It’s one thing to land a big project… It’s another to build a legacy.
In this episode, Certified Economic Developer Tray Hairston, partner at Butler Snow LLP, shares how he’s built a career at the intersection of law, finance, and community-building.
From structuring billion-dollar bond deals to mentoring the next generation of talent, Tray explains how understanding both the legal and human aspects of economic development can unlock more effective and inclusive projects.
Key Takeaways:
- Why understanding the public side of deals makes you a stronger partner in complex projects
- How a mentor Tray never met shaped his career—and how that influence now guides the way he mentors and builds deep relationships with the next generation.
- What’s really driving brain drain, and how EDOs can create communities worth staying in
- How returning to his roots became the key to unlocking his purpose and influence
About the Guest:
Tray Hairston is a partner at Butler Snow LLP, where he focuses on public finance and economic development. A certified economic developer (CEcD), Tray has served as bond counsel for cities and counties across Mississippi and the Southeast. Before joining Butler Snow, he served as Counsel and Economic Development Advisor to Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant. He brings a unique blend of legal expertise and economic insight to projects that shape communities and drive long-term growth. You can connect with him on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/trayhairston).
The EDO Breakthrough podcast is brought to you by PPR Strategies. PPR Strategies is a strategic consulting firm working specifically with EDOs and other place-based organizations. We share the unique stories of communities through communications, strategic planning, marketing, media relations, and more.
Visit us at pprstrategies.com/edobreakthrough to learn more and to submit a question for a future episode.
Produced and edited by SpeakEasy Productions.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.