Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Foundation Appoint President and CEO

The Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Foundation announced today that Jon Maynard, Executive Vice President of the Oxford-Lafayette County Economic Development Foundation, will succeed Mr. Max D. Hipp as the new president and CEO on January 1, 2014. Hipp announced his retirement to the boards of directors of the organizations in September. Hipp has been in this role for nearly twenty-five years. Maynard came to Oxford in December to serve as the organization’s Executive Vice President.

In the ten months that Maynard has been with the organization, he has had the opportunity to work economic development projects, interact directly with boards, businesses and local governing bodies and develop regional relationships with the economic development community. “I feel very welcomed by the community” said Maynard. “Having been asked to carry on a successful legacy left by Max is an overwhelming honor. I have known Max for many years, and he has done a tremendous job of growing our community in a positive way.”

When asked about his plans for the future, Maynard had this to say, “Everything that this organization, Chamber and EDF, does depends on strong relationships and the ability to locate and tap into larger resources. For the future, I plan to build on the strong relationships that our boards and staff have cultivated, as well as bring more of our community resources together for even more synergy. The success we are experiencing today is a result of the work done by this organization over the past twenty to thirty years”

“We have a fantastic opportunity to rally our business community, city government, county government and our University administration to work cohesively to prepare all of us for the next generation. Every decision made by these entities has an implication for the others. As we strive to grow Oxford and Lafayette County in a thoughtful manner, making strategic decisions becomes more crucial to everyone involved,” Maynard added.

Randy Leister, Chairman of the EDF, had this to say about the transition of leadership “Max has served this community extremely well in his twenty-five years at the helm. Jon has a passion for Oxford and Lafayette County, just as Max does, and the perfect background in economic development to provide the type of leadership we need with the projected growth for our community. I believe we have found the right replacement for Max, and the appropriate individual to lead this organization into the next decade.”

Jordan Bankhead, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, agreed with the words expressed by Leister, and had this to add, “Jon has really moved the ball forward since he arrived almost a year ago. Our efforts to cultivate small businesses and the entrepreneurial spirit in Oxford has never been better. Jon understands that we need to attract new business to our area, but in order to be sustainable, we have to build business from within. I think he will be very effective as our new CEO.”

Maynard is originally from Natchitoches, Louisiana. He has a wife of 21 years, Cherie, and two children, Connor who is 17 and Holly who is 16. He is a graduate of Northwestern State University of Louisiana and the Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma.

For additional information please contact the Offices of the Economic Development Foundation, at 662-234-4651 or email info@oxfordms.com