Butler Snow attorney Tray Hairston was recently chosen to participate in the Harvard Kennedy School’s Effective Leadership Across Sectors Program from November 12-15, 2024. As a previous graduate of the Delta Leadership Institute’s Executive Academy in 2017-2018, Tray participated alongside fellow DLI alumni in the executive leadership training held at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
The “Effective Leadership Across Sectors” program is an advanced education opportunity offered exclusively to DLI alumni, who are members of the Delta Leadership Network – a post-DLI community of nearly 700 community leaders representing public, private and nonprofit sectors from across DRA’s eight-state region.
Hairston concentrates his practice on public finance and economic development. Before joining the firm, he served as Counsel and Economic Development Advisor to Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant. He has served as bond counsel for various cities and counties and has worked on transactions totaling more than $2 billion. In addition, he is a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) through the International Economic Development Council.
Prior to his legal career, Hairston was also a member of the Business Development Division at the Mississippi Development Authority, where he provided project management assistance to companies and consultants looking to locate new businesses in Mississippi.
Hairston has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America® for Economic Development Law (2025), Mid-South Super Lawyers® for Government Finance (2016-2018), Mississippi College School of Law as Young Lawyer of the Year (2013) and Mississippi Business Journal as one of its Top 40 under 40 (2012-2013). He was also recently named to the Board of Directors for the International Economic Development Council through 2027. In 2018, The Bond Buyer publication also recognized him as one of the 28 “Rising Stars” within the public finance field throughout the country.
He is a member of the National Association of Bond Lawyers, American Bar Association, International Economic Development Council, Mississippi Economic Development Council, and Mississippi Bar Association.
Hairston earned his bachelor’s degree from Tougaloo College, his MBA from Belhaven College, and his Juris Doctor from the Mississippi College School of Law.
