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��«Ӱҵ has reorganized three areas of the college overseeing Career and Technical programs, Workforce Development and Adult Education into one division under a new vice president.

The new division, approved on May 6 by the ��«Ӱҵ Board of Trustees, is being headed by current ��«Ӱҵ employee Dr. Chad Stocks, whose new title is now vice president for Workforce Development and Coordination of Career/Technical Education and associate dean of Career and Technical Education for the Raymond Campus.

Sherry Franklin, Rankin Campus career and technical dean since 2013, has been tapped to oversee career-technical education for the entire district. She is being promoted to Associate Vice President for Career and Technical Education and district director of Career and Technical Education, along with her current role as Rankin Campus Career and Technical dean.

For the past year, Stocks has assumed an increasing role in working with area employers to develop partnerships that benefit our students and industry.

“Dr. Stocks has proven to be creative and innovative in providing programs that meet the needs of business and industry in our service area. He understands that developing and growing a skilled workforce is very important to employers. He’s the right person to lead those efforts,” said ��«Ӱҵ President Dr. Clyde Muse.

Stocks is a 1991 graduate of ��«Ӱҵ. He earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural and extension education in 1993, a master’s in genetics and animal breeding in 1995 and a doctorate degree in community college leadership and administration in 2012, all from Mississippi State University.

Stocks has been employed at the Raymond Campus since 2002, first as lead instructor and district program coordinator for agribusiness management. He became assistant dean for career and technical education in August 2006 and was promoted to associate dean in 2010. The title of associate vice president for Workforce Training was added in August 2014.

“��«Ӱҵ continues to provide quality education, training and service to constituents in its service district as well as the rest of the state. ��«Ӱҵ has a proven track record of working with students and employers to make sure the talent pipeline continues to keep our economy strong,” Stocks said.

Stocks said he is “looking forward to continuing the mission of training the state’s workforce through career and technical and workforce training. This is a rare opportunity to fully utilize all of the skill sets that my education, leadership and work experiences have prepared me for.”

Franklin holds her undergraduate and graduate degrees in business education from Jackson State University. Before coming to ��«Ӱҵ she taught business and computer technology at the Jackson Career Development Center and then worked with the State Department of Education as program coordinator for business and computer technology.

“Sherry Franklin is very qualified and will provide excellent leadership and coordination of career and technical education at the district level,” Muse said.

Franklin has been with ��«Ӱҵ since 2004. She was formerly the tech prep coordinator and joined the Rankin Campus staff as director of the Pearl-Rankin Career Center.  Her stint at ��«Ӱҵ includes dean of students from 2011 to 2013.

“Career and Technical Education provides the pathway for the education and training necessary for filling the ‘middle-skilled’ occupations currently in demand,” Franklin said. “The reorganization at ��«Ӱҵ will have a positive impact on continuing to offer high-quality programs of study while promoting sustainable industry partnerships.

“As we move forward, I plan to coordinate career and technical programs of study with workforce training opportunities that will allow our students to obtain stackable credentials and leave ��«Ӱҵ CC with the necessary skills for positive placement,” she said.

The reorganization was set in motion by the impending June 30 retirement of Dr. Sue Powell, who has served for 12 years as vice president for the Rankin Campus, Jackson Campus-Academic/Technical Center and Occupational Programs.

On May 6, the college announced the hiring of Dr. Norman Session, currently principal of Pisgah High School in Rankin County, as the new vice president for the Rankin Campus and Jackson Campus-Academic/Technical Center, effective July 1, 2015.

As Mississippi’s largest community college, ��«Ӱҵ is a comprehensive institution offering quality, affordable educational opportunities with more than 170 academic, career and technical programs. With six locations in central Mississippi, ��«Ӱҵ enrolled nearly 12,000 credit students in fall 2014. To learn more, visit or call 1.800.��«ӰҵCC.