NATCHEZ &045; The beginning of a massive effort to move Natchez forward will begin Monday, when nationally recognized community development consultant Dr. Vaughn L. Grisham is coming for a community-wide meeting at 9 a.m. at the Natchez Convention Center.

Organized by Rena Jean Schmieg under the auspices of the Community Alliance, the meeting is open to all who are interested in working to benefit Natchez and the surrounding area, Schmieg said.

&uot;I was one of 10 from Natchez who went to a conference in Tupelo on community development at the end of October,&uot; Schmieg said. &uot;There were representatives from five cities from all over the nation Vaughn had worked with. People from those cities told about going from horrible to fantastic.&uot;

Grisham, professor of sociology and director of the McLean Institute for Community Development at the University of Mississippi, has 35 years of experience in working with communities needing revitalization.

A recent grant allows him to choose several other communities to assist, and Natchez is one of those.

&uot;Natchez has a great deal going for it, as many assets as virtually any town in Mississippi without a university,&uot; Grisham said by telephone Friday from his office at Ole Miss.

Problems facing Natchez are the same ones plaguing small towns all over the country, indeed, all over the world, he said. &uot;Most small towns are losing jobs and losing population.&uot;

His work has taken him into 32 states, two provinces of Canada and into Russia, he said. Problems are similar everywhere. &uot;Globalization is real.&uot;

What he will bring to Natchez on Monday will be principles he has learned from communities that have been successful, he said.

&uot;I will say here are some skills to know and here are some tools to use,&uot; he said. &uot;Of course, it will be up to the people of Natchez to make something happen.&uot;

Schmieg said Grisham long has been interested in Natchez. &uot;The Monday meeting will be a working meeting where Dr. Grisham will guide us in ways we will achieve our vision,&uot; she said. &uot;He will come back for a week in June for town hall meetings, and by then we should have chosen four or five general areas to target to improve the quality of life of the community.&uot;

An important partner in the project will be Alcorn State University, Schmieg said. &uot;They’re doing a great job of partnering with Natchez. We want very much to be tied in with them.&uot;

The 9 a.m. meeting is free and no reservations are required. At 11:30 a.m. at The Natchez Eola Hotel, the Natchez Adams Chamber of Commerce will host a luncheon, $15 per person, where Grisham will speak again. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 601-445-4611.