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Three Southwest advisors named to Tennessee Academic Advising Network

By Communications and Marketing Staff 

Tennessee Academic Advising

Congratulations to three Southwest Tennessee Community College academic advisors recently named to the 2022 Tennessee Academic Advising Network executive board: Interim Director of Advising and Academic Support Evelyn Moore, and Professional Academic Advisors Mia Atkins-Beason and Iris Blair. 

Moore was tapped to be the new president of TAAN; Atkins-Beason, faculty advisor-at-large and Iris Blair as secretary. The full slate of officers for 2022 is listed below. 

TAAN was created by the Tennessee Board of Regents as a professional forum for sharing best practices and knowledge exchange related to academic advising for all the community colleges and applied technical colleges powering Tennessee. A primary goal of TAAN is to provide its members with opportunities for professional development and peer support, ultimately building a network of resources to enhance student success. Equally important is the representation and promotion of the interests of academic advising within the larger university community. 

2022 TAAN Executive Board and Committee Members 
Evelyn Moore - President (Southwest Tennessee Community College) 
Anna Kent - Vice President/President Elect (Chattanooga State Community College)
Mia Atkins-Beason - Faculty Advisor-at-Large (Southwest Tennessee Community College)
Iris Blair - Secretary (Southwest Tennessee Community College)
Kendra Veal - Communications Coordinator(Chattanooga State Community College)
Donna Lanham - Social Media Coordinator (Roane State Community College)
Trevor Hill - Professional Advisor-at-Large(Chattanooga State Community College)

Thanks to TAAN for sharing the bios of Southwest’s board members which appeared in the September 2022 issue of TAAN Times.  

Evelyn Moore - President  Evelyn Moore: President  
Evelyn is a graduate of Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri. She earned a Master of Business Administration from Colorado Technical University and a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of Memphis. Evelyn is currently working toward her Doctor of Business Administration with specialization in Leadership at Capella University. Evelyn brings to the board, her comprehensive experience as project manager, analyst, educator and advisor with proven team building and leadership skills in data analysis through strategic problem-solving assessments, improving quality reporting, policies, procedures and operational standards.


Mia AtkinsMia Atkins-Beason: Faculty Advisor-at-Large
Mia Atkins Beason is a professional academic advisor at Southwest Tennessee Community College where she guides and assists students with their career and educational goals through intrusive and proactive strategies that are met when the key milestones are made during the matriculation process. For over two years, Mia has served alongside Southwest’s Equity and Inclusion Practitioners. The goals of E & I Practitioners are to review, gather data, and analyze those findings to support the needs of the college in terms of their work to close academic achievement gaps, and direct the overall institutional equity and inclusion of the college. She is also an adjunct instructor for the college’s English Department. She served eight years in the United States Navy Reserve as a storekeeper. Mia is married and a mother of a blended family of 7 (all grown), and 11 grandchildren. Mia loves to volunteer her time tutoring students, traveling and spending time with family and friends.


Iris BlairIris Blair: Secretary  
Iris Blair grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. She always loved studying and making good grades. Iris’ mother and father raised her and six siblings in Memphis. As a first-generation college student, receiving an associate degree from Southwest was life changing. It was a goal she dreamed of accomplishing since she was a child. She earned an associate of science degree with Honors from Southwest in 2013. Obtaining an associate degree left her with the desire to learn more. She decided to pursue a bachelor’s degree and graduated from the University of Memphis in 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology with Honors. Her parents are proud of her accomplishments. Iris enjoys music, shopping, jokes, learning new things, watching the latest TV shows and movies, and occasional walks in the park. Most of all, she likes spending time with family and being a professional academic advisor at Southwest Tennessee Community College where she loves interacting with the diverse student population.