Beverly Truesdale Meng returns to S.C.
By Bob Wilson

Beverly Meng with her friend, John Maxwell, the actor who does a one man William Faulkner, "Mr. Faulkner, Do You Write"

Beverly Meng joined the staff of the Mississippi Main Street Association (MMSA) as executive director in July, 1993. In 2006, Meng was named executive director of counsel of the MMSA. Prior to her work in Mississippi, she held the position of director of program services and assistant executive director for the South Carolina Downtown Development Association for six and a half years.

Meng is a past president of the Board of Trustees of the Mississippi Heritage Trust, a Certified Professional Community Developer, a member of the Mississippi Economic Development Council, a past member of the Board of Directors of Mississippi Tourism Association. She serves on the Board of Advisors to the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) and has chaired the Southern Region Board of Advisors.

Meng also served the National Trust for Historic Preservation as a member of the Community Revitalization Committee, the Preservation Committee, and the NTHP Board of Advisors Executive Committee. She served on various boards of directors of civic, cultural, and educational organizations in South Carolina, Mississippi, and Washington, D.C.

Meng served on the faculty of the New South Economic Development Course at the University of Southern Mississippi. Meng participated in training and made downtown presentations across the United States, including the mandatory Community Development Workshop for the Mississippi Municipal League.

Meng was the first state coordinator of Main Street to serve on the National Trust for Historic Preservation Board of Trustees representing her colleagues nationwide.

During her career with Mississippi Main Street, Meng worked with communities on organization, promotion and marketing, design, and economic restructuring issues, as these four points relate to downtown revitalization. She led the Mississippi Main Street Association to implement its Main Street, Small Towns Main Street, and Urban Neighborhood Main Street Programs throughout Mississippi.

Meng is a native of South Carolina and a graduate of the University of South Carolina. She grew up in Columbia and attended Crayton Elementary School, Crayton Junior High, and Dreher High School.

Meng is the daughter of Mrs. Thomas B. (Dorothy Truesdale) Horton and the late James Edward "Ed" Truesdale Sr. Her son, Bernard Boyd Meng IV lives in Charleston, S.C. Her brother, James Edward "Jimmy" Truesdale, is a consultant in Charleston.

Meng has stayed in touch with her friends from Dreher High School and continues to reign as queen of her Columbia YaYa friends. She recently moved to Newberry, S.C. to be near family members. She plans to continue her involvement with Historic Downtown Development.