Wilbanks Named Director of New Albany Main Street Association

NEW ALBANY, MISS., April 26, 2016 – Carly Wilbanks of New Albany, MS, has been named the director of the New Albany Main Street Association.

The New Albany Main Street Association was designated a Mississippi Main Street Community in 1997.  The Mississippi Main Street Association focuses on economic development and revitalization of Mississippi’s historic business districts.

Wilbanks attended Northeast Mississippi Community College and Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Science in Educational Psychology.  During her time at MSU, Wilbanks served as the secretarial assistant to Dr. Byron Williams.  In 2015, Wilbanks worked at Pacifica Enterprises, Inc. in Rancho Santa Fe, CA as the administrative assistant to the chief financial officer and was most recently employed at Rutledge and Davis, P.L.L.C.

“Carly brings a wealth of knowledge of planning and executing projects and events,” said Bob Spencer, president of the New Albany Main Street Association board of directors. “She is a great fit for this position.”

Wilbanks served as the event coordinator for the Special Olympics at MSU and has experience in retail sales and fundraising.  She is engaged to Van Cooper of New Albany.

Since New Albany was designated as a Mississippi Main Street Community, over $1.6 million in private investments and nearly $9 million in public investment have been reported.  While the financial investment is an important component, Main Street programs are better known for improving quality of life for communities.  Downtown revitalization promotes restoring those places that make New Albany unique that people connect to as well as fostering a vibrant business climate in the historic core of the town.  Downtown is often referred to as the heart of the town, the part that encourages newcomers to visit or move to and locals choose to remain here.

In addition to being named one of the top Main Street programs in the state, the New Albany Main Street Association boasts one of the lowest vacancy rates state-wide and contributed to 92 new businesses and 227 new jobs.  Over 10,000 volunteer hours have been logged and 51 buildings improved.  The New Albany Main Street Association is a community partner with the Magnolia Civic Center, Union County Historical Museum, Junior Auxiliary, Biscuits and Jam Farmer’s Market, Union County Development Association, New Albany Tourism, and numerous organizations.  Some of the many visible projects as a result of the New Albany Main Street Association’s efforts include decorative lighting, banners, landscaping, the Tanglefoot Trail plaza, benches, trash receptacles, Cooper Park design and maintenance, and decorative street signs.

For more information about the New Albany Main Street Association, please call (662) 534-3438.