Joe Max Higgins, a famed Mississippi economic development specialist who was abruptly fired from his Golden Triangle post last summer for “workplace behavior and speech,” is consulting for the Tate County Economic Development Foundation.

Higgins is the former CEO of the Golden Triangle LINK, the economic development agency for Clay, Lowndes, and Oktibbeha counties. Higgins had been featured in national news, including a big “60 Minutes” report and in The Atlantic for bringing in almost $10 billion in investments to the area over his over 20 year tenure. 

According to the announcement from the Tate County Board of Supervisors and the Tate County Economic Development Foundation, they hired Higgins through a contract with his consulting firm, 2EQLAST. They did not mention Higgins’ departure from the Golden Triangle organization in the announcement.

In court filings related to Higgins’ time as CEO of the Golden Triangle organization, an employee reported discrimination, retaliation and harassment from Higgins.

Higgins said in Tate County, he will evaluate the foundation’s organizational health and potential industrial sites to create a six-month plan to help the county grow. He believes there’s a lot of opportunity in the region, especially with the Legislature last year passing a bill creating a Northwest Regional Alliance across Tate, Panola, Lafayette and Yalobusha counties.

“I’m excited about it,” Higgins said.

In the announcement, the board and foundation credited Rep. Trey Lamar, a Republican from Senatobia, for introducing Higgins. Lamar said that he looks forward to bringing “world class jobs” to Tate County. When asked about Higgins’ departure from the Golden Triangle, Lamar said the board and foundation fully vetted Higgins before hiring his firm.