In the 25 years he has been here, Rick Taylor has served the Hattiesburg region with honor and distinction.
But for the greater good of this community, the time has come for him to step aside as executive director of the Hattiesburg Convention Commission and hand over the reins to someone else.
And that’s not something we say lightly. Through the years, this newspaper has not shied away from singing his praises and we have encouraged others to do the same.
In fact, members of our staff – past and present – have stuck their necks out personally and professionally to support Taylor when it was otherwise unpopular to do so.
In 2014, we even named him our Hattiesburg Person of the Year. His contributions cannot – and should not – be questioned.
Taylor’s vision and stubborn determination is what has made him so successful during his quarter-century reign over the Lake Terrace Convention Center and all it entails – including the Historic Saenger Theater, the African American History Museum, the Hattiesburg Zoo, and the renovation of the historic Eureka School.
But the recent announcement by the State Auditor’s office that more than $200,000 in bonuses previously paid to Taylor while he was serving as executive director of the Hattiesburg Tourism Commission must be reimbursed to taxpayers has created a negative cloud that we think will be impossible for him to shake.
A native of Petal, Taylor has worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life for residents here in the Pine Belt and for that he should be applauded.
However, it should be clear to him that the time has come to move on.
The members of the Hattiesburg Convention Commission are among this area’s best and brightest. We implore them to help Taylor understand what’s best for the Hub City as they look to the future.
David Gustafson is the editor/publisher of The Hattiesburg Post
