Steve Rosenthal, a Delta native and current Director of Economic Development for Sunflower County, is passionate about helping people in the Delta have a better quality of life.
Rosenthal’s family owned and operated Ben Fried’s Department Store in Indianola for 89 years. He says the store was his grandfather’s entire life and Fried continued to work until he was 93.
“I look at him as an example of how staying consistent and working can lead to a long life,” says Rosenthal. “I tried to make sure whatever I did, it in itself was not the only thing in my life.”
Rosenthal says his parents believed in work, so he began working in the store at age 12. During the summer, around age 15, Rosenthal decided to become a lifeguard, and quickly became head lifeguard and then manager.
“That was my first insight and real responsibility, and it really shaped me,” says Rosenthal.
According to Rosenthal, he was a product of the Indianola public school system and went on to attend Memphis College, now the University of Memphis, for his degree in Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering.
There was a major oil shortage when Rosenthal got out of school, so he leaned on his previous experience and became a manager at Radio Shack in Chattanooga. Rosenthal says he bought a Radio Shack in Memphis, but he eventually ended up moving home to help his parents with the family business when his father had two major surgeries.
In 2001, Rosenthal says there was a fire, and they tried reopening for one year before deciding it was time to close for good.
“I got into politics and became the mayor of Indianola in 2010 and served three terms,” says Rosenthal.
While serving as mayor, Rosenthal received multiple awards for his service and was able to bring many jobs to Indianola. Rosenthal says he worked endlessly to get Love’s Truck Stop to build a stop in Indianola, and he is also especially proud of his work with the team in securing a $30 million “Promise Neighborhood” grant for Indianola.
After partnering with his cousin rebuilding some older homes and commercial properties in the area, Rosenthal says he decided to apply to be Director of Economic Development for Sunflower County. He and his cousin had already created two shopping centers, and it really opened Rosenthal’s eyes to economic development.
As director, Rosenthal believes it is his duty to promote the Delta, improve real estate sites so industries are more likely to move, and create workforce development opportunities for youth. Rosenthal says he and his team have been working with the Sunflower County Consolidated School District to implement a workforce development training called “Leader In Me”, which will help train students to be leaders starting in first and second grade.
One of Rosenthal’s biggest goals moving forward is to locate at least five 50 person companies with above average pay, and get them to move to Indianola. Rosenthal says he would rather have smaller companies instead of one big company because it creates diversity.
When he isn’t trying to make life better for everyone else, Rosenthal says he enjoys working on British cars, fixing old houses, and spending time with family.
“My family is really what keeps me going and keeps me here,” says Rosenthal. “We have five children and seven grandchildren, and we go back and forth to New Orleans on a regular basis to visit the grandkids that are there, and, of course, enjoy having my grandkids local.”
Rosenthal is currently on the Board of Directors for the Hebrew Union Temple and has served on the board of Sunflower-Humphreys County Progress, Indianola Bi-racial Committee, Indianola Promise Advisory Board, and the Mississippi Urban Forestry Council.