DATE: October 2, 2001
CONTACT: Calvin Burns, 901/333-5338 or Marilyn
Duncan, 901/333-4247
STCC Sets Reception For President Essex
Southwest Tennessee Community College will host a
reception in honor of its first president, Dr. Nathan L. Essex, from 4-6
p.m., Wednesday, October 17. This community outreach event will be held
on the Macon Cove Campus, 5983 Macon Cove, in the Farris Building,
Meeting Rooms A, B, and C. It is free and open to the public.
Dr. Essex, the former interim president of STCC,
was named permanent president in June by a unanimous vote of the
Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR). That vote came after TBR Chancellor
Charles Manning gave Dr. Essex his full recommendation.
Dr. Essex was one of four finalists chosen from 29
applicants. On leave from his position as dean of the college of
education at The University of Memphis, he was leader of the transition
process following the consolidation of State Technical Institute at
Memphis and Shelby State Community College that formed Southwest
Tennessee Community College on July 1, 2000.
STCC has more than 13,000 students, which makes it
the largest community college in the TBR system. The College offers
Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees for transfer to
four-year colleges and universities; Associate of Applied Science
degrees for immediate career entry into technical, business, service,
education and allied health fields; and Technical and Academic
certificates to prepare individuals for entry-level positions in the
marketplace.
Dr. Essex received a B.S. degree in English from
Alabama A&M University, an M.S. degree in Educational Administration
from Jacksonville State University and a Ph.D. degree in Administration
and Planning from The University of Alabama. He has held public school
teaching and administrative positions as well as corporate management
positions prior to completing his doctorate. Since earning the
doctorate, Dr. Essex has served as Associate Director of the Bureau of
Educational Service and Research, Program Chair of the Administration
and Planning Program, and Area Head of Educational Leadership at The
University of Alabama. He also served as a policy consultant for the
Alabama State Department of Education and provided consultation for more
than 100 school districts and post-secondary institutions.
This distinguished educator has received numerous
awards in recognition of his contributions in the field of education.
Some of them include: The Truman M. Pierce Award for Educational
Leadership and Outstanding Contributions, which advanced the
direction of education in the state of Alabama; The Academic
Excellence Award in recognition of professional achievement and
academic excellence; The Capstone College of Education Society; The
University of Alabama's Teaching Excellence Award; Who's Who in the
State of Tennessee; President Bush's Community Service Award, 1991; and
The University of Memphis Distinguished Administrator of the Year
1995-96.
