The past is over. Welcome to the future of Selma.

Selma’s future lay in the Centre for Commerce located at 912 Selma Ave. The building now houses the Chamber of Commerce, a tourism department, the Economic Development Authority and a leadership program.

According to Centre for Commerce President Wayne Vardaman, it’s a &uot;one-stop, one-shop.&uot;

The future of business and tourism development is now.

An open house for the new facility is tentatively scheduled for late August/early September, but that doesn’t mean the center isn’t open for business. On the contrary, with a lack of air conditioning on Monday and boxes stacked against the corner, commerce continued.

When asked if the heat was affecting her new workplace, Office Administrator Tina Price smiled. &uot;It’s great. This is great,&uot; Price said.

That comment can be said by every Dallas County and Selma resident.

Combining the various entities isn’t just good for our development and growth, it makes good sense. Instead of referring Chamber of Commerce callers to the EDA when necessary, the calls can now be internally transferred.

And the benefits of housing the groups together isn’t just technological. People involved in the various functions of tourism and business development will see each other every day at work, pass each other on the way to the water cooler and have more opportunities to exchange ideas in person.

Combining the groups in the Centre for Commerce adds a human element to the serious business or bringing industry and tourism to our county. Working together and with the community can only bring positives to an area already brimming with possibility and promise.

And with our help the Centre for Commerce will harness that possibility for the good of all citizens.