Mike Marshall to retire as Sikeston chamber chief

Mike Marshall, president and CEO of Sikeston Regional Chamber of Commerce and Area Economic Development Corp., will retire in June after five years in the role.

Marshall, a Sikeston, Missouri, native and career banking executive, has more than 40 years of public service to his hometown and to Southeast Missouri, including a current stint on the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport Advisory Board and 14 years on the Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority Board of Directors.

A former Sikeston mayor, Marshall served nine years on the town's City Council.

According to the Standard Democrat newspaper, Marshall created a public-private partnership to expand the efforts of economic development for the Sikeston region.

Some of his efforts include the creation of the Sikeston AgriPark, the development of the South Industrial Park into a Missouri Certified Site and assisting several industries in their decisions to expand operations in their Sikeston facilities.

In 2021, Marshall led the effort to recruit Carlisle Construction Materials to Sikeston's South Industrial Park.

Carlisle is investing $120 million into the Sikeston facility and will employ more than 130 people. The plant is set to open in the spring of 2023.

Marshall indicated he will continue to champion one of his greatest passions in retirement — the federally designated "Future Interstate 57." I-57, as reenvisioned, will connect Chicago to Dallas through Sikeston and Poplar Bluff, Missouri, and Little Rock, Arkansas, creating economic opportunity for the entire region.

The search for Marshall's successor is underway, according to Heather Couch, chairwoman of the Sikeston Area Economic Development Board of Directors.

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