Xavier Bishop

Most CEOs get to unpack their boxes and receive congratulatory phone calls their first day on the job, but not Mayor Xavier Bishop. His first day on the job was spent preparing for Hurricane Cindy.

The date was July 5, 2005. That's the day he took office as mayor of Moss Point, Mississippi. Fifty-five days later - less than two months on the job, Hurricane Katrina pummeled the Gulf Coast producing the worst natural disaster in our nation's history. In the months that followed, Mayor Bishop melded the challenges of his new job with the challenges of rebuilding his city.

The process of rebuilding has been exhilarating and debilitating for Moss Point. Seldom does a city have the opportunity to recreate itself. Seldom do its people have the opportunity to share in the process. Moss Point and its citizens have both. But along with these opportunities come the challenge of making it happen.

This website brings you those challenges. From the boardroom of city hall, to the town hall meetings, to everyday encounters, you'll gain insight into the post-Katrina world of Moss Point as seen through the eyes of its mayor

A native Chicagoan, Mayor Bishop graduated from St. Xavier University with a degree in Political Science. He began his political career in the telecommunications industry as a manager with the Bell Telephone System. Following his career with the Bell System, Mayor Bishop started his own home remodeling business, which he worked and managed for 12 years. Seeking a warmer and more peaceful environment, he moved to Mississippi, the state where his mother was born. As a citizen he wanted to make his adopted home of Moss Point an even better place to live, and so he ran for public office, becoming the city's 24th mayor. The mayor is married to the former Miss Jaimee Goad, and together they have a son named Micah.