Phil's avocation is writing. He is a mystery writer, a business columnist and a novelist.Phil Hardwick loves a good mystery. Early in his career, he solved real ones as a police officer and state investigator. These days he's a professional economic and community developer who spends his spare time writing mysteries. The first title in Phil's brand-new Great American Mystery Series will soon be released by Great American Publishers. He is the author of The Mississippi Mystery Series, a 10-book collection of short novels featuring Jack Boulder, Mississippi's premier (fictional) private eye, including the latest volume, Letters from Lexington. Hardwick's award-winning column on economic and community development appears bi-weekly in the Mississippi Business Journal. Many of his columns have appeared in regional publications around the country. Copies of his past columns are available for download at amazon.com. (Type in PHIL HARDWICK in the Search Amazon bar.)Phil Hardwick is Past-President of the Mississippi Main Street Association, Mississippi Economic Development Council, Mississippi Association of Partners in Education and Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. He currently serves on the board of the USA International Ballet Competition. He received his undergraduate degree from Belhaven College and MBA from Millsaps College. He is a graduate of the Senior Executives in State & Local Government executive program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. During his military service, Hardwick was Security Team Leader for Army One, the Presidential helicopter.