VDN co-sponsors chamber banquet

VICKSBURG, Miss., VDN — Vicksburg Daily News and International Paper co-sponsored the May luncheon for Vicksburg Chamber of Commerce held at the Vicksburg Convention Center Wednesday, May 20.

The May luncheon is one of the chamber’s most anticipated events of the year, as the organization celebrates leadership, innovation, and community impact. The event featured the graduates of the 2025-2026 Vicksburg Leadership Class.

The class was divided into three groups and the groups had individual projects to help promote community. Each group developed individual names which were Team Canvas Collective, Team Empower and Team 2 Chick’s & 7 Fell-a’s.

The Canva Collective sponsored a Maker’s Day event with Vicksburg Art Association held earlier in the year featuring 50 local artists and provided an outlet for the artists to showcase their artwork.

Team Empower focused their project on developing entrepreneurship in partnership with the Vicksburg-Warren School District with the goal of empowering students to develop their business skills.

The 2 Chick’s & 7 Fell-a’s team partnered with Vicksburg Police Department to develop the U-Turn program aimed at redirecting area at-risk youth toward positive decision making by mentorship.

The keynote speaker of the event was Dr. Beth Fleming, Director of Vicksburg’s Engineering and Reach Development Center (ERDC). Fleming joking said during the address that she wanted to change the name of ERDC to “1000 Chicks and 1600 Fell-a’s”.

Fleming encouraged all the graduates to take leadership skills back to the community and their respective work places.