Who We Are

 

 

Mrs. Dyess is a native of Yazoo County, and has lived in Clay County for five years. Mrs. Dyess was appointed to the East Mississippi Community College Board of Trustees in 2009. She received her undergraduate degree from Mississippi University for Women and her master’s degree from The University of Southern Mississippi.  Previously she has taught Art K-12 in both public and private schools.  She enjoyed a 10-year career at William Carey University, where she was on the art faculty and served as director of the Lucile Parker Art Gallery. Currently she serves on the West Point/Clay County Arts Council (past president), chairs the Main Street Design Committee and volunteers her time in various civic endeavors. She is a member of the Episcopal Church of the Incarnation in West Point. She is married to J. Dwight Dyess, president of BancorpSouth in West Point, and they have one son, Walker.

Biography Coming Soon

Evelyn Murray is a native of Noxubee County. She retired in 2009 after being employed for 44 years in the Noxubee County School District.  She taught junior high and high school English; served as high school assistant principal, and District Test Coordinator; Federal Education Programs Director and was appointed to the Board of the Mississippi Association of Federal Education Programs Directors.  Mrs. Murray currently serves as an Alderwoman for the Town of Shuqualak.  She attended Jackson State University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Language Arts. From Mississippi State University, she earned Master's Degrees in English and Educational Leadership. She and her husband Pastor Murray have five children.

A native of Wilkinson County, Mrs. Jackson has lived in Kemper County for 41 years. She was appointed to the East Mississippi Community College Board of Trustees in 1990. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Education from Jackson State University and, from Mississippi State University, a master’s degree in Education and an Education Specialist degree. Her experience ranges from grades 1-12 and includes elementary education, gifted education, middle school mathematics and computer education. Currently she is principal of Philadelphia High School. She is a member of Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Preston. She and her husband, Charles, have one son, one daughter and three grandchildren.​ 

Hazel Johnson is a native of Noxubee County. She retired in 1998 after teaching grades 3-5 for more than 27 years in the Noxubee County School System. She currently works part-time as a payroll clerk for B&B and Brooks Auto in Brooksville. Mrs. Johnson earned a bachelor's degree in education from Rust College in Holly Springs and a master's degree in education from the University of Mississippi. In 2005, she was appointed to the Noxubee County School Board and was elected from 2006 to 2012. She also serves on two advisory boards. Mrs. Johnson is a Community Coach for Turning the Tide on Poverty, funded by Mississippi State University. She is a member of Sylvian Ridge Baptist Church in Macon. She and her husband, Dennis Johnson, have one son and one grandson. 

​R. Frank Nichols is a retired Chief of Police from the Starkville (MS) Police Department. He began his law enforcement career on December 21, 1992. He rose from the rank of Patrolman up to being appointed to Chief of Police February 4, 2014. He retired December 31, 2019 with 27 years of service.
Chief Nichols holds an Associate of Arts Degree from East Mississippi Community College, a Bachelor of Science Degree from Mississippi State University and a Master of Science in Criminal Justice Degree from Troy University. Chief Nichols is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy class #255.
Chief Nichols has also worked as a Lecturer/Adjunct Instructor in the Sociology/Criminology Department at Mississippi State University and East Mississippi Community College. He’s a military veteran of the United States Navy and United States Army National Guard where he was deployed to Operation Desert Shield (1990 Navy) and Operation Iraqi Freedom III (2005 Army). He’s received numerous medals and awards for his service. Additionally, Nichols has received a Community Achievement Award, Outstanding Professional of the Year Award, Lifetime Achievement Award, a Humanitarian Award, Masonic Man of the Year Award, Phi Beta Sigma Man of the Year Award, Starkville/Oktibbeha County’s Top 40 under 40 Award, and he was inducted into the Starkville High School Hall of Famous.
He currently serves as a Board of Trustee member with East Mississippi Community College. He’s the father of two sons; Reynolds 22 years of old and Jaxsen 13 years old

Mr. McDade is a life-long resident of Kemper County and the Townsend Community. Mr. McDade was appointed to the East Mississippi Community College Board of Trustees in 2008. He graduated from DeKalb High School in 1967. He attended EMCC and graduated in 1969. He continued his education at Mississippi State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in the field of education upon graduation in 1971. Mr. McDade is a self-employed business owner and operates several businesses in DeKalb. He serves on the board of the Kemper County Forestry Association and is president of the Townsend Water Association. Mr. McDade is a member and deacon of Bay Springs Baptist Church in the Townsend Community. He is married to the former Latitia Bryan, and the couple has three children and five grandchildren.

Mr. Moore’s roots run deep with the college. A Meridian native who graduated from Southeast Lauderdale High School, he received an MBA from the University of Southern Mississippi and then went to work at East Mississippi Community College in 1972. During his tenure at EMCC, he served primarily as the business manager in addition to the director of development, assisting in the recruitment of students from in-district high schools. He left EMCC and served as the county administrator for the Kemper County Board of Supervisors for 3 years before entering the solid waste collection and disposal business. Mr. Moore worked with Waste Management, Enviro Inc. and Waste Pro of Mississippi before joining Arrow Disposal Inc. as Municipal Marketing Director. 

Mr. Mosley is currently Assistant Superintendent of Education in the Lauderdale County School District. He is a 29-year veteran educator, holding several positions such as teacher, assistant principal and director of personnel. He is active in his community, serving on several boards, both past and present, such as Meridian Muna Federal Credit Union, The Boys and Girls Club, The Hilltop House for Boys, The United Way, and The Boy Scouts of America. He is married to Adrian Turuaud Mosley. They have three children, Royce, Justin and Victoria, and five grandchildren. They are active members of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Meridian.

Dr. Keith Gaskin currently serves as the Mayor of the City of Columbus, MS.  He has been a resident of Lowndes County since 1987.  He was appointed to the EMCC Board of Trustees in 2021.  He has held several  leadership roles in Institutional Advancement during his career including Mississippi State University, The University of Alabama and the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science Foundation among others.  He holds a Ph.D. in Community College Leadership, a Master of Public Policy and Administration from Mississippi State University and a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from the University of Southern Mississippi.  He is married to Gaines Bateman Gaskin and is the proud father of two adult children and one grandson.

Dr. Richard Eubanks of the Baptist Medical Group-Golden Triangle Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery clinic is a board-certified surgeon with more than 20 years of experience specializing in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery. Prior to joining Baptist Medical Group, he was the co-director of a cardiovascular and thoracic surgery program in both Ocean Springs and Pascagoula, Mississippi. After earning his bachelor's degree in biology from Stanford University, Dr. Eubanks received his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, where he graduated with honors. He completed both his general surgery and thoracic surgery residencies at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.