Built on the Belief that we are Better Together

OUR MISSION

The MidSouth Development District convenes partners, advocates for best practices and secures resources to ACTIVATE REGIONAL INITIATIVES to improve the quality of life for every citizen in the MidSouth.

ORGANIZATION AND MEMBERSHIP

Our members are the six counties and 39 municipalities that make up the MidSouth region. We work across three states: Fayette, Lauderdale, Shelby and Tipton counties in Tennessee; DeSoto County in Mississippi; and Crittenden County in Arkansas.

  • “International and national competition has created the stark reality that we can be citizens of a city, but we are all truly residents of a region. To grow, prosper and lessen the wealth divide, we must work collectively and collaboratively as regionalists and not with singular or unilateral interest. To capture the attention of investment capital to our region, we must demonstrate that we can work together with strategic purpose.”

    MIKE PALAZZOLO
    Mayor, Germantown, TN

  • "I believe that the application of synergy to our regional outlook is the key to unlock the opportunities that lie before us."

    BILL RAWLS
    Mayor, Brownsville, TN

  • "One of the biggest things we can accomplish is getting everyone to understand that we need to work as a region. … State lines don’t mean anything when we’re talking about attracting business to the area."

    CHIP JOHNSON
    Mayor, Hernando, MS

What We Do

Both the federal government and the State of Tennessee charge the MidSouth Development District with specific roles and responsibilities. These designations and responsibilities put us at the table across our region to drive, support, and partner on the initiatives, below, and more. We will continue to innovate to solve problems and identify resources across our service area.

  • We serve as a direct applicant for federal grants.

  • We are a Federal Economic Development District, designated by the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA) as the Economic Development District (EDD) for Western Tennessee. EDDs are responsible for creating and maintaining a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS), which serves as a cornerstone of the U.S. EDA’s grant programs, as well as a means to engage community leaders, leverage the private sector, and establish a strategic blueprint for regional collaboration on a wide range of economic development efforts.

  • We are designated by the State of Tennessee as the State Development District for four counties in West Tennessee. Development Districts were created by the Tennessee General Assembly to provide a mechanism for regional cooperation and technical support for planning and economic development initiatives. Today, Development Districts help various state agencies deliver programs and services to local communities within their respective regions.

  • The MidSouth Development District serves as the administrator of the federally mandated Rural Planning Organization (RPO) for the counties of Fayette, Lauderdale and Tipton in accordance with federal regulations and oversight provided by the Tennessee Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, and Federal Transit Administration. The RPO fulfills federal transportation planning requirements to ensure TDOT, local governments, and transit agencies remain eligible for federal transportation grants aimed at improving area roadways and transit systems. Transportation planning in these three counties is particularly important in 2024 as they serve as the link between the City of Memphis and the $10B investment of Ford Motor Company in Stanton, TN (locally referred to as Blue Oval City).

  • The MidSouth Development District staffs the Tourism Destination Management Organization for four counties in Tennessee, which provides tourism marketing support and other promotional activities. We also support tourism agencies across the region, including in Arkansas and Mississippi.

  • The Tennessee Solid Waste Management Act of 1991 created a comprehensive Solid Waste Planning and Management program to assist local governments with the construction and operation of municipal solid waste disposal facilities. It also required local governments (primarily counties) to carry out certain functions. The MidSouth Development District is charged with providing technical assistance to its member communities with funding made available through the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) Materials Management Division. This technical assistance helps ensure our members are able to comply with Tennessee's annual 25 percent waste reduction required by the Solid Waste Management Act.

  • The MidSouth Development District contracts with the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR) in compiling and maintaining an inventory of needed public infrastructure. As a result of the Public Infrastructure Needs Inventory Act of 1996, we assist TACIR with any review or revision of the survey forms or processes to keep it meaningful at the local, regional and state levels. Updates are completed annually.