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Oct. 9: ECCC announces reco1-\l 1ft Scholarships will be avail– able for qualified higb school graduates who reside in the five-county servicearea of East Central Community Colle~ in 2014-15, thanks to a generous donation from an alumna who included the College in her es– tate planning. The estate of Frances Gaines Blum Slagle, a 1940 ECCC graduate and former De– catur resident, recently pre– sented the ECCC Foundation with approximately $2.68 mil– lion in cash, stocks, and certifi– cates of deposit to be used to establish student scholarships. This gift represents the lar~st single donation ever received by the institution and oneofthe largest gifts ever received by a community colle~ in the state ofMississippi. ECCC President Billy W. Stewart made the announce– ment during a press confer– ence held Oct. 9. Stewart announced that $50,000 will be used to endow theWillis E. Blum and Frances

College's Simpson County Center in Mendenhall. Stewart's education expe– rience also includes the sec– ondary education level. He served as assistant principal at Pearl High School from July 1993 to June 1994. He began his employment at the school in July 1990 as a social studies instructor. Stewart is a graduate of USM, where he received a bachelor's degree in history/teacher education in 1990 and earned a master's degree in curriculum and in– struction/history in 1993. He was selected Mr. Universityof Southern Mississippi and is a member of the USM Hall of Fame. He completed a doctorate in school administration with emphasis in Higher Educa– tion/Community College Ad– ministration from Mississippi State University in 1997. Stewart and his wife, Stephanie, have four school– age children- Stephen, Will, Elizabeth and Emily.

the future of ECCC," Hollingsworth said. Stewart, MGCCC's Admin– istrator of the Year for 2011- 12, said he looks forward to taking ECCC to even greater levels of excellence. "I am excited about work– ingwith the ECCC family and building upon the foundation as set forth by Dr. Phil Sut– phin, Dr. Eddie M. Smith and the other former presidents," Stewart said. The other top candidates were Randall E. Lee, ECCC vice president for Student Services; and Andrea May– field , vice president for Aca.– deniic Instruction /Institutional Research and Effectiveness/SACS Liaison at East Mississippi Commu– nity College in Scooba.. Stewart succeeds Phil A Sutphin, who earlier an– nounced plans to retire on June 30, following 12 years of service leading the institu– tion. Prior to joining the MGCCC staff, Stewart served as Dean ofCopiab-Lincoln Community

Blum Slag1e Scholarship, and tbc remaining$2.63 million will be used to endow the Children of Andrew Gaines and Inez Gaines: Marjorie Mansfield, Mary George Pare, Frances Gaines Blum Slagle, Vrrginia Gaines Smith and Geneva GainesBoringTuition Gulp1Ul– tee Scholarship. The tuition guarantee schol– arship is slated to begin in the Fall of 2014 and will be used to "complete" the cost of tuition for the Fall and Springsemes– ters of the freshman year at EOCC. ECCC's eighth president fur– ther explained bow the funds will be utilized. "Details are still being worked out, but the tuition guarantee scholarship will en– sure that tuition for a high school graduate residingin one of our five counties and en– rolling at ECCC the fall semes– ter immediately following high school graduation will be cov– ered for the Fall and Springse-– mesters of hi&'her freshman vear " be said . ' "I should emphasize that

funds from the endowment be used to complete the oo tuition for students, or sen a 'gap-filler' scholarship other words, if a student i ready receiving $940 or n through grants, other scb< ships, and/or state or Ceder. nancial aid, then the tui guarantee scholarship will provide funding for that dent. However, if a studen ceives less than $940 in fun• from other ~urces, then guarantee tuition schola.I'I will provide the difference tween the funds 1·eceived the amount needed to pay tuition." Although the tuition guru tee scholarship currently only apply to qualified l school graduateswho resid Leake, Nesboba, Newton, S andWmston counties and roll as freshman student! ECCC the fall semester im diately following bigb scl graduation, Stewart said forts are underway to "per: nently provide the cost tuition" for our district dents.

March 28: Stewart tapped to lead ECCC An administrator from Mis– sissippi Gull Coast Commu– nity College in Perkinston bas emerged from four finalists to become the next president of East Central CommunityCol– lege in Decatur. Billy W. Stewart, vice pres– ident for Administration and Finance at MGCCC, was unanimously selected ECCC's eigbtb president at theBoard of Trustees meeting March 20. Board of Trustees Chair– man Jimmy Hollingsworth said Stewart and Michael J. "Mike" McGrevey, were rec– ommended for the top post following interviews of four fi– nalists conductedby the Pres– idential Search Committee, composed of Board of Trustees members represent– ing the college's district, which includes Leake, Nesboba,New1on,Scottand Wmston counties. "Dr. Stewart brings great community college experi– ence l'lld a dynamic vision for

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