Business leaders gathered Thursday for a day of fun andfellowship as they were honored during the Brookhaven-LincolnCounty Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Business and IndustryAppreciation Day.

After a golf tournament and tennis tournament at BrookhavenCountry Club, the business leaders were joined by some electedofficials for a barbecue meal in the banquet hall. Robert J.Rohrlack, Jr., executive director of the Mississippi DevelopmentAuthority, was the guest speaker.

Rohrlack complimented the efforts of the Lincoln CountyIndustrial Development Foundation for giving business leaders theopportunity to have a day to discuss ideas during leisurelyactivity.

“It’s important that a community does come together,” hesaid.

He pointed out how such strength among businesses creates abetter understanding of the needs and brings out more solutions toany problems.

Rohrlack, who has over 17 years of experience in economicdevelopment, also talked about having successful businesses bringsmore business to the area.

“The best testimony is a satisfied business,” said Rohrlack,mentioning how Nissan has already decided to expand even beforeopening its doors in Mississippi.

He hopes Nissan’s move to the state will attract otherindustries, bringing more jobs so people will stay in the stateafter getting their education. He called Nissan an “economic enginein the state.”

“There are a lot of different things we are working on,” hesaid. “We need to keep churning and working to have more jobs inMississippi.”

Despite recent criticism by the United States Chamber ofCommerce on tort reform issues, Rohrlack said the state will “keepmoving forward.”

“We will continue to be proactive. We will compete with otherstates,” he said.

Rohrlack also told business leaders about the need to improvethe state’s image, which stays tarnished with the bad publicityfrom poor portrayals of the state in movies, television shows andother forms of media.

“We want to do an imaging campaign to counter some of thatnegative we get in the media and our friends at the U.S. Chamber,”he said.

After Rohrlack concluded by urging business leaders to sharetheir ideas, he talked with several of them and countyofficials.

IDF president John Goza was pleased with the turnout of theevent and hoped the business leaders gained something from theday.

“I think it was very successful,” he said. “It was well receivedand I look for it to grow.”