MEDC Board Member, Thomas Gregory Working Diligently to Support the Future of the Greenwood Community

Thomas Gregory, Executive Director of the Greenwood-Leflore-Carroll Economic Development Foundation (EDF), didn’t set out to become an economic developer. It was his hometown of Greenwood that drew him to economic development, not the other way around.

“I doubt I would have pursued a position like this in any other community,” said Gregory. “But, I am deeply tied to this place, and when the opportunity at the EDF became available, I knew it was the right fit. I applied because the opportunity offered a real chance to help move my hometown forward. That distinction matters to me. I am not doing this work simply because it is a good job. I am doing it because it is my community, and I get to spend my days working on its future.”

He also loves that the job offers endless opportunities for creative problem-solving. No two days look the same, which keeps him on his toes and genuinely excited to get to work. 

“I love Greenwood, so being able to wake up every morning and spend the day working on some of our region’s biggest challenges is a real privilege,” said Gregory, who in January 2024 became the lead Economic Developer for the City of Greenwood, Leflore County and Carroll County, working to recruit new industry, support existing industries, and advance workforce development and entrepreneurship initiatives across the region.

He feels fortunate to have had many mentors throughout his career, and can trace something he still uses every day back to each of them. 

“Phil and Cathy Ellis gave me my first real job during high school at their men’s clothing store here in Greenwood, and they taught me about business, customer service and personal responsibility,” said Gregory. “My dad mentored me in grant writing, which turned out to be one of the most practical skills I have ever picked up. Mayor Carolyn McAdams taught me a great deal about public service over the eight years I worked for her as Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) for the City of Greenwood. As a young planner, I leaned on two seasoned professionals, Shelly Johnstone and Bob Barber, who helped me learn the technical side of the planning profession. And, in my current role at the EDF, I have benefited enormously from Allan Hammons, who has been involved in economic development in this community for decades.”

Hammons said Gregory brings a wealth of experience to the table. Not only does he hold graduate degrees in both Business and City Planning but, in addition to the stint as Greenwood’s CAO, he worked as Executive Director of the Mississippi Main Street Association.

“One of our biggest challenges is keeping homegrown talent in our region,” said Hammons. “I see in Thomas the future of Greenwood and the State of Mississippi. Thomas is very passionate about our community–that’s a BIG plus.”

Hammons has worked with Gregory on several economic development projects. One project required amending the state’s tax code to accommodate an international company. 

“The client was astounded that a small community developer would tackle and accomplish this objective,” said Hammons. 

Former Greenwood Mayor McAdams has known Gregory all of his life.

“Thomas is a very dedicated young man,” said McAdams. “He is extremely professional and his love of church, family and Greenwood is incredible and shows in his everyday decisions to help move Greenwood forward. I have no doubt that he will always do the right thing for Greenwood due to his unwavering wish for Greenwood to be the leading Delta city. Greenwood’s EDF definitely hired the right man for this position.”

“Thomas is an exceptional leader, always taking the initiative to explore different avenues for community engagement and economic development that others might otherwise overlook,” said John Stewart, Vice President\Commercial Relationship Manager, Planters Bank, who currently serves as chair of the EDF and the Industrial Board.  

“His tireless efforts are starting to bear fruit in bringing new and exciting businesses to our community,” said Stewart. “We’re very fortunate to have him and his family in our town.”

Gregory finds the hardest part of the job is the pace. Economic development runs on long timelines, and the projects that matter most often take years to come together. There are stretches where a great deal of work is happening behind the scenes, and there is very little he can share publicly. 

“Learning to be patient with that process, and to trust that the groundwork will pay off, has probably been the biggest adjustment for me,” said Gregory. 

Greenwood has assets that sets it apart, starting with a vibrant historic downtown and a 1000-acre industrial park. 

“From an infrastructure standpoint, we benefit from our proximity to Interstate 55 and our location along two rail lines and three state highways, which gives companies real flexibility in how they move product,” said Gregory. “That said, I believe our greatest asset is our people. Greenwood welcomes newcomers and takes care of its own. We work hard, we play hard, and we genuinely enjoy being part of something together, whether that is a community event, a volunteer project, or one of the many civic organizations that keep this town running. When companies visit, that is what they tend to remember about Greenwood.”

Currently the EDF is undertaking the largest revitalization project downtown since the Alluvian Hotel opened in 2003—the mixed-use redevelopment of the Aven Building, which is expected to be a catalyst for more development downtown. The building will meet the EDF’s need for more office space and a more visible presence downtown, it will provide a home for other nonprofit and civic organizations, and it will offer short-term housing for the area’s workforce. 

“That last piece is important,” said Gregory. “More residents downtown means more eyes on the street, more activity after five o’clock, and more support for the restaurants and retailers who are already invested there. A downtown that stays busy in the evening feels different from one that empties out, and that energy ripples outward into the rest of the community and the region.”

Leflore County serves as the corporate headquarters for five major businesses: Bank of Commerce, Staplcotn, America’s Catch, Heartland Catfish and Viking Range.

“That is a remarkable list for a community our size, and it does a lot of work for us in a recruitment conversation,” said Gregory. “These companies are proof that businesses can succeed here at a high level, and that gives confidence to prospects. Our message to prospective industry is pretty simple. If one of the finest kitchen appliance brands in the world can be built and run from Greenwood, your company can succeed here, too.”

The EDF works to connect eligible industries with state incentives, including the Mississippi Flexible Tax Incentive program which provides a state tax credit to qualifying companies that create jobs and generate local investment. Locally, Greenwood and Leflore County have a strong track record of offering tax exemptions to businesses that invest there and put people to work.

Beyond that, parts of Greenwood and Leflore County are eligible for New Markets Tax Credits, Tax Increment Financing, Brownfields redevelopment incentives, and Opportunity Zone incentives. “Layered together, those tools make this one of the more attractive places in the state to start or expand a business, and part of my job is helping companies understand how those pieces fit together for their specific project,” said Gregory. “The EDF recently completed a master plan for the Greenwood-Leflore Industrial Park. The park offers rail access and adequate utilities, along with real room for growth and expansion, and the master plan gives us a clear roadmap for how to develop it responsibly over time.”

Looking ahead, Gregory wants to see continued investments downtown, strengthening the public education system and continuing to work on site readiness.

“I also want to highlight one piece of news that has been genuinely great for our community, which is the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s acquisition of the former Greenwood Leflore Hospital,” said Gregory. “Having a major academic health system here provides long-term stability for quality healthcare in the Delta, and healthcare access is a critical piece of the economic development puzzle. Companies ask about it, families ask about it, and now we have a much stronger answer.”

He considers it good fortune to have grown up in Greenwood. After graduating with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Mississippi State University in 2005, he moved back to Greenwood and went to work for his father’s grant writing consulting firm, Gregory and Associates. That is where he learned to write grants, a skill he has used in every job he has held since.

Gregory then moved to Chapel Hill, N.C., to pursue a Master of City and Regional Planning degree at the University of North Carolina. After graduating in 2009, he came home to Greenwood and was soon hired as CAO for the City of Greenwood. In 2017, he and his wife Anne Marie Gregory moved to Starkville where he worked as a Community Planner for the late Fred Carl, Jr. Small Town Center at MSU. In 2019, he was hired as Executive Director of the Mississippi Main Street Association. In 2020, in the middle of Covid, the couple moved back to Greenwood to be closer to family and friends while he continued to lead Main Street.

Gregory values that in every position he has held, someone has been willing to share their knowledge and guide him along the way. 

“Mentorship is one of the most important relationships there is because it is how knowledge gets passed from one generation to the next,” said Gregory. “I try to be mindful of that and pay it forward when I can.”

His wife Anne Marie, grew up in Portland, Ore., and moved to Greenwood in 2012 to take a job as Director of Greenwood Leflore Recycling. They have two sons,  James, 6, and Lewis, 4. 

“Our sons keep us busy in the best possible way,” he said. “Anne Marie now works as a Registered Dietitian at UMMC Greenwood. We attend First Presbyterian Church in Greenwood, where I serve as a Deacon and she teaches Sunday School.”

In his free time, he enjoys playing with their kids, working in the yard, traveling with his family, and running for exercise.

“My son James and I also have a side hustle together making and selling soy candles through local retail stores,” said Gregory. “It is really an excuse to teach him about hard work, customer service, saving money and giving back to the community, and he has really taken to it. We call the business Good Middling Candles, which is a term from the cotton industry. My grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather were all cotton brokers here in Greenwood, and ‘good middling’ represents the highest quality cotton you can buy. We like to think our candles live up to that standard. Once Lewis is old enough, I’ll find a role for him in the family business so we can begin to teach him those same life lessons.”

He somehow also finds time for volunteering in quite a few different capacities. He serves on the boards of the Mississippi Heritage Trust, the Mississippi Economic Development Council, and Keep Mississippi Beautiful. Locally, is on the boards of Main Street Greenwood, the Museum of the Mississippi Delta, the Greenwood Tourism Commission and the Greenwood Planning Commission. Gregory is also a member of the Greenwood Rotary Club. 

“Being involved with these organizations allows me to help our community and our state in ways beyond what I can do in my role at the EDF,” he said.