Contact: Sammy McDavid
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Community college educators and administrators from Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana gather next week in Winston County for an intensive professional development and leadership training program.
The more than 30 participants are attending the 2007 Mid-South Community College Fellowship Program, which begins Sunday [July 15] at the Lake Tiak O'Khata Conference Center near Louisville.
Now in its 14th year, the conference is organized by the John C. Stennis Institute of Government at Mississippi State University. Support is provided by the State Board for Community and Junior Colleges, along with the Meridian-based G.V. "Sonny" Montgomery Institute and participating institutions.
"The fellowship program is the first and only university-based curriculum in Mississippi focusing on the preparation of future community college leaders," said coordinator Ed Davis.
"It is important to nurture and prepare the next generation of community college leaders and that's what our annual program is designed to do," added the Mississippi State assistant professor for instructional systems and workforce development.
Davis, who also coordinates the university's doctoral program in community college leadership, said training involves problem-based learning, team building and conflict management activities, among others.
"While most of our participants represent Mississippi institutions, we also have attracted for some time emerging leaders at community colleges in adjacent states," Davis said.
Wayne Stonecypher, executive director of the Mississippi community college board; William F. "Bill" Scaggs, the former Meridian Community College president now leading the Montgomery Institute; MSU economics professor and researcher Charles Campbell; and Stennis Institute executive director Marty Wiseman will be among the featured speakers.
The 2007 MCCFP Fellows class includes:
BILOXI--Bobbie Loveless, chairperson of the associate degree nursing program at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.
CHALMETTE, La.--Teresa Smith, executive director of institutional advancement and executive assistant to the chancellor of Nunez Community College.
CLARKSDALE--Steven Jossel, workforce specialist at Coahoma Community College.
CLEVELAND--Tracy Craddock, coordinator of dual enrollment/dual credit at Mississippi Delta Community College.
COLUMBUS--Delphi Wilson, workforce services specialist at East Mississippi Community College.
DECATUR--Tina Harris, basic skills specialist at East Central Community College.
ECRU--Tim Mounce, health, physical education and recreation instructor at Itawamba Community College.
FAYETTE, Ala.--Karla Quesenberry, civic leadership facilitator at Bevill State Community College. (Also a featured speaker.)
GAUTIER--Sonya Edwards, student activities coordinator for the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College's Jackson County Campus.
MADISON--Jason Pope, small business counselor and coordinator of entrepreneur projects at Hinds Community College.
MAYHEW--Danny Avery, civil leadership facilitator for East Mississippi Community College. (Also a featured speaker.)
MERIDIAN--Ken Dupre, civil leadership facilitator for Meridian Community College. (Also a featured speaker.)
NATCHEZ--Teresa Harrison, dean of Copiah-Lincoln Community College's Natchez Campus.
PERKINSTON--Cheryl Bond, career technical counselor for Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College's Perkinston Campus, and Keith Lee, MGCCC's webmaster.
RAYMOND--Donnie Lindsey, student recruiter for Hinds Community College.
SALTILLO--Janae Hagan, social sciences instructor at Itawamba Community College.
SELMA, Ala.--Felicia Pettway, civic leadership facilitator for Wallace Community College, Selma. (Also a featured speaker.)
THOMASVILLE, Ala.--Nichole D'Andrea, community development coordinator for Alabama Southern Community College. (Also a featured speaker.)
TUPELO--Cheryl Ware, physical therapy assistant instructor at Itawamba Community College.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala.--Janina Nobles, civil leadership facilitator for Shelton State Community College. (Also a featured speaker.)
UNION--Joan Grimes, technical preparatory coordinator at East Central Community College.
NEWS EDITORS/DIRECTORS: For additional information on the 2007 conference, contact LaNell Kellum of the Stennis Institute at 662-325-3328 or 325-0215; e-mail lanell@sig.msstate.edu.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.