from Wesley College in Delaware and William Carey College in Mississippi, as well as professional-related education from the Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma and similar courses at Georgia Tech. He is married to Melissa Mays, who is a nursing school instructor. They have two children.

The Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Development Authority is a congressionally-authorized interstate compact established to promote the development of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. Its members are the states of Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee. The governors, along with five appointees from each of the four states, constitute the governing board of the compact.

Mays will officially begin in his new role soon. See next week’s Franklin County Times for more from Mays on his new opportunity and what’s next for the FCDA.