Schumann honored for role in national project
Nancy Patterson
4/22/04


Northwest Mississippi Community College John Deere Pro-Tech Instructor Terry Schumann was recently recognized for his contribution on the North American Location Strategy team.

"The nine-member team looked at the John Deere training facilities," said Schumann. "Our job was to take a look at the present locations and reassign training operations in strategic locations in the United States and Canada," he said. "This means closing some current operations and opening new ones."

Schumann and his team were issued a mandate to "improve training delivery to allow the most efficient and cost effective methods of delivering training while improving employee satisfaction," according to a project plan from John Deere.

The country was divided into four major hubs that will provide training. The facility on the Senatobia campus that is part of the partnership with Northwest and John Deere will answer to the Dallas hub.

"Your extensive research, vision and leadership have developed a new strategy, which will lead us to the next level in North American Training," said Roger Jenkins, manager, Training Delivery with John Deere Ag Marketing Center.

A new building to house Northwest's agricultural technology-John Deere program was approved Sept. 10 when $750,000 was approved through a U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant.

The $1.6 million project will include funds from the EDA grant, $500,000 from Northwest and $400,000 from John Deere Corp.

"Bids on this project could go out as soon as July," said Jerry Nichols, dean of Career and Technical Education on the Senatobia campus.