From the Mississippi Gulf Coast to North Mississippi, retirement directors from throughout the state of Mississippi spent two days this week in the City of Laurel.

The City of Laurel hosted the Mississippi Retirement Director’s Meeting Thursday and Friday.

Officials said Laurel is one of 21 certified retirement cities in the state.

Tammy Menard of McComb said each city is unique and by being a part of the state group “our cities receive the recognition for being a retirement location.”

Angela Jones of Brandon agreed.

“All the cities are different with what they have to offer,” Jones said.

Andrea Rose of Corinth pointed out the importance of recruiting retirees.

“The U.S. Department of Commerce released statistics recently stating that each retiree’s household is the economic equivalent to 3.7 new manufacturing jobs,” Rose said. “Retirees are valuable to our community and they are very civic-minded. ... There’s so many benefits you can get from attracting retirees.”

Lula Cooley with the City of Laurel’s planning and retirement coordinated this week’s event for the city. Cooley said directors from throughout the state gathered in Laurel for the networking meeting.

Among the group’s activities were tours of Laurel and Jones County, which included the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art and the Historical District.

Marcia Crawford of the Mississippi Gulf Coast said she was impressed with Laurel and its facilities.

“Lula has been a great host and we’ve discovered that Laurel is a real hidden treasure,” Crawford said. “The Lauren Rogers Museum of Art is a world-class museum. ... Landrum’s Country was wonderful and I can’t wait to come back.

“Everybody here has been extremely nice,” Crawford added. “It’s been wonderful southern hospitality shown to us and it’s been great.”

Roy Winkworth of Natchez said the Mississippi Retirement Director’s meeting resulted in his first visit to Laurel.

“I had never been to Laurel before,” Winkworth said. “This is my first visit and it has been good. Every city has something to offer and it’s good to be able to come to Laurel and discover its assets.”