GTR Development Link announces new president and CEO
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI)- The Golden Triangle Development LINK is known across the country for its economic development track record.
After the departure of former president and CEO Joe Higgins, the organization was left with filling a big leadership void.
Maintaining a nationwide reputation meant conducting a nationwide search.
Joe Max Higgins served as president and CEO of the Golden Triangle Development LINK for more than 20 years. After his departure in August 2025, the Board of Directors knew they had some big shoes to fill.
But after a nationwide search, they are confident that they have found someone with as much – or more – experience, who can keep the economic development train rolling in the Golden Triangle.
The Golden Triangle Development LINK has built a strong record of economic development successes and has been recognized nationally for turning a stretch of former farmland into a manufacturing hub.
Naturally, when they went looking for a new CEO, they wanted someone with a similar track record.
After a nationwide search, they have found the right man for the job in Iain D. Vasey.
Vasey brings more than 30 years of leadership in economic development, real estate, and infrastructure-driven growth.
The Chairman of the LINK’s Board of Directors, Bain Nichols, said Vasey is the right fit to keep the Golden Triangle in its spot as a premier destination for investment.
“Economic development is about jobs, it is about investment, it is about opportunity, and it is about not just knowing how these things work but about execution,” Nichols said. “That is the thing about Iain that stands out: he’s done it. He is an executor, and we feel confident that the track record that he had in Louisiana, Texas, and Oregon, he is going to bring that to the Golden Triangle.”
The GTR LINK’s current record of investment totals more than $10 billion and more than 10,000 jobs.
Nichols said it was essential to have state elected officials involved in selecting a new CEO.
“Economic development does not happen without partners who are all bought in, so that was important for our board as we went through this process that we engage them and get their input,” Nichols said. “They were brought up to speed throughout the process; we have communicated with many of them, and it is great to have their support at this time. We know that we must have success going forward and that we are all on the same page.”
The nationwide search attracted around 120 applicants.
“I think the importance of this hire can not be overstated,” Mayor Lynn Spruill said. “We have a 20-year history with the previous president, who brought us a very long way. We have a Cinco Megasite sitting there ready to go, so I don’t think anything is stopping this gentleman from being successful, certainly from the assets he has to work with.”
Iain Vasey is set take on his new role in Mid-March.
