Mayor to propose interim COO

Columbus (Miss.) Mayor Keith Gaskin told The Dispatch of his plan to propose to the city council the hiring of local businessman Mark Alexander Jr. as interim chief operations officer. The council would have to approve the proposal. If hired, Alexander would take the reins as COO from David Armstrong, who retired June 30. In May, the council voted to delay the process of choosing a new COO until after the June 8 election, to give the incoming council a say in the hiring. Initially, there were six applicants for the position.  The search for a permanent COO will be reopened, and could take up to six months to complete. Alexander, 38, is a double graduate of Mississippi State University with a bachelor’s in management and a master’s in business. He is presently a partner at Alexander, Covington, & Co., a mergers and acquisitions firm. He is also COO and co-founder of Global Outdoors, an app and website for people interested in outdoor experiences and adventures. If approved by the council Gaskin said, Alexander will start July 6. (Source: The Dispatch 07/03/21)