14 May ICC's Chris Stevenson selected Mississippi Community College Faculty Association vice president May 14, 2021 By Thomas, Donna S. General 0 Chris Stevenson of Fulton, Social Science Division Chair and history instructor at Itawamba Community College, has been selected as vice president of the Mississippi State Community College Faculty Association for 2021-23. A native of Guntown, Stevenson has been employed at ICC since 2010. He earned the associate’s degree from ICC, bachelor’s degree from Mississippi State University and the master’s degree from the University of Mississippi. He has additional graduate hours from Ole Miss and Delta State University. He is married to Bruce native Jessi Stevenson, and they have two children, Rourke and Riley. As vice president, Stevenson’s role includes support of current state president Brandi Pickett, and he will automatically become president at the conclusion of his two-year term. Stevenson said he plans to emphasize the value and the quality of instruction that originates in the community college classroom to state leaders as well as all residents of Mississippi. Related Articles Itawamba Community College receives $100,000 and joins 41 other schools across the US as All Within My Hands' Metallica Scholars Initiative expands in year five Metallica’s foundation, All Within My Hands, continues its multimillion-dollar investment in critical workforce programs at community colleges nationwide. Among the schools, Itawamba Community College was selected from a competitive pool of applicants to receive $100,000 to transform the futures of students in the community. “It is a tremendous honor for Itawamba Community College to be selected as one of the recipients of the prestigious All Within My Hands grant, which will significantly impact our career education programs, providing funding for students to pursue a pathway and their best start,” said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. “It is another indication of the success of the College and reinforcement of the mission that students and their success are our top priority.” The Metallica Scholars Initiative (MSI) was launched in 2019 by Metallica’s foundation, All Within My Hands (AWMH), in partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). The workforce initiative marks its fifth year with an ambitious expansion into new curricula. MSI now directly supports 42 community colleges across 33 states, and by the end of this year, it will have helped ... ICC's Gray, Stevenson selected for Mississippi Community College Policy Fellows Program Holly Gray of Fulton, Library director, and Chris Stevenson of Fulton, dean of Academic Instruction, have been selected to represent Itawamba Community College as participants in the Mississippi Community College Policy Fellows Program. Gray earned the associate’s degree from ICC, the bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Mississippi, the master’s degree in instructional technology from Mississippi State University, and the master’s degree in library and information science from the University of Alabama. She began her career at ICC in 2016 as librarian and currently serves as library director. Her honors include the ICC Leadership Development Institute, the Mississippi Community College Leadership Academy and service on the MAGNOLIA Advisory Board. Gray is a member of Fulton United Methodist Church and serves on the ICC Wesley Foundation Board. She and her husband, Jim, reside in Fulton and are the parents of two children. Stevenson, who began his career at ICC in 2010, previously served as history instructor and chair of the Social Science Division before being named dean of academic instruction. He earned the associate’s degree from ICC, the bachelor’s degree ... Community college faculty renew plea for funding, salary increases JACKSON – Mississippi has one of the lowest workforce participation rates in the United States, yet the 15 community colleges, which are ideally positioned to offer the programs that impact the state’s job growth, continue to be chronically underfunded. Mississippi has more than 40,000 job openings but the majority of those jobs require some education and training beyond high school, but not a bachelor's degree. Community college career and technical programs are demand-driven educational programs tailored in each community to meet local needs. The Mississippi Faculty Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MFACJC) wants to make sure legislators and communities understand how beneficial the community college system is to our state, said MFACJC President Mary Warren, who teaches at Copiah-Lincoln Community College. However, to make good on the promises of those benefits of a quality education, educational resources need to improve. That includes salary increases for faculty who have not had a state-funded raise since 2008, she said. “I can truly appreciate all the work our legislators do to make Mississippi a better place to live, but I think it’s time we fund ... Steele, Kinard selected for Mississippi Community College Leadership Academy Itawamba Community College’s Rachel Steele of Fulton and Dr. Ira Lindsay Kinard of Houston have been selected as participants in the 2025-26 Mississippi Community College Leadership Academy. Steele, who has been a member of the ICC family since 2019, serves as the director of Admissions and registrar. Her previous roles at ICC include instructional support services coordinator and academic mentor. Steele earned the Master of Science degree in College Student Personnel from Arkansas Tech University in 2013 and the Bachelor of Science degree in Liberal Studies from Central Baptist College in 2011. Her honors include ICC Leadership Development Institute (2024-25). She and her husband, Jake, have two children and are active members of Grace Bible Church of Fulton. Dr. Kinard, a mathematics instructor at ICC, began her tenure at the College in 2008. Her previous service includes advisor for the Beta Tau Sigma chapter of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. She earned the Doctor of Philosophy degree from Mississippi State University in 2018, the Master of Education degree from the University of Mississippi in 2008, the Bachelor of Arts in Education ... ICC students, faculty among Mississippi Community College Creative Writers Association competition winners Itawamba Community College students and faculty were among the winners in the 2023 Mississippi Community College Creative Writers Association competition. They include Kent Humphries of Vina, Ala., first place in dramatic writing for “Nun with a Gun;” Emma Logan of Fulton, second place in literary essay for “Literature and Disney Classics;” editor-in-chief Shawn Whittington of Saltillo, poetry editor Keith Morris of Tupelo, and student poetry editors Connor Monaghan of Aberdeen and Jessica George of Tupelo, first place in literary magazine. This is the sixth year in a row that ICC has won the dramatic writing category and the second year in a row, the literary magazine category. The competition included poetry, short story, essay (creative nonfiction), literary essay, dramatic writing and college literary magazine. First and second place winners received monetary prizes of $100 and $60, respectively. ICC's Holloway completes prestigious Mississippi Community College Policy Fellows Program Itawamba Community College’s Michael Holloway of Saltillo, director of recruiting and orientation, is among the 2023 graduates of the Mississippi Community College Policy Fellows Program. Holloway, who is a native of Amory, attended Itawamba Community College on a soccer scholarship. His educational background includes the associate’s degree from ICC and the bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Mississippi. He has worked in higher education for 15 years, all in enrollment management. Before joining the ICC staff 11 years ago, Holloway was a regional admissions counselor for the University of Mississippi for four years. He and his wife, Erin, a teacher for the Tupelo Public School district, are the parents of three children, Emma, 10; Bennett, 6, and baby John Michael. They are members of the First United Methodist Church of Saltillo. “It was an honor to be a part of this (CPFP) experience,” Holloway said. “I appreciate Itawamba Community College for providing me with the opportunity to participate and learn more about advocating at the state and national levels and to collaborate with colleagues across Mississippi for ... Comments are closed.