Heart Of Hospitality

We talk with the Lt. Governor about the prospect of elevating tourism to a cabinet‑level agency, connecting tourism to quality of place, talent attraction and retention, and those essential tourism tax revenues that fund teacher pay, healthcare, and infrastructure. Plus, we chat about a favorite new book by author Melody Golding,  Hometown Mississippi. The Heart Of Hospitality podcast is...

For this episode of Heart Of Hospitality , Dr. Rachael Carter guides us through the process of creating tangible, repeatable results. Using sociology and economics, she has focused her efforts on equipping organizations with the tools to make the most of their futures. An instructor and tourism specialist with MSU for Government and Community Development, Dr. Carter was recently honored with the 2...

On today's episode, Berkeley Young talks with us about the importance of creating a smart strategy for your destination. With the  Heart Of Hospitality  as the focus, he details the powerful nature of connection, how quantitative data turns into results, and the importance of team culture in crafting genuine experiences.  Early on, Berkeley Young was hired as a Director of Sales and...

In this episode of  Heart Of Hospitality , Danielle Morgan shares her passion and dedication to our visitors as the Mississippi Tourism Association Executive Director. She also details MTA's Heart of Hospitality Workforce Development Training Program and all the benefits it delivers for our state.  Mississippi wouldn't be the incredibly hospitable state it is today without people like Da...

On this episode of Heart Of Hospitality, we’re chatting with a true champion of hospitality: Mississippi House Tourism Committee Chair, Representative Greg Haney. Representative Haney discusses   translating love of place into smart policy to grow jobs, strengthen communities, and elevate the experience for both visitors and career seekers. He also talks about what makes our state truly uniqu...

In this episode of  Heart Of Hospitality , we have the pleasure of speaking with Senate Tourism Chair Senator Lydia Chassaniol. Senator Chassaniol is a Mississippi tourism champion who works nonstop to elevate food tourism and local culinary assets as economic drivers.  In terms of the  Heart Of Hospitality,  Lydia endeavors to continuously improve culinary service standards, r...

For this episode of  Heart Of Hospitality —recorded on location at the Mississippi Governor’s Conference on Tourism—we’re chatting with   Shannon Gray. Shannon possesses a curious mind and has a passion for understanding what makes people tick—especially when it comes to travel. Before diving into tourism research, Shannon worked with big brands like Kraft, General Mills, T-Mobile, and V...

For this episode of  Heart Of Hospitality , we’re chatting with   Phil Eich, creative storyteller and question asker of the first order. Mr. Eich is the founder of Storyville, an agency dedicated to sharing untold-yet-memorable tales of people and places across the country—cultivating lots of community pride in the process. Listen in, and find out about Mississippi's special edge on the...

For this episode of  Heart Of Hospitality , we’re at the Mississippi Governor's Conference on Tourism and are pleased to be chatting with   Taylor Garretson. Miss Garretson was crowned the 76th Mississippi Miss Hospitality in July 2025 in Hattiesburg.  A Greene County native, Taylor will spend the next year promoting Mississippi’s tourism and economic development industries across t...

On this episode of  Heart Of Hospitality , we talk with Calvin Stovall, Chief Experience Officer of ICONIC Presentations, LLC. With nearly 30 years of experience in the hospitality and non-profit service industries, Calvin leverages his life experiences to connect with audiences nationwide. Beginning his hospitality career as a front desk clerk at the Holiday Inn, Stovall eventually became vi...

For this episode of  Heart Of Hospitality , we’re pleased to have Thabi Moyo, Local Festival Manager for the upcoming National Folk Festival in Jackson, Mississippi, where she’s leading the charge to bring this nationally recognized event to the state for the first time. Our chat includes deep dives into the subjects of festival leadership, community co‑creation, volunteer and vendor readines...

On Heart Of Hospitality—presented by the Mississippi Tourism Association—we talk with the passionate leaders, movers, shakers, and change-makers who keep the heart of our state’s vibrant tourism industry going strong. In Mississippi, the Hospitality State, tourism happens to be the fourth-largest industry, and a cornerstone of our economy, generating billions of dollars in revenue, creating jobs,...