The excitement in Graham Helton’s voice is contagious. With a young spirit mixed with a traditional sense of business, the future and potential of the Yazoo community is constantly on his radar.
Steeped into personal history with a multi-generational family business model, Helton is eager to embark on his own chapter to bring a new economic era while building on solid foundations within Yazoo. Arriving as the new director of the Yazoo County Economic District last January, he already has boots on the ground to share what the local community has to offer.
“I have a vested interest in Yazoo County,” Helton, 37, said. “I know what it was like growing up here, and I would love to get it back to that, all while improving upon what makes this community special.”
A native of Yazoo City and a 2005 graduate of Manchester Academy, Helton graduated from Mississippi State University in 2009 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Real Estate and Mortgage Appraisal Financing. He then joined the family business at Action Properties with his father, A.G. Helton, obtaining his broker’s license from the Mississippi Real Estate Commission.
Helton is married to the former Jordan Dew of Eden, and they have three children, Grayson, 4, Eden, 9, and Archer, 11.
The opportunity to join the YCEDD arrived earlier this year, and Helton saw the perfect opportunity to give back to his hometown through economic efforts. The YCEDD was formed in 2009 to stimulate the development of, provide support for and address the needs of new and expanding industries in Yazoo County.
The secret to building on the foundations already established within the community? Helton said he feels the best recipe is bringing a larger, eager, audience to the table. Along with the YCEDD Board of Directors, local business owners and merchants, civic leaders and the community as a whole, he is confident goals can be achieved with vested partnerships.
“There has go to be a holistic buy-in from everybody who wants Yazoo to be better,” Helton said. “The perception of Yazoo City and Yazoo County is the biggest detriment that we are having to fight. The best thing for us to do is cultivate what we do have here. It’s not just about bringing in new things. It’s about appreciating what we do have and help that grow.”
Helton would like to reintroduce the concepts that were behind the former Chamber of Commerce, which dissolved a few years ago.
“I would like to bring back the Chamber’s efforts in a sense,” he said. “It’s needed and it helps. It’s the same blueprint and model that other communities are using that works.”
Aside from working with established businesses and models already in place, Helton is also eager to look for ways to attract larger industries.
“Bringing in larger industries, something that could bring in hundreds of jobs, is just part of our efforts,” Helton said. “That effort not only brings in those businesses, but it also could be instrumental in enticing people and families to stay within our community. It attracts more people and more businesses. It is like a domino effect that all falls into place.”
Starting off, Helton has already begun rebranding the YCEDD with community outreach.
“We want to be proactive, while also recruiting businesses and talking to the businesses we already have about what we have to offer,” he said. “We want to make what we do feel more like a community.”
Along with his office assistant Susan Guion, who also shares Helton’s enthusiasm and love for Yazoo, the YCEDD office is available for resources and open to the public. The office is located at 637 East Fifteenth Street, which also houses services with Holmes Community College.
“I am pleased that I have a board of directors who are also forward thinking and are ready to move forward,” he said. “There are ideas on the table that would show unison within our community. Despite differences and challenges, everybody can come together for the greater good of Yazoo City and Yazoo County.”
Attracting new businesses and industries, particularly with recreational and agricultural circuits, can be done, Helton said.
“Aspects within our sporting and hunting opportunities and our agriculture base is a good start,” Helton said. “We are trying to tap into that while getting people here, keeping them here. The cost of living here is a lot lower than any other area around the state. We are determined to get rid of the perception that it’s not here. And there are people in place with so many good ideas that we can reach. I am excited to see what we can do.”
