NATCHEZ — The City of Natchez has hired an interim director to lead the Natchez Convention and Visitors Bureau during the search for a full-time director.

Mayor Butch Brown appointed Creda Stewart as interim tourism director to temporarily fill the position left open when Connie Taunton stepped down as director last month. Taunton’s retirement was effective Tuesday.

Stewart formerly worked for 12 years as the director of public information for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and director of the National Endowment for the Arts’ western region, which encompasses 12 states and their educational programs.

Stewart is married to Dick Stewart, who took over as general manager of the Isle of Capri Casino in Natchez a year ago. Dick also serves on the tourism advisory committee for the Natchez CVB.

Stewart said she was approached by the mayor to lead the CVB in the interim. After taking a week to consider the offer and do some research, she decided to take the opportunity.

“I thought, ‘I’ll do this. I’ll have some fun and meet a lot of new people and see if I can get things in good working order for the next director,’” Stewart said.

Stewart’s main duties, she said, will be creating an environment for an effective staff, working on the CVB’s website, visitnatchez.org, and evaluating media placement.

Stewart said she is “very focused” on getting everyone on the same page and “refurbishing” the direction Natchez takes.

“I’m very much aware after about a year here that there are many, many different organizations that sometimes work not to the benefit of everyone,” she said. “My idea is to bring all of the organizations together and on the same page for the same voice.

“As we approach the Tricentennial, our promotion and support for tourism in Natchez has to be as sound as one word. That word is Natchez, and we have to work together to bring people here to visit and take part in the festivities.”

Brown said he and the CVB board plan to meet with consultant Berkeley Young, who recently completed a strategic plan for the CVB, next week for guidance on the search for a permanent director.

“We’re going to do a very broad range search and make sure we can get the best of the best,” he said. “That may take three to six months, but we’re not going to rush into a new hire.”

Talks of raising the director’s salary from $55,000 in order to hire a quality director have been circulating, but Brown said the director’s salary has not been determined.

The city has contracted with Stewart for her services, and her salary is set at $60,000, Brown said. Stewart does not receive benefits as a contract employee, and Brown said her salary is cheaper for the city than Taunton’s salary because Taunton had a benefits package.

Stewart said she has not yet decided whether she will apply for the full-time director’s position.

“I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” she said.