By Adam Dodson | The Selma Times-Journal

The Selma and Dallas County Centre for Commerce held its 14th Annual Meeting Thursday night at the Carl C. Morgan Convention Center.

City and county leaders, as well as prominent businessmen and women got together to hear about the Centre’s accomplishments over the past year.

One goal of the event each year is to give the audience an update at where the Chamber is currently, their goals for 2018 and to show appreciation for those who work to keep things running. The event also features a guest speaker to discuss the economic status in Selma and Dallas County.

This year, two of the board members saw their two-year term come to an end. Johnny Moss III will take Aubrey Carter’s seat on the board, and Andy Stewart, who represented the Economic Development Authority, was replaced by Davis Henry of Henry Brick.

This year’s discussion focused largely on the strengthening of commercial development and investments in communities throughout the area.

The audience listened to the advice and lessons of Doug Neil, member of Nextsite and vice president of business development for Daniel Community Advisors, a company focused on the development of commercial retailing. Neil, who is familiar with the Black Belt community, spoke about his commitment to developing areas in the region.

“The purpose of my comments tonight is to help change the way people think about property and to help these people evaluate and make decisions,” Neil said. “Commercial development is an integral part of thriving communities. We need to work to maximize value here.”

With Dallas County’s unemployment falling in the past few months, dropping as low as around 5.6 percent in December of 2017. However, work still remains. Neil said he has a personal dedication to the Selma area.

Sheryl Smedley, executive director for the Chamber of Commerce, is excited about how the meeting went and what is in store for Selma. Much like Neil, she would like to see more businesses, small or large, take interest in Selma in order to spark development and provide the residents with ample options.

“All of the response from the meeting has been positive, and it is great to be able to talk about the positives of what we are doing,” Smedley said. “We are about driving interest into our communities. Our residents want places to eat and shop.”

Efforts to bring in more business development to the Dallas County area will continue throughout 2018.

For more information about the reception or about the Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Information, visit their website at www.selmaalabama.com.