MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2000 Regular Session

To: Rules

By: Senator(s) Lee, Dearing, Bryan

A RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE CAREER OF DR. TED J. ALEXANDER, PRESIDENT OF PEARL RIVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE, MISSISSIPPI'S PIONEER COMMUNITY COLLEGE.

WHEREAS, Dr. Ted J. Alexander, President of Pearl River Community College in Poplarville, Mississippi, will retire on June 30, 2000, after serving over 40 years as a respected teacher and school administrator; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Alexander assumed his position as President of Mississippi's Pioneer Community College in July 1986, and his previous professional employment is as follows: July 1976 to July 1986, Superintendent of Schools, McComb Municipal Separate School District, McComb, Mississippi; July 1974 to June 1976, Superintendent of Schools, Newton Special Municipal Separate School District, Newton, Mississippi; July 1973 to June 1974, Principal, Pascagoula High School, Pascagoula, Mississippi; July 1972 to June 1973, Sabbatical for Residency in Doctoral Program, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi; July 1969 to June 1972, Principal, Pascagoula High School, Pascagoula, Mississippi; July 1966 to June 1969, Principal, Franklin County Attendance Center, Grades 1-12, Meadville, Mississippi; July 1964 to June 1966 Guidance Counselor and Assistant Principal, Franklin County Schools, Meadville, Mississippi; August 1959 to June 1964, he began his career as biological and physical science teacher, football, basketball and baseball coach, newspaper and student council sponsor, Meadville, Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, his educational background is as follows: 1973, Ed.D., University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, majoring in Educational Administration with areas of emphasis in School Law, Public School Administration and School Finance; 1964, M.Ed., Mississippi College, Clinton, Mississippi, (double major), majoring in Administration with areas of emphasis on School Administration and Supervision and School Finance, also majoring in Guidance, with areas of emphasis on Secondary School Guidance and Testing; 1958, B.A. Millsaps College, Jackson, Mississippi with a major in English with areas of emphasis on American Literature and Composition and English Literature; and

WHEREAS, for the last 30 years, he was associated at the elementary, secondary and college level with Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accredited institutions; for the past 24 years he was Chief Executive Officer at schools and colleges where there were no findings relative to cited conditions of eligibility; for a period of ten years he served as chair for various committees for visiting teams for schools undergoing SACS re-accreditation on the elementary and secondary level, and Pearl River Community College was re-accredited in 1995 with no follow-up required after the Response to the Report of the Reaffirmation Committee; and

WHEREAS, Ted's professional and honorary organizations are as follows: American Association of Community and Junior Colleges; American Association of School Administrators; Mississippi Community and Junior College Association; member, Board of Directors, Mississippi Community and Junior College Association Economic Advisory Committee; Mississippi Association of School Administrators; Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development; American Association of School Personnel Administrators; National Alliance for Arts Education; Mississippi Alliance for Art Education; charter member, PRO Club, American Association of School Administrators; Phi Delta Kappa; and his special honors are: recipient of the Edward J. Ransdale Instructional Television Award; recognized by the John F. Kennedy Center of the Performing Arts for contributions to the Arts Education Programs; recipient of the Hardin Scholar Award by the Hardin Foundation, 1972; recipient of the Golden Lamp Award presented by the Mississippi Association of School Administrators, October 1996; American School Board Journal and Executive Educator designee, Executive Educator 100, North America's Top 100 School Executives, January 1987; received for McComb Public Schools, formal designation and recognition of McComb High School as a national model school, the White House, Washington, D.C., by President Ronald Reagan, and Secretary of the United States Department of Education, Terrell Bell, November 1983; elected Mississippi's Lay Delegate to the White House Conference on Library and Information Services, Washington, D.C., 1979 and 1991; and

WHEREAS, his professional and community organizational leadership responsibilities have been exemplary: Chairman, Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges, 1998; Board of Directors, Mississippi Economic Council; past Chairman, Education Committee, Mississippi Economic Council; past Chairman, Mississippi Humanities Council; Chairman, Board of Directors, Mississippi Community College Foundation, 1997-1998; member, Board of Directors, Mississippi Community College Foundation, 1996 to present; Chairman, Finance Committee, Mississippi Community College Foundation, 1996; Vice Chairman, Executive Committee, Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges, 1996-1997; member, Gulf Coast Conference of School Superintendents, 1996; President, Lower Pearl River Valley Foundation, Picayune, Mississippi; member, adult choir, adult church school teacher, Council on Ministries, United Methodist Church, Poplarville, Mississippi; lay leader, First United Methodist Church, Poplarville, Mississippi; member, Poplarville Rotary Club, Poplarville, Mississippi, member, Poplarville Chamber of Commerce, Poplarville, Mississippi; member, Board of Trustees, Crosby Memorial Hospital, Picayune, Mississippi; and member, Board of Directors, Crosby Arboretum, Picayune, Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we join the community college family in recognizing the dedication and civic leadership of this teacher and administrator whose career has brought honor to his school, his community and to the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby commend the career of Dr. Ted J. Alexander, President of Pearl River Community College, offering him the thanks of a grateful state, and wish him and his family continued success in all their future endeavors.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be presented to Dr. Alexander and his family, and be made available to the State Board for Community and Junior Colleges and the Capitol Press Corps.