A. J. Holloway

A.J. Holloway was the Mayor of Biloxi, Mississippi (U.S.) from 1993 to 2015. He was educated in the Biloxi public schools and graduated from the University of Mississippi. Prior to his election as mayor, Holloway worked at the Mississippi Tax Commission for 12 years, reaching the position of senior revenue agent, and served one term on the Biloxi City Council, representing Ward 3. During his term as mayor, he oversaw the direct financial benefit to Biloxi from casino gambling that was introduced to the area in 1992.

Hurricane Katrina

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit Biloxi causing massive damage and loss of life. Summarizing the devastation in Biloxi left behind by Katrina, Holloway told The Sun Herald, "This is our tsunami."

Hopes for the Future

The mayor envisions as many 20 casino resorts in Biloxi in 10 years, and as many as 30,000 hotel rooms and 30,000 employees in the casino resort industry. His “Reviving the Renaissance” initiative also promises improvements in areas such as affordable housing, historic preservation, public safety and public education.

Holloway said in 2004 and again in 2007: “Future generations are going to look back on this chapter in our history as a time when we made the right decisions … when we cherished and protected our culture... and we did things to improve and enhance our quality of life. They’re going to see this as an historic time.”

References

• City of Biloxi - Mayor's Office
• PBS Online News Hour - Gambling Debates July 15, 1996
• "This is our tsunami"
• Appearances on C-SPAN
  • C-SPAN Q&A interview with Holloway, February 12, 2006