Ridgeland wildflowers recognized with award
The Mississippi Tourism Association recognized the Ridgeland Wildflower Field and Art Park during their annual tourism awards program in Hattiesburg earlier this month.
The MTA selected the park for their Tourism Partnership of the Year award, MTA Executive Director, Danielle Morgan said.
“This award is given in recognition of effective partnerships among entities within the tourism industry,” Morgan said.
The Ridgeland Wildflower Field and Art Park is located at 411 West Jackson Street.
Kim Cooper with the city of Ridgeland said the wildflower field in Ridgeland came about three years ago after Keep Mississippi Beautiful, working with the Mississippi State Extension Service and other partners, established the Wildflower Trails of Mississippi beautification project.
A number of officials with Visit Ridgeland and other city representatives accepted the award during the Governor’s Conference on Tourism, which ran from Oct. 2 to Oct. 4 at the Lake Terrace Convention Center in Hattiesburg.
This annual educational and professional development event brought together about 200 tourism industry professionals from across the state as well as tourism partners from the region.
“It’s a privilege to collaborate with such remarkable professionals as we continue to drive growth and success in our field,” Morgan said.
Accepting the award were Rob Bridges, Tim Taylor, Phyllis Parker, Mary Byrd, Kelly Durrett, Lesley Holleman, Carla Palmer, Shane Aldridge, Polly Hammett, Chris Chapman, David Conn, Karen Vance, Amelia Dalton, Crystal Pham, Shanna Head, Kim Foster, and Kayla Stafford.
Awards were presented in 22 categories, each focusing on a different aspect of the hospitality industry or individual achievement. These awards give MTA the opportunity to recognize members who excel in various sectors of the industry, Morgan said.
"We are delighted to celebrate these hardworking individuals who consistently go above and beyond for their communities and organizations,” Morgan said. “The competitiveness of these awards reflects the exceptional quality of work from our partners and highlights the strength of Mississippi’s tourism industry.”