Thank God for Natchez residents who see a need and step up to the plate to solve that need rather than just griping about it.

We saw firsthand how much more improved our economic development effort became a few years ago when members of the private sector business community stepped in and provided solid leadership when the city and county leaders at the time were about to allow the area’s already weak economic development efforts to collapse. Within a year’s time, the new public-private partnership Natchez Inc. was formed and has put the area back on the map, as it were, for economic developers.

While we missed a huge project recently — we were No. 2 on a billion-dollar paper mill project that ultimately went to Arkansas —without the involvement several years ago by the business community we would not have even been in the hunt for the project, let alone runner up.

This week, after months and months of work, another group of concerned, caring citizens made a huge milestone that has the potential to move our downtown from good to great in the coming years.

FOR Natchez announced this week that its efforts to raise $100,000 to create a strategic plan for downtown was so close to fruition that the project would move forward soon.

Ultimately, like the structure of the economic development organization, the plan FOR Natchez will have created will only work if all are involved, share a common mission and stay focused on the proverbial ball.

So far, FOR Natchez has pulled together a diverse group of supporters that truly reflects the face of Natchez. We continue to support the effort and look forward the next phase of the project.