Amy Mabile of Brookhaven will represent her hometown in the 74^th Mississippi Miss Hospitality Competition at the Historic Hattiesburg Saenger Theater in Downtown Hattiesburg on July 14 and 15 at 8 p.m. each day.

Hadley Shelton will represent her hometown as Little Miss Hospitality.

Mabile, a graduate of Brookhaven High School, is a student at Southwest Mississippi Community College, where she is active in numerous school organizations and serves as a tutor.

“I am proud and honored to hold the 2023 Miss Hospitality title for Lincoln County,” she said. “I’m excited to tell people about Brookhaven and Lincoln County.”

Mabile, who is hearing impaired, was diagnosed with learning differences/difficulties early in life, and with the help of intervention strategies and hard work, she said she has learned to excel and overcome the challenges. She was an honor roll student at Brookhaven High and active on the cross country and soccer teams. She developed an avid love of reading in middle school and went on to volunteer with the public library in Brookhaven. And her personal challenges have led to her seek a career treating young people with visual processing disorders.

“I want the kids that have learning disabilities/differences or hearing impairments to see that they are not alone,” she said. “That is part of who I am … showing others like me that they are not alone.”

In its 26^th year host city, Hattiesburg will showcase this year’s best and brightest young women as they compete for the title of Mississippi’s Miss Hospitality. Women who represent all regions of the state, will vie for the title of Mississippi’s Miss Hospitality, with the winner serving for a full year as the state’s official ambassador for economic development and tourism.

In 2018, the Mississippi Miss Hospitality Competition added a Little Miss Hospitality component, which encourages local representatives to serve as a mentor throughout her reign to a young girl from her hometown between the ages of 6 and 10. Returning this year, the program allows Little Misses to appear on-stage during competition and participate in official events. If crowned the next Mississippi Miss Hospitality, the contestant’s Little Miss will serve alongside her as she fulfills her duties and responsibilities as Mississippi’s Goodwill Ambassador.

Tickets to the on-stage production are expected to go on sale in early June. In the meantime, Mabile will spend her time representing her hometown, supporting small businesses and events, and preparing for state competition.