EMCC VP First In College To Participate In Prestigious Leadership Class

SCOOBA, Miss. (PRESS RELEASE) — East Mississippi Community College Assistant Vice President of Institutional Advancement Leia Hill has been chosen to participate in the 2016 State Executive Development Institute (SEDI) leadership session at the John C. Stennis Institute of Government and Community Development at Mississippi State University.

Hill is the first person from EMCC selected to attend the annual leadership training program since its inception 27 years ago.

The program at MSU is designed to prepare mid- to upper-level state and local government executives to be more efficient leaders.

During the week-long course, a broad range of topics are covered by state and local officials, nationally recognized leaders, and Mississippi State University’s teaching and research faculty, SEDI Executive Director Frank Riley said.

“We offer courses in basic business skills, marketing, government, e-marketing and management,” Riley said. “We will also cover topics such as leadership crisis, which includes information about how agencies and cities operate during a crisis. We also have five or six legislators who will speak to the class.”

A three-member board reviews nominees for the program and selects the participants.

The course began Sunday, May 8, and runs through Friday, May 13.

“I consider it an honor to have been chosen to participate in such a prestigious leadership program,” Hill said.

“Being offered the opportunity to be part of such a group and to be exposed to greater learning on a state level is something I am very grateful for, proud of and excited about.”

Riley said there are more than 300 alumni in the state who have graduated from the leadership program.

The list of graduates includes Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny DuPree, former Mississippi Department of Mental Health Executive Director Ed LeGrand and Mississippi State Personnel Board Executive Director Deanne Mosley.

“As a graduate of the State Executive Development Institute, I highly recommend it as a critical component of professional development for public sector leaders,” Mosley wrote in an email when asked for her thoughts about the leadership session.

“The comprehensive curriculum, which consists of both theoretical study and application of leadership concepts, challenges participants to think innovatively and strategically to create better systems and solutions for state and local governments.”

Hill said this opportunity promises to be rewarding.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the positive impact this experience provides, not only for me personally and professionally, but for East Mississippi Community College,” she said.

“Ultimately, it is my goal to use this experience and the knowledge gained to benefit EMCC in future endeavors.”

The following is a list of 2016 SEDI participants: Hudspeth Regional Center/ Mississippi Department of Mental Health Assistant Director Jerrie Barnes; South Mississippi Regional Center Division Director II – Unit Manager Robert Boyer;

East Mississippi State Hospital Branch Director 1 Rae Brown; North Mississippi Regional Center Director of Public Information Betty Jane Davis; Mississippi Department of Mental Health Division Director Randy Foster; MDOT Law Enforcement Capt. David Gist; MDOT Applications Manager Cheryl Gordon;

Mississippi Gaming Commission Special Agent Amesha Gross; East Mississippi Community College Assistant Vice President of Institutional Advancement Leia Hill; PERS of Mississippi Chief Systems Information Officer Walter Hille;

Public Employees Retirement System of Mississippi Program Administrator Alicia Houston; North Mississippi Regional Center Director of Engineering Martin Inman; North Mississippi Regional Center Assistant Director of Resident Living Jacova Jenkins;

North Mississippi Regional Center Staff Development Director Susan Jenkins; Specialized Treatment Facility Social Work Supervisor Valerie Joiner; Boswell Regional Center Director of Records Management / Electronic Health Records Elizabeth Luper; Mississippi State Personnel Board Communications Director Brittany Martin; MDOT Chief Chemist Douglas Miller;

Mississippi Department of Transportation Digital Media Manager Robert Pettit; Mississippi State Hospital Director of Information Management Bart Uharriet; Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration Director of Office of Fiscal Management J. Mark Valentine; Mississippi Department of Mental Health Director of the Division of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementia Kathy Van Cleave;

Mississippi Soil and Water Conservation Commission Environmental Administrator 1 Patrick Vowell; MDOT Roadway Design Section Engineer District 2 Greg Williams; City of Cleveland City Manager Farae Wolfe.