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JACKSON — Aimee Guido, project manager at Natchez Inc., will be awarded the Marsha N. Hamilton Spirit Award by the Mississippi Development Authority Thursday at noon at the Mississippi Economic Development Council Award Luncheon held during the Legislative Conference at the Westin Jackson.

A Natchez native, Aimee Guido holds an undergraduate degree from Delta State University and earned her Masters at the University of Southern Mississippi, both in Art Education. Since joining the team at Natchez Inc. in 2012, Aimee has served as the communications manager and is now the project manager for the organization.

“It is with great pleasure and deep appreciation that we, Natchez Inc., and our esteemed partners, acknowledge the recognition Aimee has received from our colleagues statewide. Aimee’s exceptional dedication and outstanding contributions have been evident to us for many years. We are truly grateful to see her efforts recognized in this manner. Congratulations, Aimee, on this well-deserved achievement. Your hard work and commitment are truly commendable,” said Chandler Russ, executive director of Natchez Inc.

During her tenure at Natchez Inc., she has managed the successful Shift South remote worker campaign and incentive program, which welcomed new Natchezians after the start of the pandemic, as well as a marketing campaign that both boosted the morale of the area and urged residents to ‘Put Your Money Where Your Home Is’ as stores reopened. She also assists with managing the Southwest Mississippi Partnership and plays a major role in planning their annual event in Natchez each fall.

In years past, Aimee assisted in the Entrepreneur Academy in both Adams and Wilkinson Counties, a partnership between Alcorn State University and Natchez Inc. She assisted in the certification process for Adams County to be the first in Mississippi to be designated ACT WorkReady® Certified. Also, she assisted in the process of helping Adams County reach the designation as a Bioeconomy Economic Development Opportunity Zone or “BDO Zone.”

She has also applied for and received grants for marketing, small business development, and site development projects for Adams County.

Professionally, she is a member of the Mississippi Economic Development Council, Mississippi Forestry Association, and Mississippi Tourism Association.  Her education and art expertise have been a valuable part of the communications component of Natchez Inc. She served on the Board of Directors for the Concordia Parish Chamber of Commerce. She is currently a board member of the Ellis Laine Malone Foundation and Copiah-Lincoln Community College Foundation.

Locally, she is a member of the Krewe of Bon Temps, the Natchez Garden Club, and St Mary’s Basilica Catholic Church. In her leisure time, she enjoys time in her pottery studio, being outdoors with family and friends, and giving back to her hometown. She lives in Natchez with her Boykin Spaniel, Honey.

According to the MDA, recipients of the award must:

Exhibit professional competency and consistent collegiality with his or her peers; exhibit the highest degree of integrity at work and in the community; have gone beyond the norm in the input of time, energy, and resources to further the goals of economic development in Mississippi and to bring honor to their profession in general.

The award is named for Marsha Nell Hamilton, a graduate of Jackson State University who served at the Mississippi Development Authority from 1983 until her passing in December 2012. Hamilton’s area of specialization was global trade and international diplomacy.

As a manager of the international trade office, she worked for small businesses to promote and distribute their products and services worldwide. She opened and managed the state’s foreign office network, navigating state contracting and foreign currency accounts as she made the most of appropriated state resources.

Hamilton was largely responsible for the establishment of the now-permanent MDA global trade STEP grant, which to date has provided more than $500 million in direct funding to small businesses.