Chance L. McDavid rejoined the John C. Stennis Institute of Government and Community Development at Mississippi State University in February where he serves as project director in community development. Most recently, he spent more than four years as division director of community and rural development with the Mississippi Development Authority where he directed such programs as Aspire Mississippi, Asset Development, and Hometown Mississippi Retirement while serving on the Board of Directors for the Mississippi Main Street Association and Mississippi Economic Development Council.

In addition to holding positions at Mississippi State over the past 20 years in extension and outreach with local, regional, and statewide responsibilities, he served as vice president and COO of the Greater Starkville Development Partnership.

Throughout his career, he has assisted communities and organizations across Mississippi in facilitation and planning, asset-based community development, and civic engagement. He also traveled extensively across the country coaching rural regions through the Stronger Economies Together initiative as a staffer with the Southern Rural Development Center headquartered at MSU.

A Southwest Mississippi native from the Enterprise community in Lincoln County, Chance is a graduate of Copiah-Lincoln Community College, Mississippi State University, and The University of Southern Mississippi. He holds the distinction as a Chamber of Commerce nonprofit management professional and is a certified community and economic development professional. He lives in Clinton with his wife, Kayla, and three boys: Brayden, Trace, and Joshua.