Northwest announces finalists in presidential search
By Darrin Devault,
Director of Public Relations

Northwest Mississippi Community College has narrowed its presidential search to three finalists, according to college Board of Trustees member Jimmy Eubanks of Tunica who chairs the nine-member presidential search committee.

The finalists are:

• Dr. Charles E. (Ed) Meadows, president of Lurleen B. Wallace Community College in Andalusia, Ala.;
• Dr. Gary Lee Spears, Northwest Mississippi Community College registrar and director of Admissions and Records; and
• Dr. Michael W. Waldrop, executive director of the Mississippi School Boards Association.
  

The college's full 22-member Board of Trustees will conduct two-hour interviews with each finalist on Thursday, Dec. 2, and is also expected to select a successor to current Northwest President David M. Haraway that day.

Haraway, president since 1985, is retiring at the end of June 2005.

Meadows has been president of Lurleen B. Wallace Community College since January 2003. He also was president of Ayers (Ala.) State Technical College from April 1996 until his current appointment.

Meadows is a 1967 graduate of Ripley High School. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology at Delta State University in 1971, a master's degree in science education at the University of Tennessee in 1975, and a Master of Arts and Doctorate of Education at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., in 1979.

Meadows has worked in higher education for some 25 years. He taught biology at Northwest from 1979-81, then served as biology department chair and instructor at Itawamba Community College from 1981-85.

He was associate dean and chief administrative officer at Copiah-Lincoln Community College (Natchez campus) from 1985-89, dean of academic affairs at Southwest Tennessee Community College in Memphis from 1989-91 and vice president at Bevill (Ala.) State Community College from 1991-96.

Spears, a native of Eudora in DeSoto County, has served in several different positions in his 29 years at Northwest, including instructor, vocational counselor, assistant to the DeSoto Center director, and vice president for Student Affairs.

He has been registrar and director of Admissions and Records for 25 years. He also coordinates the college's commencement exercises and has represented Northwest as a lobbyist to the Mississippi state legislature for the past 20 years.

Spears is a 1963 graduate of Hernando High School. He earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in 1966 and an Associate of Education degree in 1972 from Northwest. He went on to earn a bachelor's degree in social science in 1974 and a master's degree in guidance and counseling in 1975 at Delta State University.

He earned a doctorate in educational leadership at The University of Mississippi in 1991.

Waldrop served as superintendent of the Senatobia Municipal School District from 1987-2000, where he led a professional staff of 120 licensed employees and a classified staff of 130 employees, and an $8.6 million budget.

In July 2000, he accepted a position as deputy executive director of the Mississippi School Boards Association (MSBA) in Clinton. He was appointed MSBA's executive director in August.

Waldrop began his educational career as a social studies teacher and coach at Senatobia High School from 1970-78. He later served as a middle school principal from 1978-82 and assistant superintendent from 1982-87.

Waldrop earned a bachelor's degree in social studies at Delta State University, and a master's degree and doctorate in education administration at The University of Mississippi.

Besides Eubanks, other members of the Board of Trustees serving on the search committee are Sam Allison of Sarah, Bill Dawson of Byhalia, Mike Foster of Oxford, David Hargett of Charleston, Dorothy Kerney-Wilbourn of Como, M. Clarence Sparks Jr. of Walls, Gary Walker of Senatobia and Ronny Wilkerson of Ashland.