Another challenge was issued to Natchez area community leaders on Wednesday – this one a call to action on the issue of technology.

As Dr. Angie Dvorak brought the Mississippi@Home tour to Natchez, she challenged the nearly two dozen civic and business leaders who attended the two-hour workshop to form a community-wide technology task force and put the issue of technology and access at the forefront of economic development issues.

It’s a challenge worthy of our community, and one worth heeding as Natchez and Adams County take some critical steps forward in economic development efforts during the next six months. With the pending hiring of a new director for the Natchez-Adams County Economic Development Authority, our economic development efforts are poised to gain tremendous momentum. Making the effort to focus that momentum now can yield great dividends in the future. And we believe technology will play a key role in that future.

According to statistics cited by Dvorak, Mississippi lost one-tenth of its manufacturing jobs – or 25,000 jobs – during the last 24 months. Replacing those jobs, and added more employment opportunities for Mississippi citizens, will mean capitalizing on technology advancements at hand. And, it will mean making new opportunities based on the access granted by technology.

Natchez, Adams County and the Miss-Lou can capitalize on these opportunities and build a vital, vibrant future in the 21st century, if we choose to be focused, prepared and proactive.

We believe our community leaders want to -&160;and will do – just that. Doing the right thing for Natchez means creating opportunities for today and the future.

Bringing technology home, and using it to reach out to the world, can only help build a stronger, brighter future for Natchez.