New officers were initiated recently for the Brookhaven Trust, an organization that’s been dedicated to preserving Brookhaven’s heritage and improving its downtown since 1991.

Yazoo City native Mary White was chosen to lead the organization as this year’s president. She’s joined by Julia Miller as vice president, Jeremy Winborne as treasurer and Melissa Boerner as secretary.

White moved to Brookhaven with her husband Jeffrey White — born in Brookhaven — after the couple married in 2011. White said it was her passion for cooking that first got her involved with the Brookhaven Trust.

“I had a bakery here in Brookhaven called The Cotton Blossom from 2012-2013 and also did some catering,” she said. “I was actually hired to cater the ticket party four years ago. That was my first experience with the Trust.”

The trust has been involved in many improvements downtown, including recently a paint job at Fred’s Store downtown and new roof-top lighting throughout the downtown area.

Past President Jason Snider said he will continue to be involved with the Brookhaven Trust, and he’ll also be available to give advice to White. Snider said White has a good vision for the organization, and he’s glad to see her step up for the position.

“It’s been a joy to work with her,” he said. “She’s been my right-hand man to get things done. I’ve enjoyed having her support, and I’ve enjoyed supporting her as she leads this upcoming year. I have no doubt she’ll keep it running well.”

White said it’s hard to come in to the position after Snider.

“Jason has done such a great job as president for the past several years,” she said. “I hope to bring the same passion he had for these projects, and maintain the sense of unity within the committee so that we may all achieve a common goal as one — to continually strive to improve our downtown.”

The Brookhaven Trust’s main fundraiser every year is the Taste of Trust, where each member endeavors to sell 10 tickets to the event. This year’s Taste of Trust will take place on Nov. 10.

“It’s always a lot of fun with great food, drinks and live music,” she said. “All the money raised will be going directly to improving Brookhaven’s downtown.”

The Brookhaven Trust was started by a group of residents interested in preserving the history, culture and arts of the downtown area. Snider said in a news article in The Daily Leader last year that the organization started from a project to restore and preserve the Mary Jane Lampton Auditorium on the old Whitworth College campus, which now belongs to the Mississippi School of the Arts.

Snider said past projects of the Brookhaven Trust have been donating money for window treatments for the Chamber of Commerce, making the building more energy efficient, sponsoring a concert for MSA in the spring of 2014, providing a facade grant for painting the exterior of Ed’s Cleaners and the buildings near it and donations for structural upkeep of the Brookhaven Little Theatre.

The organization is currently in need of volunteers. For more information, contact Snider at jsnider@kdmc.org or 601-695-8123.